Heroes Ever After Boxset: Books 1-3
Page 2
But I refused to hide anymore. I’d spent the first year post-spotlight cowering from the media, cringing every time I saw my name on the gossip sites. “Makeup-free former reality star Bella Applebaum indulges in fattening treat.” Cue the mean tweets.
At least interest in my life had died down. I stopped using my stage name, moved, and changed my phone number and email account. I was now living as Isa Cuesta, struggling twenty-three-year-old college senior. Bella Applebaum, America’s ballroom dancing sweetheart, had disappeared.
Sighing in frustration, I reached for my Kindle—maybe I’d just throw myself into the latest bad boy romance novel.
Just as I perused my book choices, my phone lit up.
Marisol.
My gut clenched. My goodtime girlfriend was no doubt looking to recruit a wing woman.
Marisol: Phi Delt Party at SDSU. Get ready.
My fingers typed frenetically.
Isa: Sorry, not my scene.
Marisol: Too late. I’m on my way!
Great. I hated parties. A bunch of drunken frat guys and vapid sorority sisters would get wasted, hook up, and then take their walks of shame the next morning. I preferred seeing a live band downtown, catching the latest indie flick, or checking out the newest ethnic restaurant. But I did need to get out. Though it was mid-summer, I was burned out from having a full load of classes all year. I spent my vacation teaching barre, doing research for my psych professor, and studying for my GRE exams. I deserved one night of partying.
My long, dark hair was still damp from the shower. I sprayed some Moroccan oil on it, dabbed my face with concealer, lined my green eyes with a metallic gold pencil, and applied nude lipstick and mascara. One glance in the mirror and my confidence came back. Despite being the offspring of an alcoholic author and a tragic, old-school Vegas showgirl, I prided myself on being natural, normal, and real, which I considered quite an achievement having spent my late teens in La La Land. Four years ago, my life had been so embedded in the Hollywood scene—filming my show, attending premieres, posing for photo shoots, raging at after-parties, and gloating at award shows. Thank God I’d escaped and regained my sanity—though I definitely had some scars from my time in the limelight. I now lived in San Diego, which while still technically SoCal was a welcome break away from the L.A. party drama.
As I picked out an outfit, my doorbell buzzed. I opened the door, and saw Marisol standing there, dressed as Catwoman, clutching a shopping bag in her hand. Her brunette ombré hair was pulled back and her heavy makeup featured winged cat eyes, a pink nose, and sparkly whiskers.
Oh, hell no.
I rolled my eyes. “The animal shelter is closed.”
“Funny, Isa. It’s a superhero-themed bash. Don’t worry—I hooked you up, girl!” She rummaged through the bag and pulled out a red wig and a black leather catsuit.
At this point, I had two choices—either go along with Marisol and embrace wearing this getup, or run like hell and lock myself in the bathroom. But she’d never take no for an answer.
“You want to go as twin Catwomen? That’s super lame, Mari.”
She let out a purr. Well, I had to give her credit for getting into character.
“No, silly. You’ll be Black Widow. You know, from The Avengers? Come on, get dressed. My parents are watching Paloma. Please don’t make me go alone.”
Well, I had to go now; Marisol rarely had a free night between school, work, ROTC, and watching her child. Paloma was her adorable three-year-old daughter, who Marisol swore was the result of a one-night stand with a famous rock star. Marisol adored Paloma, never regretted her choice to have and keep her, and never sued for child support. I’d always encouraged her to contact the father; he had the right to know he had a child. She swore that she’d tried but that he had vanished.
“Fine, but we’re not staying long. And don’t you dare leave me alone with some sleazy guy while you make your rounds.”
I studied the costume and ran my hands along the rubbery material. I squeezed my body into the suit, slicked my hair under the wig cap, and slipped my feet into my shiny black pumps. Costumes and makeup used to be part of my daily life. I shuddered from the tightness of the wig cap, the familiar ache in my calves from the heels. I’d always felt trapped, like I couldn’t breathe. Not anymore. These days my wardrobe consisted of tank tops, jean shorts, and flip-flops, and my beauty routine involved hardly any products other than sunscreen, tinted moisturizer, and lip balm.
