We stared back.
Demetri coughed.
“Er, something wrong?” Alyssa asked with a weak smile in place.
“Priscilla’s going to be in a movie!” Demetri blurted then covered his mouth while Alec smacked him on the back of the head. “Sorry, I’m hungry. I can’t control myself when I’m hungry.”
Groaning, I looked back to Pris.
Her eyes narrowed. “What?” She shook her head and let out a nervous laugh. “That’s impossible.”
“They liked the audition video we did.” I smiled encouragingly. “Danny Erickson just called me. Not only does he want you to play opposite me, but they’re going to film here.”
“We have got to jump on that soundtrack.” Alec elbowed Demetri in the ribs. “Call Stan.”
“Are you serious?” All color drained from Pris’s face. “But what if I’m horrible?”
Everyone burst out laughing.
“You’ll be fine.” I took slow steps toward her. “I promise. You’ll be with me.”
“But—”
“Dude, she may need Demetri’s paper bag,” Alec interjected.
“Funny,” Demetri grumbled under his breath.
“Love.” By the time my fingers grazed her jaw, color was returning to her cheeks. “We’ll be together. I was all set to turn it down, and then he said your name. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than get to kiss my fiancée, and get her to fall in love with me all over again, scene by scene, line by line…”
Nat and Alyssa sighed.
Yeah, the guys were probably going to poison my cereal.
“Okay.” Pris’s brown eyes were wild with excitement. “But, if I suck, you have to make me better.”
“Oh, I’ll make it all better,” I murmured, kissing her.
“There he is!” Demetri announced. “Damn, I was worried for a second. It’s always hard, you know? Losing a whore.”
Chapter Forty-Five
Priscilla
It was a week before we were able to take Dani home. Jaymeson and I had spent countless hours in that suite with her. I still couldn’t believe that he’d gone to all that trouble just so we would be comfortable.
Dani was a lot more easy-going around the guys, but I could tell it still unnerved her.
There were also the nightmares.
At least once a night she woke up yelling for our dad. Every time, I held her and cried with her. My heart wasn’t healed, but I was trying so hard to be strong for her, and in turn, Jaymeson was strong for me.
One night, I must have slept through her scream because when I woke up Jaymeson was sitting next to her on the bed, leaning against the pillow stroking her hair as she slept.
I imagined the piercing in my heart was what it felt like to watch someone you love loving the most important person in your life in return. It was beautiful, and I knew in that moment that my dad would have loved Jaymeson. Because Jaymeson loved my dad’s little girls more than life itself.
He showed it in his actions.
Jaymeson had helped get Dani to the car while I’d gone to the accounting department to discuss the payments for the hospital bills. I knew my parents didn’t have a ton of money, but I figured that hopefully with their life insurance I could pay for part of her bills.
“Paid in full.” The nurse had flashed me a knowing smile.
“But—”
“Paid in full,” she repeated. “Now was there anything else I can help you with?”
Confused I’d made it ten steps before it struck me.
Jaymeson.
It had taken the entire plane ride back, lots of kissing and coaxing, but he finally ’fessed up and said he not only paid for the hospital stay but may have possibly bought Dani a new car in the process, for when she was ready to drive again. Sort of as a welcome home present so she wouldn’t be so sad.
I accused him of spoiling her.
His answer was, “I want to spend my life spoiling you. Both of you.”
Pretty sure Demetri and Alec were getting tired of watching us because they’d all moved to different parts of the private jet.
Yeah, private jet.
I was still in shock.
“So.” Jaymeson cleared his throat. “I, uh, thought we should um…” He turned bright red. “Bring your stuff over to my place.”
“My stuff?” I asked.
“Yeah.” Why was he turning red?
“I know we need to go through all your parents’ belongings. I know it would be too hard to stay there right now, so I kind of thought you and Dani should stay with me.” He gulped. “At my beach house.”
“Why are you sweating?” I touched his forehead.
“Holy shit, I feel like I’m fifteen,” Jaymeson muttered. “I don’t want to ever, ever, ever, sleep without you. Ever again…” He coughed. “Ever.”
“Say ever one more time, man.” Demetri walked between us and laughed. “I don’t think she heard you.”
Jaymeson flipped him off.
Somehow, Demetri could read minds, because his middle finger was already hoisted in the air toward Jaymeson even though he hadn’t turned around.
They were helping us unload our bags and Dani, while they packed up for the next leg of their tour.
“Okay.” I licked my lips. “But with Dani there, we can’t… you know.” I put my hands in front of me, and twisted them in the air.
“Mime?”
Demetri walked back between us. “Wow, your guys’ communication skills need work.” He patted Jaymeson on the back. “Oh, and if you didn’t catch that, she means you can’t have sex. Sucks to be you.”
“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Jaymeson snapped.
“No.” Demetri beamed. “I’m quite happy. Do continue.”
Within seconds Alyssa had Demetri by the ear and was dragging him away from our conversation.
