She didn’t know whom she could trust. There were too many who craved a picture, or at least a glimpse of her. Too many who wanted to make a few bucks selling her photo to the tabloids...

Her condo didn’t provide enough privacy. She should’ve bought a house instead, and would have except she’d been waiting for the film to come out so she could ascertain its success. Her paycheck for Expect the Worst wasn’t nearly as big as an established actress would get, but it was the most she’d ever made, and she’d planned to stretch it as far as possible, just in case.

A fool and his money are soon parted.

Her father loved that aphorism. He’d always been cautious when it came to money, something he’d instilled in her. The whole community had been ultraconservative. Even if he hadn’t prevailed upon her to be penny-wise, she’d gone hungry too many times since she’d left home to take much of a risk.

She stared in the mirror as she peeled off the bandages and couldn’t help but grimace at her own unsightly flesh. Was it really only a few short weeks ago that she’d believed she’d continue to star in major motion pictures and her financial worries were behind her? That there would be no more coupon-clipping? No more dollar menus or accepting almost any job just to make a buck? Her agent had received calls from some of the biggest producers and directors in Hollywood.

The possibilities had seemed limitless, until it had all ended in one careless moment.

“Ugh.” She stretched her mouth to ease the residual discomfort from the tape before slumping onto the couch and pulling the blanket up over her shoulders. She was so tired, which made no sense because she hadn’t done anything that required much energy.

She was about to put on a movie to provide background noise while she fell asleep when Seth knocked.

“Tia?”

Determined to ignore him, she squeezed her eyes closed.

“Tia, answer me,” he said.

“Go away!” she barked.

“I’m not going away, so you might as well open the door.”

She had a feeling he was even more stubborn than she was, but she’d already taken off her bandages, so she wasn’t about to let him in. “Not tonight.”

“Do I have to text Maxi to see if he has an extra key?”

“To my house?”

“Why not? You have a key to mine.”

“That’s different. I have to go over there to take care of Kiki. You said you didn’t want to do it.”

“There’s an equally good reason for me to have one to your house.”

Her jaw dropped in outrage. “No, there isn’t! He would never give it to you!” She hoped.

“If he thinks it’s safer for me to have it, he will.”