“She admitted it but won’t apologize.” Bending down, he pecks my lips before collapsing on the lounger alongside me.
I snort. “That sounds about right. Bianca is a piece of work.” I didn’t want to accost Reeve with the details of his agent’s nasty little chat with me the instant he came home, so I left it a few days before finally mentioning it last night. He was fuming, and he left her a heated voice message, demanding she return his call, yet he’s only just managed to speak with her. Either that demonstrates where he fits on her priority list or she was giving him time to cool down.
“I’ve told her if she pulls a stunt like that again I’m terminating my contract.” He swipes his beer bottle off the ground and brings it to his lips.
Sitting upright, I remove my sunglasses so I can look him in the eyes. “I thought you were going to terminate it now.” At least, that’s what he said last night when he lost it after I told him every horrid word she’d said to me.
He grimaces before swinging his legs to the side and reaching out for my hands. “I can’t, babe.”
I mirror his position, and our knees touch. “You can. You know Mom already spoke to Margaret and she’s interested in signing you. She is the best in the industry, and your career will be in safe hands with her.”
“I can’t walk away from Bianca now, Viv.” His eyes blaze with excitement, and my stomach dips.
“What don’t I know?”
“They’ve just offered me a contract for the next two movies!” Flames of delight dance in his eyes while that uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach churns faster. “Bianca is negotiating terms, but it’s looking like a done deal. I’m sorry, babe. I know you don’t like her, and I’m not happy she was rude to you, but I can’t change representation in the middle of all this.”
“They’ve decided to make more movies in the series already?” I ask, struggling to share his excitement amid the pain eviscerating me from all angles. “The first movie has only just wrapped, and it’s not premiering until January.”
“The studio commissioned reports from industry analysts who predict outcomes, and all the indicators point to this movie being a massive success. The buzz has been steadily building since the news first broke of the adaptation and it’s showing no sign of slowing down.” He can’t contain his grin, and I hate that I can’t be happy for him because I know what this means for us.
“When does filming start?”
“November, and then we’ll be taking a break to promote the release before shooting restarts again next May.”
“So, it’s definitely going ahead?” I try to mask my distress, but his smile fades, confirming I’m hiding nothing.
He rubs circles on the back of my hand with his thumb. “The second movie definitely is. While I’ll sign a new contract, which includes both films, there is an opt-out clause with part payment if the first movie doesn’t perform as expected at the box office.”
“And when would the third film begin production?”
“Provisionally November of next year with a break for promotion of the second film, and then it will resume in April of the following year.”
That would be the end of the spring semester of our sophomore year. Between promotion and filming, Reeve is going to be extremely busy in the next two years. “What about UCLA?” I ask, even though I already know the answer.
“Babe.” He pulls me over onto his lap, snaking his arms around me. “I’m not going to UCLA.” He tilts my chin up with his finger. His features soften when he spots the upset on my face. “I know we had it planned, and I hate that I’m disappointing you, but this opportunity is too big to turn down. We both knew this was a possibility. Please say you understand?” he pleads.
My chest heaves as I struggle to phrase this in a way that doesn’t come across as selfish. “I know it’s a massive opportunity for you, Reeve, and I am proud of you. You clearly impressed them, not that it’s a surprise. You’re destined for greatness. I still stand by that, but I can’t help feeling disappointed because thinking about college was basically the only thing that got me through these past three months.” I hook my arms around his neck. “You’ve already missed out on so much, and now you’re going to be gone for the next two years, and I’m scared.” Tears cloud my eyes, but I don’t disguise them. I want him to see how difficult this is for me. “I’m scared what this means for us. We will barely see one another.”