by Liwen Ho
“That’s good to hear. Sorry to cut this short, but Aiden and I have a plane to catch. Let’s catch up some more when I get back to California, all right?”
“Sure. Thanks for calling. Have a safe flight.”
“Thanks. I can’t believe my sister’s a regular on primetime TV! Wait till I tell everyone. Talk to you later!”
Emma shook her head, wishing she had as much reason to celebrate as Abby did. Her older sister was so much happier ever since she’d met Aiden and especially after they’d gotten married. Abby said it was because she’d found the person she didn’t want to live without. Emma knew she’d found that person, too, in Evan. She hoped with all her heart that he still felt the same about her.
She pressed a button on her phone to check her texts again. Any glimmer of hope she’d had of Evan replying faded. He didn’t seem to want anything to do with her. But there was one thing she still needed to tell him.
Evan, I’m so sorry I cost you your job. I hope you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me someday.
After sending the message, she set the phone down and pulled the covers up to her chin. She closed her eyes, doubtful if sleep would come, especially with how heavy her heart was.
Chapter Seventeen
Evan
Evan woke up to the sound of loud knocking on his hotel door. Through bleary eyes, he made out what looked like the number eight on his bedside table’s clock. After blinking a bit more, the eight turned into a three. Three o’clock? How had he slept through the whole morning? Staying up all night no doubt had something to do with it.
He groaned as the pounding grew more demanding. Fumbling in the near darkness, he grabbed a shirt off the bed and threw it on. When he reached the door, he made sure to look through the peephole first. He was in no mood for any more unexpected visitors. To his surprise, his brother and new sister-in-law were standing on the other side.
“Evan? You in there?” Aiden called out.
“Hey,” he answered, opening the door. He winced as his eyes adjusted to the hallway light. Abby and Aiden, both glowing with healthy tans, were dressed in casual shirts and shorts. “What are you guys doing here? When did you get back from Fiji?”
“We were supposed to meet you for coffee, remember?” Aiden eyed him with concern. “An hour ago. Did you just wake up?”
Abby chimed in with more questions. “Isn’t the convention still going on today? Are you not feeling well?”
Evan didn’t miss the concerned look Aiden and Abby exchanged. He realized quickly he wasn’t going to get out of this interrogation without giving them some answers. He flipped on the light switch, then stepped aside to allow them in. “It’s a complicated story. Sorry I stood you guys up. I had a rough night.”
“Well, we just got caffeinated and we’re as awake as can be. So, spill.” Abby made herself comfortable in the upholstered chair across from the TV. “I’m sure we’ve got more than enough older sibling advice between the two of us to give you.”
Aiden stood next to Abby with his arms crossed, a cheeky grin wrinkling the corners of his eyes. “Especially the more beautiful one of us.”
“Aren’t you a sweet talker, Aiden Spark? I see what you’re doing, trying to keep the honeymoon vibes alive.” Her eyes lit up in adoration before she turned back to Evan and put on her older sister expression again. “Hurry up and tell us this story of yours, so I can kiss your brother in private.”
Normally, this kind of affectionate talk would have made Evan happy, but his current situation made it impossible to smile. Where did he even begin with his story? Evan took a seat on the bed beside some empty soda bottles and a half eaten box of pizza. He rubbed a hand down his face and sighed. “Well, the paparazzi camped outside my door until midnight, and this was after they got some questionable photos of me. I also got a text from Edenvale’s executive producer that I was fired from the show.”
“Wow.” Abby quirked a brow. “You weren’t kidding about a complicated story.”
“They fired you?” With two steps, Aiden was by Evan’s side. He gave him a pat on the shoulder. “I’m sorry, Ev.”
“The better question is why did they fire you?” Abby waved her hand around. “That doesn’t seem like a smart move, considering you’re the star of the show. Did you do something to upset them?”
