The Love Script, page 25
“You have everything.”
I blew out a breath. “What are you talking about?”
“Nevaeh, Nevaeh, do you know why I named you that?”
“Because you thought it was pretty?”
“That it is, but I wanted you to remember where you belong and who you belong to. Your citizenship is not earthly but heavenly. You belong to a God who would see you enjoy nothing but an abundant life. But dear girl, you’ve been chasing dreams for so long, I don’t think you know what’s what anymore.”
More tears fell, and I berated them for making my eyes even puffier than they already were. The truth of my mom’s words convicted like a punch to the gut. I always thought Nevaeh was a religious nod toward heaven but held no real substance. Hearing Mom explain the heart behind the name made a huge difference.
“I don’t think God’s too pleased with me either,” I mumbled, swiping at the tears dripping down my chin.
“He delights in you, sweetie.”
“Why? I haven’t done anything momentous. I lied.”
“You don’t have to do anything big to be noticed by Him. Just be who He created you to be.” She looked down at her hands, then back at me. “I want to apologize. I’ve been trying to mold you into a teacher, but you’ve never been interested in education like your father and I are.”
“I get it.” I tempered my desire to shrug, the body aches hanging on me like a shroud. “You wanted a stable life for me.”
“I did. Still do. But I should’ve given you room to soar and been a safe landing place if you needed one.”
I wrapped my arms around my mom, careful not to knock the neck brace against her face. She nestled her arms around me, rubbing small circles on my back. I inhaled the floral scent that was distinctly hers, and soon my tears settled and a calm enveloped me.
“Sweetie?”
“Yes?”
“If that lie is tearing you up inside, confess and repent. It’s as simple as that.”
Maybe not as simple as she made it sound. I had no problem confessing to God and asking for forgiveness. But what did I tell the world I’d lied to? I’d signed an NDA, which meant I couldn’t admit my deeds to those who followed the story. My moment of weakness may have impacted them in ways I couldn’t fathom.
I sighed. Lord God, please forgive me for lying. And please show me how to clean up my mess.
Warmth filled me. I might not know the next steps, but for this moment, I could feel peace and hope for a better tomorrow.
● ● ●
Chris
What’s the word on Nevaeh? How’s she feeling?
Tuck
I was just getting ready to ask the same thing. Piper’s been breathing down my neck wanting updates.
Chris
I asked my parents to pray too.
Tuck
Yeah, I’m sure Piper got the whole church prayer group sending up petitions as well.
10 min later
Chris
Seriously, everything good?
Tuck
Are you on set? Should we track down your assistant’s number?
Chris
Why don’t we have that number?
Tuck
Because we have Lamont’s. Why use the assistant’s?
15 min later
Chris
They don’t give you breaks at work?
Tuck
I make my own. Usually the amount of dust in my mouth tells me I’m in need of a water break.
Chris
That’s why you breathe through your nose.
Tuck
Real helpful there, ol’ man. Hey, how did y’all contact friends in need in the stone ages?
Chris
Pager or we knocked on their door.
Tuck
The horror.
Thirty-Six
We’d like to be the first to welcome you to Los Angeles, where the local time is one a.m. Please stay seated with your seat belt fastened until the captain turns off the seat belt sign. If you have a connecting flight, your bags will be checked through to your final destination.”
Lamont tuned the rest of the flight attendant’s spiel out. As soon as the seat belt sign turned off, he’d jump in the aisle to get off the plane first. He hadn’t packed a bag, just left everything back in Canada, so there was no need to pick up luggage. Greg had arranged for Lee to see Lamont home.
During his flight, instead of sleeping, he’d been planning his next steps. Then he’d taken those plans and surrendered them to God. In order for things to work out, God had to be at the forefront. Lamont had to trust that God had good things for him. He couldn’t focus on the consequences of his plan because there would be consequences. Telling the truth and trusting that Nevaeh would understand his grand gesture made him wish for a bottle of antacids. But it needed to be done.
The seat belt sign chimed, and immediately the aisles filled. Thank goodness he was in first class and not all the way back in economy, where he’d have to wait forever. He slid on his shades and ball cap and weaved his way down the jet bridge and into the airport, following signs for customs, then, finally, baggage claim.
Lee waited near the first carousel. “Welcome back, Mr. Booker.”
“Thanks, Lee.”
“Car’s parked right out front.”
Lamont nodded.
“Did you have a long flight?”
“A little bit.”
“I understand you want to go to Mr. Wilkinson’s home before yours?”
“That’s right.” He needed to talk to Bryan. Let him know his plans so he’d be prepared to handle the fallout.
“Then settle back and grab some shut-eye.” Lee closed the door, and Lamont did just that.
Thirty minutes later, Lee lowered the partition. “We’re here, Mr. Booker.”
“Thanks.” Lamont straightened his tee, then exited the vehicle to stroll up the steps leading to his agent’s house.
Bryan lived not too far away from him, which made coming and going to his house easy. Lamont would head to his own place next, before going to Nevaeh’s parents’ home. At least, that was the plan.
