As Seen On TV

36. And We Are But Mere Actors

The day had come. After countless weeks of desperation and contentment, turmoil and calm, heart-breaking and love-making, the day had come.

I was about to film my final episode as Lyra Kennedy, an idiotic and foolish girl, a bad actress at best, and a preening charlatan at worst. After today, I would be free, or so I hoped. At this point, I was so confused and heartsick that I didn't even know what freedom would look like. I would be lucky if there was anyone left to guide me through it, when the time came.

"There," Camryn said, pushing the last of the silver hairpins into place near my scalp. She stepped back to survey her handiwork in the hotel bedroom bureau's spotless mirror. 

"You look stunning," said Jared from his perch on the corner of the bed. "Viewers won't know what hit 'em."

I sighed, blowing a shaky breath out between my teeth. Here I was, at the end of the road, despite everything that had happened, and all I could do was listen to false flattery from people who had been paid to be nice to me, and then reveal my personal information to their boss behind my back. 

Well, at least one of those things was accurate. I had to admit, I looked absolutely breathtaking, despite the lack of sleep that I had been suffering from lately, so I wasn't sure if their flattery was entirely false. Ever since Veronica's revelations and my meeting with Ella two days before, I hadn't been able to look at myself and didn't know what to do. I felt truly helpless for the first time, and there was nothing to do but watch as the last of my freedom was wrestled from my grasp, replaced by a stunning gown and glittering hairpins and some semblance of courage splayed across my miserable features. 

During those two days, I had received countless texts and calls from Andrew. I let them all go to voicemail. I wanted nothing more than to hear his voice, to reassure him or give him an explanation as to my sudden change of heart, to tell him that I would come to him as soon as this was all over, but even I had never been one to make promises I wasn't sure I could keep. He kept me updated on his mother's increasingly worrisome condition, and kept pleading with me to come to Colorado with him. I didn't have the heart to tell him why I could not.

A soft knock came at the door. I steeled my resolve, or what was left of it, as I expected Veronica's icy blue-gray gaze to emerge from beyond the door, trapping me once again in fear and helplessness.

I couldn't help but breath a sigh of relief as Victor's grizzled face peaked around the open door. His gaze hardened as he took in Camryn and Jared. A look of understanding seemed to pass between the three of them.

"I'd like to speak with Lyra," he said gruffly, without a hint of a question in his tone. I wondered quietly if he technically outranked the two. "Alone," he added. They dipped their heads and shuffled out meekly, like children who had been scolded. They didn't meet either of our eyes on the way out.

Victor's eyes immediately softened, and for a startling second, I thought he might cry. He took two rushed steps toward me as I rose from the chair at the bureau, and then he stopped short, seeming to have changed his mind.

"I was going to crush you in a hug, but I wouldn't want to ruin their hard work," he muttered. "Even with them being such traitorous bastards."

He sat unceremoniously on the bed, the mattress springs creaking under his weight. "I've missed you, kid," he sighed.

I regarded him with careful suspicion.

"I'm sure you did."

He looked at me, truly, for the first time, and noticed that I wasn't so happy to see him. He visibly backpedaled, his voice taking on a pleading tone.