“You could say that. Turning down Margot’s advances multiple times could be considered upsetting.” Falling back onto the bed, Evan caught himself by his elbows. He shrugged, feeling defeated. “I’m sick and tired of being a pawn in this game. It’s not worth it.”
“You’re right,” Aiden chimed in. “It’s not worth it. Maybe this is a good thing. You’ve been wanting to find another gig, right? This could be God’s way of nudging you in that direction.”
“I would’ve preferred making the choice myself instead of being kicked to the curb.”
Aiden nodded. “Okay, so your ego’s bruised. Unfortunately, sometimes things don’t work out the way we expect.”
“They could also work out better than you expect,” Abby mused. “We just don’t know yet.”
Evan collapsed all the way onto the bed. “What I do know is that everything fell apart overnight.”
Smirking a little, Aiden pushed Evan up to a sitting position and met his gaze head on. “Come on, bro. I’m going to pull a Colin here and say what he’d say if he were here. You, Evan, are a Spark. You’re tougher than this. God’s brought you this far; He’s not going to abandon you now. You just need to get your head on straight and get back out there.”
“Listen to your brother,” Abby remarked. “This is just one bump of many bumps that you’re gonna face in your career. But hey, if Aiden could revive his singing career after more than a decade, you can definitely find another show to star on.”
Aiden nodded. “Abby makes a good point.”
“Come on, Evan, don’t give up.” She clapped her hands to get his attention. “Where’s that charismatic guy I know and love? You can light up a room just by walking into it. You’re a shining star. Don’t let this setback snuff out your light.”
“You guys should think about being motivational speakers.” Evan couldn’t help but smile. He was touched by how hard they were trying to cheer him up. He released a heavy breath and tried to shake off his doubts. He knew in his head what Aiden and Abby said was true; he just needed his heart to grasp it, too. “I guess I crumbled under the pressure. Things have been fairly smooth for so long, I didn’t expect my world to be turned upside down like this. But you guys are right. There are other opportunities out there. I need to trust that God knows what’s best for me.” He made up his mind to move on. He didn’t want to dwell on the unfairness of the situation anymore. The only thing worth his time and heart were the people he loved. “There’s more though. I didn’t tell you the worst part about last night. I saw photos—” he swallowed hard “—of Emma with another guy.”
Abby looked at him incredulously. “What are you talking about?”
Evan grabbed his phone and opened up the web browser still open to the celebrity news site. His stomach turned when he saw Emma smiling sweetly up at Zach. Passing the phone to Abby, he declared in defeat, “See for yourself.”
Abby stared at the phone screen, unimpressed. She shook her head adamantly as she handed the phone back. “I can’t believe you’d think Emma would cheat on you! I know my sister. She would never do anything to hurt anyone, least of all you. She adores you, Evan.”
Aiden nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. “I’m surprised, Ev. This isn’t like you. You’re the one who’s always telling us not to believe everything we see in the tabloids. How do you know this picture and article are even real?”
“Don’t you see how close they’re sitting? And the way she’s looking at him?” He winced, surprised to hear his voice tremble.
“Evan,” Aiden began, his tone slightly exasperated, “have you even talked to Emma about this? You can’t go around assuming things without chec
king with her first. You guys need to trust each other and communicate.”
Abby rolled her eyes. “Exactly. It’s a good thing you’re leaving Edenvale. All the teenage angst on that show is messing with your head. You and Em are both grown adults. So act like one.”
Evan almost laughed. Abby was right. He was making the situation sound as dramatic as a storyline from the show. Where was his faith in Emma and the relationship they’d built? There was no way they’d survive if he didn’t get his head on straight. Oh, how he wanted them to not only survive, but thrive. She meant everything to him. “It’s just the thought of losing Emma that makes me think and believe these crazy things. I don’t want to imagine life without her by my side. She’s what keeps me grounded. I love her so much.”
“I’m so relieved to hear you say that,” announced Abby as she gave him two thumbs up. “This sounds like the Evan Spark I know. And you know what the Evan Spark I know would do now?”
