2. Savannah
1810 Words
2
SAVANNAH
PRESENT
“What are you doing here?” I asked, frozen in place.
“Didn’t you hear? I’m doing the visual effects.”
The words were out of his mouth, and still, I didn’t quite process them. Maddox was an incredibly talented animator. He’d started his career working with Pixar before creating his own company, MadSon Productions, and moving over to CGI for popular superhero movies. I’d never thought that he’d agree to work on something as small as an Academy movie.
“I … I didn’t hear.” My voice quavered slightly, and I reached for the bravado that was my signature. But somehow, with Maddox, I just couldn’t manage it anymore. “So, we’ll be working together? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“And miss the look on your face?” he said with a laugh. “Never.”
He didn’t say that we hadn’t spoken in eighteen months. That neither of us had crossed that divide. That didn’t need to be said. We both let it hang between us.
It didn’t explain what he was doing here. Why he’d be here when I’d thought he never wanted to see me again. Which was hard enough, considering he was my best friend’s twin brother.
“Well, this should be … fun,” I said, glancing around the room. “How can they afford you?”
He shrugged. “I had a break in my schedule. After a year off, we all wanted to get back to work. No matter what it was.”
That I understood completely—2020 had felt like a decade. It was nice that my career was back up and running after the break. When Jimmy had called, I’d nearly jumped out of my seat. I was ready to be anywhere but stuck in my house in LA.
“True. I wasn’t sure the Academy reboot was ever going to happen. Even though the fans begged for it.”
He shrugged. “You have a huge fan base.”
It was hard not to smile when I thought about everything that Academy had given me. Eight full seasons, an Emmy for best actress, and a rabid fan base that adored me. I could never thank them enough for how I’d gotten here.
“There’s my favorite person!” a man crowed behind me.
A smile split my face, and I found Jimmy Torsney striding toward me. “Jimmy,” I cried, throwing my arms around him.
He picked me up and swung me around in place. When he set me back down on my feet, his smile was wide and welcoming. “Girl, look at your skinny ass. Having a gym in your house sure paid off.”
I laughed. “Wasn’t much else to do.”
“The boys are going to be salivating over you,” he said. He winked at Maddox. “The straight ones at least.”
Maddox kept a straight face through Jimmy’s antics. He was always like this. The one non-creepy director we’d had, who always had our back when a producer got too handsy.
“Don’t sell me short, Jimmy,” I teased. “The girls will be into me too.” I twirled in place for him. My purple skirt flying in a circle around my thighs. This was the Josephine Reynolds that had gotten a lead actress position at twenty-two after never acting before in her life. It was so much easier being her when Maddox wasn’t looking on.
“She’s right, you know,” Jimmy agreed. “Well, to business then. I see you’ve met our visual effects guy. Maddox Nelson is the best in the business. We are beyond lucky to have him.”
“Thanks, Jimmy,” Maddox said. His eyes shot back to mine. My insides turned to jelly in that one quick glance.
“I won’t let you be modest,” Jimmy said, slinging arms around both of our shoulders and directing us toward the massive structure at the center of the studio. “From eight seasons of Academy to this film, it’s going to be night and day. Night and day!” He grinned broadly at me. “We’re elevating everything to the next level, and it’s all because of this guy.”
Maddox eased out of his embrace. “Should be fun.”
“Fun.” Jimmy laughed. “He’s talking state-of-the-art graphics technology that he invented, and it’s fun. Love this guy.”
Maddox just shrugged. Unlike me, he had no bravado. He was a genius. As much as his sister, who was currently faculty at Emory University in neuroscience and genetics, doing research on dementia. But Maddox used his genius as an artist. He’d revolutionized visual effects.
“Do you know he has an Oscar?” Jimmy said, slapping Maddox’s chest. “Two actually!”
Maddox arched an eyebrow at me.
I plastered on a smile. “I’d heard.”
“Josie and I actually know each other already,” Maddox admitted.
“You’ve worked on something together?” Jimmy asked. His smile was bright. “I didn’t know that.”
“We grew up together actually,” I said before he could think too closely on the fact that I hadn’t gotten any real work other than Academy. I didn’t count the handful of commercials and one horrid failure of an indie film.
