Page 48 of Under the Table

“Yeah?” Eva bounced off the bed with a grin.

“Are you ready for your day?”

Eva grinned and walked toward Molly, already taking her hand, and carrying the bag that she’d packed. Thank heavens for the independence of this little girl. Hope wasn’t sure that she’d have been functional enough to get Eva ready for tutoring and activities for the day. Not with the storm that was waiting for her.

And the last thing they needed was for Eva to be present for this.

She should have thought about that before.

Everything was going awry.

Her impulses were getting in her way.

As soon as Eva was out the door, Hope went back to the bathroom. Rex wiped the tears from his cheeks and walked around her into the main part of the room. Hope stood there stunned.

“Rex?”

“Don’t talk to me.” He threw his hand out in her direction before snagging his jacket and shrugging it on.

“We need to talk about this.” Hope bit the inside of her cheek. “We need?—”

“You told me I was paranoid!” His voice boomed through the room loudly, nearly shocking Hope back a step. “You told menothingwas going on with you two!”

“I-it wasn’t,” Hope stuttered, tears stinging her eyes. “I swear until last night?—”

Rex stepped in close, towering over her. She couldn’t deny seeing the pain in his eyes now. God, she loved this man fiercely. He was everything she’d wanted and needed, and here she was breaking his heart in a single instant.

“What do you want, Hope? Me or her? Do you expect me to roll over and bark at you like a dog?” A tear spilled down his cheek. “Do you expect me to sit back and not be impacted by yourstupiddecisions? I can’t believe you’d do this to us. No, that’s not true.” He let out a bark of a scoff. “I absolutely can believe you would do this. Itoldyou this was going to happen. And you didn’t believe me.” He pounded his fist into his chest. “You put this on me, but it’s not. It’s onyou.”

Rex stepped around her.

Hope stayed still, watching him walk out the bedroom door without a second glance back at her. She collapsed onto the corner of the bed, her hands folded in her lap. She sighed, silent tears rushing down her cheeks.

She’d done this all wrong.

She’d done everything backwards.

Her phone buzzed, reminding her that it was time for hair and makeup because she needed to be filming in an hour. She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes.

The lights were bright. Sweat pooled at the small of her back, but she could barely focus on what she was supposed to be doing. She’d stumbled over her lines a half-dozen times already, and she could tell the crew was getting frustrated with her.

She was letting everyone down today.

“Hope?”

Her brain racked itself trying to focus and form words. The look in Angelica’s eyes was nothing but concern. But Hope couldn’t handle it. She didn’t deserve it right now, and they had a job to do. Things were already derailed because Rex wasn’t in the room, leaving everything up to the assistant director, but to add in a conversation with Angelica? While cameras and microphones surrounded them?

No. She couldn’t do that.

“There are um… some issues with the kitchen,” Hope finally choked out the words. That had been what started everything this morning, hadn’t it? The conversation she should have already had with Angelica, but they’d gotten distracted.

“Issues?” Angelica raised an eyebrow at her, canting her head to the side and staring at her curiously.

Was that another question to dive deeper into what Hope was feeling or was this Angelica trying to stay on point? God, Hope could never tell with her sometimes. No, that wasn’t true. She could. Just not right now. Not when her brain was so muddled by the not-even-argument with Rex. She should have chosen a better time, not when they’d have to dive deep into a day of work. Neither one of them were prepared for this.

“Um, yes.” Hope bit her lip, staring directly at Angelica and not elaborating. She could tell Angelica was getting frustrated now. She wasn’t one to wait around for answers when she could just rip off the bandage and get to them. “Sorry.” Hope blinked, staring down at their hands on the counter as they faced each other. They were standing so close to each other, fingers inches away. She needed to focus. She had to do this.

“What are the issues?”