Beyond Hereafter (The Movie Trilogy Book 3) Read online

  “No TV,” I cried, shaking my head as he tried to find something that I might want to watch.

  “Music? A blanket? Are you cold?” he urged. My phone rang, and he reached for it, his eyes on me as he answered. “Hey.”

  I sobbed harder, and Luke moved into the kitchen and lowered his voice. After a moment, he knelt at my side, holding my phone out to me.

  “I can’t talk,” I bawled, shaking my head.

  “It’s just Keaton,” he assured me.

  I fumbled for the phone, pressing it to my ear.

  “… V? You there?”

  “I’m here,” I managed, hiccupping and accepting the tissues that Luke held out for me gratefully.

  “Luke said you’re having a meltdown.”

  “I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” I sobbed, pressing a tissue to my eyes. “I’m trying to stop crying-”

  “Don’t stop. I’m just going to listen. Cry.”

  “Keaton, you don’t need this-”

  “I said cry, goddamnit.”

  I did. There was no use even trying to hold back. I lay back on the couch, pressing my ear to the phone and letting every overwhelming emotion from the last five days take me over.

  Every once in a while, Keaton would tell me that he loved me, or encourage me to let it all out.

  Luke moved to Charlie as she began to fuss, and I finally sniffed, adding yet another tissue to the growing pile on the floor next to me.

  “When you want to cry, I want you to call me,” he urged, his deep voice comforting through the phone. “And when I finally get a phone from this century, Facetime me. Okay?”

  “Okay.” I nodded, sniffing, trying to move into a sitting position.

  “Frank is here. I asked him to have a nurse come by. I want her to help you in the shower, and to check your incision. Luke told me that you’re in pain.”

  I met Luke’s eyes from across the living room, sighing softly. “I thought I could handle it.”

  “You are handling it. You’ve handled more than you should in your short life, kiddo. So have I. I’m here for you, you’re here for me. We’ll get thought this.”

  “Are you sure?” I begged, hating the way my voice sounded so weak and pathetic.

  Rather than making a sarcastic remark, he told me exactly what I needed to hear. “I chose you. To be my wife, and the mother of my child. I did it because you’re perfect for the part. Understand me?”

  I sighed, brushing away the last few, trailing tears. “Thank you, Keaton.”

  “You’ll be okay. The nurse will be by in a little while. And Vivian?”

  “Hm?”

  “Good news on my penis situation.”

  I burst into a tearful laugh, and the relief on Luke’s face was reassuring.

  I could hear him smiling through the phone. “Okay. Call me.”

  “I will,” I promised, letting him disconnect.

  Luke rocked Charlie in his arms, smiling my way. “You’re good?”

  “Yeah. Sorry about that,” I began, but he shook his head firmly.

  “No way. Don’t apologize. This just came out of that,” he said pointedly, glancing down at Charlie, and then at my stomach. “I’d be curled in a corner, drunk out of my mind if it were me.”

  I laughed, rolling my eyes. “That’s comforting.”

  “Let’s get you a pain pill, and then I’ll change her diaper, okay?”

  I gave him another fleeting smile, nodding as he lowered her back into the bassinette. “You’re really going to change her diaper? Even the poopy ones?”

  “We go hard or go home here, right, Charlie?” he said in his best tough-guy voice, meeting her tiny hand with an adorable fist-bump. “No sitting on the bench.”

  “Thank you, Luke,” I murmured.

  “Uncle Luke to the rescue,” he replied, smiling back at me with a wink.

  The nurse arrived within the hour, and at first, I almost called Frank and ripped him a new one for sending a stripper to my door.

  After a moment, I realized that the beautiful woman explaining her qualifications and asking me how I was feeling was an actual, licensed nurse.

  “I’m Heidi,” she said, introducing herself as she offered me her identification. “I’m so happy to meet you. I was working third shift when you and Keaton were abducted, and followed the entire story. I’m so sorry for what happened,” she poured, obviously not afraid to say what was on her mind.

