“They did?” Carly let her hands drop. “That’s such a relief. You have no idea. What about us? I’m guessing if they liked the show then we fared okay, right?”

“Yes, they were complimentary.” She didn’t mention that the reviews seemed to favor her. It didn’t feel right to say so, and it felt even weirder that they’d written it. Carly was amazing in the show and had come such a long way in terms of her work ethic.

“You’re not saying much. Guess I better take a look.” She squinted at Lauren, headed back to the bedroom, and returned a moment later with her phone, already engrossed in what she found there. She raised her gaze to Lauren, beaming. “They love you. They absolutely do.”

Lauren smiled back. “It’s nice of them to say those things.”

“I’m so proud of you.” A pause. She held up her phone. “I don’t think they liked me as much.” She shrugged but seemed a little smaller as she stood there. “That’s okay. I’m new at this theater thing, right?”

“They did like you. It’s just that my late casting probably made for an interesting spin on the write-up.”

But Carly was continuing to click around on her phone now, and Lauren watched as her supportive smile dimmed. Damn it. She’d run into the gossip reports.

“They think I started fights.” She raised her gaze to Lauren’s, dumbfounded. “But I didn’t. I wouldn’t. I like most everyone, and if I’ve been spoiled and shallow in the past, I haven’t treated anyone poorly.”

“You haven’t. You were late and had a bit of a culture shock, but you were never hard to work with.”

“Lauren,” she said, looking helpless. “I never threw fits.”

“No. You don’t have to tell me that. I was there.”

Carly kept clicking. Lauren’s stomach turned over as she imagined what she’d find as she surfed from one link to another. Likely, much what Lauren had: other media outlets had picked up the same nugget of gossip, making it look widely reported that Carly had been a problem child yet again. When Carly set her phone on the kitchen counter and looked up with a crestfallen face, Lauren’s heart broke for her. “I can’t win.”

“Don’t look at it that way. Come here, please.” Lauren held open her arms, but Carly hesitated and ultimately backed away from the gesture.

“I’m good. Not to worry.” Instead of the embrace Lauren offered, Carly wrapped her arms around herself, resembling a vulnerable child protecting herself from other kids on the playground. She gestured behind her. “I should finish getting ready. Get out of your hair.”