16. Episode One

They made their way to the backyard where they saw flames in the fire pit blazing. Camryn tried not to think too much about the cameraman at her heels. Once they sat on opulent outdoor chairs, Callie noticed the red-light flash on after Stevie, a camera guy, thrashed a finger that cut through the warm air.

"Thanks for having us over guys! You have the perfect backyard for a fire" started V. Her goodness made Camryn smile. V was nervous and sounded rehearsed and not herself, but more like a Kardashian.

"I haven't been to one of these since high school" Camryn added and smiled at V.

"I bet you were never invited to anything." Rocco passed an dick-ish look her way.

"Hey, at least I graduated. Can you say the same?" She made it crystal clear that she wasn't backing down despite her response sounding more like a joke than a jab.

"Well, we're happy to host!" Rosie interrupted with the fakest grin she could morph her face into giving in order to change the subject. Everyone could sense something was bothering her and assumed she and Sonny must have gotten into an argument prior to them arriving.

Camryn noticed Rocco's hand on Brooke's knee while she appeared to be oblivious to it.

Looking over at Bryson, Camryn saw him whispering into Paige's ear. He had made it known that nothing was to come of the two of them reuniting.

They're just friends, Camryn told herself to divert a feeling of jealousy that wanted desperately to surface. They were just friends. Right?

As the night unraveled, the group began to pay no attention to the crew that took a ten-minute break every thirty minutes to use the restroom and to converse with them as if they were friends invited to Sonny and Rosie's, too.

Sonny and Beau were grilling barbeque chicken and steak shish kebabs while Callie and Tatum were seen laughing in the kitchen and making cocktail pitchers for whomever wanted to refill their glass without the prep. Thinking this would be the best time to get to know the two women, Camryn ventured into the house to see if they needed any assistance - and to dig up any dirt she could use in the article.

"No, we're fine. Thanks though." Tatum, for some reason, didn't like welcoming new girls into her bubble. After all, it took Callie a hot minute to wiggle her way onto her contact list.

"Actually, you can finish slicing limes if you want. That would be a huge help!" Callie said invitingly despite Tatum's show of coldness.

Camryn took the knife off the table and went to work. "So, what are you ladies drinking tonight?" She glanced over and saw their cold glasses that were shivering from the ice cubes hold a clear liquid. Assuming it was vodka, straight, she had to ask for the conversation to not run dry right from the jump.

"Vodka." Callie said as she held up her glass unenthused by her own choice of beverage.

Camryn looked at Tatum.

"Water, shockingly. I need a break. Gin and I are developing a bad relationship."

"Why are you guys in here making everyone else drinks? They can make their own."

At that time, there were no cameras around the three women and Camryn watched as Jay and Rocco entered through the sliding glass door from the backyard and disappeared into another part of the house just as fast.

She hadn't forgotten how he'd been treating her. The chip on her should grew larger with each passing day and she wondered, at times, if she deserved his harsh treatment.

"Shit-talking, mainly." Tatum answered. "You can join in if you want. But can we trust you?"

Camryn thought the question must have been a form of trickery, or a trap.

"I guess you'll have to find out for yourself." She replied, internally unsure, yet externally confident. Callie looked at Tatum and gave her the nod of approval.

"She's cool. I can just tell." Callie said.

"Yeah? Well I hope so. You know what they say about snitches." Tatum could be such a calloused bitch. Camryn was unamused and unthreatened by this pretty actress she used to watch on tv all the time while still living in Tennessee, as a nobody.

She went about her business cutting the limes, not giving an answer to the question.

"We were talking about Paige" said Callie, unapologetically, like she didn't care if Paige had, in fact, just heard every single fucking insult that had come from her mouth. "I don't care for her. Hopefully she'd caught on by now."

Tatum agreed. "I mean, how could you not see the front she's putting on for everyone?"

"What do you mean?" Camryn inquired. To her, Paige appeared to be playing the victim in her divorce a little too hard. She had the right to, nonetheless, but come on...when was she going to leave her own pity party?

Wearing this nicey-nice disguise was sure to fade eventually. There was this beast beneath the skin, Camryn thought, waiting to break free and turn on them all. Pent up anger could only be bottled up for so long.

But that wasn't "the front" Tatum was referring to.