  I nodded as Luke emerged from the bedroom. He held Charlie in one large, muscled arm, her oversized diaper hanging haphazardly from her tiny legs. “Hey… I think I’m doing something wrong.”

  I smiled, and he froze, staring at Heidi.

  “I think you may have grabbed one of the bigger diapers,” I explained, gesturing to Heidi. “She’s my nurse. Keaton arranged for her to come over and help me. Heidi, this is Keaton’s brother, Luke. Luke, this is-”

  “Heidi Cline,” she hurried, crossing to him and holding her arms out for Charlie. “Nice to meet you, Luke. Let me help, and then Vivian, I’ll give you a hand stepping into the shower. I’m sure you’re exhausted, so let’s catch you while you have a little energy, okay?”

  Luke’s face forced me to bite back an amused smile.

  Heidi wore a V-necked shirt that showed off her ample chest, and I couldn’t help but be envious of her curves. He handed Charlie over, holding his hand out to the bed in my room.

  “Thanks. You’re so good with her. How long have you been a nurse?” he asked.

  I let them disappear into the bedroom, sighing and moving to the several bags scattered near the bassinette. Luke had been so devoted to me over the past few months, and I hoped that having Keaton back would give him the freedom that he needed to find someone else.

  I knew that Madeline had broken his heart, and I was going to be fiercely protective of whomever he trusted with it next.

  “There! All set! Aren’t you a pretty girl,” she cooed, carrying Charlie out into the living room.

  Luke followed behind, raking his eyes over Heidi’s backside and making a lewd, approving face at me.

  I rolled my eyes at him, forcing a smile at Heidi.

  “Thank you. Uncle Luke just need some practice, he’ll be fine,” I assured Charlie, nudging Luke with my shoulder as he focused on Heidi’s ass.

  “Yep. Practice. Okay, shower time,” he ordered, taking Charlie again. “Vivie, take it easy, and you girls call if you need any help.”

  I could tell that his offer for assistance was genuine, but to anyone else, he came off as sounding incredibly vulgar.

  His face darkened to a mortified shade of red as Heidi’s eyes whipped his way, and I laughed easily, shaking my head. “Thanks Luke. I know you didn’t mean it like that,” I assured him. “Luke’s been the biggest help throughout my entire pregnancy. So caring and respectful,” I added, leading Heidi toward my room again.

  He mouthed a silent “thank you,” rocking Charlie as I winked at him.

  It only took a few minutes to realize that I couldn’t have showered without calling Luke for help, and I was so grateful that Heidi was there. I immediately looked at my incision and decided that it was infected, but she assured me that it looked perfectly normal after just having the staples removed.

  “I’m going to be right outside chatting with Luke. You just call me if you need me,” she assured me, obviously taking the hint that I wanted to stand alone in the shower for a little while.

  “Thank you,” I called, turning the shower head to pulse against my shoulders.

  The glamourous life of a movie star seemed to mock me as I slowly washed my hair, taking a few moments to grip the bar on the wall and rest. I thought of the times that I’d made love to Keaton in that shower, staring down at my swollen body with a sigh.

  I had a long way to go to pre-pregnancy shape. I didn’t want to discuss a nutritionist with Frank or Luke, and definitely didn’t want to come off as vain or narcissistic. It’d only been five days since I’d given bir
th, and I knew that it’d take time for my uterus to shrink back down.

  I thought of Matthew suddenly, pinching my eyes closed.

  Matthew had washed me after Rory was born, holding me in the shower and promising that we’d make it through. I hadn’t spoken to him in months, and I cursed myself for even thinking of him at that moment.

  When I turned off the shower and moved into the bedroom, Heidi called through the door to check on me. “I’m fine,” I assured her, thanking her.

  My phone lit up on the bed, and I read through my new texts.

  Marissa: You good? When can I come over? Love you honey.

  My acting coach and new best friend. I wanted her to come over immediately, but I knew that I’d be asleep before the hour was through. I texted her that exact response, moving to Robin’s text next.

  Robin: It’s been over an hour since I had a new picture of my niece, you selfish bitch. Let’s go.

