Free HDU #2: Dirt by India Lee Page A

anyway?” she asked curiously.
    “Connor.”   A faint but real smile curved one side
of Liam’s lips when he answered.   “He was going to USC for film and doing his dream internship at a major
film studio that was producing The
Yardbird .”
    Recognizing the
film, Amanda felt her mouth pucker into an ‘O.’   The Yardbird had
been Liam’s breakout role in which he had played a prison escapee whose past
would return to haunt him in his new and peaceful small town life.   The film’s fight scenes had gone on to
become his ticket into a steady career of action thrillers and cop or soldier
movies.   “So, Connor was able to
get you an audition?”
    “In his
way.   He looked up the casting
director’s home address and dropped off my acting reel.   Got me the role, got himself fired,
rest is history,” Liam laughed.   “I
spent the next two years introducing him to everyone I met till he got a
writing job from one of them.   And
now he’s got fifteen credits under his belt and a win at Sundance.   He’s good.”
    Amanda could
feel her eyebrows lifting with total delight.   “You made it up to him, then.”
    Liam
nodded.   “Now all I need is to make
it up to Logan and Heidi.”
    Amanda bit the
inside of her lip, trying to find the right thing to say as she watched a dark
look cast over Liam’s brown eyes again.   “You did just buy them one of the two most beautiful houses in North
Carolina,” she said with a light laugh.   He smiled.   “What more can
you do?” she asked with genuine curiosity.
    “Make up for
ignoring them for the past two years.   For keeping them out of my life, ignoring their calls.   Only calling back when they got my
niece or nephew to leave a voicemail.”
    Amanda’s eyes
fluttered with surprise.   “You did
that? Why?”
    “Didn’t really
want them to see how much I changed.   Kind of grew up wanting to be exactly like him and ended up the
opposite.   He would’ve hated the
person I was these past few years.”
    “No he wouldn’t,
you’re his brother.”
    “Yeah.   Not the one he grew up with
though.”   Liam shrugged, stretching
the material on his T-shirt.   “The
good thing about family is they remind you of where you came from.   It’s a cliché for a reason but if you
stay in the industry long enough, it’ll change you and not usually for the
better.   But the change is the reason
why you survive for so long so it’s a tradeoff.”
    “So, the best
way to have a lasting career is by turning into a cold, hard robot with no
empathy?” Amanda giggled.   Liam
turned to her, smiling at the amusement on her face.
    “Actually,
yeah.   Pretty much.”   He laughed when her mouth snapped shut
with a frown.   Amanda felt him
watching her for a couple moments as she stared out at the grass with her brows
knit.   “Hey.   Come here,” he finally said, pulling
her onto his lap when she got up.   He ran his hands over her thighs and leaned forward to kiss her bare
shoulder.   Amanda smiled as she
wrapped her arms around his neck.
    “Sorry for
picking your brain,” she said quietly.   The corner of Liam’s lips picked up in a faint grin.
    “It’s okay.   I forgive you.”
    “For making you
admit that you have feelings sometimes? And that you’re not a cold Hollywood
robot anymore?” Amanda giggled.   “Good.”   She kissed the top
of his head.   “Let’s be
people.   Together.”
    Liam smiled,
charmed.   “Sounds like a
plan.”   His voice was a murmur as
he pulled her face to his to kiss her lips.   “Don’t let anything change you.”
    “Psh.   I wouldn’t.”

Chapter 3

 
    Eyes fluttering
open, Amanda stared ahead without the slightest hint of grogginess.   Reaching for her phone, she touched its
home button, squinting at the brightness as she read the time — 4:22AM .   Her gaze wandered about the room, which for a moment, had felt
like her studio in Alphabet City, back in New York.   But rather than the