Chapter Text
Hayley
She couldn’t comprehend it completely yet, the impact of the emptiness that would follow. This had been her life for more than a year, coming to this huge studio, to work with such a talented crew and be beside Reia almost every day. Reia . There was no surprise that would be the hardest part to miss. Over the course of many months they had grown closer than she could ever wish for. Probably a little too close, for the sake of many others and themselves.
It had been the way the cold, cool actress had opened up to her that had made the difference. She would always be the famous Spanish, wearing her leather jacket and driving her Maserati way too fast but somehow Hayley had witnessed the softness hidden under the hardcover. Like opening a book that had so much more than what the outside showed. Emotions that could never be put in words, secrets that had found their way out between them.
The blond leaned against the wall, letting the tears mingle with the stream of the hot shower as the reality of this ending hit her. Somewhere deep down she knew this was for the best, it had been made clear to her that they couldn’t be anything more than just friends. Being around Reia much longer would make it only harder on her to keep her feelings inside. To keep herself from trying and get pushed away instead.
And although she knew this was for the best, it didn’t stop the pain and feeling of missing the Spanish to fill her chest. Hayley stayed in the shower for a while, until the warm water had stopped and was replaced by cold. She turned off the stream, dried herself off and got back into her clothes. She watched her reflection in the mirror, sighing deeply as she eyed her own blue eyes.
“One more night, you can do this and then…”, she swallowed and closed her eyes. “Then try to get over her.”
It was an official, grand party with all of the crew members to celebrate the end of their filming. There was still much work to make the movie into one coherent piece of art but the rough work was done. It was up to the artists in post production to make it into a movie. Hayley would be off the hook for over half a year. Half a year without performing almost on a daily basis, it will be a grand kick in the habit for her.
Her head was filled with the future that she almost forgot about the present when she reached her car quicker than anticipated. Shaking her head a little she got into her car and left the studio, watching it disappear in her rear mirror, enhancing the empty feeling. When she got home, she considered not going to the party, not wanting to be confronted with the actual end of this all. The only reason she got herself into her new clothes and make-up was because her future self would blame her for not going.
Hayley called herself a taxi to bring her over to the party. She promised herself not to get drunk, wanting to stay as sober as possible so she wouldn’t make any dumb mistakes. You were pretty sober when you had a threesome , her head reminded her as she got into the car, smiling friendly at the driver as she gave her the address. The woman eyed her from time to time, almost to the point the blond felt uncomfortable.
“I’m sorry but I have to ask, are you Hayley Sanders?”, the driver finally asked with a blush on her cheeks. Blinking a few times it took the girl a moment to answer.
“Oh, yes, that’s me.”, she gave the other a smile as their gazes met in the rear mirror.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t sure or rather, I couldn’t believe it.”, the driver said nervously, chuckling a little as her eyes went to the road and back to the mirror. “You got this asked a lot probably but… would you mind signing something?”, she dared to ask and made Adora smile as she nodded.
“Sure, no problem.”
After signing a paper with a little message to Amy, that’s how the driver was called, she got to the party. Hayley would quickly learn why some celebrities had their own driver to call, to avoid such situations but the blond was still new to all of this. They had rented the Diamond View Summit, located in the middle of a mountain-like view north to the Sunset Strip. It was a well known place for weddings and corporate parties like this one. The weather had been beautiful all day, the sun was just shining above the tops of the mountains when Hayley arrived.
They had set up a big stage, taking away some of the view unfortunately, while above their heads were several sets of lights. There was room to dance, to the back at the grand villa were tables and chairs to sit. A grand buffet was placed at the left side of the stage, people gathered around with a little plate to fill their empty stomachs. Hayley had arrived with several others, seeing people she had never seen before amongst the many familiar faces.
Music was playing from a DJ who had taken his place on the stage while the actress made her way to the buffet, talking with some people along the way. Her eyes scanned the crowd but she couldn’t find a certain actress yet. Her gaze did get caught by someone else who, she had to admit, looked stunning. She had been used to seeing Murielle in more comfy looking clothes, always with paint strokes on her hand and her hair in the same curly way.
Seeing her in the green dress, giving a deep insight of her chest only covered by a golden necklace was something else. She wore high heels, her dress splitting at her legs and her hair was done differently.
“You look amazing.”, she had to admit out loud as she walked up to her make-up artist.
“Well aren’t you flattering.”, she spoke smugly before adding. “But so do you.”
