Starshine

by Melody Winter

  “What I don’t understand is why he’s done it.” Alex pulled at his hair as he paced from one side of the fireplace to the other.

  “Well, if he’s still involved with Amy, maybe she’s blackmailing him again. You know how easily he fell in with her plans last time.”

  Alex shook his head. “You’ve seen the footage. You even edited some of it, didn’t you?”

  I nodded.

  “What was it like? Did it look good?”

  Again, I nodded. Even though I hated that it was me on the screen, I appreciated how stunning we had looked together, and how the intenseness of the scene had come across so effortlessly.

  “We looked good together. In fact, I think we looked incredible.”

  Alex’s eyes locked with mine. His worried expression was replaced with a huge grin. “She’s shot herself in the foot. So has Rowan.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, I never wanted to work with Amy or Rowan again. Rowan will be fired for leaking the footage. There is no way that the franchise will risk employing him for the next film. I reckon he’ll already be fired. They’ll be bringing someone else in to finish the production.”

  I sighed. I’d liked Rowan, but if it was proved that he had leaked the footage, then he’d left the franchise team with no choice but to sack him.

  “And Amy.” Alex grinned. “I know how she works. And I’m confident that she thought the scenes would be bad. She doesn’t think that there’s a better actress than herself out there. She’ll have wanted to show you up. She wanted the public to see you making a fool of yourself. Well, that plan has certainly backfired.”

  I curled my legs underneath me on the sofa. Even after everything that had happened, it still upset me that she hated me so much. She seemed to blame me for stealing Alex away from her, when he had never been hers to start with.

  “Hey.” Alex rushed to me and pulled me against his chest. “Don’t worry about it. She’s just given me a perfect excuse not to work with her ever again. I had no intention of doing so, but now, after this, I can damn well demand that I don’t.”

  He kissed the side of my head as I breathed in his familiar scent. He’d managed to halt my tears before they even escaped. I cuddled up to him, resting my head against his shoulder.

  “Why can’t they just leave us alone?” I said, my voice weak and uncertain. “Just let us get on with our lives without all this hate and upset?”

  “It’s because I’m famous, Ella. Unfortunately, everyone seems to think that they’re entitled to a part of me, including my life and everyone in it. Even though Amy has fame in her own right, she still wants more. And I’m her link to it.”

  “Why would anyone want this though? Do you?”

  Alex guffawed at my question. “It’s my job. I enjoy acting. I like the challenges it presents me with. I love the whole process of creating something from nothing, from ideas in someone’s head to a script, and seeing it come to life.” He paused and kissed my forehead. “I have no idea what I’d do if I didn’t act. But, if I could take away all the shit that comes with it then, believe me, I would. That’s why I hide away as best I can, keep out of the way of the stupid camera men, never commenting about things and, up until last week, never talking to the reporters.” He squeezed my shoulder. “I’d best clear this mess up. I flipped a bit back then, I’m sorry.”

  “I think I would have gone a bit crazy as well when I first heard that. Was it Megan who rang you?”

  He nodded before kissing me again and standing up. He headed across the room to where he’d thrown the plates.

  The ringing of my phone sounded out, and I jumped off the sofa. Who was calling me?

  “I’ve broken my phone,” he said.

  I raised my eyebrows as he held several pieces of it up in the air. My phone was in the kitchen, and I grabbed it before heading back into the room.

  The caller identification alerted me to who was calling.

  “Hi Megan,” I said as I answered the call.

  “Ella, shit! Are you okay? Is Alex alright?”

  “Yes, yes, calm down. We’re both fine. Although, Alex has broken his phone. It’s currently in several pieces.”

  “Stupid idiot!” she cursed.

  “Well, I think he was a bit upset about what you told him,” I said, trying to explain as I glanced at Alex who was still picking up the remains of his throwing fit.

  “But if he’d let me continue, he would have heard the rest of what I had to say.”

  “There’s more?” I asked.