But sometimes, late at night, I would fantasize about dancing a slow foxtrot, held in tight frame by a strong partner, our legs melting together until we moved as if we were one.
I closed my eyes and inhaled a calming breath. After a few seconds floating back down to reality, I opened my eyes and smiled—I could pretend to be someone else at this party and hopefully no one would recognize me. It would be nice to try to find some common interests first before someone judged me from what he’d read in the tabloids. This costume could allow me to break out of my shyness. My father was a huge Avengers fanatic and dragged me along to all the movies. I think he secretly wished he’d had a son, but after my mom died I was all he had left. At least I could relate to Black Widow’s character—she spoke Russian and had been brainwashed into thinking she was a ballerina. I learned some Russian from my old dance partner and had been forced to dance by my mother. But deeper than our superficial connection, Black Widow always emanated a sense of loss and loneliness. And that was something I understood intimately.
Though we both went to University of California at San Diego, this frat was at San Diego State. SDSU was way more of a party school, but for tonight, that was fine by me because I needed a change of scenery. I climbed into Marisol’s beat-up sedan, and we left pretentious La Jolla for the laid back College Area of San Diego. I took a moment to center myself and appreciate the beauty of my surroundings. Turquoise skies without a hint of smog, accented with the deep green burst of treetops. Though I was less than three hours away from LA, I felt a world away from Hollywood’s haunting famous sign, which lured young people from around the world into the deadly cog of fame.
“So, I was reading Star magazine, and you won’t believe who Pasha is dating!”
Great, I was trapped alone in an interrogation vessel with Marisol. The perfect opportunity for her to force me to talk, since normally I would either hang up on her, not reply to her nosy texts, or just walk away. In her defense, this was the only way I would really answer her questions. “I don’t care. And I told you a thousand times that those stories are all fake. I’m sure he just had his publicist plant some stories so he could stay relevant.” She never believed me, but I spoke the truth. According to the tabloids, I had hooked up with every partner I ever had on Dancing under the Stars. Which was totally not true, but I was sure those rumors no doubt contributed to the way people treated me.
“Even so. Aren’t you the least bit curious about your old partner?”
“Nope.” And I wasn’t. That jerk never gave me the time of day though I used to have the biggest crush on him. He was older, already a ladies’ man, and I was just an inexperienced teen. He tossed our partnership aside when I needed him the most. Even worse, he hadn’t defended me when the press started making crazy allegations about why I’d left the show. Most days I doubted that he ever really cared about me.
I gazed out the window, trying to erase the past from my mind. The show destroyed my life, devastated my soul, and detonated my family.
“I’d do anything to find out what Dax was doing, even though I barely knew him. But he vanished.” She placed her hand on mine, and squeezed it. “Sorry I brought it up.” Marisol turned up the radio, and some pop catastrophe filled the air.
Her smile faded. Though she completely owned her choice about sleeping with Dax and she loved her daughter, I couldn’t fathom how hard it would be to be pregnant and not even have had a chance to tell the father. Every choice has consequences.
I didn’t blame Marisol for being cu
rious about my former life, a life that the media made out to be so glamorous, when it was actually soul-sucking. She was one of the few people I confided in about the real horrors of my dance with stardom. And I planned to keep it that way.
Marisol parked her car a block away from fraternity row and we walked toward the house, the chaos from the party spilling out on the street. The usual suspects milled around the lawn—a full range of Supermen, Batmen, Thors, Captain Americas, and Iron Men. I also counted a dozen Catwomen, a few Wonder Women, a Batgirl, a couple of branches of Poison Ivy, a Supergirl, an Elektra, and even a Harley Quinn. But as far as I could tell, I was the only Black Widow. This place looked like a Comic-Con after-party.
We made our way into the house, and despite Marisol’s vow not to leave my side, before I could even blink she had stalked off toward a Joker sporting a winning grin. Joker apparently knew Catwoman, evident by their overly friendly embrace.