Hayley stayed by Murielle’s side for some time as they both talked to some of their colleagues. Many people of the costume department had been unknown to the blond, taking her time to thank all of them for their amazing jobs. It was funny to see how the artist stood out of the rest of the group. Wearing more flamboyant outfits, showing their creativity in their clothes. At some point she had gotten champagne in her hands and for a moment she had forgotten about Reia and the ending of their time together.
Only for a moment, just to be dragged back to reality when she saw the Spanish arrive at the party. She would never get used to Reia, she realized, and especially not when she comes to parties dressed like that. Hayley had almost dropped her champagne when her eyes had fallen upon the Spanish. There was no mistaking in it, she was wearing her character’s suit from one of their earlier scenes together. She had only worn it for a couple of scenes and honestly, the blond had drooled over how well it had looked on the lean woman.
Back then, her head had been too busy staying in character and ruining the scene that she hadn’t been paying too much attention to her looks. Having the brunette here and now in that suit again was like candy to the eye. Hayley had been staring, her mouth a little open and somehow she managed to wave back, absentmindedly though. Her attention was drawn back to the stage when Elizabeth started to speak and Hayley could feel how her cheeks were burning red, her heart almost escaping her chest.
“I see most of us have found their way to the food and drinks.”, she started with a cheerful smile, pointing up her own glass of champagne. Hayley teared her gaze from her partner and watched the stage herself. “This movie was a project I’ve been wanting to do for years. Being based on an existing series makes the expectations of this movie to be a success, very high. You had to set the bar at the highest, I put this bar as high as possible and I hoped to push all of you to reach for the sky.”, she spoke as her gaze went over the crowd standing in front of her.
“I can only be proud of what every single one of you showed in the last months. We all worked together as a well oiled machine and as every team, we had some bumps along the ride”, somehow it felt like the director was looking at Hayley, “but in the end we made what can only be a success! There is still a lot of work to do but as a team, this is where we part our ways for some time.”, people nodded and Hayley could feel how tears dared to sting in the corners of her eyes.
“I won’t be stalling the party any longer. All I have to say as director is thank you for your cooperation and enjoy because this is for all your hard work.” The crowd exploded in applause and cheers as Elizabeth descended the stage.
Reia
Because of her little mission Reia was a few minutes late to the party, arriving almost as the last one. She barely made it in time to the director’s speech. As soon as she entered the place her gaze immediately searched for her blond partner and lucky enough she was a tad bit taller than average with golden hair, she was easy to spot in the crowd.
Their gazes locked and Reia waved her hand at her partner before returning her gaze to the speech. Now it was truly the end and Reia felt the breeze of a change coming at her. Something she was not so fond of but by now she realized it was the inevitable course of nature. She herself was clapping when Elizabeth finished the speech. She pushed her way through and claimed the stage for herself, ready to deliver her own speech.
“Hey everyone.” She started at first, looking around the crowd and waving her hand awkwardly. “I have never done anything like this before, but here I am. I just wanted to say a quick thank you to the cast and crew. I know we all worked hard on this project, but let me tell you, I couldn’t have done this without you guys.” Her gaze settled on Hayley before she continued.
“And I want to say a special thank you to Hayley for being the best She-Ra the fans could ever wish for and for toler ating my pompous ass along the way.” She smiled widely and winked at the blond before she pulled away from the microphone and left the stage in a round of applause. She walked over to Kirsch who was wearing a suit, something she was not used to seeing.
“Oh wow, Kirsch. You actually look like a decent lad.” Reia checked out the guy before throwing an arm around him and pulling him away from the others. She gave the guy a CD and clear instructions with it.
“If I signal, you ask the DJ to put this on, okay? It’s very important so don’t screw it up.” The guy nodded and left to let the brunette have her way around the bar.
She was ignoring everyone as usual and only drank by herself some of her favourite cocktails. Reia only watched her co-stars from afar, waiting for her chance. When she saw the others scatter around and leave Hayley alone for a moment she took that chance and signalled for Kirsch. The blond guy rushed to the DJ and gave him the CD while Kirsch was explaining, pointing at Reia.
The DJ nodded and took the CD, putting it on. The music from the Princess Prom dancing scene started to play and the lights turned purple and pink. Reia appeared behind her unprepared co-star. Only now she got a clear view of what Hayley was wearing. Oh wow, that dress is way too short…again. What’s it with her dressing up to kill me? She shook her head and when Hayley finally turned around she smirked playfully, holding out a hand.
