“Aspen Grace and Reid Taylor, Hollywood’s hottest and ‘It’ couple are finished…”

“What happened between Aspen Grace and Reid Taylor? Inside Edition has the most recent and…”

“Is it truly over for the hottest couple in Hollywood? Access Hollywood talks to some of Aspen Grace and Reid Taylor’s…”

“TMZ Exclusive; the only show to have the pictures of the Graylor break up…”

Aspen Grace snapped the television off and hurled the remote onto the sofa. Was that seriously all anyone was talking about these days? Her and Reid’s break up? Seriously, that was the breaking news that was being flashed all over the tv screens and interrupting soap operas. It made her sick with disgust and she wanted to hurl the entire television out the window. The only problem; she could hardly lift it let alone fling it out the window to the street below.

Brushing her pale blonde locks from her face, she rose to her full height of 5’6 and tried to muster all the strength and courage she could. In about thirty minutes she was supposed to be leaving her magnificent, four bedroom/five bathroom home for a press conference about the new film that was to release in a month’s time. And today of all days, she wasn’t ready for it.

Normally, Aspen had no problems facing the press, or a crowd of fans or peers. She loved the attention and soaked it up like a teen girl at the beach soaks up the sun. Acting, being in the limelight, performing for the world to see came natural to the fair haired beauty that had gotten her lucky break one day six years ago.

But today, today she didn’t want to do it. Couldn’t do it. Not after she’d had her heart yanked from her chest and hammered to millions of tiny pieces and left lying out there for everyone to see. And now all she had left was a gaping hole that was still bleeding and ached like no other pain she’d ever experienced. Everyone had a first heartbreak, but not everyone had it in front of the entire world like she was experiencing.

But she was an actress and if she needed to put on her game face and play the part of a happy and relaxed young woman who had a big blockbuster coming out that was projected to make millions and millions then she was going to do it. After all, she was Aspen Grace and she’d never flinched from the spotlight yet. She couldn’t start now, not when her career was finally to the point where there might even be an award or two coming to her.

Respect, honor, recognition; she was on the verge of earning it all from the film industry and she couldn’t let something like this stand in her way. ‘Rise above it’ was her motto and she’d be damned if she was going to let the likes of Reid Taylor and all the rumors and gossip flying around bring her down. No, they could say what they want, but she would hold her shoulders high and her head even higher and the pain and emptiness and complete devastation would stay behind lock and key. She’d put a mask on and wear it to the best of her abilities and they’d all be none the wiser. Though one slight voice in the back of her head was questioning and praying and hoping that no one would bring up Reid and all the questions would remain professional.

At that thought, her clear and crisp blue eyes darted to the antique looking grandfather clock against the wall and a wave of nausea hit her hard. She held the back of her hand to her mouth and forced the sour bile back down her throat, shuddering at the feel of it burning and the horrible aftertaste it left in the back of her mouth. Where was the strong Aspen that she’d always been? Where was the girl that didn’t care what others thought? The one who had a backbone and tongue she didn’t seem afraid to use?

She’s gone. The thought hit her harder than anything ever had before. It careened right into the middle of her chest and caused her to stumble back a few feet. It was like someone had punched her there, the pain was so intense and so great that tears began to stream down her cheeks and she crumpled like a rag doll to the floor.

She would never be the same girl again. She would never have that same look of life and love in her eyes, she would never have that same laugh that bubbled up out of her and filled the room, making those near her smile and laugh as well. She had a contagious personality, but she had lost it all when she’d lost her heart. When she’d been broken in two and left bleeding at the feet of the one man she had trusted to never, ever hurt her.

He’d torn her world apart and Aspen knew that she’d never be able to trust a man again. How could she? The pain, the grief was too strong and too intense and she didn’t have a heart to give anymore. Besides, she didn’t even know how to begin to gather it up and piece it back together. Nor did she have the energy. It was taking everything she had to keep a strong face for the public, where would she get more to fix her heart? Those kinds of things weren’t easily fixable and once damaged would never be the same again.