"That she's this wholesome, pure girl who doesn't kiss on the first date, or whatever. Bullshit. She is the exact opposite. I overheard her telling Bryson how much she'd missed his, you know, but showed up here tonight with Freddie. I mean, I know Freddie has a hard-on for her, but they can't be involved together. Can they? Whatever is going on, Bryson will end up heartbroken, again. Poor guy."

"I'm sure he's learned his lesson the first time. I doubt they're foolin' around. I mean, didn't he just get out of a serious relationship?" Camryn acted completely clueless as she dropped the knife in the sink and washed her hands.

"So what? He's in the perfect position to be chasing nothing but rebounds" added Callie. "And I don't blame him. We've all been there."

Camryn felt stupid. How could she be so naïve? Tatum and Callie were right and there wasn't a single doubt about it. He was playing her. And she fell for it. But little did Bryson Knox know that two could play at this game.

Just then, Rosie came in from outside. There was an awkward silence between the two sisters and the tension could be cut with the same knife that was now lying in the empty sink. Cameramen soon followed Rosie's lead.

"Can I use your bathroom?" Camryn thought of an escape and thought of one quick.

"Sure. It's down the hall, on the left" said Rosie.

She smiled and gracefully exited the kitchen just as Callie asked her sister something that Camryn couldn't hear. Were they now going to gossip about her?

The hallway was dark, and Camryn was surprised there weren't any small lamps or candles to give off a touch of light. The home was modern, a bit too modern, and bare. There were no pictures that told Rosie and Sonny's love story; no pictures of their families. She knew the residence was only temporary but wondered if their real home was anything like this one, or just the opposite.

She then heard two men talking in a room close by. Immediately recognizing the voices belonging to Jay and Rocco, Camryn tip-toed a few inches closer and stopped before she had to pass by to reach the restroom, making her presence evident.

"I would love to work with you man, but are you sure this is what you want to do? You're going to have to work really hard regardless of who your dad is. It's just a big step and a huge undertaking. That's all I'm saying." Jay was sitting on the arm of the satin couch in the sitting room. Rosie would smack him upside the head if she saw his shoes on the white fabric.

"If I think about it long enough, I get nauseous." Rocco let out an embarrassed giggle, trying his hardest to be open and up front with Jay - someone he wanted, desperately, to produce his music.

"What does; performing, or changing careers?"

"Performing. My career now is nonexistent. I make public appearances and get fucked up every night. I don't want to be known for that. I really believe I'm good enough to make great music. It's in my blood. I have pages and pages of songs I wrote if you want me to bring those to you."

Rocco was begging Jay to be in his corner.

"That's great, but I can't promise you a meeting with Maverick until I get my job back first."

Maverick Knox is the owner and founder of Hard Knox Records, Jay's former superior, and Bryson's father.

"Okay. Yeah dude, I understand." Rocco ran his fingers through his hair, stressed. "I appreciate you hearing me out."

"Of course. You can come to me about anything. I get it - feeling like you're down and out."

"It's not necessarily that. I just know people don't take me seriously. And since that article, I've just felt an urgency to show the public another side of me."

A pit instantly formed in Camryn's stomach as she slowly backed away, hoping she wasn't seen or heard by anyone. Rocco Jet, of all people, aspired to be a singer. Really? Didn't see that one coming.

When she returned to the fire pit, Bryson and Paige were no longer in sight and she couldn't help but imagine the two of them having a quickie somewhere private. She sat down next to Brooke who was scrolling Instagram, eyes fixated on her screen until she saw the somber look on Camryn's face.

"I know that look" Brooke said, resting her phone on her lap.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Camryn pathetically teased, trying to hide the part of her that was trying to sort out her feelings for Bryson and whether they were something she'd have an easy time overcoming, or masking.

"Who do I need to confront?" Brooke giggled, but it wasn't all that funny.

"Where is everyone?"

It seemed like the group went off in their own direction. Maybe they were in the house. Maybe they were plotting against her.

"Um, I'm not sure. I've pretty much been on my phone this whole time." Picking her iPhone up from her lap, she resumed scrolling with her thumb.

"I saw Rocco had his hand on your knee tonight. What's going on with you two?"

Camryn was prying.

"Did he? I didn't even notice."

"You can tell me if you're fucking him. I'm not going to judge you."

Why was she being so standoffish? Was she hiding something that she felt she couldn't even tell Camryn about? Famous people are so weird; so shady.

Just then, Brooke stood from her seat and told her she was headed inside to get a drink and asked if she wanted one. Camryn said yes.