Jaymeson turned his full attention back to me. “I’ve controlled myself for how long? Pretty sure I can wait, love.”
“Famous last words!” Demetri shouted from the other side of the plane.
Chapter Forty-Six
Jaymeson
I was staring at her — hard.
I may have snuck into her room once Dani fell asleep, and now I was being the creepy boyfriend/fiancé that stared at his girl as if she held secrets to the universe on the pillow of her lips.
Pillow of her lips — bloody fantastic. There I went again, getting all sentimental and wanting to slap myself in the face.
Pris moaned in her sleep. I tucked her body into mine and watched the waves slowly cascade across the white sand beach. Her room was on the top floor, giving her the perfect view of the beach.
Two months ago I’d hated Seaside.
Now? I would live here, if that meant keeping her — and keeping what we had solid. Yeah, I’d put down roots or whatever the hell people called it.
Dani hadn’t lasted more than three seconds in her old house before she’d burst into tears. I could tell Pris wanted to cry too, but she was trying to be strong. They’d packed a bag for Dani and now they were at my house indefinitely.
Funeral arrangements sucked balls. And that wasn’t me being insensitive. It was the cold hard truth. Just when I thought the girls were doing better, they’d break down.
I ended up helping out of pure desperation. I hated seeing Pris cry and that immediately transferred to her sister.
The funeral was small, but the entire freaking town showed up, giving the girls their support.
I was thankful for that, thankful for the small community that stood behind the girls like they were family. Thankful that I was witness to what community and family really were about.
By the time we finally got settled into my house, I think the shock was starting to wear off, but I knew it would be months, years even, before the girls would stop feeling that empty hole in their hearts — the empty hole of loss.
For a guy who’d once whored himself around and hated the idea of marriage and a
family — I was sure jumping the gun.
But I’d never wanted anything so desperately in my entire life.
“Jaymeson…” Pris mumbled. “Aren’t you supposed to be in your room?”
“I am in my room.”
“You’re in my room,” she clarified without opening her eyes.
“My house. I own all the rooms.” I patted her head. “Sleep, love.”
“Am I going to suck?” She yawned and sat up, blinking a few times before her eyes seemed to focus on me.
“What are we talking about?”
She rolled her eyes and backhanded me in the shoulder. “When what’s his face flies in to Portland and we do that read-through — am I going to suck?”
“Of course not.” I tucked her hair behind her ear and kissed her lightly across the lips. “You’ll be with me. So everything’s going to be fine.”
“I’m worried.” She held her lower lip hostage between her teeth.
“About acting?”
Her head shook slowly. “About Dani.”
“She has us,” I vowed. “And we won’t let anything happen to her. She just needs time.”
Pris nodded and then offered an excited smile. “And we have that.”
“What?”
“Time.”
“We do.” I chuckled. “We have all the time in the world.”
“I love you,” she whispered, tears pooling in the depths of her deep brown eyes. “So much.”
“I love you too.” I brushed another kiss across her mouth. “Now, go to sleep. The sooner you sleep, the sooner you wake up and I make you pancakes.”
“Deal.” She snuggled back into the bed and held out her arm. I didn’t need a second invitation. I grasped my girl as tight as possible and fell asleep with a grin on my face.
Not because I was having sex.
Or because I was whoring myself around.
Not even because I was the luckiest bastard in the world.
But because, I had the heart of the girl I loved — and I wasn’t ever letting go.
Extended Epilogue
Chapter One
Jaymeson
Two months later
The first day of shooting brought tears, frustration, laughter, and complete insanity.
We were shooting the last scene of the script first. Don’t ask me why the producers thought it was a good idea. That was the thing with movies; they didn’t get shot in order. It wasn’t like reading a book. We rarely started with the first kiss and progressed.
I’d had movies where I had love scenes with the actress after introducing myself five minutes before. With acting, you were playing a part. It wasn’t about knowing the person behind the mask, it was about knowing the part you were playing and owning it.
Both Alec and Demetri were on set because they had somehow wriggled their way into being able to do a few songs on the soundtrack, including the main theme song. We were going to do a few cameos in their music video once the scene was finished.
I say The Scene, because it was the one scene that had me nervous as hell. I’d been given five minutes to re-read my lines and mentally prepare. The PA handed me mouth spray while my makeup artist powdered my face.
“Shit.” I almost spit onto the ground. “What is that?” I wiped my mouth, while the PA shrugged and walked off.
Demetri and Alec were giggling like school girls in the corner.
“Out with it,” I growled.
“It’s called minty meadow,” Demetri said through laughter. “It’s organic.”
“It tastes like flowers mixed with soil,” I pointed out.
“Dude, you live in Oregon now. Hug a tree, adopt a pet, go green.” Alec pumped his fist into the air while I contemplated throwing a blunt object at his head.
“All done.” My makeup artist beamed. “You ready?”
AJ and I had done three movies together so I was used to her touching my face and asking me questions before scenes.
“Yup.” I exhaled.