“May I have this dance?”
Hayley
“Are you okay?”, Murielle asked, a little surprised as she changed her empty glass for a full one.
The actress just nodded, her eyes plastered on the stage as she didn’t want to give away to her friend why she had been taken aback like this. Or more like who had caused this. She tried to listen to all of the speech but her mind was still getting around how stunning her partner had looked in that suit. How did she even manage to get that?
The blond applauded with the rest of the crew, throwing some cheers as she got another glass of champagne. She had wanted to turn around, eye Reia down as she sipped on her drink but to her surprise the brunette had vanished. Hayley almost choked on her drink as she heard a very familiar voice out of the speakers, making her turn back around to see the gorgeous looking Spanish on the stage.
She’s going to be the death of me , the blond realized as she watched Reia being a little awkward at the start of her speech. A warm smile appeared on Hayley’s face as the ever so cold Spanish thanked the crew. When their gazes met, she hadn’t expected for Reia to actually go on speaking, referring to the blond. The earlier blush deepened, all eyes turned to her and some laughed at the little joke made by the brunette. The actress shook her head softly as she chuckled, receiving the wink with grace as she raised her glass and mouthed ‘thank you’ to her partner.
The other disappeared from the stage, into the mass of people while music restarted to play and people had gathered around Hayley. It was as if they had been triggered by Reia’s words, wanting to talk to the lead actress of this movie project. It was fun but draining at the same time. The blush that had settled down on her cheeks didn’t disappear in the upcoming half hour as she was flattered by more than one person at her performances.
Hayley was glad for Murielle being around all the time, having someone familiar nearby and someone she could talk nonsense with instead of about herself. Even with that, her gaze went over the crowd from time to time to find that crimson and raspberry dressed brunette. She only got glimpses of the woman, it seemed like she was alone most of the time. Hayley had wanted to walk over on multiple occasions but there had always been someone stopping her. The many distractions did help keep her thoughts of the nearing end of all this.
The end of having Reia around all the time. Murielle left at some point to talk with her fellow artists and Hayley was finally left alone. Her glass was empty, setting it down she noticed a weird change in the music. It sounded very familiar but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. As if it hit her, she turned around to look for the Spanish who had been standing afar, only to see she had crept in closer with the biggest smirk she had seen on that beautiful face of hers.
A soft laughter left her lips, placing her glass down on the counter of the buffet she had been standing at and taking the last steps to bridge the distance between them.
“If I had known it was this kind of dress up, I would’ve gotten my red dress.”, she said before taking the offered hand and following her partner for the dance.
Reia
As soon as the blond actress took her hand, Reia took the lead and pulled the other one close to her body, but leaving a few inches to be able to look her in the eyes. Each time she did she got bewitched by the beauty of her partner and felt hopelessly in love. One of her hands rested on Hayley’s lower back while the other was holding her hand as they swayed across the dance floor with smooth and fluid movements.
Her heart was having a hard time with keeping up with all this excitement but her confidence didn’t slip away. She knew exactly what to do, how to lead the taller actress. She didn’t care about the gazes they got as everyone stepped aside to let them move freely.
“Isn’t this wonderful?” She spoke first, smiling softly down at her dance partner.
“You have no idea how much.”, Hayley answered with a warm voice.
“I wanted to say I was truly impressed today. You were a marvel. I almost believed every word you said.” She let a chuckle out before resting her head against Hayley’s shoulder, sniffing in her narcotic scent one last time. “It was your best performance yet and I’m glad I was a part of it.”
“You brought out the best in me Reia.”, she spoke as she smiled down at the brunette.
The Spanish pulled back and when the time came she dipped her partner just the way she did on set when they were shooting the dancing scene, this time Hayley let out a little yelp. Reia was still strong enough to even hold someone muscular like Hayley in that position while she looked her in the eyes.
“But thank you for the compliment.”, Hayley spoke as if she hadn’t been interrupted by the little dipping.
“Since this is the last time we see each other for a while I wanted to have this dance with you. Just for the sake of memories.” The brunette held her for a moment longer before she pulled away and spun her partner before catching her in her arms again. Reia brought a hand up to cup her cheek and stroked it gently, looking deeply into her eyes as they were just a breath away from one another.
“Thank you Reia, I can’t say it enough.”, Hayley said as she leaned into the touch.
“I have to let you go now if we want to stay friends, don’t I?”
“I think so.”