He knocked on the door, sliding his hands into his pockets. A dog barked in the background, and Lamont smiled, thinking about the Goldendoodle Bryan owned because his kids considered a dog an essential part of growing up. Bryan had quickly caved.
The door wrenched open, and Bryan squinted at Lamont. He rubbed his face, then stepped back, motioning for Lamont to come in.
“Why are you here?”
“Flew back to take care of some business.”
“Otto and Cannon gonna like that?” Bryan glanced at the clock hanging on the wall.
“I got their approval beforehand. They understand I had some things to take care of.”
“Why are you here so late?”
“Took the red-eye.”
Bryan flopped onto his couch, then winced. He shifted onto his right side and pulled a toy from behind him and tossed it to the side. “Have a seat.” He gestured toward the empty room. “What’s so pressing that me or Greg couldn’t take care of things for you?”
Lamont said a prayer before speaking. “Nevaeh was in a car accident. I think she broke up with me. And I’m hoping that coming clean will right things and be a little bit of a grand gesture.”
“You should not have woken me up in the middle of the night.” Bryan ran a hand down his face. “Start over. From the top. Wait.” He held up a finger. “I need coffee before I hear whatever harebrained scheme you came up with on the red-eye.”
Lamont held back his chuckle. He rarely saw Bryan so out of it.
“What’s up with Nevaeh?”
“She got rear-ended and has whiplash.” It took everything within him not to pull up his cell phone and check on her. He’d even ignored the messages from Tuck and Chris. He hadn’t figured out a way to tell them his plans yet.
“Ouch. Is her car really messed up?”
“Totaled, according to my mechanic.”
Bryan shook his head. “That girl can’t catch a break.”
Lamont winced. “Yeah. I kind of feel like I ruined her life. It’s one of the reasons I want to come clean.”
“After all we’ve done?” Bryan sat down, took a few sips of coffee, then sighed. “All right. What’s this nonsense about coming clean?”
“I lied, Bry.”
“You gave an alternate truth to keep the public happy. I told you, perception rules in Hollywood.”
“It does. But that doesn’t fly with God. In fact, I didn’t even give Him a chance to help me. To be my defense.” I’m so sorry, Lord. I’ll confess. I’ll do what I have to do to make it right.
“You’re going to lose supporters.”
Lamont nodded slowly. “I figured.”
“There’s nothing I can do to change your mind?”
“No. The world needs to know. Nevaeh needs to know that regardless of how we started, I choose her. I’m thankful for her. I . . .” He took a deep breath. “I love her.”
“Ah, kid. I figured you were gone on her.” Bryan shook his head. “So you need me to do damage control when the news hits the fan?”
Lamont laughed. “As much as you’re able, but don’t lie.”
Bryan’s lips twisted. “Fine.”
“Thank you.” Now Lamont could do the next thing he needed to do.
“How are you going to do this?”
“Do you really want to know?”
Bryan looked in his cup, then shook his head. “Not enough coffee yet.”
“Ha. Then go drink more coffee so you’ll be ready.”
“It’s gonna be a long day,” Bryan muttered as he shuffled back to his kitchen.
Lamont jogged down the steps of the house and jumped back into the car. “Take me home please, Lee.”
“You bet. Everything okay?”
“It will be.” Lamont had to believe that. He didn’t know what would happen. How God would work out the details. God had healed his mother of cancer and kept her healthy. God had saved Lamont from a selfish life.
God would do exactly what He said He would do.
Lamont just had to remember that.
He opened his text messages. It was time to get the fellas praying.
Lamont
I could use some prayer.
Tuck
Everything good? Is it Nevaeh?
Lamont
She’s fine. I’m going to tell all. Explain how Nevaeh and I really started dating.
Tuck
Whoa. What does agent man think of that?
Chris
What brought this on?
Lamont
Bry’s not happy, but he agreed to stand by me, and he’s prepared for a media storm. I need to come clean. Need to confess. I’m also hoping Nevaeh will see it as a grand gesture.
Tuck
Y’all having trouble?
Lamont
Maybe?
Chris
Praying.
Tuck
This might be genius.
Chris
Or might be a disaster.
Lamont
You’re telling me there’s a chance?
Chris
Dumb & Dumber
Tuck
Dumb & Dumber
Lamont
I knew there was a reason we were friends.
When he walked into the house, it was after three. For his plan to work, the world needed to be awake, and even those who lived on the East Coast were probably still sleeping. He set an alarm on his phone and fell back on his bed.
Lord, please let this work.
● ● ●
He had to be delusional to think this would work. The conviction he’d felt early this morning seemed to have waned after his brief snooze fest. Or maybe it was the fact he was doing this live instead of recording it in multiple takes before uploading it to his social media.
Beads of sweat popped up along his forehead. Lord, give me strength.
In order to build something better in his life, Lamont had to expose the lies. The only way he could do that was to be honest with the world at large. Hopefully they would understand, and Nevaeh, well, hopefully she would give him a chance to further explain his feelings. He couldn’t expect the video to do all the work.
“You ready?” Mom held Lamont’s cell phone, having volunteered to be his videographer.
