Summary: Carina (MC) is distraught over the loss of her movie role, her friendships with Teja and Victoria, and her relationship with Matt.
Author’s note: This was written for Round 50 of #ChoicesCreates: Heartache
Carina stepped inside her apartment and immediately headed for the kitchen. She reached into the cupboard and took out a glass, then opened the refrigerator door and took out the orange juice. She poured some into the glass, then grabbed a bottle of vodka and added a generous amount. After the day she had, she really needed a drink.
She had lost just about everything. In an instant, it had all come crashing down. And she hadn’t even done anything wrong! She wasn’t the one who had leaked those secrets to Dirty Hollywood. But no one believed her.
She and Victoria had finally gotten past the tension between them and become friends, but Victoria had turned on her instantly, and had even pushed her, causing her to fall onto the Rembrandt painting. Maybe even more trouble was coming her way. What was the penalty for destroying a priceless work of art?
The movie was cancelled. So much for her big break. Would anyone even hire her now? Maybe she’d have to resort to working at Hooligans. She pictured herself in a shamrock crop top, gold short shorts, and a green hat. Not exactly what she had in mind when she moved to Hollywood. Or maybe she’d have to move back to Iowa and give up her dreams.
Teja had walked off the set before Carina had a chance to talk to her. Carina had thought Teja was a real friend. They had bonded immediately when they met at the roulette tables at Matt’s party. Now it seemed that their friendship was over.
As she thought about Matt, her eyes welled up with tears. She reached for her drink and took a big sip. It was over between them. True, they’d never actually defined their relationship, but she thought they had something special. Her feelings for him were definitely serious, and she hoped that he felt the same way. He had given her reason to believe that he might. Right before the last time they had slept together, he said he had been thinking about it all day, and when she admitted that she thought about it all the time, he implied that he had too. Maybe she had jumped to the wrong conclusion. After all, he didn’t really say that he had been thinking about her; he said that he had been thinking about having sex with her. Did he just want to get laid? She thought she meant more to him than that. Maybe it was all an act. He had seemed sincere, but he was a good actor, so why wouldn’t he be able to convince her that he had feelings for her? What an idiot she had been to believe him.
Carina downed the rest of her drink, then picked up her phone. She opened up her contacts list and found Matt’s name. Just as she was about to call him, she stopped herself. No, she really shouldn’t drunk dial her ex. Although she wasn’t that drunk. Not yet, anyway. And was Matt even her ex? They just hooked up a few times. But she couldn’t stop thinking about him. If only she could make him believe her. She began typing a text message to him. Matt, please believe me. I would never betray your trust. I love…No! Bad idea! What the hell was she thinking? That was the last thing he wanted to hear. She immediately erased the text and started again. I swear it wasn’t me. There has to be another explanation. Please give me a chance to prove it to you. Just as she was about to send the message, she heard his last words to her in her head. “I was wrong about you. You’re just the same as everyone else in this town.” As the tears began to fall, she erased the text and set the phone down. She lay down on the couch, clutched a pillow, and cried.