A sad smile appeared and Reia retreated, holding onto Hayley’s hand as long as she could before letting it go.
It was hard enough to walk away and she didn’t dare to look back, afraid that if she did, she wouldn’t be able to stay away. Instead, she headed towards the bar to get one more cocktail. Only when someone squealed next to her did she snap back to reality.
“Reia? Is that you?”
A familiar voice asked and the brunette turned her head to the side to see a blond woman standing next to her with another brunette by her side.
“AJ? Oh wow, I almost forgot you were performing here tonight.” She totally forgot that her longtime crush would be there that night and a happy smile appeared on her lips. “When are you up?” The actress asked, shifting closer with her drink in her hand.
“Oh we still have time. In one and a half hours.” The blond woman answered.
“Then let me get you two some drinks.”
Reia ordered the same cocktail for the ladies while they chatted and caught up with each other. Apparently AJ was just as much of a fan of Reia’s work as Reia was of her.
“It’s so nice to see you, Reia. I can’t wait for the movie to come out. I’m sure you will make us proud.”
The brunette felt her cheeks burning and for the first time since long she forgot about Hayley for a moment.
“Thank you, I was hoping to please you since you were involved with the original series.” Reia said, sipping on her drink.
The flattering went along as the brunette accompanied the two singers to the stage and even helped them to set up the instruments herself. While they were laughing and enjoying their time she felt a piercing gaze upon her. She looked around to see that why she felt weird was because Hayley was staring at her. Reia didn’t know what to think of it but she felt like she wanted to disappear from sight so she climbed off the stage. It was almost time and she didn’t want to interrupt the performance either. She stayed close to the stage, standing in the front line while Aly and AJ got ready. Reia didn’t dare to look around anymore as she feared she would meet an icy pair of blue eyes again. AJ took the stage by herself while the other band members stayed at the back. The spotlight fell upon the blond singer and music started to play and an angelic voice accompanied it. It didn’t take much time for Reia to realize the song she was singing was the opening theme from the animated series, but it was the slower, dramatic version of it. It sent chills down Reia’s spine as the lyrics felt so painfully true now.
Hayley
After their dance Hayley was quickly taken into a group of her co-actors, amongst them Grace and Ben. They helped to take her thoughts off Reia for a while. Hayley tried to decline many of the drinks, not wanting to get drunk but at some point she had to agree to some cocktails, feeling how it started to numb her a little. Laughing with her co-workers as an arm was wrapped around her middle and for a blissful second she thought it was Reia only to be a little disappointed by the pair of blue eyes to look at her.
“A beautiful performance earlier, did you guys rehearse that?”, Murielle asked and if she had been a little more sober, she would’ve noticed the jealousy in her voice.
“Actually we didn’t, it seemed like a little surprise from Reia.”, she answered with a warm smile.
“How attentive of her.”, was all Murielle answered, never leaving Hayley’s side anymore that evening.
Her eyes caught the stage when the DJ was switched for the new artists to perform. It was only when she saw the beautiful blond that she remembered the sister duo Aly and AJ would bring them some music. What she hadn’t expected was Reia to follow them upon the stage. Don’t tell me she’s going to sing too , was the first thing she thought before she realized that wasn’t the case at all. The way the brunette was smiling and handling her drink looked a little too familiar. AJ seemed to be impressed by it all, laughing at whatever Reia had said and a hand lingered a little too long on her shoulder. Hayley had no reason at all to feel what she was feeling now. They had agreed on being friends but still, jealousy was stinging at her chest as she watched the singer and actress interact with each other. Even helping to put up all the equipment needed for the sisters to perform. The little shit just went for another blond , a vicious voice spoke and made her squeeze her glass.
For a moment their gazes met and whatever look Hayley had given to the other, it must’ve been enough as she almost fled the stage and disappeared from her sight. In the meantime she heard some people gasp and glass chattering.
“Jesus Hayley, are you okay?”, a familiar voice asked her, making her turn around to look at Murielle a little puzzled when a stinging pain in her hand made her aware she had been responsible for the broken glass.
“Shit…”, panic raised as she saw blood, her blood.
Hayley was nauseous in a second and her legs started to give in. Luckily her colleagues were quick to bring her over to a chair, people gathering around to see what happened. Someone offered a towel to wrap around her hand to stop the bleeding. She hissed as she could feel there were still splinters of glass buried in the flesh.
