Page 77 of False Promises

I followed her toward the elevator to escort her upstairs. “Stop this nonsense. You’re not acting like yourself. What’s going on?”

She threw her arms up in the air, yanking away from my grip. “Your dishonesty is pouring out from you. Since when have you become a liar, Carter?”

I blinked, unsure I was hearing her right, when she added, “See, you’re lucky I’m not kicking you out for being a cheater.”

Minutes after we returned to our apartment, she got naked and handcuffed herself to the bed—again—begging me to ravish her. Calling me a coward and insulting me after I refused and walked away, scratching my head as I reflected on what could have happened while I was In Tennessee. I couldn’t keep up with Savannah’s sudden bursts of temper. One moment she acted nice and flirty and the next, she shifted to evil. Even her laughter had gone from clear and light to dark and scary.

June had sent me a copy of the new furniture and décor bill. I almost fainted. That explained my punishing training session. I was still not over the insane amount that had been put on my account.

In the elevator leading to our floor, I wondered which version of her I’d get now. Deep down, I wished she had left for the studio or had gone to run errands, needing a moment to myself to assess the sudden disaster that had taken over my life.

Leaning against the back wall, I pulled at my hair, ruminating. Where had the pleasant side of my girlfriend gone in the four days I was away? Soon I’d be in New York for a full month. Once more, I asked myself how it would be then if just a couple of days had turned her into this.

Did something go down during my absence? It would explain her antics. Did she lose another part? Or get bullied again on the set? Was her unstable mood a result of her stressful audition process?

Maybe anxiety had fucked her mind. The same way it did with mine. Right now, this relationship felt like a vise, strangling me and depriving my brain of oxygen and messing with the rational side of my decision processing center.

Changing my mind once I reached our floor, I hurried down the stairs until I landed in the parking garage. In my SUV, I called Riley. I needed my friend right now, not the manager but the guy who was able to rationalize my thoughts when they went haywire and someone who could look at the situation with a cool head.

“Hey man. How is it going?” he greeted me. “Missing me already?” He chuckled, but it died quickly when I replied in a strangled, anxious voice.

Like he said, I wasn’t good at hiding my emotions.

“Hey Ry. Do you have a couple of minutes? I kinda need your input about a personal matter.”

I heard low voices in the background. “Sure. I was just leaving the office and going home to work remotely for the rest of the day. I’m all ears.”

Once I heard the door of his car shut and all the background noises melt away, I switched the call to video chat. “Oh shit,” Riley exclaimed with rounded eyes. “What’s got into you? We parted ways like forty-eight hours ago, and back then, you were thriving. Did you even sleep last night?”

I dragged a sweaty palm over my face, searching for the right words. Usually, I kept my personal life…well, personal, but right now, I was about to blow a gasket and had to get it out.

“Savannah Prince” was all I said. A long pause followed. We both remained silent until I was ready to explain myself. “I think she’s a fucking psycho, man. I swear, she’s the devil. Something’s wrong with her.”

His bunched eyebrows and serious expression told me he would listen to everything I had to say. “Since when?”

I threw one arm up in the air. “I don’t know. Always. Maybe. So far, they were small things. Details that seemed insignificant, but when added together, they showcased a whole new picture. Either she’s going through some mental issues and having a breakdown or she’s batshit crazy. At first, I enjoyed her wilder side. The thrill it provided. Now she just doesn’t care to hide that devilish persona anymore. She flaunts it like it’s a virtue and then blames me when I call her out on her actions. Something’s wrong.” I breathed in to dissipate the tension rising inside of me. “When I was in Nashville, she redecorated the entire place. On my dime. And I’m not talking about a few thousand dollars. I’m saying almost a hundred thousand. Without consulting me. I have no idea how she planned it, but she did. She called me an egotistical jerk when I got mad, said it was due to how insecure she felt about my friendship with Dahlia, then left as if nothing happened. She was laughing. A witch’s laughter. A freeze-the-blood-in-your-veins kind of laughter. And this is just one episode. I have many more. This morning, she called me a cheater and then tried to seduce me with her wicked games.”

“Fuck.”

“Yep. Fuck. That’s not all. Once, she told me about her stepdad abusing her when she was a teen. I don’t have all the details, but it sounded bad. Not sure if he screwed up her mind good. Since Dylan’s birthday party, the one you didn’t attend, I can’t seem to catch a break. It’s like two women share the same body. I don’t know what to believe anymore. A hunch tells me I’m being played. Big time. I need answers.”

Riley cleared his throat and said nothing for a minute, probably assessing everything I threw at him. “Have you talked to Taylor about it? He still has contacts. He could get a hold of that jerk of a stepdad. See what’s the story there. Perhaps you could convince Savannah to consult with a doctor until we know more. You’ll be in New York for a month. The timing couldn’t be better. You don’t need this shit now that you’ve claimed your life back.”

“Yeah, well, what do I do now? Savannah can’t know I’m reconsidering our relationship if I don’t have solid proof she’s bad news. What if it’s really a mental breakdown and she requires psychological care? I can’t walk away if she’s sick. She’ll need me. I’m not that kind of guy. I stay by the side of people I love.” I paused, massaging my temples. So many scenarios played out in my mind. “On the other hand, if she’s really nuts and suspects I’m looking into her past, she’ll either lay low for a while until it dies down and plan my demise or act out and threaten me.”

“Be in New York. Far from the West Coast. While you’re away and safe, it will give us time to dig up all the dirt we can. See if there’s a reason to doubt her. Or if she has a history of mental health issues. Nothing came out when we did the background check, but maybe the firm didn’t look closely enough. It has never happened in the past, but hey, we’ll do another one. Just to be sure. Savannah won’t be able to get to you while you’re gone. Act as usual. For now. Let Taylor do his thing.”

“Okay.” With my fingertips, I rubbed my nape until it felt raw.

“Send me everything you know about Savannah and her past. I’ll make a plan. Tomorrow, let’s have a conference call with Taylor, and we’ll start from there.”

“Okay, I’ll see what I can do. Thanks.” Riley didn’t have to take care of my mess, but he and Taylor were the only two people I trusted to help me out. “I’ll text you when I’m free to talk.”

“Perfect. And Carter? Don’t worry. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

“I’ll owe you one.”

He let out a loud chuckle. “One day, you’ll repay me when I need a favor. Don’t worry about it.”