Far off in the distance, behind the shrubs and the planted trees that must have been imported from another country, were Beau and V. Beau was leaning into a tree with his hand against it for support while V was calmly trying to talk to him. Camryn could see that Beau wasn't interested in what she had to say. From afar, it was apparent that tears were welling in V's eyes before Beau gently grabbed her face between his hands and kissed her until they both needed to release their lips to gulp in more oxygen. Every single person casted had a story that the paparazzi and reporters never got the chance to crack into and discover, nor would they ever. Celebrities were masters of secrecy. Whatever did end up slipping to the media was miniscule compared to what was going on behind closed doors. For personal reasons over professional, Camryn actually wanted to know every waking detail of their lives. No wonder Diana thought of this assignment and what it would bring to the world of journalism.

The mysterious couple returned to the pit as did Rosie and Sonny who had a plate of food in their hands.

"Go get some food while it's hot. You could use a bit more meat on your bones. No pun intended." Sonny laughed at his own crack while Rosie questioned if he was content with her petite frame.

"Maybe later. I think I'm going to drink dinner tonight." She replied with a friendly smirk. Sonny was a showoff; an instigator; a big mouth; a loudmouth, even, no doubt about it; but he was pure of heart and Camryn could pick up on his authenticity right away.

"I like your style." He raised his glass to her and took a mouthful before tearing into his shish kebab.

Once again, Camryn felt out-casted. Brooke was still in the kitchen talking to Callie and Tatum who appeared disinterested while the couples conversed amongst themselves without including her.

Bryson finally showed his face again with a satisfied Paige following closely behind. When he tried making eye contact with Camryn, she brushed him off as if he didn't exist. He was just fingering her in his car, whispering sweet nothings into her ear while she came in her favorite panties just the night before. How could he do this to her? It's not like he had gotten what he wanted. After he'd wiped his fingers that were deep inside her on his expensive trousers, he grabbed her hand, drove her home, and kissed her after walking her to her front door, like they were teenagers from the 50s. He told her he wasn't interested in rushing what they had started and would wait until they knew each other better, despite Camryn wanting to drag him upstairs and rip his clothes off like a hungry man-eater.

Jay and Rocco rejoined the group after a conversation that Camryn thought was long over ages ago.

With the other castmates claiming their seat prior by placing a personal item on the cushion, the only available option where Rocco could sit was next to Camryn.

"You can sit here." She pointed to the obvious choice beside her. "I don't bite.

"What if I like being bit?"

Rocco went on after she lost their stare off and didn't have a rebuttal on the tip of her tongue, ready-to-go, which was a first. "But I think you already chewed me up and spit me out enough. Don't you think?"

Ah. There it was.

"Then stand all night. I don't care. I was trying to be nice." She flipped her hair like a snobby teenage girl would and took a play from Brooke's book and pulled out her phone to make herself look preoccupied and unmoved.

"You're a nobody. Stop pretending to be some angel in front of cameras."

Camryn continued to ignore him as he sat down.

"You're just as fake as every other girl in this city."

Once the cameras were focused on the others, Camryn leaned over the arm of her chair ever so slightly to avoid looking obvious. "If it makes any difference, I take back what I said about you in the article."

"Sounds sincere." Rocco said without even looking at her. There was no way he was believing her apology came from some place good.

"It is." She shot back, annoyed that he didn't take her seriously. She hadn't swallowed her pride like she did just then in a long time. He was this senseless, young kid who didn't care about anything else except himself. Why was she bothered by his inconsistencies with her?

"Why have any remorse? It got you here. Didn't it? That was your motive all along. Wasn't it? You don't know me. What if I proved to be everything you said I was?"

He threw her for a loop, like he had a tendency of doing, once he locked eyes with hers realizing for the first time that they were a mix of grey and blue.

"What if you proved to be the opposite?" She asked.

Rocco took a sip of his beer and regretted furthering a conversation with her.

"Trust me. I'm not going to."

Rolling her eyes and deciding to no longer entertain the idea of exchanging more dialogue with someone she loathed, she noticed Bryson staring at her, like a hawk, from across the pit. The flames danced, what seemed to be, just beneath his chin. His eyes were dark, and his hair was perfectly feathered. He knew that she knew he was up to no good, but it wasn't what she thought.

His intentions were slightly skewed and backwards, which would surely leave her with questions and an undeniable craving to finish what they had begun.

But, would she be able to resist? Or would she lean into temptation, again, for a second time?