“I’m ready.”
She held up five fingers, then counted down to one.
Lamont’s mouth dried. “Hey guys, thanks for joining me here, live. I’m sure many of you are wondering what I could possibly have to say, considering I’ve never done one of these before.” There was something nerve-racking about confessing live. Hopefully his deodorant would hold up.
“I’ve been thinking about my life, about my faith, and what God asks of us, and I have come to some conclusions.” He resisted the urge to rub a hand over the top of his head or the back of his neck.
“In June, I hit the spotlight when a picture of me and my girlfriend, Nevaeh Richards, went viral. People questioned my stance on celibacy and if I was a hypocrite or actually living the faith I claimed to be part of. The only problem was, that picture didn’t tell the whole story. So let’s clear up some details.”
He took a deep breath. “Here’s what’s true: Ms. Richards was hired as a personal stylist to care for my mother’s hair during chemo and after. But at the time the photo went viral, we were not dating.” He paused to let that sink in, glad he couldn’t see emojis showing whether people were upset with his comments.
“At that time, Nevaeh and I had only exchanged small talk. That fateful day, I thanked her for going the extra mile for my mom, who had a stomach bug. Nevaeh made my mom homemade soup, even though cooking was not part of her job description. As a thank you, I offered to help her with her stylist case, which is huge by the way.” He shook his head. That was neither here nor there. “She almost fell off the front stoop, so I caught her to keep her from hurting herself. That picture was taken as I asked if she was okay. Apparently, there was a photographer hiding in the trees who snapped the moment for posterity. That is the real story behind the picture.”
Already his chest felt lighter, and his shoulders weren’t near his ears. Keep talking. “When that photo hit social media, threats were made to cancel me without even allowing me to tell my side of the story. I admit the pressure and fear of being canceled caused me to justify my next actions. I wanted to keep my reputation as a true and reliable Christian in a culture that doesn’t always show the best sides of humanity. So I concocted a scheme to date Ms. Richards. I told myself that if we started a relationship, then I wouldn’t actually be lying to the public. I figured I could claim her as my girlfriend without the guilt of deceiving folks.” Shame heated his face.
“I’m sorry for lying. I’m sorry for being hypocritical and justifying the sin of lying in order to help my career. The truth was, Nevaeh and I were essentially strangers when we told people we were dating.
“Despite how we started, I fell in love with her for real.” He stared at the camera, praying she would somehow be watching this live, in this moment. “Nevaeh, if you’re watching this, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. Because of how we started, I was afraid you wouldn’t believe me. I know living this life isn’t easy. The harassment you’ve had to endure from the public, the columnists, losing your job, all of it couldn’t have made you my number-one fan.”
But man, he hoped she could see past that.
“To my fans, I know this all might be hard to hear, especially for those of you who have cheered me on from my very first theater role. Some of you would never use your words carelessly or knowingly lie, and that’s exactly what I did. I thought if I changed the narrative to ease my conscience, then I could stand right before you and before God. But God convicted me. I have confessed to Him privately, and now I’m confessing to the world, including my fellow believers.” He swallowed. “I ask forgiveness from my colleagues, those I have contracts with, my fans, the reporters, and Nevaeh.”
Lamont stopped for a moment, searching for the right words. He focused on the camera. “Nevaeh, please know that nothing means more to me than you. Not my career, not my reputation, nothing. Meeting you has shown me how empty my life was before you. I love you, and I truly hope we can have another chance. A new beginning from the lies.”
He stared at the camera, then made the signal for his mom to end the video. Lamont dropped his head and let out a small groan. It would probably only take seconds for the backlash to commence.
Even though James and Otto knew he was coming to LA, they believed it was just to check on Nevaeh. Lamont fully expected them to remove him from the movie. He knew the morality clause backward and forward. Though he hadn’t crossed any lines in their dating policy, lying about his relationship in the first place probably belonged to some retrograde clause he’d missed.
“Thanks for your help, Mom.” He took his cell phone back and enacted do not disturb except for his mom, Nevaeh (God willing), Bryan, and Otto. Everyone else would have to wait until he had the energy to wade through the copious notifications to see what was legit and what wasn’t.
“I’m proud of you, son.” Her arms squeezed him around his waist.
And for once, he didn’t think she was too frail. He wrapped his arms around her and held on tightly. Mom hugs were the best hugs.
She patted his back, then stepped back. “Now go see about our girl.”
“Pray for me.”
“Always.”
Thirty-Seven
Studying the Bible was never really my forte. Just getting into the daily habit of reading the Bible was only something I’d done upon dating Lamont and seeing how dedicated he was to his faith. Now that I had plenty of time on my hands and had been ordered to rest, I was attempting my first ever Bible study. I’d found one that would help me discover God’s plan for my life.
Choosing one hadn’t been easy. There were countless studies on being a woman of God and what beauty really meant. All of those sounded like things I needed to read, but after prayerful consideration, I’d finally chosen a study on God’s plan for me. After reading the table of contents and some lauding reviews, I’d downloaded the ebook.