That made fresh tears spring to her eyes and she buried her head into her hands. Why had she even fallen for him in the first place? His smooth lines and that smile that lit his eyes and made a warmth spread into her chest. The way things felt so easy with him, how natural they fit together and their lovemaking; their lovemaking was electric and she felt like she was on fire every time they touched.

And now it was gone; as quickly as it had begun and she was cold and alone and desolate. How was that fair? How had he gotten to walk away unscathed and she was left so torn open? Like someone had spilled her guts and put her on display for all to see; so exposed and raw and vulnerable, with her insides out to be ridiculed and judged and torn apart. And Reid was out there still dazzling girls with his smile and looking the very picture of a happy and content person. Where were his pain and his grief?

Aspen nearly snorted at that thought. It was obvious Reid didn’t have any pain or grief. He wasn’t sorry things had ended the way they had. He didn’t care that he’d destroyed her and ruined all hopes of the future she’d been dreaming about. Nearly three years down the drain and the ruggedly handsome movie star acted like she wasn’t even worth a mere thought. Had their whole relationship been a façade? Or some sick little game he enjoyed to play? See how many girls’ hearts you can rip to shreds and then laugh about it with your friends over beers and football. So far, he was probably winning.

Why did she even care so much? She groaned at that and fell backward against the plush carpet of the family room. Her mascara was streaked and her cheeks blotchy from the tears, but she didn’t seem to notice. Nor did she notice the time slipping away as she lie on the floor and staring up at the ceiling, lost in her thoughts and the pain that gripped her chest.

It wasn’t until the ringing sound of her cell phone yanked her back from the dark place she’d been in and she finally lifted her head, slowly pulling up into a sitting position and taking her phone from the coffee table before her. Her agent’s name flashed on the screen and Aspen debated on if she actually wanted to take the call or not. Finally, she sighed and pushed to accept then lifted the phone to her ear. “Hello?”

“Aspen?” Ted McNaught’s voice came over the line brisk but with an air of concern. “Where are you?”

The blonde haired beauty took in the familiar surroundings of her family room before she replied, “I’m at home.”

“At home? What are you doing at home? You’re supposed to be here, with me, at this press conference,” he enunciated the last words of his sentence.

“What?” In a panic her eyes flew to the clock and she groaned. “Oh no, Ted…I’m so sorry.” Quickly she pushed to her feet then reached for the chair as a wave of dizzy washed over her from standing so fast. She was supposed to have left twenty minutes ago. Now she was going to be late, create a scene and have a very bad impression on the rest of the cast and crew that was going to be there. Wonderful.

“What have you been doing? How could you forget something this important, Aspen?” Now he just sounded angry and the hint of concern was clearly not evident.

“I…I don’t know. I …one minute I had twenty minutes left and now….now, I’m late.” She was already heading for the bathroom to freshen her face. “I’m so sorry, can you delay them? Give them an excuse? Traffic? An accident?”

“It’s not that easy. This is why I wanted you to have a driver, but no, you insisted on getting there on your own,” he paused, obviously exasperated. “Just get yourself here, pronto.” And then he was gone and she was left with silence.

Great. She dropped her phone into her purse and tossed it onto the table then fled up the stairs and into her room then onto the bathroom. After a quick wash of her face, she did up her makeup again then fled from the room and back down the stairs. She was upset with herself for getting lost in her problems and upset with herself for crying and having to take the time to redo her makeup. And the quick touch up job wasn’t hiding the swollen eyes of the dull glimmer in them. No, Aspen knew she looked a mess and nothing good could come from it. This press conference was going to go from bad to worse to horribly and miserably wrong very quickly she had a feeling.

The minute Aspen pulled her metallic blue BMW convertible past the gated entrance of her drive; she spotted the paparazzi just waiting around for any sight of her. She groaned inwardly, but was thankful she’d kept the top up and had her shades on. They weren’t going to get many shots of her, but they would be sure to tail her until they figured out where she was headed. Of course, the first question on their minds would be if she was going to meet Reid anywhere. Sadly, they’d be sorely disappointed.