  I chuckled, rolling my eyes.

  The next was from Frank.

  Asshole: How’s Nurse Heidi working out for you? Tell Luke I said you’re welcome.

  Jesus. I couldn’t help but laugh.

  The last text chimed in just as I was lowering my phone, and I gripped the white towel to my body, swallowing hard as Matthew’s name appeared on my screen.

  Matthew: Congratulations, Vivian. I wish you happiness.

  So short, and formal, but he’d taken the time to actually pull up my number and write to me.

  I touched the screen, dialing him.

  He picked up on the first ring.

  “Hi,” he answered quietly, sounding almost flustered. “I didn’t expect you to call me.”

  I shivered as a droplet of water fell from my hair and slid down my back. “It’s been a long time. I couldn’t just text you back a simple ‘thank you.’ That doesn’t feel like enough.”

  He sighed, and I heard voices in the background. “You’re doing okay? My lawyer told me that Keaton woke up.”

  “He did,” I agreed, staring down at the diamond ring on my hand. “He has a lot of recovery ahead of him, but he’s better than we could have ever expected.”

  “Good. You’ve both been through enough.”

  I listened to his objective tone, recognizing a marked difference in his voice. “Thank you, Matthew. So have you.”

  “The baby’s healthy?” he asked finally.

  I took a deep breath, willing myself not to cry. “She’s perfect. I brought her home today.”

  “Good,” he answered immediately. “I’m so glad, Vivian.”

  The long, uncomfortable pauses were so unusual between us, and I cleared my throat, reaching for my robe. “Thank you,” I repeated. “I’ll let you go.” After a long moment, my hormonal surge of emotion took over, and I swallowed hard. “Matthew?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Are you happy?” I begged, praying for an answer that would suffice. I didn’t want to know details. I couldn’t imagine him being with someone else, and hated that it made me a damned hypocrite.

  He paused, and after a long moment, he sighed. “I’m married, Vivian. I didn’t know how to tell you, so I didn’t. Meghan and I got married two months ago. It was a small ceremony.”

  His words nearly knocked me over. I blinked back the horrible tears, guilt noshing in the pit of my stomach.

  “Congratulations,” I breathed.

  “We’re having a baby in July,” he added. “Everything happened so fast… but that happens, you know?”

  I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. I did know.

  I knew better than anyone.

  “Good,” I managed, repeating his words. “I’m so glad for you, too, Matthew.”

  After an awkward silence, he exhaled slowly. “Take care of yourself, okay? You and Keaton get better. I’ll see you on the big screen, right?”

  I smiled through my tears, nodding and brushing at my eyes. “Okay. We will. You take care of yourself, too. You should be a daddy. You’re a wonderful father.”

  I knew that I’d shaken him, and he exhaled again quickly. “Goodbye, Vivian.”

  “Goodbye, Matthew.”

  Three Months Later

  A Star Is Born

  K

  “… Keaton Thane, Oscar-winning director of Dominance. After a terrifying abduction, Thane suffered multiple gunshot wounds and spent months in a coma. Like a scene on the silver screen, Keaton finally woke up the night that his daughter was born.

  Keaton’s beautiful fiancée, actress Vivian Hale, has spent the past three months visiting Keaton, with their daughter in tow, as he recuperates in California’s world-renowned Los Angeles Remington Rehabilitation Center, LARRC. Sources say that he has been working hard to come back stronger than ever, and his next big project is being kept top-secret. I have a feeling that the world has yet to see what Keaton Thane can really do.”

  As she finished reading out loud, I lifted Charlie above my head, attacking her bare feet with my teeth. She giggled, her chubby cheeks shiny with saliva as she ground her fist into her mouth.

  “Hear that, Charlie? Daddy is stronger than ever. PEOPLE magazine said so. Let’s get out of this prison.”

  Vivian grinned, settling into the couch next to me with the spread of photographs that accompanied the story. Vivian was is several of the shots, two of her pushing Charlie in her stroller, and one as she stood just outside the doors of LARRC speaking to Luke.

