Ch26

Miller walked quietly into the bedroom, checking to see if Claire was asleep. She lay on the bed motionless, but her eyes were open and she noticed him standing in the doorway.

"I'm sorry to disturb you," he began, as he made his way slowly into the room. "Brooks and I were going to head out to the meeting."

Claire ran a thin hand along her forehead, pushing her long hair behind one ear. "You're not disturbing me. I was just about to get ready for my doctor's appointment. Anna will be here any minute." Slowly, she pushed herself into a sitting position and Miller noticed with increasing worry how gaunt her face had become. Was it just the silhouette of the storm clouds outside the window, leaving heavy shadows across her face?

He walked over to the bed and sat down, taking her hand in his. "Claire, I'm so sorry about everything that's been going on. I know I haven't been the best company lately," he began quietly. "I've been so involved in my own affairs-" he paused, realizing he hadn't chosen his words very well. "I mean, my own business that I've not had much time for anything else. I promise you, I haven't betrayed you in any way. I realize how those pictures must have looked, but it's not what you think. Can we talk after the meeting? I'd like to explain everything to you."

Claire looked exhausted as she nodded her head. "I've been so worried about you."

Miller leaned forward and gathered her in his arms. God, when did she get so thin? "I know, I'm so sorry," he whispered fiercely into her hair. "I didn't mean to make you worry. In fact, this all started because I didn't want you to worry. I would never do anything to intentionally upset or hurt you, and it kills me knowing that I've managed to do just that." Miller pulled away and held her gaze with his. "Just please know that nothing happened with that girl. She was just someone I was trying to help," he pleaded, needing her to understand. He raised his hand to her cheek and she grasped it in her own, pressing it firmly against her face.

"I trust you, Miller."

"Hey guys, sorry to interrupt," Brooks said from the doorway. "The rain is really starting to come down out there. We should probably give ourselves a little more time to get to Oliver's. You know how stupid people start driving when the roads are wet," he said with an awkward smile. "Plus I need to make a quick stop at an ATM first. My pockets are empty."

Miller looked back at Claire and brought her hand to his lips. "We'll talk later, okay?" he said, pressing his lips to her hand once more. "Good luck at the doctor."

Claire managed a weak smile as Miller stood up and started toward the door. "Be careful," she said, her voice laced with emotion.

"We will. You be careful, too." Miller reluctantly left the room. Now that the window of communication was starting to open, it felt wrong to just leave.

"Hey," Brooks said, as if reading his mind. "We'll be back soon and you guys can talk. I have an appointment with a Realtor later so you'll have the whole house to yourself."

Miller looked up at him and tried to smile. "Did you find a house?" he asked, attempting to sound excited.

"I don't know," Brooks shrugged. "Maybe. It's not too far from here."

"Really? You sure you're gonna like it out here in the boondocks?"

Brooks turned and gave his friend an enthusiastic nod. "The more I think about it, the more I know I'm gonna love it."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Are you ready?" Anna asked a short while later as Claire shrugged a lightweight sweater over her shoulders. "The rain is really coming down now. We need to get going if we're going to make it on time." Anna grabbed Claire's purse and handed it to her on their way out the door. They flipped their hood over their heads and quickly made their way to Anna's car. "Man, it doesn't rain often here, but when it does it really pours!" she exclaimed as they hopped into the car and shook the droplets from their hands.

Claire sat in the passenger seat without saying a word, and Anna shot her a look before starting the car. "Are you okay? You seem pretty quiet."

With a timid smile, Claire turned to her friend. "I'm pregnant," she announced. It felt good to finally say the words out loud.

Anna's eyes shot open in surprise."You're what?" she exclaimed. "How? When?"

Claire's lips tipped up into a wide grin and she felt herself laugh for what felt like the first time in ages. "I think I'm around two months."

"You're kidding!" Anna clapped her hands together happily. "Does Miller know?"

"Not yet, I haven't told him," she confessed. "He's been so distracted and I didn't want this to seem like a burden. I wanted to wait until he wasn't so stressed out, but that hasn't happened yet, and now I'm already two months!" she said. "But we're going to talk tonight after he gets home from the meeting. I'm going to tell him then."

"Do you think he'll be happy?" Anna asked with arched eyebrows. "I take it this wasn't planned?"

Claire shook her head, rain dampened waves tumbling over her shoulders. "This wasn't planned, but I think he'll be happy-once the shock wears off."

"Have you two talked about the, uh, pictures yet?" Anna asked awkwardly.

"Not yet, we will tonight," Claire announced firmly. "I trust him, Anna. I believe him when he says that it was innocent."

"Of course," she agreed, nodding quickly. "Miller doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would be unfaithful. I'm sure he has a perfectly good explanation . . .' she said, her voice trailing off hesitantly.

