Chapter 5

I couldn’t even begin to contain my excitement. My career was about to really take off. I had just been offered, and had accepted, the supporting role in a Nelson Olafson movie. If you had a part in one of his movies, it cemented you in Hollywood. The movie was an epic drama much like Cold Mountain or Australia only this one was about two sisters left to fend for themselves when their parents die just after reaching the western frontier in the 1800’s.

Talk had only started by critics and fans about the movie and I was going to be in it. Okay, I’d been a replacement for the original actress casted who had broken her leg, but to be second choice was good enough for me. Filming was starting in the next month and soon I’d have to fly up to Vancouver to film some of the scenes. I threw my arms around Brianna when she showed up at my front door, squealing in delight.

“God, Lia, I’m so happy for you!” she exclaimed when we finally pulled apart.

“I can’t believe that this is happening!” After gushing for a while Brianna crushed my good mood, which had been happening so often for me lately.

“So there’s like a team party tonight. It was kind of a last minute decision, but I want you to come with me,” she explained. I shook my head.

“No way. I haven’t enjoyed myself a single time when I’ve let you drag me someplace that involved anyone with the team.” She groaned.

“Amelia, loosen up. And don’t give me the ‘I’m not a girlfriend’ bullshit. The girls all like you and they want you there. Just come celebrate the good news with me, your best friend. Jordan’s not around. Who else are you going to celebrate with?” She had a point.

“Fine, but if I don’t enjoy myself, this is the last time you’re suckering me into anything with them. And keep me away from Ileana. She’s obnoxious.” Brianna laughed and hugged me. I knew I was going to regret this decision.










Corey began to get things ready. The team and all the girls were coming over tonight. It was a rare night off with no practice the next day and the guys knew they had to have a party. Corey volunteered to host mostly because it had been a while since he had and he knew it was coming up on his turn.

Ileana showed up before everyone else and began to tell him where to put some things and how to arrange others. She was driving him crazy and he wanted nothing more than to kick her out and not have to deal with her. Unfortunately unless he wanted to break up with her, that wasn’t really an option.

A little while later the party was in full swing. There were people everywhere and some drinking games had begun. Ileana had narrowly escaped being strangled by him when the first guests arrived and she seemed to be having a good time. Not that Corey was surprised. Ileana never wasted an opportunity to drink and party, especially on someone else’s tab. He wondered if she’d ever slow down.

For some reason he felt the need to walk into the living room and check out what was going on in there. He didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary and was about to shrug it off when he saw her. Amelia walked through his front door behind Ryan and Brianna. He rolled his eyes and took a long gulp of his beer. It was just odd how he always knew when Amelia was someplace. He hated that after all these years he still had some weird connection with her like that.

It didn’t take long for Amelia’s eyes to find his. As soon as he realized she saw him, he took another swig of his beer and turned away. He made his way back into the kitchen where he finished the beer that had been full a minute ago and grabbed a new one.

“Amelia! I’m so glad you came!” he heard Ileana squeal.

He cringed at the sound. It really got to him that his girlfriend liked his ex that much. He just wanted to make everyone he could hate Amelia for what she did to him, but without fessing up to her being his ex, he couldn’t do that. Everyone knew how much his ex had hurt him, and the last thing he wanted was for them to know her, like her, and see that she was happy and successful without him. She didn’t exactly seem too excited to announce the relationship to everyone either. As far as he was concerned, it would stay between the two of them.

“Oh, Corey, I completely forgot! Why didn’t you tell me you knew Amelia from London?” Ileana slurred, obviously drunk a little while later. He panicked for just a moment. Had Amelia told people?

“I don’t know. I didn’t think it mattered,” he said cautiously. Ileana didn’t seem upset, so he didn’t want to say anything if he didn’t have to.

“Well, she only dated Scott!” Ileana exclaimed. Corey almost choked on his beer. Scott Sheppard? She hated Scott! He cracked a smile despite himself. Amelia would pull a prank like that.

“Yeah, sorry that I forgot to mention it.”