  “Quite a bit actually. You see, Rowan rang Anthony last night. He wanted to sell him his story about everything.” She spoke quickly. “Oh, Anthony is such a clever man, Ella.”

  I frowned before looking over to Alex who had stopped what he was doing and was watching me. I shrugged. I had no idea what Megan was about to say.

  “He managed to get the whole story from Rowan without offering him any money. And, he refused to print anything that Rowan said. He got the information for me to pass on to you two. He recorded it as well.”

  “He’s not printing anything at all?” I couldn’t believe what she was saying.

  “Ella?” Alex questioned.

  “It seems that Rowan’s talked to Anthony,” I explained as quickly as possible.

  Megan continued gushing about Anthony. “Oh, Ella, I’m so proud of him. He did it for me, and to prove that he’s serious about our relationship, and how his job affects Alex and you.”

  “What did Rowan say?” I asked, impatient to get the details.

  “That he was the daddy! And that he’d gone to the clinic with Amy yesterday afternoon. It seems he’s not going to be a daddy any longer.”

  I raised my hand to my mouth, hating that she aborted her babies so easily. I’d never been pregnant but assumed it was never an easy decision to make. Amy seemed to have no concern about being pregnant, unless she could use it to blackmail someone.

  “But, the reason she got rid of it was because she made Rowan leak the film footage of you two.”

  “I thought Rowan was a good guy,” I muttered. “Stupid, but good.”

  Alex tutted. “He thinks with his dick, always has. Why do you think I didn’t like the idea of him taking you out the other week?”

  I scowled at Alex. Did he think I was that stupid? That I would have handed myself to him on a plate the way Amy had done?

  “Anyway,” Megan continued. “That’s not all. He said he knew how amazing the footage was of you two, and that Amy had no way of knowing just how sensational it was. She wanted it released so that you looked like an idiot. I can tell you, Ella, that you don’t. You look incredible!”

  “You’ve watched it?” I screeched. Alex was at my side, wanting to take my phone from me. I held him off.

  “Anthony was quite impressed as well,” she continued.

  “I didn’t need to know that, Megan,” I told her, cringing at the thought.

  “So, Amy’s plan has backfired tenfold. Tell my brother that Rowan has been sacked. He’ll have a new producer for the last film, Solarflare. I’m negotiating for him to have a new co-star for the film as well. It won’t be Amy.” She giggled quietly.

  “Now what’s so funny?” I asked.

  “Well, I’ve already had calls from some very reputable film critics today. It seems that you are their favourite actress to play Evelyn in the final film.”

  “What?”

  “This film leak has catapulted you right up there, Ella. The top ten trends on twitter are all about the clip, and you. Everyone wants to talk to you. I’ve lost count of the number of chat shows from around the world that want you as a guest.”

  My head started to spin with what I was hearing. I handed my phone to Alex and wandered back to the sofa.

  “What have you just said to Ella?” Alex growled into the phone.

  When Alex had finished speaking to Megan, he leapt over the sofa, scooped me in his arms and swung me around the room.
r />   When he released me, he kissed me urgently, his several day-old beard scratching me.

  “You need a shave,” I said.

  He narrowed his eyes. “You said you liked my beard.”

  “I do, but my face is breaking out in one hell of a rash because of it. And, for the record, I prefer the stubble. You always look so sexy with your stubble.”

  “I’ll shave it off before we head home.”

  “When is that? I gathered from your conversation with Megan that she wants us back in England.”

  “I’m sorry, Ella. We need to go back earlier than planned. I managed to rescue tomorrow for us, but we’ll be leaving the day after.”

  I plonked onto the sofa. Our perfect getaway had to end at some point, but I wanted to prolong our time away together before we were thrown into chaos back home. The stress and drama wasn’t something I either wanted or needed.

  “Why does she want us back? Can’t we leave the madness to go on by itself, and hide away here forever?” I asked.

  “That’s a nice thought, but I’m sure you’d get bored with me eventually.”

