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Romy stood up, pulling Emerald to stand with her. “Now, I need to show you something. Come with me.” Emerald followed Romy into the house. Romy guided her into the dining room, where she noticed a plain, white plastic bag.
Romy dug in to retrieve a small, circular device, handing it to Emerald. The actress held it in her palm, noticing the black square base that featured a round, red button on top. To Emerald, the object looked like a buzzer one would see on a game show. Turning it around on her hand, she asked, “What is it?”
“It’s a special alarm for you to always keep to yourself. If you find yourself in danger, press it, and it will signal an emergency request for the police,” Romy explained. “The police force is aware of Thomas and his associates. If they receive notice from you via the alarm, the police will know it’s an emergency, and they will arrive at whatever location you are at immediately.”
Emerald nodded. “Wow, that’s interesting. I didn’t even know they made these kinds of gadgets. But you said the police are close to arresting Thomas, right?”
“Yes, but just in case something happens between now and then.” Romy’s eyes pierced through Emerald. “Even though I need to leave you, your safety is still my priority. I promised to protect you, and I want you to have this. So keep it on yourself at all times.”
Emerald sighed, feeling gutted. Clutching the alarm, she reached for Romy, hugging her one last time. She inhaled the scent of her cologne, pressing her lips to Romy’s neck, nuzzling against her skin. Emerald’s voice shook with emotion. “I’m going to miss you so fucking much. My heart is seriously breaking.”
Romy’s face remained neutral, although Emerald noticed a deep sadness in her eyes. She knew that Romy cared for her and that there was a mutual attraction; she sensed their bond. “I know, Em. I feel the same way. But I’ve got to go.” Romy squeezed Emerald one last time before moving away and turning on her heel. Emerald noticed a large black duffle bag parked by the front entrance. She couldn’t believe that Romy was leaving for good.
She stood in the foyer wordlessly, watching as Romy grabbed the duffle, slinging it over her shoulder. The silence was deafening as Emerald watched the back of Romy’s head disappear out the door. She felt frozen in her spot as a wrenching loss exploded in her chest. Emerald fell to the ground and sobbed profusely on the hard marble floor.
14
Romy struggled to keep her sorrow inside as she crossed the threshold of Emerald’s front door into the long, winding driveway. But once she knew she was out of sight, Romy burst into tears, knowing she could never return. Her love for Emerald was real, but knowing they could never be a proper couple was more than Romy could bear.No, this is for the best. I deserve an authentic relationship and a loving partner who is proud to be with me, and Emerald can’t be that woman.
The duffle bag seemed exceptionally heavy as Romy pulled on the straps. She traveled down the winding driveway towards her SUV, which was parked at the base of the estate. Romy intentionally parked further away from the house in an effort to throw off Thomas should he have wanted to pay a threatening visit.
Yesterday, when Romy was at the police station, she had spoken to Detective Spencer Wilde, who was leading the investigation. Upon finalizing the file on Thomas Black, Romy had met with the detective, who provided advice during the interim of Thomas being arrested.
“In knowing his patterns, you will want to deviate and give yourself space to avoid attracting danger. And because he knows your vehicle, he’ll be looking for it, most likely to retaliate,” Detective Wilde had stated. “At this point, we know he is hiding out in the Valley, Encino, to be exact. We’ve put a tracker on a car that we suspect is being shared between him and his gang of thugs.”
“Okay, that’s good to know. I’m supposed to follow Ms. Crowle and her driver to a lounge in Hollywood for a meeting.” The detective retrieved an object from his desk. “Here, take this and give it to Ms. Crowle. It’s a special emergency alarm she can use to contact us.”
Furrowing her brow, Romy had asked, “Do you think it’s safe for Ms. Crowle to be alone, just with the alarm? Or should I remain on assignment until Thomas is behind bars?”
Officer Wilde had shrugged, placing his meaty hands on his desk. “You’re the expert, so I can’t say. But I can tell you that we have enough evidence to arrest him. We just need to catch him, but hopefully, the tracker will lead our team to his whereabouts.” Pointing at the gadget, the detective added, “And a buzzer is a great tool as well. You never know what can happen in these situations, but I think we have all our bases covered now.”
Romy had felt relieved, knowing that the police unit was stepping in. But, as her love for Emerald grew, Romy felt herself mentally deteriorating. The strain of being attracted to a client that she could never have, combined with the dangers of Thomas Black, had become overwhelming for her.
As Romy continued down the expansive driveway, she turned to the left, remembering that she had parked to the side of a walking path adjacent to the estate property.You’re doing the right thing. You know that you could never be happy having a secret affair, Romy told herself. But no matter how logical she wanted to be, a stronger force was crying out from inside her soul.But if I’m doing the right thing, why is leaving Emerald breaking my heart? What if that is a sign that I should stay?
Forging onward, Romy reached her car and opened the passenger seat, throwing her large duffle bag inside. As she moved towards the driver’s seat, Romy felt a thud on the back of her head. Reeling in a daze, she tried to turn around, only to be surrounded by total darkness.
15
No, I can’t let her leave—I just can’t. Maybe I can catch her before she drives off.As soon as Romy walked out the front door, Emerald collapsed to the floor, sobbing profusely. She felt crazed with emotion, as though her heart was being ripped from her chest. Emerald recognized that it was unfair to try and keep Romy in her life, knowing her limitations. But a big part of her was now toying with the idea of coming out and what that might look like for her future.
Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, Emerald gathered herself off the marble floor. She heard footsteps coming down the winding staircase. “Emerald? Is that you?” Marilyn called out. “Are you okay?”
Choking back her sniffles, Emerald replied in a shaky voice, “Um, yup, I-I’m fine. I’m okay.” Quickly wiping her eyes, the actress added, “I’m going for a walk on the estate grounds. I’ll be back soon.”
Emerald felt a hand on her shoulder as she went for the door handle. Turning around, Emerald saw Marilyn standing there with open arms. She embraced Emerald, whispering in her ear, “I know how much you cared for her. I’m going to miss her too.” Shocked, Emerald froze, as though understanding for the first time that Marilyn was privy to their trysts.Oh my god! How did she know she means so much to me?
As if Marilyn could read Emerald’s mind, she added, “Don’t worry; your secret is safe with me. But please be careful if you’re going out. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Emerald bobbed her head, her face swollen from crying. Then, grabbing Marilyn’s hands, she expressed her gratitude. “Thank you. Don’t worry; I’ll be okay. Romy gave me this before she left.” Emerald showed Marilyn the buzzer, which had remained in her palm. “It’s an alarm that will signal the police as soon as I push it. I’ll keep it on me while I’m strolling around.”
Appearing worried as she nodded, Marilyn replied, “Alright. Be safe, and let me know if I can do anything, even if it’s just a nice meal, to help you feel better.” Emerald quickly kissed Marilyn on the cheek before heading outside to clear her head. “I will. See you in a bit.”
Emerald strolled down the gravel driveway, feeling disoriented. She hadn't felt this much grief in her heart since her relationship with Lana had ended. She had faked it for movie scenes, of course, she was gifted at heartbreak scenes, but here she was in one of her own and she didn’t like it one bit.
Emerald wasn't sure what direction she wanted to travel, only that she desperately wanted Romy to return. Emerald spoke aloud to herself. “I'm probably too late; I'll bet she's gone by now.”
Emerald continued to walk down the path leading to the property's edge. The warm air was soothing, and the bright blue sky was in direct opposition to Emerald's mood. But even in her sadness, it felt good to be outside.