Like she thought, the paparazzi cars fell in line behind hers as they followed her to her destination. She drove carefully, making sure to keep both hands on the wheel and her eyes on the road, doing her best to ignore them. The very last thing she needed was an accident to make her even later and make Ted even more upset, not to mention the wrath she was sure to get from the producers of the film. Though speeding was very tempting, she refrained and obeyed all traffic laws. Which was boring to the cameramen following her, but they too refrained from trying to ride beside her or get too close. Maybe because she was being easy to follow and not egging them on.

Finally, she made it to her destination and was waved past the guarded parking lot which the paparazzi following her were not. Smirking at that, she pulled into a spot and was out of her car and running for the building before she was even fully parked. She made it inside and immediately was whisked to the proper area, being given any information she may need to know as she was hurried along.

Before Aspen could even collect her thoughts, she was thrust into a room where the rest of the cast and producers from the show were waiting. Deep scowls greeted her and she did her best to remain cordial and apologetic. They hadn’t started the press conference due to her tardiness and no one was happy about that. The guilt weighed her down and made her shoulders droop. Even her agent was displeased with her and let her know it right up until the last minute before she strode out on the platform that housed a long table covered with a white tablecloth that draped to the floor on all sides.

Everyone took their seats behind the proper placard with their name and soon the event was started. Questions were hurled their way, mediated by the spokesperson and everyone took turns answering them; what it was like to work together, how the director had been, what the thoughts on how the movie turned out. Anything and everything dealing with the acting, producing and directing of the film was questioned and Aspen answered her share of questions, but was rather content to let her costars and the producers and director handle the majority of them. As the minutes wore on and the press conference seemed to be nearing a close, the blonde finally allowed herself to relax. The event was going to go Reid Taylor free and she felt like she could weep at the wonderful feeling that instilled in her.

But it was short lived when a man in the back row held up a hand and was called on. He rose to his feet, having remained quiet and observant the whole time, and spoke; his voice a little on the gruff side and filled with contempt and attitude, like he had been waiting for this exact moment to hammer the last nail into the coffin, “Miss Grace, I would just like your comment on the recent video that is making its rounds as we speak.”

Aspen’s brow furrowed at that, a line creasing her forehead. “Video?”

“Yes, video.” A smirk seemed to grow on his lips and he tilted his head to the side, like he was a bird studying its prey before swooping in for the kill.

She was confused and it was apparent on her face. At the podium toward the end of the stage, the spokesperson cleared his throat and suggested the conference be wrapped up and started to thank the press members who were present.

“Hold on just a moment,” the gruff voiced man spoke up, interrupting and stilling the crowd. “I would like my question answered.”

Aspen wet her bottom lip and wished her agent was within eyesight so she’d feel some sort of encouragement. “Um, sir,” she began, since he hadn’t introduced himself nor wore a press pass, which made her wonder how he had gotten into the place to begin with. “I’m not aware of any video that’s making its rounds, unless you’re talking about the trailer for the movie. Which in my opinion, was wonderfully-”

“Oh, it’s a trailer all right,” he interrupted her, the smirk on his lips growing into a wide grin, “and it’s definitely for a movie, but one rated just a little bit more adult than this one.”

Suddenly the spokesperson was taking control and swiftly shutting the man down, thanking everyone for coming, but announcing that the press conference was over and soon they would be able to enjoy the movie. The strange man continued to shout questions at Aspen, but two large security men seemed to materialize from thin air and quickly removed him from the vicinity.

As the rest of the press members began to move about and rise from their seats, Ted appeared at Aspen’s side and firmly took hold of her arm. “We need to talk,” he spoke low into her ear, guiding her from the stage and around to the back.

“About what? Do you have any idea what that strange man was talking about? He was kind of creepy too.” She cast her eyes his way and felt a slice of fear cut through her. “Ted, what is it, what’s that look on your face for? You’re starting to scare me.”

“Not until we get into the car.” And he continued to move her along, basically ignoring any of the cast or crew that tried to speak to them. Aspen tried to apologize, but Ted was whisking her away so quickly she was forced to just call out that she had to go and she’d talk to them later.