“Go get ‘em.” She winked.
“Go get ‘em?” I repeated in a low voice. “Is that what one says before a love scene? ‘Go get ‘em’? What exactly am I getting?”
She rolled her eyes and walked behind the camera while I stared at the set. It was supposed to be Harley’s bedroom. And I, playing Zach, had come back for her and scaled the wall of her window and decided to take it upon myself to prove my love.
It was the most important scene in the movie, because not only was it the ending, but it was what hooked people for the next book and or movie in the series.
I popped my knuckles and closed my eyes going over my lines in my head one more time.
Epilogue
Chapter Two
Priscilla
They were dressing me in the shortest blue night shorts I’d ever worn and purposefully put an off-the-shoulder white t-shirt on me that was so large it almost covered said shorts.
Yeah, Jaymeson was going to flip.
He’d already struggled with the fact that the rest of the cast was going to be flown in later this week and a few of the guys playing secondary characters were guys Jaymeson wasn’t at all comfortable about having me conversing with.
Since it was my first scene, I’d wanted Dani with me. She was sitting with Demetri and Alec while I got ready.
Yeah, if my parents were here, they would be horrified.
Or maybe not horrified, but my dad would definitely be questioning my outfit.
But they weren’t.
This was my new life.
My new life as an actress. Yeah, that still sounded weird. At the initial press conference I’d been asked if this was going to be a career choice. I hadn’t been able to answer. All I knew is that the only reason I could even try to pull it off was because I was with Jaymeson.
A knock sounded at the door, then opened. A PA poked in her head. “Hey, you ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.” I gave her a brave smile.
“Don’t sweat it.” She held the door open for me so I could walk past. “Jaymeson’s a pro. He won’t let you feel nervous. Besides, I bet the minute you look into those green eyes, you won’t even remember it’s a movie set.”
“Right.” I swallowed the dryness in my throat as my eyes greedily took in the cameras and at least two dozen people milling about. Pretty sure that whenever I watched movies I just magically assumed that it was the camera crew and the director. Not another thirty people playing with lighting and making you re-do scenes over and over again until it was perfect.
“Pris.” Jaymeson strutted over to me and grasped my hands. His were warm, while mine were cold and sweaty. “You’ll be fine.”
“Promise?” I squeaked, feeling so insecure that it was hard to breathe. I didn’t belong in his world.
“You’re the most beautiful co-star I’ve ever worked with.”
“Wow, laying it on thick I see.” I grinned.
“He’s British.” Danny Erickson came up beside me. “It’s what he does. Don’t let his accent fool you, Pris. I still have a grandson that would be more than happy to take you off his English hands.”
Jaymeson glared. “Very funny.”
Danny laughed and threw up his arms. “Alright, let’s do this. You two ready?”
“Yes,” we said in unison.
Danny turned to face everyone. “Places everyone.”
A PA came over the speakers. “Quiet on set.”
Jaymeson disappeared behind the window.
The lights went dim, as if it was nighttime.
Holy freaking crap.
“Action!”
Epilogue
Chapter Three
Jaymeson
In all my years acting — which was literally around twenty, since my first commercial had been at three years old — I’d never felt this nervous.
I climbed up the side of the fake house and knocked on the window.
Pris’s eyes widened as she reached for a blanket from the bed and c
overed herself, then very slowly she walked to the window and lifted it up.
“What are you doing here?” Her words were delivered perfectly. I even winced, feeling them all the way to my core.
“I had to see you.”
“Haven’t you done enough?” she spat. “Leave.”
“Harley—”
“No!” she shouted, pointing her finger at me. “You don’t get to say my name. You don’t get to say it!” With tears brimming in her eyes, she shook her head. “Leave, Zach. Please.”
“I can’t.”
“I’ll push you out the window.”
I climbed fully into her room and stood in front of her, whispering, “You wouldn’t.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
“I already tempt you.” I placed my hand on her chest. “Tell me you don’t feel the same. Tell me you don’t burn.”
Pris took a few deep breaths, her lower lip quivering as she said hoarsely, “I don’t. I never did.”
“Lies.” I gripped her face between my hands. “Why are you lying?”
“It’s what you did,” she whispered, lifting her chin in defiance. “I’m just following suit. After all, you lied about everything, including who you were.”
“I didn’t…” I shook my head. “I’m still me.”
“You chose your life,” she whispered. “You chose to pull away from your family ties — and you want me to do the same — for what? For a crush?”
“A crush?” I gripped her face harder. “Does this feel like a crush, Harley? Does this feel like it’s fleeting? I’m scared to breathe, anxious for the sunrise, because I know it means one more day I’ll get to see your face. I can’t wait to open my eyes in the morning. You take that fear away. You take the anxiety away just by being alive. I don’t have a crush on you, Harley. I’m in love with you. I love you. I want you. I can’t live without you. I don’t care what you say. Screw what your parents say. What do you feel?”
“I can’t—”
“What. Do. You. Feel?”
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