“You need to go to a hospital.”, Murielle concluded and Hayley shook her head but the nauseous feeling made it impossible for her to speak. “Yes, this needs stitches.”, the artist pushed and helped her to get to her feet while AJ played the series theme song.
It wasn’t like she was afraid of blood. She could see blood as much and she wouldn’t flinch. She could handle and even give some first aid. But when it was her own blood, she froze, as if it was a trigger. Having the pain, having the stitches, it all felt too familiar from a time she’d rather forget. Murielle had acted correctly but all she could think was that she had wanted Reia by her side. She would’ve understood. Hayley couldn’t blame her friend for not knowing why she overreacted when they got to the hospital, why she started crying and shivering the moment they entered the emergency room. At some point she must’ve lost consciousness because she couldn’t remember laying down in a bed, her hand stitched up and wrapped in a bandage. Murielle looked up when the blond woke up, carefully taking her good hand in hers.
“Are you okay?”, she asked worriedly.
“Yeah… I just don’t like hospitals.”, she spoke and felt a sting when the other just nodded.
Murielle would never ask for more, she wouldn’t be triggered like Reia had been.
The night had ended rather abruptly for the actress in a way she had never wanted it to end. Murielle offered to tag along to her home but she refused, telling she needed some rest and wanted to be alone. So both of them took separate cabs, the ride home was long and alone while her mind drifted off to the party she had been at an hour ago. What would Reia be doing? An image of the brunette and AJ flickered in her mind, tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes. It was stupid, Reia was free to do whatever she wanted. Then why was she so upset by all this? Because you thought she was in love with you. Yes, but somehow she couldn’t believe it being true although all the evidence pointed in the same direction. I couldn’t have meant that much. It was hypocritical for her to think this way, knowing she hadn’t stopped herself from sleeping with Murielle either. Even with that knowledge, her heart couldn’t help but bleed.
By the time she was home, all she wanted to do was get out of her dress and get into bed. Her heart was still racing, thoughts about Reia and Falco alternated in her head and made her dizzy. She paid and thanked the driver before opening her door only to be surprised by a red envelope at her feet. The mailman couldn’t have brought this one in as she had gotten her mail earlier in the morning. For a moment she thought of putting it on the kitchen table, reading it tomorrow as it was probably an invite for a party with the neighbours. Hayley actually placed it on the table when curiosity won. Opening it clumsily with one hand she took out the letter, written in a small and curly handwriting. At first she had thought this was a mistake, but she never got any letter. Let alone a handwritten one but it was clearly addressed to her. Her eyes went to the bottom only for her heart to stop a few seconds. Your Catra
Hayley quickly started at the top and needed to read it twice as she couldn’t comprehend the meaning of the words the first time. Her feelings were at war as the words started to seep in. Tears rolled over her cheeks and she wasn’t sure because it was out of anger or love. She had left the party with conflicted feelings, jealousy of seeing the brunette being with someone else (which was exaggerated but still there, nonetheless) and her true desire and love for the woman. That all added to the traumatizing visit to the hospital only to end up with a letter like this from that woman. For a moment, Hayley had wanted to rip the letter apart in a dozen pieces but she couldn’t. Her eyes scanned the letters again as she couldn’t believe this was real and true. With a scoff she pushed the letter aside on her table before getting up and walking to her bedroom. She sobbed along the way, getting out of her dress and into her pajamas. There were too many things going on in her head, tiring her out as she hit the soft mattress of her bed. Sometimes you’d think about so many things that your head went blank.
Reia
Her twinkling eyes could tell stories and it was rather obvious how Reia was all over the place for the singer. The blond had been a crush of hers for some time now but nothing ever happened between them, it was merely platonic affection from the brunette’s side. She was too busy admiring the music hence she missed out on what was happening to Hayley on the other side of the place. She did not notice how by the time the music ended her co-star and the make-up artist disappeared. With loud clapping and enthusiasm she looked up at the stage, smiling broadly. If only she had known what happened just a few moments ago.
It took her some time to finally dare and look around again, searching for her blond in the crowd but to her surprise, she was nowhere to be seen. At first Reia thought it must be temporary. She must have gone to the toilet or something. But a little voice in her head kept telling her to go and check upon her friend. And so she did, wandering about the place to find Hayley but not even a trace was left from her. In desperation she walked up to Ben to ask if he knew anything as he seemed to be a friend of Hayley.
“Hey Ben. You didn’t happen to know where Hayley went, did you?”
The other actor was genuinely surprised she didn’t have a clue about the incident.