Finally they escaped the building and a black Lincoln Town Car was idling right outside the door. “What is this? What’s going on?” She questioned as he led her to the car then guided her inside it. “I drove myself here, Ted.”

“I do realize that Miss. Nearly An Hour Late.” And he joined her in the backseat, shutting the door and nodding to the driver who took off, heading for the exit where the guard booth was housed. “Someone will bring your car home.”

“What is going on here?” She didn’t like the expression on his face or the tone to his voice. And the way he was forcing her to leave via the town car didn’t sit well with her either. “Tell me right now what’s going on.”

Ted sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was in that moment that Aspen realized just how old he looked. Ted McNaught was still young, but not by Hollywood standards. He was nearly 55 and his strawberry blonde hair was beginning to thin atop his head and worry lines creased around his eyes and the corners of his mouth. He tried to keep up on his appearance, tanning his skin and making appointments for manicures, but unless you wanted to get Botox, sometimes there was no way to hide your age. And he wasn’t an actor or model, so the Botox was not somewhere he felt he needed to go quite yet.

“Alright,” he finally relented before leaning back into the cool leather of the seat. The air conditioning unit was doing the job correctly to make the interior of the vehicle stay at the proper degree despite the sweltering heat on the outside.

Aspen’s brilliant, clear blue eyes studied her agent’s face with worry and dread. “What is it, Ted?” She voiced in an uncertain tone. Half of her wanted him to spill and the other half wanted to yell at the driver to stop so she could dart out of the car and run away from whatever terrible news it was he seemed reluctant to unfold.

Ted’s emerald eyes met hers and she could tell he was uncomfortable relaying the information. But despite that, he spoke, “While you were on the stage with the others, I was sent a link to a website.”

He hesitated and she pressed him on, “Go on.”

“Well,” he ran a hand over his face then forced their gazes to meet again, “it seems that Reid has let a little video the two of you made together, slip to the press.”

“What?” Her brows drew together. “I don’t understand. What video?”

Ted looked like the next words out of his mouth were going to hurt and he flinched involuntarily, “A sex tape, Aspen.”

The blonde’s eyes nearly rolled out of her head and if she had been a cartoon they would have been bulging from their sockets. “Wh…what?!” Heat engulfed her face, making her cheeks flush a deep crimson.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Ted held a hand up, “we’ll be on top of it and do our best to keep it from being released fully. And we’ll try to pull the plug on what’s already floating around.”

“This…this can’t be happening.” The reporter’s words began to play through her mind again and now it all made sense. How could Reid have done something like this? Why would he? Tears began filling her eyes and she ducked her head, allowing her hair to fan her face and hide it from view. What had she done to deserve this kind of shame and embarrassment?

“Aspen, it’s going to be okay.” Ted was trying to remain positive and be a dutiful agent, but his words didn’t feel very comforting to the young woman.

“No, it’s not,” she moaned out, covering her face with both hands, her shoulders jerking as more tears began to flow. “He’s…he’s trying to hurt me. He wants to ruin me!”

“You don’t know that.”

She sniffed then pushed her locks from her face and met his gaze, hers hard beneath all the tears. “Yes, I do. What happens to celebrities that have sex tapes released? Nothing good! They become laughingstocks and a big joke to the industry. No one takes them seriously and he knows that! He doesn’t want me to succeed.”

“Oh, Aspen.” This was one of those times when Ted wished he was a female agent, or at the very least, a gay one so it wouldn’t be awkward for either of them if he were to pull her into a comforting hug. But he wasn’t sure how she’d react and he himself didn’t know how helpful it would be.

“Why is he doing this?” And she was sobbing back into her hands, her long hair obscuring his view of her face.

“First we need to make sure it was really Reid that leaked it out.” And he was back in full agent mode, taking his phone up from the seat and scrolling through it. “And secondly, you are never to make a tape like that again.”

“I…I…” she sat up and wiped at her tear stained cheeks. “He swore he would delete it. I…I didn’t want to make one, but he…he…” she faltered then allowed herself to trail off. There was no use in trying to come up with excuses or reasons. What’s done was done and now she had to deal with the damage it was going to do to her career and reputation.

