Hello, alien lovers!

I was stuck for weeks at chapter 45, and thanks to a Shabbat spent writing, I unstuck myself.

I made it to Chapter 47 of the book, which means I have only three more chapters to write before I conclude the first draft of Perilous Love Stars.

I'm supposed to take a few days off next week and go to a small island near Vancouver. Maybe the perfect place to finish writing the book?

Welcome to Chapter 38!

Daphne is one of my favourite characters to write! I love that she has a heart-to-heart with Maple in this chapter, and I think it's pretty camp that it takes place inside a secret submarine.

Enjoy!
lunus 🩷

If you're new to the story, start with Chapter 1.

If you missed the last chapter, Previously on Perilous Love Stars.

The submarine was so deep underwater that the only indication that it was morning was the digital clock on the bedroom wall. Maple turned and churned in bed, trying to get back to sleep. Even after a few hours of rest, her body still felt like it had found itself on the wrong side of a meeting with a steamroller. 

The bed was cold without Salvatore, and Maple's head was filled with questions. The prominent one made her wince every time it crossed her mind. How could she have been so naive? Now that she was looking back at her story with Salvatore, the signs of his deceit had been there all along. Salvatore had renounced every opportunity he had to tell the truth. Even after Maple had opened up to him, trusting him with the future of their show and with her heart. Every time she had asked for his honesty, he’d chosen to lie to her. She was mad at him, but she was furious at herself for letting feelings and libido take over her common sense.

Still bundled up in blankets and shivering, Maple left the relative solace of the bed to venture outside the bedroom.

The main room in the submarine was encircled by glass walls that allowed a glimpse into the lake’s dark waters. Fishes and other marine creatures played and explored algae forests and centuries-old rocks, oblivious to Maple’s tormented heart. 

 She made her way to the kitchen, finding only instant coffee to quench her caffeine craving. She boiled some water in a kettle, rubbing her eyes, hissing every time she made a sudden move, her muscles and joints still aching.

Daphne strolled into the room. She had swapped her luxurious silk kimono and lingerie for a bright red overall suit, since Charles had apparently only stocked the submarine with jumpsuits, offering at least some colour variety. 

Daphne’s hair was tied into a ponytail, and she hadn’t bothered with makeup. Maple had never seen the actress without artifices before, and she was conscious of getting a peek behind the curtain of her idol’s well-polished public persona. 

“You’re up, finally,” Daphne said.

“Where’s Salvatore?” 

Daphne rolled her eyes at the question. She rummaged through burnished cupboards, retrieving a metal box filled with tea bags. “Feminism is dead if that’s the first thing you ask after waking up in a submarine lab after surviving a mercenary attack.” 

Maple held on to her cup for dear life. She focused her attention on the dark, fuming liquid inside. “Spare me the snark, please. I’m not in the mood.” 

Daphne laughed. "Finally, some guts.”

“Sorry.” Maple needed Daphne to like her, or she wouldn’t come back to the show. Antagonizing the actress wasn’t the best move.

“Don’t. I can’t take the over-politeness or blind admiration. You have the right to be in a shitty mood. Your boyfriend lied to you and almost got all of us killed.” 

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Well, your not-boyfriend is in the library. He’s going through Charles’ research. He woke me up, trying to push his way into the study. But there’s nothing in that room. After I discovered this place, I moved all of Charles’ stuff to the library. I wanted the study to be just mine.”

“How often do you come down here?” 

Daphne shook her head. Whiffs of jasmine and blackberries filled the space as she dunked a tea bag into a large cup of hot water. “Only when I need some time out. I discovered the place after Charles’ death. I found blueprints for the lab in the house, and from there, it was pretty easy to figure out how to access it. We were together for twenty years. He never mentioned it to me once. I felt like such a fool when I found out.”

“You know how I feel, then.” 

Daphne scoffed. “Oh, please. How long have you and Alien Boy been fornicating? A couple of months?”

Maple looked away. “A few days.”

“Exactly. Your Alien Boy has been lying to you for a few days. That’s not the same as my husband lying to me every single day for two decades. I knew Charles was an alien and that bad people were after him. He told me it was because of his research, which is why I left Betteraves & Betrayals. We bought the island and moved here so he could be safe. We built a home for ourselves, away from everyone. But he never told me about this Professor guy or his secret family. I discovered it all after his death.”

“But you knew who Salvatore was the first time you saw him. You even guessed why he came here. How?”

“Charles had files on all of his children. I had a trusted friend of mine read them to me before I got rid of them. Not my proudest moment, but throwing the files into my fireplace proved to be quite cathartic.”

“Children?” Maple reacted. “Salvatore has siblings?” 

“Had,” Daphne corrected. “Charles and The Professor had three children. One died before Salvatore was born. The other ran away when Alien Boy was just a baby. He probably doesn’t even remember him.”

“Salvatore has a brother somewhere?” 

Daphne chuckled to herself. “Yeah, he does. But if I were you, I’d wait a little before breaking the news to him. All the men in that family seem to be emotionally unstable.”