“You have no idea, do you? She had to be taken to the hospital.”
Reia’s eyes widened and grabbed the man by his collar, demanding to know the details.
“What?! What happened?? Why didn’t you tell me about this?” she raised her voice and anger mixed with worry started to rise up in her.
“Sorry…I didn’t know…a glass shattered in her hand and it needed some stitches.” The guy explained quickly while he struggled to get out of Reia’s vicious grasp.
She learned the truth and horror appeared on her face.
“Oh shit…”
Without hesitation she let go of him and took out her phone, calling her driver to come and pick her up in an instant. She headed straight to the hospital and asked Dave to wait for her. At the reception she asked about her friend and by pulling some strings and by using her fame she got the room number. The brunette searched for the room but what she found was not what she was expecting to see. As there was a window on the door she could see that inside there were two people. Hayley laying in bed and Murielle sitting by her side. Of course she would be here. She stared at the two of them, not sure what to do. Hayley doesn’t need you anymore, she has her girlfriend to take care of her now. Her whole world crumbled before her very eyes when she saw how the make-up artist was holding Hayley’s hand. It should be me, not her. Defeated, Reia turned around and left the hospital. Dave the driver looked at her concerned.
“That was quick. Didn’t you find her?” He asked while Reia sat in the car.
“I did…but she is in good hands.” The brunette said, trying to see the bright side of the story. At least she isn’t alone there. “Just take me home, Dave.”
The driver did just that without any more words exchanged.
Reia had her own battles while she was being taken home, her mind going crazy with different thoughts. I pushed her away, I have no right to be jealous…but that bitch doesn’t deserve Hayley. She can’t give her what she needs. I’m sure I am a much better lover than she ever will be. It must have looked funny from the outside how Reia was staring at one point in front of her. No, she is probably more reliable than I ever will be. Who am I kidding? Hayley didn’t ask for my help, she asked for Murielle to take her to the hospital. With these in her mind she arrived home and the first thing she did was to take off the stupid costume she had put on. It was all pointless. What was I even thinking? She threw the clothes onto the floor and headed upstairs, going straight to bed. Reia could not bear to stay awake any longer as she wanted to escape the tormenting reality and doze off into a hopeful dream.
Hayley
It was early in the morning when she opened her eyes, having one peaceful moment before reality hit her in the face like a brick. With a groan she turned to her back, an arm covering her eyes as she hoped to find some sleep again but she already knew she would fail. Stubborn as she could be, Hayley stayed in her bed for another hour before giving up and hitting the shower. Normally she would get some breakfast first but she wanted to avoid the kitchen, knowing the letter would be waiting for her. The dogs started barking when she was in the shower, making her do it rather quickly and not even drying her hair as she went downstairs, half-dressed so she could let the two out. When she turned around a deep sigh left her lips, the letter hadn’t moved an inch or magically disappeared. It was there, laying in all its glory and damn that woman’s perfect handwriting, laughing at me. With a groan she took some painkillers before placing herself in the same spot as last night, shoving the paper closer to her to read it for the seventh time.
Hayley almost knew every word that had been written in it but somehow, after a good night of sleep, it hit her differently. Her furious and childish mind had calmed down, pinching the bridge of her nose with her left hand as she cursed herself. Nothing happened, nothing you know or will ever know, she spoke realistically to herself as she thought of Reia last night with AJ. She’s a free woman who deeply cares about you , she looked back down at the letter as her heart fluttered. She thanked you for helping her to open up, she wants to get better and not hurt you, she even promised to be there in the future if you still want her. It was all too much, she didn’t know what to do with this information so she decided to put the letter back in its envelope and placed it on the counter of her kitchen.
The emptiness of her day overwhelmed her, another realization hitting her as she wouldn’t be filming anymore. They had some events planned in the future but that wasn’t for another half a year, making her days rather dark and empty until then. With a groan she decided to go for another run, her headphones on and blasting music to keep the world out. Her dogs were only glad for the surprising early exercise. When she stepped outside, she saw it was only seven in the morning and luckily the streets weren’t filled with pedestrians that could stare at her. Hayley ran longer than she had done in a year, not having a deadline to be on set. She regretted pushing herself as she almost fainted when she returned back home, her head spinning and her body craving some sugar. Her dogs were tired too and she almost felt guilty for pushing them so hard. They went outside to lay down, their tongues almost hitting the ground.