I watched them flirt for a few moments until Marisol motioned me over to join the group, attempting to lure me with a skinny Aquaman as bait, but I refused. When I shook my head, Marisol mouthed, “Be right back,” and Joker placed his arms around her and they went to the basement.
Great. We hadn’t even been here for the full length of a song and I was already on my own. I grabbed a red Solo cup, poured myself a rum and coke, and prayed to be anywhere but here.
Batman groped at Poison Ivy on the sofa; Superman and Wonder Woman exchanged heated words in the kitchen. Spider-Man played a friendly game of beer pong with Green Goblin. Ha! Apparently no one did research on their characters’ enemies and allies. This sucked—my hopes of meeting someone interesting were dashed as I took in the usual “let’s get wasted” party scene. The cacophony rang through my ears, and the scent of weed, sweat, and beer wafted through the house. I stepped out to the brown and patchy back lawn, no doubt a casualty of California’s drought, and inhaled the eucalyptus-scented air. A DJ spun tracks while a bunch of coeds splashed around in the pool, Wolverine grilled burgers, and there was a Marvel versus DC superhero volleyball game going on. Still not my idea of a good time.
I retreated to a corner of the yard overlooking the majestic canyon, away from the chaos, and nursed my drink.
After people-watching for a bit, a green flash caught my eye. No, not San Diego’s famous sky streak. Opening the sliding doors from the frat house was a man wearing a mask—his skin was tinted green, and he wore ripped purple shorts.
The Hulk.
At first glance, I was convinced he had one of those muscle costumes on, padded fabric to make him appear to be strapping. But no, oh no. This man was massive—arms twice the size of any other man’s at this party, broad shoulders, rock-solid abs. But unlike the Hulk, this imposter’s entire body was covered with tattoos, which were hard to decipher since they were obscured with body paint. I tried to avert my gaze but I couldn’t—I was drawn to him, like a magnetic force. He oozed confidence, the way he stood there assessing the environment, like he owned this house, when he was clearly out of place. Who was this man? No way he was a frat brother.
Was he looking at me? Don’t be silly, Isa. He was probably just scanning the full scene to see who would be the lucky girl to go home with him tonight.
I volunteer as tribute! I snickered to myself. Too bad this wasn’t a Hunger Games party.
A few girls stopped to check him out, not that I blamed them. He looked at the ground, and his hand reached into a rose bush where he plucked a single red bud. Wow, that was fast; he was probably already hitting on one of the girls inside. I felt like I was on one of those stupid Bachelor shows—hundreds of desperate women, one hot guy, and nothing to base any romantic connection on besides a fleeting first impression.
I finally drew the strength to turn away and wipe the drool from my face. One long gulp of my drink and I would be fine. But seconds later, a looming shadow appeared at my feet, and the intoxicating smell of cedar, vanilla, and cinnamon made me realize I wasn’t alone.
“Welcome aboard, Russian,” a deep voice said in a sexy drawl.
I looked up and the Hulk hovered above me—the bloom in one hand and a beer in the other.
Ay dios mío, he was breathtaking. Well, a mask covered his face, but his body was incredible. Incredible Hulk indeed. He could be the Hulk’s stunt double—no special effects needed.
I steadied my nerves and downed my drink. “That’s not Hulk’s line. Iron Man said that.”
He let out a laugh, or maybe it was a growl—the sound was muffled under that mask.
“Avengers fan? I’ve been searching for a Black Widow all night. Here, this is for you.” He handed me the rose.
My belly quivered, pleasantly surprised by the sweet gesture. The only time in my life I’d ever received flowers was after a big dance performance, and those were from my father.
“Thanks, that’s very sweet of you.” His tattoos were in focus now—the first one I could decipher was a huge USMC emblem on his right biceps. Whoa, a Marine—well, that explained his body. There was a quote in Latin, Semper Fidelis.
“Nice tattoo, Devil Dog. Always faithful?”
The Hulk sat next to me, his green skin shone in the moonlight. “Yes, ma’am. Do you speak Latin? Or have you dated a Marine?”
