up. ‘I love that you did that for her. But we’ve been battling this for years. Years. She wants to stop, but something always drags her back. Not something, some one . Her boyfriend.’
‘The one you punched out?’ The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them.
36
Marc’s eyes widen. ‘How did you -’
‘Jen,’ I say. ‘She works in PR, remember?’
‘Ah, yes. The PR bulldog. Of course. She certainly knows her stuff. She was my chief suspect when the press knew our location.’
‘ Jen ?’ I’m outraged. ‘She would never do anything like that. We’re like sisters. How could you even think that?’
Marc’s top lip curls into a sexy smile. ‘Jealous and a hot temper? I’m seeing new sides to you today, Miss Rose.’
I blow out air. ‘It’s been a difficult day.’
‘I accept that.’ He holds his hands up, still smiling. ‘Maybe I don’t trust as easily as you. But don’t worry, I’ve learned my lesson. It’s clear Jen means a lot to you. I take back my comment.’
‘Thank you.’ I hesitate. ‘Marc?’
‘Yes?’
‘Who’s Emily?’
Marc stares at me for a moment. ‘How do you ...’
‘I saw the name Emily on your family picture. In the box in your bedroom. Do you have another sister?’
‘No.’ Marc shakes his head. ‘Emily was the name our mother gave my sister. But when our mother died and we moved to the States, my father renamed her. Emily was too plain for him.’
‘That’s ... awful,’ I say. ‘ He sounds ... a little crazy.’
‘Not crazy, just spectacularly self -centred. The worse example of a human being.’
There’s a vibrating sound, and Marc slips his phone from his trouser pocket. He frowns when he sees the number, but still takes the call.
‘Minty. Yes. Yes, I heard.’ He frowns, thick eyebrows pulling together. ‘So they thought they’d go through me? Well, as it happens, Sophia’s right here. No, that won’t be necessary. There’s no decision to make. Tell them she won’t take the part.’
He hangs up.
‘Marc?’ I feel uneasy. ‘What just happened?’
‘ That was the Beauty and the Beast musical. They couldn’t get hold of you, so they phoned my publicity person instead.’
‘And you told them ... what , exactly?’
‘You heard what I told her.’
‘You told them I wouldn’t take the part ? Without asking me? Am I hearing you right?’
‘Exa ctly right. It’s not safe.’
I step back from him, not quite knowing where to turn or what to do. ‘How could you ... you had no right.’
‘I have your best interests at heart.’
He moves towards me, but I take another step back, shaking my head. ‘I can’t believe you did that. Marc, you have to phone them back. Tell them that it’s my choice.’
‘I see no reason for doing that.’
‘You see no reason?’ I can barely get the words out, I’m so angry. ‘No reason ?’ I feel like I’m falling, and the kitchen goes blurry. ‘I can’t be around you right now,’ I hear myself say. ‘I need to be alone.’
I storm out of the kitchen into the hallway, before I realise there’s nowhere to go. The paparazzi are outside.
I turn a circle in the hallway.
‘Sophia.’ Marc appears beside me.
‘Stay away from me, right now,’ I say. ‘I mean it. I’m not a child. What gave you the right ... do you have any respect for me at all ?’ Today’s events are whirling round and round my head, and Giles Getty’s words keep coming back to me.
You’re just a toy to him.
‘Sophia, you need to understand -’
I put a hand up. ‘Please , don’t try to explain.’
Marc looks at me for a long time, his hands slipping into his pockets. He doesn’t look angry, just ... disappointed. Thoughtful. Like he wants to reprimand me but doesn’t know how. Little lines have appeared above his nose.
‘So you want to be by yourself?’ he says eventually.
‘I need to think ...’ But the truth is, I can’t think. Not when I’m so angry.
‘As you wish.’ Marc marches
‘The one you punched out?’ The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them.
36
Marc’s eyes widen. ‘How did you -’
‘Jen,’ I say. ‘She works in PR, remember?’
‘Ah, yes. The PR bulldog. Of course. She certainly knows her stuff. She was my chief suspect when the press knew our location.’
‘ Jen ?’ I’m outraged. ‘She would never do anything like that. We’re like sisters. How could you even think that?’
Marc’s top lip curls into a sexy smile. ‘Jealous and a hot temper? I’m seeing new sides to you today, Miss Rose.’
I blow out air. ‘It’s been a difficult day.’
‘I accept that.’ He holds his hands up, still smiling. ‘Maybe I don’t trust as easily as you. But don’t worry, I’ve learned my lesson. It’s clear Jen means a lot to you. I take back my comment.’
‘Thank you.’ I hesitate. ‘Marc?’
‘Yes?’
‘Who’s Emily?’
Marc stares at me for a moment. ‘How do you ...’
‘I saw the name Emily on your family picture. In the box in your bedroom. Do you have another sister?’
‘No.’ Marc shakes his head. ‘Emily was the name our mother gave my sister. But when our mother died and we moved to the States, my father renamed her. Emily was too plain for him.’
‘That’s ... awful,’ I say. ‘ He sounds ... a little crazy.’
‘Not crazy, just spectacularly self -centred. The worse example of a human being.’
There’s a vibrating sound, and Marc slips his phone from his trouser pocket. He frowns when he sees the number, but still takes the call.
‘Minty. Yes. Yes, I heard.’ He frowns, thick eyebrows pulling together. ‘So they thought they’d go through me? Well, as it happens, Sophia’s right here. No, that won’t be necessary. There’s no decision to make. Tell them she won’t take the part.’
He hangs up.
‘Marc?’ I feel uneasy. ‘What just happened?’
‘ That was the Beauty and the Beast musical. They couldn’t get hold of you, so they phoned my publicity person instead.’
‘And you told them ... what , exactly?’
‘You heard what I told her.’
‘You told them I wouldn’t take the part ? Without asking me? Am I hearing you right?’
‘Exa ctly right. It’s not safe.’
I step back from him, not quite knowing where to turn or what to do. ‘How could you ... you had no right.’
‘I have your best interests at heart.’
He moves towards me, but I take another step back, shaking my head. ‘I can’t believe you did that. Marc, you have to phone them back. Tell them that it’s my choice.’
‘I see no reason for doing that.’
‘You see no reason?’ I can barely get the words out, I’m so angry. ‘No reason ?’ I feel like I’m falling, and the kitchen goes blurry. ‘I can’t be around you right now,’ I hear myself say. ‘I need to be alone.’
I storm out of the kitchen into the hallway, before I realise there’s nowhere to go. The paparazzi are outside.
I turn a circle in the hallway.
‘Sophia.’ Marc appears beside me.
‘Stay away from me, right now,’ I say. ‘I mean it. I’m not a child. What gave you the right ... do you have any respect for me at all ?’ Today’s events are whirling round and round my head, and Giles Getty’s words keep coming back to me.
You’re just a toy to him.
‘Sophia, you need to understand -’
I put a hand up. ‘Please , don’t try to explain.’
Marc looks at me for a long time, his hands slipping into his pockets. He doesn’t look angry, just ... disappointed. Thoughtful. Like he wants to reprimand me but doesn’t know how. Little lines have appeared above his nose.
‘So you want to be by yourself?’ he says eventually.
‘I need to think ...’ But the truth is, I can’t think. Not when I’m so angry.
‘As you wish.’ Marc marches
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