Ted remained quiet in understanding. He worked on his phone for a minute before addressing her again, “We’ll do our best to put a stop to it. Right now it looks like it’s just a snippet of the video and it’s being passed around for shits and giggles. I don’t see any reason anyone would grab it up and run with it trying to turn it into another One Night In Paris.” Then his eyes locked on hers. “And if they tried, we’d be ready. No one is going to turn you into a porn star, my dear.”

Though his words should have relaxed her, it didn’t make Aspen feel any better. “Thank you,” she did manage out in a grateful tone. Her career was practically already over now. No one in the industry would take her serious again; half of them would even think she had let the tape leak herself while the others would just feel sorry for a girl so obviously taken advantage of. They wouldn’t see her for the serious and hardworking actress she was. And all of those wonderful movie scripts that she’d been hoping would come her way after the release of this film would surely be sent to other “more deserving” stars. As for the awards that had been whispered in her ear, they’d go to others too. Her film career was over; she might as well pack up, tuck her tail between her legs and kiss tinseltown goodbye.

When the Town Car pulled up to the gates of Aspen’s home, she was relieved to find the paparazzi gone. They would still be parked outside the entrance to the studio lot where her car was. No one had suspected she might have escaped in another vehicle. For once, she felt relieved and thankful that Ted had gone about it this way. But they’d be back. Once they discovered they had been tricked, she’d find them camped outside her home again. Especially now that this sex tape was all over the news.

Once they were safely past the gates and the driver pulled to a stop in the large circular drive, Ted finally put his phone away and turned his attention fully to the blonde. “You gonna be okay, kid?” ‘Kid’ was his affectionate term for her and he found himself using it when she seemed to need a pick-me-up.

“No.” She busied herself with collecting her handbag and smoothing out her hair. “But I’ll manage; I have no other choice, really.”

“Just don’t do anything stupid,” his voice held a warning tone.

“I’m not gonna call anyone up and try to explain the situation.”

“And don’t take any calls from reporters, got it?” He lifted his brows in a serious manner. “You let Jane handle it, that’s what she’s there for,” he spoke of her publicist, Jane Burton.

“Got it.” She sat up and slipped toward the door, the driver already holding it open for her. “Thank you for everything.”

“Anytime, kid. Jane and I will take care of this.” And he was reaching for his phone again. “Oh yeah, and kid?”

Aspen paused with her legs out of the car, turning back to face him. “Yes?”

“Don’t watch the video; don’t even look anything about it up.”

The thought of doing that made her stomach curl. “Believe me; I’m going to do my best to stay far, far away from anything having to do with it.”

“Good.” Ted watched her a moment before turning back to his phone, signaling she could finally leave.

Aspen slipped from the Lincoln and thanked the driver then made her way up the walk and let herself into the house. She was finally home and relaxed a little at being in her safe haven; the one place no one could hurt her or stalk her or hound her at. Blocking out the outside world was what she needed to do at the moment so she dropped her bag to the side and headed for the stairs and the one place she could sink into oblivion at; her bathtub.

~*~*~*~*~

“I hate you! You’re nothing but the scum on my shoe!”

Alex McLean flinched at the harsh words and turned his face away. A sharp pain was piercing his chest and every word his girlfriend screamed at him only made it twist a little more. How had this happened? He thought they had been happy and planning a real future together, but now her eyes were like daggers and her hurtful words, laced with venom.

“I don’t even know what I ever saw in you!” She was now throwing things into the large suitcase that covered the bed. Not caring if they were in an orderly fashion; just an angry attempt to pack her things as quickly as she could and get as far away from him as possible.

Alex pressed his lips together to keep his tears at bay. That’s the last thing he needed; to break down and give her more fuel for her already raging fire. Watching as she shoved whatever items she grabbed into the luggage, he shoved his hands deep into his pockets, his shoulders slumped. “Can’t…can’t we talk about this, Raegan?”

Her green eyes turned on him and he visibly winced at the hatred in them. “Talk about this?! You want to talk about this?” She was seething and instead of stashing the makeup bag into the suitcase she turned and hurled it at him, narrowly missing his shoulder. “Go to hell!”