The young woman took some time to regain her energy, eyeing the envelope from time to time. It was ten in the morning, she doubted if Reia would already be awake. A soft smile appeared on her lips as she remembered every time she had woken the brunette up.
“She could sleep forever .”, she mumbled to herself as she caressed her bandaged hand.
Her head imagined how it would be to live together with her. Hayley could imagine always being up much earlier, preparing breakfast and bringing it up to their room and waking the grumpy woman in the best way possible. She wondered if Reia could be seduced in waking up if she’d be kissed and touched or if her morning mood was strong enough to deny some sexy time. You’ll never know, reality took another hit as she watched the envelope. With a sigh she got to her feet and took it out, reading it again before pulling up her phone. For a moment she wanted to dial Reia’s number but instead she went to a message. She couldn’t tell me in person for a reason, I don’t have to confront her with a call. Besides, I don’t know if I can tell her either…
Dear Reia,
I can’t tell you how much your letter meant to me. I’ve been having so many questions about what has happened the last couple of days. My head hadn’t stopped spinning and to finally have some answers makes it possible for me to put those aside.
I want to tell you that you’ve been a wonderful person to me, you’re already a beautiful version of yourself and I hoped that could be enough. But, I know all too well how it is to want to be a better version of yourself and how impossible it is to stay when you haven’t achieved that yet. Know that I support you in your thoughts.
Trust is indeed a hard thing, for me to tell you everything was hard and at the same time not? You made it possible for me to tell you. You have something special Reia, something that made me trust you and I’m glad I’ve given you that trust despite all the things that happened between the two of us. And I'm glad you could find that trust in me too...
I’m going to miss you dearly, chica. You were the best partner I could wish for and I hope our paths will cross again as I truly want you by my side. I believe you’ll find that better version of yourself. I’ve been blessed to see that side on multiple occasions, I’m sure you’ll get there quickly.
With love,
Your Adora
Hayley read her message several times, changing things or adding something before she felt confident enough about what she had written to send. For a moment she doubted the ending but her finger had clicked the send button before her doubts would get the better of her. With a sigh she placed her phone aside, feeling nerves eating at her insides. This was it, this is the end...
Reia
The next morning she woke earlier than usual as she promised to bring the suit back to her stylist. Her head was still a mess as it was harder to get over Hayley than she had expected. She only ate a few bites of her sandwich to breakfast before she gathered the clothes she had left on the floor last night. The suit was all creased and she regretted leaving it like that. Oh shit, she will kill me for bringing it back like this. With her costume on her hand she left the house and was on her way to the set. It wasn’t even 9 am when she arrived there and went straight to that trailer. For the crew it was like any other day as they still had to take apart the set but for the actors it was all over. So when she walked in she met questioning gazes from the people.
Everyone seemed to be tired from the party last night but they had to work nevertheless. Reia knocked on the trailer before going in.
“Good morning. I’ve come to give you back this.”
The stylist was surprised to see Reia so early in the morning so she smiled warmly at her.
“Hey. I didn’t expect you to show up until noon. Did your plan work? Was this special girl happy?”
Reia handed over the clothes and averted her gaze, her features turning into a bitter one.
“Well, no…not really. I mean…it’s complicated.”
The stylist took the clothes and unfolded them to see it was all a mess.
“I see…and you took it out on your costume?”
The girl chuckled and Reia with her, shaking her head.
“Sorry about that, I wasn’t in the best mood when I got home.”
The other one put the clothes down and placed a hand on Reia’s shoulder.
“It’s okay. I understand.”
It was just a single touch upon her shoulder and a warm smile yet Reia felt a little happy for the first time since last night. She only nodded and returned the smile.
“Thanks.”
The other woman pulled her hand back and walked to the table and fumbled with the objects, looking for something. Reia just watched, not sure what to do. When the girl walked back to her she handed a card over to her.
“If you need anything, you can call me.”
The brunette took the card and looked at it before putting it in her pocket.
“Thank you, Victoria. Have a nice day.”
The actress turned to walk to the door and when her hand was on the handle the stylist spoke again.
“Hey Reia. I was thinking if you would be up to some modelling work? I have a new set of clothes which will be shown on the catwalk sometime. I was wondering if you would like to…you know, be my model?”
The question took the brunette off guard and paused to think about the offer for a moment.
“Send me your portfolio and I’ll think about it, okay?”
It was the least she could do as she owed her for the prom suit.
