Chapter 129

"I'm so glad it is finished." Ian said to Pearl as they sat at the large table reserved for their wrap party.

"Same. What a long day." Pearl said, feeling rough from drinking so early and having to do as many takes as Rhys put her through. "I'm starving and if I don't order a drink, I'll fall asleep right here at the table." Pearl said.

"On it" Ian told her. They were the first to arrive. Ian whisked her away after Rhys yelled "cut" and Dylan helped by creating a distraction. They wanted them apart to cool off. It was needed. Ian came back with a waitress and a menu. Dylan and Blake arrived next and sat down. "How are you?" Dylan asked Pearl. "I'm fine." She said, avoiding eye contact.

Everyone else started showing up and Rhys arrived last with Matt. He kept his eyes locked on Pearl as he sat down and ordered a drink. Pearl was on her second drink and was feeling better after the appetizers came. "Pearl darling!" Fi called out as she arrived. She gave her a big hug and sat next to her. "How are things going?" She asked. Pearl looked across to the other end of the table, where Rhys was sitting and said, "It's going exactly as it looks" and rolled her eyes. Fi out her arm around her and whispered, "Don't go home with him, back to Michigan, until you two talk this out. It needs to happen here." And she smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Congratulations on the video!" Fi toasted to everyone. They all raised their glasses and Rhys looked directly at Pearl, his gaze intense. Pearl looked away and excused herself to the restroom. Rhys got up and followed her. "What?" Pearl asked him, turning around to face him.

"You're mine." He said as he grabbed her arm and pushed her up against the wall, moving his face close to hers and looking into her eyes.

She moved his hand from her arm. "If this is how you treat your possessions, remind me to get better insurance on the house and cars." She moved around him and walked into the bathroom. He followed.

"Rhys?! This is the ladies bathroom. Get out of here!"

"No." He said and he grabbed her face, kissing her hard on the mouth and pinning her against the wall again. "I love you." He said, grabbing her and pulling her towards him.

"That's not enough." She said and she pushed him away, walking out of the bathroom, leaving him there.

"Everything ok?" John asked as Pearl returned. Rhys sat down and looked over at them.

"Yes fine. I need another drink." Pearl said.

The next hour went so slow, Pearl was counting the minutes until it was over. She wanted to rest. To sleep. She was exhausted.

"Remember, you can come and stay with me if you need to." Dylan whispered, giving Pearl a hug as they were all leaving. "I remember. Thank you."

Pearl said. They all said their goodbyes and Fi hugged her and told her to call her in the morning. She had made a friend. A real female friend and if anything good came from this trip, that was something she was proud of.

"Are you going to talk to me?" Rhys asked on the drive home. Pearl sat silently. "Pearl, talk to me." He pleaded. Pearl wanted to talk to him. She wanted him to hold her and tell her he was sorry. That he was wrong and wouldn't do it again. But he didn't say it. And he had not acted like he regretted one single part of it. The urge to be petty was still present inside of her, but she decided to be the better person, yet again. "Don't you have anything to say about how you acted after the party?" She asked him, offering him the opportunity to say what he needed to say.

"What do you mean?" He asked. She had to stop her hand from slapping him. She looked at him with pure rage and utter disappointment.

"What do I mean? I mean you not defending me. You saying I embarrassed you." And she was just about to get to the part where he had also left her alone again without telling her where he was when he interrupted her.

"I said what I felt. You were being petty. And not the Pearl I know. You are always the better person, you're better than that. And I couldn't believe you had to act that way to try to win some argument, with no respect for me or my career." Rhys said, defiantly. "What else is there for me to say?"

She saw red and decided to stop speaking at that point.

The driver got to the house and Rhys exited the car, holding the door open for her. He looked at her and gestured for her to get out of the car.

"No. I need time. I'm going to a hotel for the night." She said and closed the door, telling the driver to go. She looked back at Rhys and saw the disbelief and shock on his face.

They turned into the Chateau Marmont and Pearl thanked the driver. She walked into the lobby and asked the concierge if they had any rooms available. "Pearl Clarke? Wow! Yes. Of course we have a room for you. Love the song and your husband's work. How long will you be staying?" He asked. "I... I'm not sure." She said. He looked at her and suggested one of the cottages. She thanked him and asked that if anyone came to see her or called that they would not say that she was there, including her husband. He nodded and acted as though he understood. "We keep things VERY confidential here, ma'am. No worries." He lead her to the apartment style cottage. She sat on the bed in the silent room and fought back tears. She couldn't believe what he said. How callous and uncaring he was when it came to the people he knew in his circle. He was a completely different man at home then he was here. And she hated the man he was here. What was going on? She wanted to understand but she also wanted to keep the anger. He was awful to her at the party, he left her for the night and still hadn't apologized and treated her like a dog at the video shoot. And still, even when he had the chance to make things right, he was too stubborn to admit he did anything wrong. Or even try to understand from her point of view. She had been treated so badly by her first husband and now this. She decided to go to the lounge for a drink, the darkness in the room and the silence was deafening.

The lounge was crowded at that time of night. She managed to find a seat at the bar and ordered the strongest Long Island that the bartender could make her. She slammed it and ordered another. After that one went down, the bartender lifted his eyebrow when she ordered a third. Before she took the first sip of it, the alcohol had taken over and she could feel she was beyond tipsy, she was drunk.

"Well, well. If it isn't the most beautiful rock star I've ever met." She turned to see Erik standing behind her stool at the bar.