Claire had no idea what the explanation would be, but she had to believe there was a good reason why he'd been with that girl in the first place. He'd said he wanted to help her, and knowing Miller he'd most likely gotten in over his head. This young girl had to be the reason why Miller had been so distracted all those months, but why? All she knew was that she couldn't wait to get home and make everything better. It'd been a long time since things felt comfortable . . . normal, and when she made her own announcement, they would have some celebrating to do.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Ashton paced the floor of the elevator as it took her to the third floor of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Her heart raced as she worried over what her mother would say to her.

The pictures - she had seen the pictures! Ashton tightly squeezed her eyes closed and tried to dismiss the mounting nausea that sat in a lump at the top of her stomach. The one person in the whole world she never wanted to know had actually seen the exposing images of her and Juliana together.

God, how could this have happened? What kind of monster lurks outside the window, spying on private moments?

Ashton was not naive when it came to matters of the paparazzi, she had grown up in the limelight because of her mother's theater career in New York City. She'd been forced as a child to attend all of the opening night performances, and that always came with plenty of photographers and reporters all trying to catch a glimpse of Marilyn Montgomery's precious offspring. Marilyn had never been one to support Ashton as her own career started to take off, and certainly she would not be a fan of the latest turn of events.

As the elevator came to a halt, and the door slid open smoothly, Ashton's nerves reached an all time high. How desperately she wanted to turn around and make a run for it! Confronting her mother had never sat well with her, the woman was always so cold and manipulate. She didn't possess a maternal bone in her carefully preserved body!

Slowly, Ashton made her way down the long, elegant hallway, finally stopping in front of room 3130. She lifted her hand and quietly knocked on the door, praying that her mother wasn't there. But what were the chances of that? She had summoned her to the exquisite hotel, of course she would be there.

A moment later, the door opened, and there stood Marilyn Montgomery, in all of her superstar glory. Ashton noticed the perfect placement of her shoulder-length blonde hair, and the taut skin across the curves of her face. Marilyn was a firm believer in self preservation, and she went to great length to make sure her skin remained as youthful as possible. Although, it seemed as if years of expensive skin treatments were finally catching up. Her skin seemed to stretch desperately across the confines of her face, leaving her with a look that appeared frozen, robbing her expression of any kind of emotion. It's no wonder she never smiles, Ashton silently realized. Her face might break if she cracked even a smirk.

"Marilyn," Ashton announced, feeling like a tiny, insecure child. "You look wonderful. It's so good to see you, it's been so long." She stepped forward and offered Marilyn a kiss, careful not to smudge the thick rouge that lined her high cheek bones.

"Ashton, please come in." Marilyn stepped off to the side to allow entrance into the expansive suite.

Isn't she even happy to see me? I'm her daughter and it's been so long . . . But Marilyn never once mentioned that she had missed her, that she was proud of her and all of her success.

Marilyn closed the heavy wooden door and turned to face Ashton, her expression hard. "I'd like to discuss the distasteful pictures plastered all over that disgusting magazine. What exactly were you thinking?" she demanded, getting right to the point. "Do you have any idea how embarrassed I've been?"

Of course, it's all about Marilyn and how she feels. She doesn't even care about how I feel.

"I'm sorry, mother, I had no idea we were being watched," she apologized.

"Does it even matter if you were being watched, Ashton? You serious lack good judgement, you always have."

But what about my career? My company? I built it from the ground up all by myself? And my house, what about that? I bought it on my own, with my own earnings! Doesn't that count for anything?

"I'm sorry," she said instead. "I don't know what I was thinking. It was an error on my part."

"An error?" Marilyn laughed. "You call that an error? Chipping a nail is an error. Backing into to a pole with your car is an error. This is a catastrophe! I have had to work overtime trying to repair any damage that might have been done. I'm lucky the play I'm working on didn't kick me right off the set!" She said, her eyes boring into Ashton's. "What you did was very selfish, not to mention vile. I just do not know what you were thinking. And with that Mexican girl, no less! She comes from squalor, the daughter of a maid, for heaven's sake!" Marilyn shook her head in dismay, as thought the thought completely baffled her.

Ashton felt her blood begin to boil. Juliana was so much more than what her mother believed. She was beautiful and kind. She'd been there for Ashton when no one else had. And truth be told, she owed her friend her life. If Ashton had walked in on her that one day when she had been at her lowest point, who knew what she would have done.

"Why do you even care?" Ashton suddenly demanded. "You're not a mother to me! You never have been!"

Her unexpected outburst set Marilyn back a step. She had never raised her voice to her mother like that! Marilyn's face turned down, her eyes hard and calculating. "I gave you life, isn't that enough?" she announced, her voice like acid. "I could have easily ended my pregnancy with you, but I chose not to. You should be thanking your lucky stars that I spared you! Instead, you disrespect me by living like some two-bit gypsy!"

