Not Another Diva

28 - Don't Go

"Hey," I tell her, "You don't have to be scared to tell me anything, ever. Do you hear me? We have nothing if we aren't honest with each other. So tell me, whatever it is."

Brianna pulls away to look up at me, her face stained with tears and make up. I could care less as long as she's still here fighting for us.

She takes a deep breath before speaking. "Actually, it's Char."

"Char? What do you mean?" I push a few strands of her hair away from her face, urging her to keep talking.

"She's been warning me, telling me this would blow up in my face." Brianna shakes her head ruefully. "I mean, it does look like she was right. The paparazzi pounced the second they had the chance. But what Char meant was that I needed to be really careful around you."

"Me? I really don't get it, Bree. What are you trying to say?"

"After Logan, and all of the opportunistic people in my life, including my parents Zack, she didn't think I should trust you the way I have. She told me all the time to watch my back, to keep things to myself. Once that letter showed up, she really went into overdrive about ending the contract early."

I step back and put my hands up. "Whoa, she wanted you to fire me?" I've had lingering concerns about Char this entire time, second-guessing myself every step of the way. But it looks like my instincts were on point.

"Basically. Even after the roses on my bed." Brianna laughs bitterly. "She thought maybe you had done that."

"What!" I can't believe Char has been planting this shit in her head the entire time. The entire time!

"While you were gone that morning, packing your stuff to come here, she kept telling me to go to a hotel. Alone. That I should just hide out for a couple of days, that Clinton had things under control. I told her no, because at that point I just wanted as far away from Hollywood as possible." Brianna looks up at me, wiping tears off of her cheeks. "And I really wanted time with you. I told her not to worry. That everything would be better if I just left."

"Let me guess, she threw those words back in your face." I've crossed my arms at this point. I wish this was all Char's way of looking out for Brianna, which I wouldn't fault her for at all, but this seems like she's undermining me every chance she gets. That I can fault her for, and I will if that's the case. Which I'm pretty sure it is, so looks like I've got something to fault her for.

"She did, just before I came to you. Char thinks the only way to kill this story is for me to return by myself and perform at the Diva Tribute tomorrow night."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa..." I put my hands up. "I told her to cancel that. There was no way you needed that kind of pressure right now. She told me she would handle it."

"I guess she didn't. But I think she does have a point, Zack. If I show up looking unfazed, the story will go away quicker."

I stand in place, looking Brianna right in the eyes when I ask the next question. "Why didn't you just tell me all of this Bree? Why did you put up those walls and shut me out?" My words are quiet, my tone even. But my heart is pounding because I'm not sure I'll like her answer.

Brianna looks away from me, across the driveway and off into the distance of the pasture, towards the stable and beyond. "Because, Zack, you're too good to have to deal with all of this. With the pressure of fame and all eyes watching you at all times. It will break you. It will break us eventually, so I thought..."

"You thought if you walked away now, it would save us heartache later on." I finish for her.

Brianna just nods, looking down at the ground now. "I was wrong, Zack. So wrong. This hurts more than I thought possible."