He cracked a big smile. “Call Emma and talk things out with her?”
“Bingo! Now go on. You owe us both a coffee the next time we see you. Add a donut to mine, too.”
“For sure. Thanks for the advice, sis.” Evan gave Abby a hug, then turned to give one to Aiden. “You too, bro.”
“Anytime. Let us know how things go.”
With a final wave, Abby and Aiden held hands as they left the room.
Once the door closed, Evan grabbed his phone to check his messages. Half a dozen texts appeared on the screen, as well as multiple voicemail alerts. All from Emma the night before. He began scrolling through them, desperately wishing he’d been less caught up in his pity party and more aware of Emma’s needs. She had to be worried sick when he hadn’t called her as he’d promised.
Her last text sent at midnight made his heart clench: Evan, I’m so sorry I cost you your job. I hope you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me someday.
His jaw dropped. How could Emma think she got him fired? Didn’t she understand she meant more to him than a job? He knew he had to set the record straight, right then and there. He quickly dialed her number, his heart pounding as the phone rang. The call went straight to her voicemail.
You’ve reached Emma Dearan. Sorry I missed your call.
Hearing her sweet voice caused a lump to grow in his throat. How could he have doubted her at all? He felt so unworthy, so undeserving of Emma’s love and trust. Especially when she had taken such a leap of faith to let her guard down with him.
Please leave a message and I’ll call you back the next chance I get. Have a lovely
day! Remember God loves you!
When silence came over the line, Evan hesitated. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. The apology he had intended to say felt empty and cheap. Making up over a voicemail didn’t seem enough for this occasion. He wanted to do more—needed to do more—to show Emma how sorry he was. So he simply left these words: “We need to talk, Emma, in person. I’ll come find you as soon as I get back.”
He ended the call and set his phone down. Every cell in his body wanted to pack up and leave, but there was something important he needed to do first. Kneeling down on the carpet, Evan bowed his head and began to pray.
He prayed for wisdom and guidance for his future steps. For grace and mercy, that the Lord would turn his mistakes into opportunities to trust Him. And most of all, for love. He still had so much to learn when it came to loving Emma. As much as he understood now, it was only a sliver of the way Emma deserved to be loved. He wanted to love her the way Christ loved His Bride, the Church. It was a lofty goal, but Evan figured he had more than enough examples to learn from. It was time he set aside his pride and start looking to his brothers for advice. Each one of them had strengths he didn’t.
Aiden had perseverance to endure the hard times. Brandon’s quiet strength made him a great ally. Colin hoped for the best, even when there was little to hope for. And Darren cared for others with a sacrificial heart.
If he gleaned even a little from each brother, he could greatly expand his ability to love. For the first time in his life, Evan was thankful to be the youngest in his family. He’d always felt like a tag-along, the extra Spark brother, following in the footsteps of his brothers. Now he viewed his position as an advantage. He had some of the best teachers in life. God had truly blessed him.
Evan concluded his prayer with a word of thanks. His heart overflowed with joy and gratitude—for the good things in life, even for the hard lessons, but especially for the love surrounding him. He intended to express this same love to Emma as soon as he saw her, and for the rest of his life.
The first thing his gaze landed on when he opened his eyes was his phone. It lit up with an incoming call, making his heart skip a beat. Could it be Emma? He picked it up, surprised to see Mr. Everly’s name appear on the screen. With a cautious breath, he answered the call. “Hello?”
“Evan! How are you?” A deep voice came over the line. “Do you have a minute to talk?”
Evan had a feeling this was going to take more than a minute, but he had to admit he was curious. Whatever the show was going to propose though, he knew he needed to make the best decision, not only for himself, but for Emma, too. Because there was no way he was going to let anything—man, woman, or job—come between them again.
Chapter Eighteen
Emma
Emma clutched her stomach, feeling like she was about to lose her breakfast. She didn’t know what was worse—not knowing where she and Evan stood or knowing she’d soon have to kiss another man. She inhaled and immediately choked on a whiff of hairspray still lingering in the air of the makeup trailer.