  “Probably,” I teased.

  He rubbed his chin and then stroked his beard. “Megan wants me back because there’s a load of stuff that I need to sort out with her, contract wise. Things have just got very complicated because of all this. And, you need to get back because you need to meet the Starshine team.”

  “Why?”

  “Because, if what Megan tells me is true, and I have no reason not to believe her, you are the top person in line for the role alongside me in Solarflare.”

  “No way! I thought she was kidding?”

  Alex shook his head. “No, she’s organised a meeting for you with the Starshine gods that make all the decisions. You’ve made quite an impact out there. The fans love you, the press love you, the film critics love you.” He leaned over me and kissed the top of my head. “And I love you.”

  His lips trailed across my forehead, along my nose and onto my mouth.

  “Seems like I’m not the only star around here, Ella,” he said as his lips moved against mine. He kissed me before settling next to me on the sofa. “So, what have you enjoyed the most about your stay here?” he asked.

  I pondered his question for a while, trying to decide on one thing. It was impossible. “I’ll miss the quietness the most, the pool, the Jacuzzi.”

  Alex’s brow creased with a frown. “Oh, I see. You’ve not enjoyed the time alone with me then?”

  I caught his acting abilities coming into play. “Naaa, not really. I mean, I can get you to fuck me whenever I want, can’t I? It’s not that difficult.”

  His expression melted into a smirk. “You are such a tease, Ella.”

  “Yeah, but you love it,” I added before snaking my hand around the back of his neck and pulling him toward me.

  “I do,” he said. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  On Thursday afternoon, Alex and I braved the mass of gathered photographers at Heathrow airport. Megan had organised for us to take a private plane to Portugal and then a normal, registered plane back to Heathrow. Anyone checking where our flight came from when we landed back in England would only know we’d flown from Portugal, not Sao Miguel. It kept Alex’s hideaway island a secret. When we’d left Sao Miguel, there wasn’t one person around to take our photo, but it seemed that everyone was here.

  It was chaos. I had never been so frightened in my life. Alex held my hand as airport security struggled to keep the photographers away from us. It was only when we climbed into the assigned waiting car that I began to relax.

  “I’ll run the bastards over if they don’t move,” a familiar voice spoke from the driver’s seat.

  “Anthony!” Alex exclaimed. “What the fuck?”

  “And me,” a female voice muttered from the passenger seat.

  “Megan!” I shrieked.

  “Okay!” Alex snapped. “Why have you two picked us up? You never mentioned it in your texts to Ella.”

  “We wanted to surprise you. It was Anthony’s idea,” Megan explained as she spun around in her seat. Anthony drove the car forward very slowly.

  “Why isn’t he out there with all the other scum?” Alex asked.

  Anthony laughed at Alex’s reaction.

  “I’ve hung my camera up. Not doing it anymore.”

  “What?” Alex and I chorused.

  Megan rested her hand on Anthony’s thigh. “The situation he was in was becoming impossible. When Rowan rang him the other night, he realised he had to make a decision. He had to either run with the story, publishing everything to drop Rowan and Amy in it, or do it the way he has, only provide the information to the people that need to know.”

  “And, Megan wanted me to do something else,” Anthony added as if Megan’s explanation wasn’t quite enough.

  Megan nudged Anthony’s arm. “I was going to tell them that later.”

  I remained quiet as Alex looked about to explode. “What the fuck haven’t you told us now!” he yelled.

  “Anthony has a new job. He’s going to be Ella’s security man.”

  “What?” I exclaimed.

  “You need someone to protect you from all the idiots out there. There are fans camping outside Alex’s house, and there are even more outside yours Ella. At least Anthony can always be around when you need to go out.”

  I turned to Alex. Even though I didn’t like to admit that my life had changed dramatically, there was no pretending that I could carry on like I’d done before. I needed someone like Anthony to look out for me. He’d already proved how capable he was in the days before Alex and I went away.