“Well, look at that. Old friends reunited. I forgot that you’re from Savannah.” Jimmy nodded his head. “This feels right. Going to be a great movie. Martin gets in on Friday. You should take everyone out to see the town before we get started.”
I didn’t miss the slight flinch Maddox made at the mention of Martin Harper—my costar … and ex-husband. Just the person he wanted to spend time with after work.
“Sure,” I agreed.
Maddox said nothing.
“Good. Good. I’ll leave you to it. Maddox, if you need anything, let me know. Josie,” he said, pointing at me, “your trailer is all set up. Josephine Reynolds in big bold letters. Just like you like it. See you bright and early Monday morning.”
Jimmy waved us off and headed to his next mission, leaving Maddox and me all alone once more.
“Well, I should probably get back to work too,” Maddox said. “Lots to do before we get you in there.”
But I wasn’t ready for him to go. It didn’t matter what had happened between us or how we’d fallen apart the last decade. I still didn’t want him to go.
“Did you finish the renovations on Gran’s house?”
He startled. “How’d you know I was renovating?”
“Marley,” I said softly.
“Right. Of course.” He nodded. “Yeah. I just finished. Took a full year, but it’s done. Still feels like Gran and Gramps’s house, but it needed the upgrade.”
“I bet it’s so satisfying.”
“You have no idea,” he said, animation coming back to his face.
“I’d love to see it.”
His face shuttered at that. “Yeah. Where are you staying? You get a hotel or something?”
I breathed out heavily. “I’m staying at my mom’s.”
His eyes widened. He blurted out the question seemingly before he could stop himself, “Why?”
“I keep asking myself that question. I called to tell her about the show, and she asked me to stay with her.”
“And you agreed?”
“She seemed sincere. I’m kind of kicking myself right now. She greeted me with a martini.”
“Of course she did,” he said with a soft laugh.
My chest ached at that sound. I’d missed it.
“Maddox,” I said, biting on my hair nervously.
“Old habits, Jos.” He caught the piece of hair and pulled it out of my mouth.
My body went still at his nearness. Our eyes met. He looked away first.
I swallowed. “Are we going to be okay for the next six weeks here?”
“At work?” He shrugged. “Sure.”
“And outside of work?”
He sighed. “Josie …”
“We’ve been friends our entire lives.”
“Friends,” he said darkly.
“You know what I mean,” I rushed on.
“Unfortunately, I do.” His gaze shifted away from me.
I ground my teeth together. “Why did you even take this job then?” I couldn’t keep the heat out of my voice. The old Josie shooting to the surface. “You knew it was my movie. You knew I’d be the lead. You knew I’d be here, in your city, for six weeks. All of that, and you didn’t tell me. Why would you do all of this, Maddox, if you were just going to avoid me the whole time?”
“What do you want me to say?” he demanded, fury creeping into his voice.
“I’m trying to understand what you’re doing here if you clearly don’t want anything to do with me.”
“Not everything is about you, Josie.”
I huffed. “I wish things could go back to the way they were. We don’t have to be enemies when we were always more.”
“Well, that’s wishful thinking.”
I closed my eyes and sighed heavily. “You didn’t miss me?”
Maddox stepped forward, brushing my dark hair off my face. I met his dark eyes. “I missed you.” I listed toward him at those words. His eyes dipped to my mouth, as if at any moment, he might claim what rightfully belonged to him. “But that doesn’t change anything. And we both know it.”
When he stepped back, putting even more distance between us than before, I felt as cold as ice. The second of emotion in his eyes when we’d been within kissing distance had disappeared. Somehow, he could hide his emotions even better than the actress in that moment. And we’d done this to each other. I’d taught him how to harden himself as much as he’d taught me to open up. We were both reaping what we’d sowed.
“I’m going to get back to work,” Maddox said. He took one last look, almost drinking me in, before walking away.
And I let him go.
Something was broken between us. One conversation wasn’t going to fix years of damage. But I hadn’t realized how much I wanted it to until I saw him.
If only we could go back to when we’d both been young and innocent and redo it all. If only …
- Writer