“Are you okay, dear?” Billy Bob paused his work, lifting the blush brush off Emma’s cheek.
“I … yeah … fine,” Emma managed to utter in between coughs. Her eyes watered as she caught her breath. She winced, thinking about the reason behind her exhaustion. Evan had finally returned her call, but the voicemail he’d left hadn’t said much at all. She only knew that he wanted to wait until he was home to talk. Was that a good sign or a bad one? The uncertainty had kept her up, tossing and turning.
It also didn’t help that she’d broken her no social media rule and looked for news about Evan online. He had looked so handsome in the paparazzi photos she’d seen of him, leaving a restaurant with his brothers. Like he didn’t have a care in the world. Or any thought of her. “I’m just not feeling myself today. I didn’t sleep well.”
“Well, you look fairly alert. Not a dark circle to be seen.” Billy Bob resumed applying Emma’s makeup, this time filling in her brows with an auburn pencil. He stepped back, tilting his head of blue hair to the right, to study his handiwork. With a satisfied smile, he added, “Better than how Evan looks when he’s had a rough night. Not that he could ever look bad.”
Emma nodded, her lips pressed together tightly in the mirror’s reflection. Her heart ached at the mention of Evan’s name.
“I hear you’ve got a kissing scene today, so I’ll be using a liquid lipstick on you.” Using short, soft strokes, Billy Bob ran the lipstick wand over her lips. “The color will stay on you, not on your partner. How’s that feel?”
The lipstick was surprisingly lightweight and comfortable. If only her heart felt the same. Still, she tried to offer Billy Bob a grateful smile. “It’s good. Thank you so much.”
He raised a brow at the tremble in her voice. “Not a fan of the color? I can try a shade of red. Although this nude color complements your fair skin well.”
“It’s not that.” Emma blotted the corners of her eyes as the tears started coming. “I’m just not in the mood to kiss anyone.”
Billy Bob frowned. “Yeah, I hear that a lot. The majority of the actors I’ve worked with don’t. It’s an unusual requirement of the job.”
“You can say that again.”
“Evan dreads it, too, especially since you came into the picture.” He paused, a thoughtful look softening his features. “He’s
also never been happier.” He lowered his voice as he confided, “Just between you and me, I was worried about him when he first joined Edenvale. He has so much heart and passion—for people, acting, and life—but folks like him really need a steady support system. They experience the highs of life to the fullest, but when the lows hit—fweee!” His whistling imitated the sound of a falling object. “It’s easy for him to crash and burn and get thrown off course. He’s really blessed to have found someone like you, Emma. You help keep him grounded. The two of you make a good team.”
“Do you really think so?” Emma’s heart skipped a beat as Billy Bob’s words sank in. “Do you think I have that much influence over Evan?”
“Trust me, you do.” He held up a black bottle of makeup setting spray and aimed it in her direction. “Now, eyes closed.”
Emma did as she was told, holding still as fine mists of cool liquid settled on her face. Her heart pounded as she reflected on what Billy Bob had said. The Evan she knew was confident and strong. He could win over a room with a single smile, just like he’d won the heart of every teen girl in America. But there was also a softer, vulnerable side to Evan, one he had revealed to her when he shared about his insecurities. Perhaps that was what Billy Bob was referring to?
“Okay, you’re all set. And here’s a mint for the road.”
Emma opened her eyes and accepted the hard candy Billy Bob held out for her. “Thank you. Wish me luck.”
“You don’t need luck. You have God,” he answered with a wink. “Go break a leg.”
She nodded readily, soaking in the timely reminder.
As Emma exited the trailer and walked to her set for the day, she felt a little lighter. She moved along with brisk steps, her tennis shoes tapping along the pavement as her blue pleated skirt swung above her knees. Billy Bob’s words played over and over again in her head, like a catchy song on repeat. The two of you make a good team. The two of you make a good team.