He noticed Amelia walk into the kitchen with Brianna and grab a drink. She was followed by Andrew Ebbett’s girlfriend Maggie, Bobby Ryan’s girlfriend Jaffa, and Brett Festerling’s girlfriend Carly. He tried not to laugh when he saw her entourage for the night. They were exactly the kind of girls Amelia had hated when she was with him. He figured there was some sort of justice in the fact that they’d pretty much attached themselves to her hip.










I walked into an empty bedroom and shut the door. It had been hell to get away from the group of girls that had suddenly decided they wanted to be my best friend. Every time I had a decent conversation going with one of the wives that I actually liked, Maggie, Jaffa, Carly, or Ileana would find me and interrupt. I was sick of talking about Hollywood couples and the newest celebrity gossip.

I looked around the room I was in. It was neat, but pretty plain. There wasn’t much color at all. I didn’t know whose place I was at, but this guy needed a personality. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and brushed some stray hairs from my face. I had gotten pretty drunk without meaning to. Since I wasn’t a big drinker, it hadn’t taken much. I hadn’t intended on having as much as I did, but being in the same place as Corey was driving me to drink.

“What are you doing in my bedroom?” I heard a voice rasp from behind me. I spun around and saw Corey standing in the doorway. Well, that’s just great.

“Sorry, I didn’t know it was yours. I’ll leave,” I told him making my way towards him and the door. To my surprise he closed the door before I got there.

“Well, maybe I’ll use this opportunity to have a talk with you. Maybe you can explain why you left,” he said. I groaned. I knew right then that this conversation wasn’t going to end until we’d both sufficiently hurt the other.

“It shouldn’t matter anymore. You have Bimbo Barbie now,” I spat at him. He narrowed his eyes at me.

“I don’t know what your problem with Ileana is,” he responded.

“My problem with her is that she’s all wrong for you,” I told him. He laughed.

“This coming from Lady Houdini,” he retorted.

“At least I actually cared about you!” I yelled. He laughed again.

“You sure had a funny way of showing it. And Ileana cares about me.” It was my turn to laugh.

“She cares about your wallet you mean,” I snapped at him.

“Don’t even start, Amelia.”

“I just spent a night with her a week ago. You know what she did the whole time? She bitched about you. She literally spent the entire game talking about how much you piss her off. I even overheard her say that she didn’t know why she was with you. She followed that comment up with one about your money though,” I explained.

“And I’m supposed to believe you? You just don’t want me happy. What did I do to you, Amelia? Did I ruin your life? Was I an asshole? Or maybe it wasn’t about me at all. Maybe you’re just a miserable person that needs to make everyone around them miserable as well.”

“We’re not talking about me right now. I don’t want you miserable. That’s why you need to break up with Ileana!” I yelled at him. I was really trying to protect him. Why wouldn’t he believe me?

“You’re the last person who should be talking about breaking up. I know the stories on your boyfriend. I’ve seen the ones claiming that he has a wandering eye and can’t settle down. I heard your big news about the movie. Where’s your boyfriend? Oh, that’s right. I heard you tell Ileana he was having a boy’s weekend in Vegas. Vegas, Amelia! Open your eyes!”

I glared at Corey, but couldn’t think of anything to say. There was nothing fictitious about what he had said. I’d been warned about Jordan before we’d started dating. I’d heard the stories about how he couldn’t seem to handle being faithful with anyone. I’d ignored them, because I wasn’t exactly looking for Mr. Right at the time. I was just enjoying life. That didn’t change the fact that it hurt that Jordan wasn’t here and that it would hurt if he did cheat. My heart was involved after all.

“I was only trying to warn you. I just wanted to help,” I whispered to Corey.

I averted my eyes from his and walked out of the room, fighting back tears the entire time. When Brianna saw me she grabbed our coats and drove me home. Thankfully she didn’t ask me what was wrong, because I didn’t know what to tell her. I couldn’t figure out if I was mad that Corey had called out my boyfriend or if I was mad that our relationship had turned into this.