I definitely detected a deep Southern accent. “No, I’ve never dated a Marine. I know it’s the motto of the Marine Corps. My father is a Marine. Well, once a Marine, always a Marine; he retired before I was born.” And then he met my innocent mother. Young, beautiful, from a rural town in Mexico. But my father rarely talked about himself; he preferred to tell other people’s stories. “And no one speaks Latin. It’s a dead language.”
“I know that, Natasha Romanova. I was making a reference to Iron Man 2.”
“Yeah, I get it. My dad’s dragged me to all the movies. My name’s Isa. What’s yours?”
He paused. “Bruce Banner, but you can call me Hulk.”
This guy couldn’t even tell me his real name? Strike one. I immediately put up my guard. Probably another player, but with a body like that, who could blame him? His hand brushed against my thigh, and my core heated up. I couldn’t help but stare at his shorts as the huge bulge stared back at me. Looked like his chest wasn’t the only part of his body that was massive.
“Okay, Hulk. So what’s your job in the Marines?”
“I’m a grunt, ma’am.”
I loved the way he said ma’am. I was so used to SoCal surfers, frat boys, and Hollywood types that I was charmed by his politeness. I just hoped it wasn’t fake.
“Cool.”
“So you don’t hate military guys like most of the girls in San Diego?”
I wasn’t imagining a bitter edge to his voice. But it was refreshing that he didn’t seem to hold his opinions back. “No, I don’t. I actually admire any man who would risk his life for his country. Being in the military isn’t a job, it’s an honor.” Much more honorable than my former life in the spotlight, existing to please people, making money off my appearance, fakeness, dishonesty. I shuddered remembering the older pictures on my now defunct Instagram account. Thank God, I’d changed my path. Even if it hadn’t been by choice.
He leaned in closer to me and squeezed my hand. “I’m glad and, well, shocked you think that. It means a lot to me, thank you. How about you? Do you go to SDSU?”
“No. UCSD. But I want to apply here for grad school.” I studied Hulk’s body. He had a deep scar on his right shoulder, and even though it was covered in green makeup, I could tell that some of his skin was mottled and puckered.
Should I ask him about his obvious injuries? Would that be rude?
His strong hand covered mine; the strength of his grasp excited me. I imagined this man dominating me, a fantasy that I’d never had the pleasure of experiencing with the passive pretty boys I’d dated.
“Isa, you’re the most beautiful woman here. This party really isn’t my scene, and I’d like to get to know you better. Let’s get out of here.”
Before he could reply, a loud boom detonated nearby. A blinding flash of light streaked the sky, the shimmer of multicolored fireworks overhead.
Hulk instantly dropped the beer, glass shattering under us. Before I could react, he threw me to the ground and flung his frame on top of mine, his body shaking, a labored breath emanating from his mask.
What the hell? “Get off me!” I yelled, pounding his chest with my fists, shards from the bottle scraping my skin.
I suffered through a few seconds in silence, praying he would move, but he just clung to me like cling wrap. The pressure on my chest tightened, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t push him off. I writhed under him, my face pressed to his green chest.
Finally after what seemed like a few minutes, he rolled off of me and sat up, his hands shaking. Sweat beads adorned his chest. A crowd had now gathered around us, probably trying to make sure I wasn’t being raped. Had a firework gone off? Oh damn—was that some kind of war flashback? How insensitive was I?
“You okay, honey?” some girl asked, glaring at the blood on my costume.
“I’m fine.” I sat up, brushed myself off, and picked up the rose he’d given me, now crushed on the grass. Luckily the glass had given me only superficial cuts.
Hulk plowed through the crowd and ran off.
“Wait!” I screamed after him, but he was gone. I dashed out of the backyard, through the house, and onto the front lawn. Hulk stormed down the street.
“Hey, wait up!”
He didn’t turn his head, and I wasn’t even sure he heard me. He just kept on walking and made a right at the end of the block.
I should’ve let him go—he obviously wanted to be alone and had just had some sort of trigger—but I wanted to make sure he was okay.
I flicked off my heels, threw them and the rose into my purse, and ran down the street. I finally caught up to him as he was using his key to enter an apartment building.