  “Not one mention of Luke. He’ll be so disappointed,” she said, sighing dramatically.

  “I have a feeling that Uncle Luke isn’t going to give one shit. Not one. Right babe?” I asked Charlie, and she squealed with laughter as I lowered her to my thighs to bounce.

  “Keaton, don’t swear around her,” Vivian chastised, shaking her head. “You’re right, though. I think Heidi has been the best thing that ever happened to him.”

  “I’ll take credit for that one,” I answered, arching my brow her way. “I helped Frank pick the nurse.”

  She narrowed her eyes and dropped her hands to her hips. “You both picked the nurse with the hottest profile picture, so don’t even pretend like you had any kind of formal interview with her.”

  “I didn’t. Big boobs. Pretty smile. Licensed, and could change diapers. That was all I was looking for to help you and Luke.”

  She shook her head disgustedly. “You’re lucky I really like her.”

  I grinned, rising to my feet and taking Charlie with me. She fit perfectly on my hip, and thanks to Vivian, I was her favorite person in the entire world.

  The three months of rehab should have only been the start of a long road of recovery for most people, but doctors were stunned at my case. Not only was I up and walking within the first week, but I had worked day and night to regain almost all of my functionality.

  My memory was my biggest concern.

  It had been weeks since my last episode, and I admitted to both the doctors and Vivian that I was worried about being alone with Charlie.

  “You’ve never been violent or incoherent during these episodes,” one doctor assured me. “It’s simply a few minutes of confusion. While my primary concern would be a panic attack, I do not believe, especially given the time since your last episode, that you should restrict your life or parenting in any way. Your mind is healing, just as your body is, Mr. Thane.”

  Even though that was good enough for Vivian, I still had avoided being alone with Charlie for any great amount of time.

  I hired specialists to help me put on weight again and began with small exercises that eventually led to heavier weights. In three months I’d gained thirty pounds, and most of it was muscle.

  I had a long way to go, but I finally felt like myself again. I worked with pain management specialists on my fucking shoulder, the only part of me that still woke me up at night in a miserable sweat. Though I hated taking the pills, the narcotics made the agony manageable, and no amount of “toughing it out” would suffice.

  And, suddenly, I was fl
ooded with scripts.

  Everyone wanted to work with me. I’d become a hero in the film industry, mostly due to my insistence to continue filming Round-Up even in the face of a serial killer. Frank was beside himself with anxiety, pouring over the scripts and encouraging me to make the right choice.

  I’d already won the Oscar for an edgy, artsy documentary, and I didn’t want to stray from what had been my biggest success. Frank insisted that I needed to focus on my popularity with the mainstream, and he had two scripts in particular that he thought would be my best choices.

  “A romantic comedy, which could ruin you if you don’t live up to its potential. Think Judd Apatow and his wife, Leslie Mann. The world wants to see you and Vivian work together, this could be a perfect opportunity.” He’d dropped the script into my lap, and I winced.

  “I’m not sure if I’m ready for that. Not after the circumstances,” I argued. “What happened to us was intense, and it was serious. I feel like that’s the direction we should go in.”

  Frank nodded. “I thought you’d say that. And before you bite my head off, hear me out on this next one.”

  He dropped the next script onto the table before me, and I focused on the typeset words on the front cover.

  Beauty and the Beast.

  “Is this a joke?” I fired, tossing the script aside.

  Frank shook his head, settling into the chair across from me. “No joke. When it came through to you, I grabbed it. Reboot this thing, kid.”

  “That’s Walt’s job.”

  “What did you say to me when you first met Vivian?” he demanded, leaning forward and jabbing his finger at the script. “She’s meant to play a princess. So make her a princess.”

  “I’m working on that with my bank account,” I replied sarcastically, and Frank shoved the script forward.

  “I couldn’t think of a better asshole to play the beast.”

  I winced, rolling my eyes his way. “What, me? Are you talking about me acting?”

  “Yes, I’m talking about you getting in front of the damned camera. Now. And cast Vivian as Belle. I’m telling you, this is it. This is the one.”