SLEAZE: A Hollywood Comeback Story (Book #1)

Chapter 53

"Like?"

Sophie licked her bottom lip, rubbing away the red lipstick that she'd previously painted on. Her shoulders slumped forward and her expression grew so despondent that I thought she was about to cry. "No one wants to become famous so they can be hated. Nobody."

"I don't hate you."

"Cool, one person out of six billion."

"At least there's one," I pointed out, but Sophie didn't seem to appreciate the attempt at humor.

Glancing around my living room, she said, "You know, I love being here. It's so much better than my house."

"Want to trade?" I asked, tearing off a piece of my sandwich and popping it into my mouth. The cheese hadn't melted fully but I couldn't muster up the energy to reheat the frying pan. "Actually, I forgot I gave you a key."

"Really?" Sophie laughed. "Did you think I was a burglar?"

"Serial killer."

We both smiled as Sophie stood up again to take my greasy hand in hers. "I still think we should go somewhere."

"Maybe when things have settled down," I replied, relenting when I saw the excitement dancing in her eyes. Her grin stretched so wide that I thought her face might split. "I guess I could probably save up enough money to go to on a trip over winter break -- a small trip, I mean."

Probably within a hundred mile radius.

"Why don't you ever let me pay for anything?" As Sophie watched me wipe my fingers on a dish rag, I noticed for the first time how rarely she blinked. I could see the vessels staining the whites of her eyes and her pupils were slightly dilated -- not anywhere near the size of Richard's, but enough that I noticed. I broke her gaze to look down at my uncovered legs, strangely unnerved by the intensity of her stare.

"Because I don't want you to," I said after a long pause. Sophie jostled my arm, unsatisfied with my response.

"But--"

"Are you sure you don't want something to eat?" I gently pulled my wrist out of her grip so that I could walk over to my refrigerator. "I went shopping the other day, if you're afraid of having to eat instant noodles."

"I'm not hungry," Sophie said for the second time since arriving, leaving me in the kitchen so that she could curl up on the couch.

I didn't say anything but with the image of her collarbones fresh in my mind, I ignored her and began putting together a meal that even she couldn't complain about. I retrieved a leftover salad from the fridge and dumped the chilled leaves into a large cereal bowl. With a knife, I diced a piece of grilled chicken that I'd cooked the night before and added it to the mix, along with a hard boiled egg. Frustrated with her for reasons I couldn't pinpoint, I plonked the bowl in Sophie's lap, followed by two different bottles of dressing and a fork. She frowned, handing me back the salad I'd prepared.

"I said, I'm not--"

"Eat it anyway," I said as I sat down next to her, noting the way her tiny wrist shook under the meager weight of the bowl.

The words came out harsher than I'd meant for them to and, despite the look of surprise on her face, Sophie began picking at the food in front of her. I did my best not to watch her while she ate, though she must have felt me staring on occasion. Whether or not she noticed, Sophie kept her head down until over half of the salad was gone.

"Thank you," she murmured, setting the bowl down on my cluttered coffee table. Her eyes remained unblinking. "I think I might've forgotten to eat before I went out."

"How do you forget to eat?"

Sophie's shoulders rose and fell, and I knew that was the only answer that I'd get. I moved closer to her and rested a hand on her thigh. "I thought you weren't supposed to drink on your meds, Soph."

"Oh, yeah, I know." She fiddled with a ruby ring on her finger that I didn't recognize. "My doctor lowered the dose, so it's fine."

"What about your headaches?" I asked, knowing that she'd complained about having a migraine a few days before.

"I don't like the way the pills make me feel," she explained, covering my hand with hers. "They make me so sluggish and I'd rather deal with the pain, to be honest."

I didn't know what to say, other than that it seemed like she had plenty of energy now. Sophie rested her head on my shoulder, and, knowing that neither of us would fall asleep anytime soon, I gave up on my plan to watch the Steven Spielberg documentary and reached for the remote control. Handing the clicker to Sophie, I said, "Here, put something on."

"What do you want to watch?"

I looked at Sophie, taking in her alert expression, and wondered how she did it -- any of it. How did she wake up every morning and go to work, knowing that people around the globe were watching and waiting for her to screw up? No wonder she seems miserable.

"Parker?"

I cleared my throat. "Whatever you want."

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A/N: Huzzah, I achieved my goal of updating twice this week. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! To be honest, I split it up because it was too long originally so you can expect an update again by early next week. :)

I have a few people I'd like the shout-out this week...

@somerandomer2 has an awesome story that I recommend checking out if you're interested in something with an edgier vibe.

I recently nominated @Themcma to be featured through Wattpad Undiscovered and I'm confident that if you read her work, you'll understand why!

If you're interested in a fast-paced story with an unique plot and strong, well-written characters, then I'd encourage you to try out MagnoliaCherry's Watty's 2015 entry. :)

I have more people I'd like to give a nod to but I shall save that for next time. Please feel free to vote and comment if you enjoyed the chapter (or, even if you didn't, if you're feeling charitable). Until then, have a wonderful day! Xx