After delivering the clothes she walked about the set one more time, passing by Hayley’s trailer. She stopped for a second as she recalled that one time when Hayley invited her over to this place. It made her smile uncontrollably. Hayley. What are you doing now? She wondered as she walked to her car. When she got in and was about to start the engine her phone buzzed. Taking it out of her pocket she looked at the screen. New message from Hayley. As fast as lightning she unlocked her phone to read it. So she isn’t mad at me. That was the first conclusion she got as she was reading it. Her heart was racing and beating in a non-consistent rhythm. Is she going to miss me? And she wants me by her side? Does this mean…? The last part got her pulse to raise by at least 52. With love, Your Adora. Mine? Are you really mine? She had to take a deep breath and clutched her phone to her chest. Her heart wanted to escape from behind her ribs. Hope was filling her body and she radiated with happiness. It took her a few minutes to calm down enough to write a reply. She typed and deleted it many times before settling with:
I’m sorry about last night. I hope you are okay and feel better now. Try to take care of yourself, you clumsy thing x
With a smile on her face she put the phone down to the seat next to her and drove off, heading to her safe place by the beach. She still needed her morning coffee so she stopped by there, enjoying her first day off for the first time in a while. She had been working hard for the past couple of months and she felt like she deserved some vacation now. Her phone was in front of her on the table while she sipped her iced coffee, waiting for a possible reply. Her hopes were up to keep in touch with the blond, even if it was only by text messages. While she was waiting she got an email from Victoria who sent her the portfolio. Reia looked through the different types of clothes and she was no less than impressed by the extraordinary pieces. But before she could agree to be of assistance she had to call her manager to see if she would approve such side activity.
Apparently there was nothing wrong with modelling in such a big event so Emily approved of the idea.
“Yes, I’m sure. It would only enhance your fame and popularity. You go girl! But make sure you practice the walking with a professional model.”
Reia could only agree.
“Oh yeah, I was planning on doing that. Thanks, Em.”
They hung up and the next number she called belonged to no other than her infamous model associate, Cara Delevigne.
“Hey Cara. Fancy a lunch?”
She invited the model for a friendly lunch where they could talk about the details for her future modelling career. It was all new to Reia, but as she really liked the collection she was sent to and as she owed the girl this she might as well give it a try. Luckily the blond model was more than happy to help her out.
Her next stop was a restaurant in downtown, no other than La Boucherie. They agreed to meet there by noon and Reia was the first one to arrive. She reserved a table for two, luckily her fame was there to help her with that. The staff recognized her and provided her the best table by the window. The view was a sight for sore eyes. All of L.A. could be seen from above from there. The glamourous place was chic and matched the two artists. Cara arrived a few minutes late but Reia was used to it already.
“Late again, as usual.” She pointed out when the blond sat across from her.
“You know me, I can’t be expected on time.”
The blond chuckled while the brunette rolled her eyes.
“Before we talk, what would you like to drink?” Reia waved to the waitress who came running towards them.
“I’d gladly take a light margarita.” The blond said and Reia raised a brow at her.
“What’s even a light margarita? We will take two normal margaritas, please.”
The waitress was beaming excited as apparently her dream was coming true in front of her eyes. She handed over two menus to the women and disappeared quickly.
“So what is it you wanted to talk about?”
Reia started to explain what happened in the morning but she got interrupted by the waitress who came back with their orders. She placed the two beverages on the table but remained standing there. Both women looked at her questioningly.
“Yes?” Reia asked with a raised eyebrow. The waitress fumbled with the paper and pen in her hand.
“I’m sorry to disturb you, but would you two mind signing this for me?”
The artists shared a glance before agreeing.
“Sure.” Reia signed first and then Cara, handing the paper back to the lady.
“And can I get a picture too?”
Apparently she was a hardcore fan, but they couldn’t blame her for that. They posed with the fan before she took their meal orders and disappeared again.
“So where was I? Oh right, so my point is, can you teach me how to do the catwalk?”
The blond chuckled and sipped on her drink before answering.
“Oh wow. This is a special day. I would have never dared to imagine you asking me for modelling tips, but here we are.”
Reia drank her own margarita with a smirk on her face.
“I’m glad to amuse you. So will you help?”
Cara nodded and leaned a bit closer across the table.
“Yes. How will you pay me for my services?”
The blond wiggled her eyebrows and now it was Reia’s turn to laugh.
“You are unbelievable, you know?” She asked, shaking her head.
“I know. That’s why you like me so much.”