Maple abstained from commenting on that part. She’d lost enough energy trying to justify or rationalize Salvatore’s actions. Instead, she said,  “Come back to Sobriquet Lake with me. The show needs you.” 

“There’s nothing left in that town for me,” Daphne replied, looking down at her cup. 

Ms. Parvière’s words rang through Maple’s head. “I regret not fighting for her. When you truly believe in something—in someone, you fight for them. You don’t give up. That was my mistake.” 

“I know at least one person who’s still waiting for you,” Maple said, ignoring how accurate her neighbour’s words felt for her situation with Salvatore. Would he stop fighting for her, too? Is that what she really wanted?

“It’s too late for us,” Daphne responded, knowing exactly who Maple meant. “Our story is from another time. Another life.”

“It’s never too late. It wasn’t too late for Adele and Pietrich.”

“They are characters, Maple, they’re not real.” It was the first time Daphne Dutrignon had called her by her name. It felt validating somehow. “Life is not a soap. Sometimes it’s too late for things to happen. Chantal and I are one of such things.”

Maple noted the facility Daphne had with Ms. Parviere’s first name. “Listen, I know we don’t really know each other—”

“We do not know each other at all,” Daphne remarked haughtily. “You trespassed on my property, and then your not-boyfriend forced me to commit multiple murders to protect you. We’re not friends, let’s get that clear.” 

“Maybe, but I know a lot about you. I read your memoirs. I’ve watched and read hundreds of your interviews.”

Daphne moved to the glass walls, observing the underwater life around them. She touched the glass surface. “And you think that means anything? That you know anything about me that matters? It was all just for show. A public persona I spent decades building.” 

Daphne was a terrific actress, but everyone had their limits. A liar recognized a liar. The show had meant something to her, more than just work. Maple was sure of it.

She took a moment to gather her thoughts. It might be her last chance to convince Daphne. She couldn’t allow lies to get in the way. 

“I don’t buy that,” Maple said. “Nobody stays on a show for fifty years if they don’t care about it. You loved playing Adele. Acting has been your dream since you were a little girl. Your parents were against it, that’s why they never taught you how to read. They wanted to keep you away from that life. You fought against that, and against all odds, to defy expectations and become a star. You care for the show as much as I do.”

“I wish Chantal hadn’t told you about my parents.”

“Why? There’s no reason to be ashamed.”

“Ah, ashamed!” she exclaimed, in that tenor voice and suave roll Maple had been fascinated with for years. “I’m not ashamed. I’m angry. Angry that I spent years of my life trying to shape myself into what people wanted me to be. My parents never cared about my happiness. My agent and the show’s producers made me hide my queerness from the world. Charles forced me to choose between him and Chantal, just for me to discover that he’d never been honest in his goddamn life. And for what? I’m all alone now.” 

“You’re hurt and angry, I get that. But Chan—” She remembered Ms. Parvière’s reaction to hearing her first name and cross-corrected. “—Ms. Parvière still cares for you. She’s not the only one. Fans love you. They want you back.”

“Maybe they’re just lying.” Daphne’s voice sounded small for the very first time. “Fame or love, it’s all a lie.”

“I lied to get to you. I lied to my crew, to my family, my friends.” The words were out of Maple’s mouth before she could think about them. “I lie all the fucking time. That doesn’t mean I don’t care for my crew, my friends or my moms! Sometimes people lie because… because that’s easier. We’re scared. The truth is definitive. Lies are malleable. With them, you can always expand reality a little, build in layers of protection for yourself and your heart.” She paused, thinking at once about the thousands of times she’d lied in the past three years alone. “I don’t lie because I don’t care about people. I lie because I do—I care so much that sometimes facing the truth is too scary.” 

Something broke inside Maple. Her voice trembled, and she blinked away tears. Oh God, she couldn’t break down in front of Daphne! How pathetic. She needed to pivot before Daphne realized she was talking to a crybaby.

“Everyone deserves a second chance,” Maple added, hastily wiping the evidence of her emotions away. “People make choices that hurt us even when they love us. You’re living in a citadel you built for a man who’s not around anymore. There’s a life out there waiting for you. You will never have a second chance with Charles, but you deserve your second chance. What have you been doing for the past twenty years anyway?” 

Daphne chugged the rest of her tea, ignoring Maple’s question. She placed the mug in the sink. “I’ll think about your offer. In the meantime, maybe you should listen to your own wise words.”

“If you come back to Sobriquet Lake, I’ll get my second chance,” Maple said. “Your return will save the show.” 

“Not about the show, you idiot.” The actress snapped, recovering her usual abrasive attitude. “I’m talking about Alien Boy. I never got to make things right with Charles, to let him know how much his lies hurt me. Maybe he would have apologized, and I wouldn’t be left with this overwhelming sense of betrayal. Don’t waste time with Alien Boy. Talk to him before it’s too late. Rancour is a dreadful feeling to be left with, trust me.”

Daphne strolled out of the room. By the time Maple took a sip of her coffee, it’d turned cold.