It was just before midnight, and Carly only paused her dancing for a quick drink. It felt good to get out of the house, which had been eating her alive. She needed an escape, a reset button, a lifeline. Dancing her ass off, while keeping her alcohol level to a minimum so as not to get too crazy, was doing the trick.

“From the guy down the bar,” the blond bartender with the spiky hair said and pointed at a gentleman who nodded in her direction.

“Thank you, but no,” she mouthed and slid the shot back. She had zero plans to get sloppy drunk and show up on TMZ all over again. The Hollywood Reporter article that afternoon had been enough.

You’re gonna want to see this, the text from Fallon had said earlier that day. But remember, it’ll be in people’s trash folders by tomorrow so don’t get hung up.

When she opened the short article and read the headline, “Daniel bested for Hennessy role by McAllister co-star,” her first reaction was an eye roll. After all, it had only been a matter of time before Lauren showed up on their radar, and her connection to Carly only sweetened the appeal. The media did their research and seemed to have sources everywhere these days. She just wasn’t expecting it to be so soon. “Really?” she asked her empty kitchen. “Have you not put us through enough?” And she did include Lauren in that because she’d been unfairly punished in all this. Carly was working on putting things right, but she hadn’t yet found the words that would absolve and explain her unattractive behavior. She certainly wasn’t proud of it and was doing what she could to learn about her own weaknesses, and how they manifested and affected others. She owed Lauren a sit-down conversation, and they would get themselves back on track.

The article had saddened her, though, and she’d decided enough was enough. It was time. She needed to take control of her own life before she lost everything, including Lauren. She refused to consider the possibility that she already had. She would face that problem tomorrow. It was a new day and would be a new leaf. For now, letting loose felt like a cool glass of water on a hot day. The music infiltrated her system, fueling her. The dim lighting and the constantly moving strobes offered a much needed feeling of anonymity that allowed Carly to escape. The aerobic exercise released her endorphins. She headed back to the dance floor where she danced with anyone and everyone.

She could not, would not be stopped.

* * *