Seen (ONC 2024)

Chapter 5: When Life Gives You Lemons

An hour later, when Aria comes stomping up the stairs, I expect her to announce that she's leaving. That her management team got back to her and found a place for her to stay.

Instead, she announces she is hungry.

I glance up from my phone. She's dressed in a new tracksuit and her makeup looks freshly applied. If you're always worried about photographers, then I guess it pays to look your best at all times.

"I brought groceries. Check the fridge," I tell her, then I go back to scrolling.

The text I sent to Daniel still only says it was delivered. Not read.

How long will he ignore me?

The fridge door opens. "Um, all you have are ingredients. What am I supposed to do with this?"

"I'm sorry, what?" I look over to see Aria standing with her back to the open refrigerator.

"I don't, like, cook..." She holds out her palms.

"Cook?" I'm not sure what the problem is. Who asked her to cook? I take a deep breath. "If you are hungry, you can make a sandwich. There's bread and cold cuts. You could also pour yourself a bowl of cereal. And, if that's too much, you could just grab an apple."

My phone vibrates, drawing back my attention.

Not Daniel.

My mother.

I open the notification. Apparently, Mom thinks I'm out of my mind to think my brother would ever do such a thing. Daniel contact the press? Are you crazy?

The fridge door closes and there's the crunch of someone biting into an apple.

I guess the movie star listened to me.

A moment later, she plops down on the couch and rests her feet on the coffee table.

I put my phone down. "I just want to reiterate, I really didn't contact the press."

"I know," she says, mouth full of apple. She swallows.

"May I ask if you found out who did?" I sit up straighter, glad to have my brother's name cleared from suspicion.

"No." Aria shrugs. "Could be anything. Anyone. You could've told a friend, but maybe someone saw me driving. Or who the fuck knows. Could have been Murray." She takes another bite of the apple, droplets of juice spraying the air.

"Your manager?"

"He loves publicity."

I shake my head. "Isn't it his job to protect you?"

Aria laughs. "Welcome to my life."

I'm not sure how to respond to that. It makes me feel bad for her. For how vulnerable she seems.

"Didn't you say your dad's a lawyer?" I ask, trying to remember the details from our conversation the night before. "I'm sure your management team is legally obligated to protect you. It's likely in your contact with them."

Instead of looking at me, she stares at the apple in her hand. "Hard to prove things like that. Intent and everything."

"Sure," I say, "but not impossible."

She shrugs, still not making eye contact. "It'd be messy."

"But he's your dad, I'm sure..."

Aria cuts me off. "My dad and I aren't close. Not anymore."

The way she says it. It's a tone I know. The same hurt I hear in my client's voices. Did he reject her after the People Magazine article? Or was it something else? I want to know, but I'm not going to pry.