  Alex slowly nodded. “It makes sense. I’m not always going to be around to help you through the madness. Fans are a worry as well. I’m confident that all they want is to talk to you and have their photo taken with you, but we always need to be careful. I’ll not take any risks with your safety, Ella.”

  I leaned toward Alex, and pecked him on his newly shaven cheek. “I love you,” I whispered.

  “Excellent,” Megan said. “Now, let’s get Ella home.”

  “Oh, there’s one thing you both need to know,” Alex said. “Ella’s going to move out of her flat. She’s living with me now.”

  Anthony steered the car up the drive and parked outside Alex’s front door. There were a ridiculous number of photographers in the street. There were obviously several groups of fans also hanging around, and five news channel trucks with satellite dishes on them.

  “Fucking mental,” Alex muttered as he followed my gaze.

  I felt sorry for the fans. I had never taken to camping outside anyone’s house to meet my idol. If I’d ever had the motivation, and time, and knowledge of where Alex had lived, I wondered whether I would have done exactly what they were doing. The only time I had ever done anything remotely similar was when I had gone to the premier showing of the first film. It was the time when he had briefly spoken to me and made me feel like the most special girl in the world. I remembered how precious that memory was. Camping outside his house would have seemed a small thing to do in the hope that he would notice me and perhaps speak to me.

  “I think we should go and talk to the fans,” I said.

  Megan turned around looking horrified with my suggestion, and Alex stared at me as if I’d grown another head.

  “What? I don’t care about the paps out there, but the fans. Come on. That used to be me a few weeks ago.”

  “You camped outside my house?”

  “No! I didn’t know where you lived. But I did meet you once. A few years ago, at the premier of the first film, Starworld.”

  “You met me?”

  I nodded. “Yes, you posed for a photo with me on my camera, and then told me to enjoy the film.”

  “You’re making this up,” he said. “I’d have remembered if I’d met you before.”

  “Obviously not. I’ll find the photo if you don’t believe me.” I wouldn’t have any trouble findi
ng it; I knew exactly where it was.

  “I’d like to see it.” Alex said. “I’m curious to see what you looked like two years ago.”

  “Pretty much the same as I do now,” I added.

  Alex narrowed his eyes as if he still didn’t believe me. “You seriously want to go and speak to the fans?”

  I nodded. “Why not? They’ll be happy about seeing you.”

  “And you,” Megan said. “Let’s not forget how much of an attraction you are.”

  I shrugged. I still failed to understand why they would want to talk to me. “We don’t have to spend forever out there, and hopefully it means they’ll leave afterwards. I don’t like the idea of them camping out there all night. I mean, I don’t care about the paps and news-reporters, but not the fans.” I glanced at the mass of people outside the drive. “Some of them look really young, Alex. It’s not fair to them.”

  Alex nodded. “Okay, but I’m not making a habit out of this otherwise we’ll have hundreds of them hanging around.”

  Megan shuffled in her seat to face me and Alex in the back. “I suppose you look presentable enough,” she said as she ran her gaze over both of us.

  Alex rolled his eyes. “For fucks sake, Megan. I doubt they’ll be bothered about what we look like.”

  “Ella has an image to maintain now. I’m taking her shopping as soon as I can to sort her wardrobe out.”

  “Err, no you are not.” I said. “People will just have to accept me as I am. I’ll dress up when I have to, but not for everyday living.”

  Megan pouted.

  “Oh, behave Megan,” Alex scolded. “Ella looks great as she is.”

  “Are you even wearing make-up?” she said.

  “No,” I replied, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.

  “You look tired.”

  “Of course I do. I’ve been on two planes for half the day. Travelling is tiring.”

  “So’s fucking the living daylights out of Alex,” Anthony chirped in.

  Megan swatted him with her hand. “I just want you to look your best,” she said.

  Alex shook his head. “She also needs to feel comfortable in her own skin, Megan. Leave her be.”