Twist of Fate Louise, Tia (read dune .txt) 📖

“Friday.” His voice gentles, and he takes the boxes from me. “Go shower. I’ll take care of this, and then we can talk.”

Tuck can be a bit much at times, but I’m not going to argue with him. I need a shower.

Standing under the spray, I close my eyes as the warm water flows over me. I’ve spent three weeks going to open audition after open audition, and not a single callback. One nude photo, and I’ve gone from the penthouse to the outhouse, just like that.

This past week, I guess I did sort of give up—or at least the last three days of it. I’m running out of money, and I’m almost to the point where I either have to fish or cut bait.

“You know what I miss?” I scrub a towel in my hair as I walk back to the living room. “Rain. It never rains here.”

“It’s amazing how you can still look so good after poisoning your body.” Crenshaw sits on the couch with his legs crossed. “You’ve got to take care of yourself. I can’t have a positive lifestyle brand and a roommate who’s going down the toilet.”

That makes me laugh. “I’m not going down the toilet. I’m in the toilet, but I’m still kicking. What’s this lifestyle brand?”

“Visualizing Success.” He spreads his hands over his head like that SpongeBob rainbow. “We’ll make a vision board for you and put it on the wall. Look at it every day until you make it happen. You’ll be my first success story.”

I toss the towel into my plastic laundry bin on my way to the kitchen. “Yeah, I’ve never been into that secret shit.”

“I’m not talking about The Secret. I’m talking about the power of positive thinking, sending your dream out into the universe and expecting it to happen.”

“I’m not sure how that’s different.” Taking a bottle of water from the fridge, I crack open the top. “All I can expect to happen until this porn thing blows over is a great big No.”

“That’s what I mean. You’re sending out negative energy. We have to retrain your thought processes so you’re sending out a Yes!” This time he flings his hands like he’s broadcasting it to the building.

“Nice gestures. I’m going to say yes to starting this laundry.”

“Practice belly breathing while you’re down there. Inhale for five seconds, exhale for six. Realign your chi. We’ll take some before photos for my Instagram when you get back.”

“Yeah, I don’t think so. I’ve had enough photos for a while.” I close the door on his complaint when I see Luis down below tossing a football. “Hey, man. Long time no see!”

Jogging down the steps, I put the basket on the ground and hold out my hands. He hesitates a beat before throwing the ball to me. I catch it without having to bend.

“Your arm’s improving. You been practicing?”

“Yeah, Ma’s been taking me to the Y on her way to work in the afternoons.”

“Your mom’s working nights now?” I feel bad that I’ve lost touch with him since the whole porn thing went down.

When I heard I lost the part in Mighty Thunder, I kind of went dark for a few days. Then I decided I wouldn’t let them beat me and started going out for every open audition I could find. None of it mattered. My agent said the casting directors wouldn’t touch me with a ten-foot pole.

It’s like I’m damaged goods. The only thing I have now are sympathetic friends.

I throw the ball back, and he catches it easily, but he’s still not smiling.

“She works until eleven. I’m usually awake when she gets home.”

Nodding, I make a mental note to keep an eye on him. “I bet you’ll make the team this fall. Maybe I’ll be able to catch a few of your games.”

His brow furrows, and he looks down before sending me another spiral. “Maybe.”

“I’m sorry I’ve been sort-of off the radar lately.” I throw it back, and this time when he catches it, he tucks the ball under his arm.

“Ma doesn’t want me hanging out with you anymore.”

“What?” I walk closer to where he stands, but when he takes a step back, I stop. “Why not?”

He’s still not meeting my eyes. “She says you’re not a good influence or something.” His dark brow furrows, and he frowns up at me. “Are you doing porn now?”

“Oh, man.” I shake my head, the fury washing over me all over again. Just when I think it couldn’t hurt me worse. “No.”

“She said there’s a picture of you—”

“It was a misunderstanding. I took some headshots, and the guy sold my photos to this magazine without my permission. Hell, without even my knowledge.”

“I thought headshots were of your head.” Luis squints an eye at me, disbelieving like all the rest. “Why were you naked?”

For the dumbest reason of all. I trusted the wrong guy.

“Never mind. You should do what your mom says.” I turn and pick up the laundry basket. “Good luck with football, and take it from me, if you ever get an offer to go pro? Say yes.”

Later that night, I’m sitting with my back against the wall in my bedroom. An empty bottle of J&B is beside me, and I can’t afford to buy more. I’m holding my phone, looking at a photo from years ago, right after that homecoming dance senior year.

I’ve got my arms around Daisy, and she’s cute as hell in that yellow dress with flowers in her hair. I kissed her for the first time that night. I can still remember it, soft and hot, hands clutching, tongues sliding together… I thought we’d spend senior year together, but she said no. We were just friends.

Friends who do this… I huff a laugh remembering my bravado back then.

It was all so easy with her. Longing pulls in my chest when I remember the week before I came here. I remember holding her in my