Call Me Vi | ONC 2024 Entry | Novel Expansion Pending

Chapter 7

A wave of panic and sunlight woke me the following morning where I realized I still had my arms draped around Violetta. Her chest rose and fell in time with her breathing.

I blinked. So that was real. I'd let Violetta share my bed last night and she was still here. Quietly, I peeled myself away, careful not to disturb her. After throwing on a robe, I tiptoed out of the room with my fist firmly grasping my phone.

A quick glance down at the screen told me it was already eight thirty. It was Saturday, which meant Hayden should be awake by now.

Please pick up, I prayed silently as I frantically clicked his contact. The phone rang endlessly before cheerfully letting me know that Hayden was unavailable to answer my call but I could leave a message and he'd get back to me.

"Hayden, hey," I started, my voice as low as possible while still being audible. The hallway was quiet but it felt as though my voice echoed down the hall with every word. "So, something happened last night. I-I'm not really sure what to make of it." I ran a hand through my hair and chuckled. "You'd probably tell me I'm overthinking and maybe I am. It's...It's about Vi. Violetta. She and I, well we went to the bonfire together. And I don't know, there was a lot of drinking involved. Um, anywho, I don't really—it's just a lot. Call me when you can. Bye."

I hung up before I could ramble any longer. Hayden was my go-to for relationship advice. It was the reason he'd been my first kiss in college, the reason we'd stayed by each other's side for so long.

And now, I sort of had to figure things out on my own.

What did last night mean, anyway? We were just two friends going out to have a great time. But were we friends? We were barely strangers. She was the star, I was in the wings.

Could we actually be anything?

Did I want that?

Heat rushed to my cheeks as I thought about the way Violetta fit perfectly against my body. On the dance floor, in the bed.

"There you are."

Speak of the devil.

I turned around. Violetta stood in the doorway of the hotel room, one ankle crossed behind the other as she poked her head into the hallway.

"Hey," I said. "I was just checking my messages and didn't want to wake you."

She smiled. "That's ok. Come back inside? I need to talk to you about something."

I nodded. "I'll be there in a second." I waited for Violetta to close the door again before opening up a web browser on my phone. My eyes grew wide, and that's when I saw it.

The headline on the front page featured not one, but two familiar faces:

Love is in the Air?! Actress Violetta Dawson (27) Hit By Cupid's Arrow in an Exclusive...

"Exclusive, what?!" I muttered to myself. I yanked at the door handle, only realizing I'd left my key card inside when it wouldn't budge.

Violetta opened it a second later, her phone to her ear. "Baxter," she mouthed to me. From the sounds coming from the other end, he didn't sound too happy.

"I know, Bax," she was saying, "But—" Silence as her publicist continued to squawk. "You really don't need to do that." She sighed. "I'll take care of it, Bax. Bye." After hanging up, she turned to me.

"So, there's an article," I said.

"I know." Violetta nodded to her phone. "That's why Baxter called and what I wanted to discuss. Seems we've made front page news." She flopped onto her stomach, propping herself up on her elbows. "Dammit, they really can't leave me alone, can they? And now they've dragged you into it? I just...ugh! See, this is what I'm talking about, Rea. I can't do anything, go anywhere, without being recognized. Without being judged."