Hollywood's Golden Runaway

(0 8)

She holds her pen, poised to take my order, and suddenly I feel an overwhelming sense of pity. I can't speak, I am frozen. I've been found. My hands start to shake violently and I dig them into my lap . All conversations have stopped as everyone looks to me, confused as to why I am struggling so much to just give my order.

But I'm aware of everything right now. Each buzz of the fan as it turns incessantly, each scrape of cutlery against the plates, each tap of Olivia's pen against her notepad. Liam's hand suddenly strokes down my arm to gain my attention and I jump out of my skin at the sudden contact.

"Bella?" Liam reminds me then that it is not Salem Evans in front of Olivia right now, but Isabella Scott, distinguishing the look on her face to be wonder rather than surprise. But it is now deep confusion, curious at the extent of my reaction to her appearance. She's clearly suspicious of my horror. I work hard to scramble my composure back together, that I am just Isabella Scott. However unconvinced the others will be.

"I'll have the chicken parmesan with a side of the tortellini arrabiata if that's possible? Thanks." Olivia scribbles down my unique order, with all the signs of the cogs turning in her brain on her face. I shouldn't have ordered it. We used to come here all the time. She'll work it out. She never believed in coincidences. My paranoia grows.

As she takes down everyone's orders I watch her. The memories of the hell she put me through in my last few hours in Matlin Falls flood my mind. "No one's going to want to see your ugly face on a big screen." "Loner freak." The malicious joy on her face as I walked in on his betrayal and as my heart broke. She had loved it, proud of the reaction she had drawn out of me. The way she destroyed me completely but at the same time, made me. Pushed me into this incredible life through my heartbreak.

So, seeing her stuck in Matlin Falls, five years later, waiting tables in Maialino seems like a form of vengeance in itself. The gloating joy makes my chest swell. Despite her best efforts to crush me, in the end I have come out on top. Just not as myself. But I'd rather be Isabella Scott over cold, malicious, stuck Olivia Hope any day.

She takes Liam's order last, clinging to the chance to speak to him. I mentally scoff at her actions, she is no different to any other groupie who comes into contact with my best friend. Suddenly, I feel very protective over him, the way she stares at him as he recites his order and I place my hand over his and turn my body into his to suggest something while giving her a warning glare from under my lashes. She retreats immediately, her eyes returning to her notepad, making me smirk at how the tables have turned, who holds the power now. I wasn't going to let her try and take Liam from me as well, regardless of where our relationship stands as friends. However, she still lingers behind after completing her task and simultaneously all of our heads turn to her expectantly. And with her next words anything I thought I had over her vanishes in one sentence.

"Um, I'm sorry to be one of those people. But I don't suppose I could get an autograph? My boyfriend just loves you." I feel very small right then.

"Sure." I manage with a smile, ignoring the pain in my chest. I curse myself for caring so much but I remember to act when I catch Sydney rolling her eyes and laughing out of the corner of my eye. I laugh at her in a sarcastic manner which makes the others laugh more. The light-hearted moment relaxes me as she just passes me her notepad and pen. I scribble Isabella's signature on a blank page. I can't even bring myself to ask who to make it out to. I am too scared to hear the truth to my thoughts. It clearly wasn't as much of a mistake as he made it out to be.

With a quick thank you she finally shuffles away again. We all rest our elbows on the tabletop while Liam's closest arm rests once again on the top of the booth behind me. I take a long sip of the wine in front of me, begging for me to drink it.