"I should thank you? Are you serious? Why, so you could remind me on the rare occasion you decide to speak with me that I was a mistake? That you never planned on having a child? I just don't understand . . ." her voice trailed off into a deep sob she was unable to hold back. All the years of frustration and feeling unloved were coming to a head, and Ashton could hold the tears back any longer.

"You never wanted me - you've made that perfectly clear. The only reason you asked me to meet you now was so that you could scold me for making you look bad! Whether you want to hear it or not, mother, I'm in love with Juliana, and I've been holding back because I worried about what you would think. But not anymore. She has shown me more love and acceptance in the short while that we've been together than you've shown me in an entire lifetime."

Marilyn looked exasperated, as if she were dealing with a small child making ridiculous requests. "Ashton, you are not in love with that derelict, you're merely infatuated - God only knows why. There's a big difference."

"How would even know, mother? Have you ever been in love - with anyone other than yourself? All these years and you've never even told me who my father is. You've never spoken of him, not even once!" Ashton screamed, the years of pent-up anger finally making its way out. "I demand you tell me who my father is, I want to meet him. Perhaps there is still time for me to have at least one of parents involved in my life."

Marilyn Montgomery stared at her daughter, a slow, sickening smile covering her too-taut face. "Oh, Ashton," she began, her voice dripping with exaggerated pity. "You already know your father."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Natalie slowly followed the Pacific Coast Highway, taking her time driving to the secluded house on Point Dune Road where she had grown up. She never did like going to the large, sinister residence, it brought back all the uncomfortable memories of her childhood, where she had felt alienated even in her own home. Those were thoughts she wanted to forget. After her mother had died, things had gone from bad to worse. No longer had someone been around to root for her, to fill her with hope and love. All she had left were her sisters and her father, and none of them had given two shits.

She was nervous. It'd been a long time since she'd seen the cast of Paradise Cove, at least face to face. She'd observed them plenty over the past several months from behind tall shrubs, or peeking out from dark shadows. She'd watched them during their most private moments, and had seen things no one was ever supposed to see. A feeling of triumph pulled at the corner of her thin lips. They didn't realize it, but she had them by the balls, every single one of them. She was a step ahead of them, finally! All those times they had made her feel like an outsider, forming close relationships with each other, but never with her. And Brooks . . . He'd passed up on a good thing. She could have been the answer to his prayers. She could have been the love of his life. But no. He didn't look at her that way. She was the daughter of his boss, it wouldn't "be professional" he had said.

Fuck him! What did he know? It was too late now. She wouldn't go out with him even if he begged her! Even if he got down on one knee and pleaded. She had more pride than that. No way would she ever stoop to that level.

Of course, she wouldn't be able to look into his sapphire eyes. If she did, she'd be a goner, for sure. Just imaging his face in front of her did things to her she couldn't explain. How would she ever be able to refuse him? Damn him! What was this crazy hold he had over her? Why did she have to dream about him every single night? Why did she long to feel his touch, to feel his body next to hers?

How will he feel seeing me again after all these years? she couldn't help but wonder. Natalie had taken extra care in her appearance. She'd splurged on a new outfit, and even had her hair done professionally. Of course, the rain that now came down in heavy sheets had ruined all the hard work the hairdresser had done. It was just as frizzy as it ever was.

Natalie glanced reluctantly up into the rear view mirror and saw with dismay that the black eye liner she had carefully applied now ran in streaks down the center of her cheeks.

"Why do you have to be so ugly?" she shouted to her reflection. "You make me sick. You're disgusting!" Warm tears began to fill her eyes and she warned herself not to cry, not to make matters worse. The last thing she needed was bloodshot eyes when she finally saw all her cast-mates again. How would she ever be able to convince them to bring her role back? And she needed to make them see that was for the best, that the movie couldn't really happen unless Cecilia was a part of it all. It wouldn't work without her, she had to somehow convince them!

The rain seemed to be coming down even harder, and she had to weave her way around a large branch that had fallen in the center of the road. She squirmed restlessly in her seat, praying she got to her father's house in one piece. Why anyone would choose to live all the way out there in the sticks was beyond her. She'd never been a big fan of the ocean, and the salty air had always been murder on her lackluster waves.

Natalie drew in a shaky breath and let the air out slowly, throwing a sideways glance at her messenger beg that was parked in the passenger seat. Soon, the meeting would be all over with. Soon, she would know exactly where she stood. She needed everything to run smoothly, nothing else could go wrong.

She didn't know if she'd be able to hold it together otherwise.

Holy crap so many things are starting to happen here! Claire finds out some unexpected news at her doctor's appointment, find out what it is in Chapter 27!

Hello, and thank you for reading Fast Lane! If you enjoyed this chapter, I ask that you kindly leave a vote/comment!

(Chapter 26 approx. 3, 125 words)