Page 58 of No Holds Barred

“You are someone,” Hope answered. “You deserve to have a healthy work environment, just like anyone else.”

“No.” Angelica shook her head. “No, I’m not worth it. Tell Rex he doesn’t need to bother.”

“Ange…” Hope stopped. She flicked her gaze from the top of Angelica’s head to her shoulder and back again. “Ange?”

“Hmm?”

“When we broke up…” Hope swallowed hard. This wasn’t easy to say. “When we broke up, I told you that I couldn’t risk my family.”

Angelica hummed but that was the only response she gave.

“Did you think that I meant you weren’t worth it?” Hope pressed her fingers to Angelica’s shoulder, stopping all of her motion. When Angelica turned to look up at her, Hope looked at her directly in the eye. “That you weren’t worthy?”

The look on Angelica’s face was pure pain. And she didn’t mask it. She held Hope’s gaze firmly, locking their eyes together.

“Angel…” Hope breathed deeply. “I never meant that. I never even thought it.”

“You didn’t have to.” Angelica clenched her jaw. “Let’s just… finish up. Please.”

Hope nodded, an unsettled feeling filling the pit of her stomach. She had to fix this. She had to find a way to rectify the mistake she’d made. She finished rinsing out Angelica’s hair and turned the water off.

Snagging a towel, she wrapped it around Angelica’s shoulders and helped to dry her off, putting a second towel in her hair. She walked side by side with Angelica until she was sitting comfortably on the bed with clothes next to her. Hope took her dry clothes and went back to the bathroom to clean up and change.

Everything about this broke her, shattered her into a million little pieces.

Angelica had been right all along.

She was so selfish and wrapped up in what was happening to her that she refused to look and see what was happening to those she loved the most. Hope stared at herself in the mirror and shook her head. She wouldn’t let that happen again.

She would be better.

Do better.

Because Angelica deserved it.

She was worth it.

Chapter

Nineteen

Leanne’s giggle, which used to be infectious, was anything but. Now it just grated on Angelica’s nerves. She sat in the chair while Rex and Cadence reset so they could do a second take. She hated to admit it, but that shower, while embarrassing and tedious, had done her so much good.

Not just by washing her skin and her hair.

But the connection that she and Hope had throughout it, the edges of pain they’d skirted around but started to mend.

“Here.” Hope’s voice was gentle as she slid a mug of coffee into Angelica’s hand.

“Thank you.” Angelica took the coffee, flicking her gaze up to Hope in a curious glance. Hope had left awkwardly last night, but it still felt better between them than it had since they’d started filming this season. Angelica couldn’t explain it more than that.

“All right, we’re set to go again.” Cadence’s voice reached Angelica’s ears, and she took another sip of her coffee before Hope stole it away again.

Angelica couldn’t wait until she could move around more normally. She pulled herself to standing and moved with her scooter exactly where Cadence had wanted her. She held ontothe scooter as Hope stood next to her, closer than she had in days, and it felt so good. She sent Hope a smile that faltered when Leanne came to stand next to them.

If ever there was a third wheel…

Angelica breathed out, plastering on the smile that she needed. One of the techs came over and switched out Angelica’s scooter for a low stool so they could get a wider shot of them. It was all in the magic, wasn’t it? Holding her breath, Angelica prepared herself for this next take.