“Raegan,” he jerked to the side and away from the hurtling bag, “come on, baby, please.”

“Do not ‘baby’ me,” she hissed. “There is nothing to talk about!”

“Rae, please,” he tried again. He just couldn’t let her walk out on them. He needed her.

“Don’t call me that!” She pointed her curling iron in his direction then shoved it into the suitcase.

Alex sighed and sank down onto the edge of the bed, opposite her. “I just want us to try and work this out. I don’t want to lose you.”

“Heh, you should have thought about that before you accused me of something so horrible!”

His body sagged and he leaned into the pillows at the head of the bed. “I was just asking you. I wasn’t saying you did do it. Rae, I just wanted to know what had happened.”

“Oh, whatever,” she ignored his words. “You probably already have some hootchie bitch to run to the minute I leave.” Her angry eyes glanced to him before she turned and removed an armful of clothes from the dresser. “You make me sick! You’re nothing but a has-been who can’t keep his dick in his pants or away from the alcohol. I must have been going crazy to think I wanted someone like you.”

The pain in his chest intensified at those words and he found he had no breath. She was tearing him apart piece by piece and he felt powerless to stop her. How could he? Her words were the truth and maybe he’d been trying too hard to hide from it. Maybe it was time to face what he was and learn to accept it. He, Alexander McLean, was nothing, worth nothing. Millions loved him, wanted him and support him; but they were fools. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he’d known. He’d known that one day all of this; his love, his career, his life, was going to come crashing down around him and reveal to the world everything he’d been desperately trying to hide. Maybe it was time to stop pretending and face up to man he really was.

Raegan’s grunts pulled him from his depressed reverie and he turned his sullen eyes her way to see her trying to drag the suitcase out the bedroom door. She was really, truly leaving him. She’d finally had her eyes opened to the worthless piece of shit that he was and realized she couldn’t be brought down with him. So she was making her escape.

“Do you want some help?” Despite the knife that was carving his heart from his chest, he found himself wanting to help her. Help her leave him; now that was new.

“I’d rather die than have you touch me or my things again,” she snapped at him then stood to her full 5’7 height and pushed her caramel colored locks behind her shoulders. “Don’t call me, don’t come after me, and don’t try to fix things between us. Better yet, pretend I never existed. I’m sure as hell going to be pretending I didn’t just waste five months of my life. You’re worthless, Alex, completely worthless.” And with that, she heaved up her bag and made her way out of the bedroom with it.

He watched her go, with the pain in his chest now moving freely through his entire body. There was no point fighting it; she was right. He was worthless and she had just helped him see the truth for what it was. There was no point in anything anymore. He might as well just curl up and die right there. After all, who would really miss him? The fans? No, they’d find another celebrity to fixate on. His friends? No, they’d move on to another vulnerable person to mooch off. His family? No, they’d be relieved not to be burdened by him anymore. He was nothing and there was no one that would miss him. He’d be better off dead.

With that thought bouncing around in his head, he pushed himself from the bed and rose to his feet. His head throbbed and his heart was aching. The tears he’d been desperately trying to hide were now filling his eyes and blurring his vision. He needed a drink. He wanted to drink himself into oblivion and forget all the pain and heartache. He wanted to forget his life and keep it that way. He’d never wished more than he was doing at the moment to become someone else, but that wasn’t possible. However it was possible to be in a continuous state of drunkenness and not have to feel or think; which was exactly what he needed.

Stumbling from his room, Alex went off in search of some liquor; anything at the moment to keep the pain away. But he only made it as far as the stairs. The pain and heartache and grief seemed to steamroll him and punch him in the chest so hard he stumbled back a few feet and sank to the floor. He couldn’t breathe. It was like someone was stealing his breath from his body and leaving his lungs gasping for air. And his heart hurt, more than it had ever hurt before. Bile rose into the back of his throat and he forced it back then leaned to the side against the floor and drew his knees to his chest. He wanted out of this life, he wanted out of the prison he felt like he was trapped in. And as he so desperately wished for it to be taken away, hot tears began rolling down his cheeks and his shoulders shook with sobs.