“How old was he here?” I ask.
“Eight. Wasn’t he such a pretty boy?” Sasha says.
And we all burst out laughing.
Chapter 30
Vaughn
“You made such a pretty Tallulah,” Charly murmurs, sounding sleepy, her arm linked through mine, head resting against my shoulder, as we walk the short distance back to my house.
We’ve got Jester with us. He’s trotting on up ahead, sniffing every blade of grass possible. He was at the door, following us out when we were leaving, so I said to my mom that he could stay at mine. He wouldn’t leave Charly alone all night. He’s obsessed with her. As it turns out, I am, too.
And wasn’t that revelation earlier just a little shocker?
Since realizing how I felt about her, I kept sneaking looks at her all night to see if she looked different to me. But she just looks the same, and it makes me wonder if I’ve been in love with her all along.
“I thought we talked about this, Pins,” I say in a mock-annoyed voice. “What you saw in my parents’ living room stays in my parents’ living room.”
She giggles softly. “Sorry, West.”
“You’re forgiven. Just don’t do it again.” I kiss the top of her head, breathing in her raspberry and vanilla scent.
I don’t really care about the embarrassing story and photographs because I saw how much fun she had while hearing them and seeing the pictures. I loved making her laugh. I want to make her happy.
And, honestly, this is what I love about being home. Here, I’m just me. My sisters’ kid brother who they take the piss out of.
That’s why I made the decision to build my house here and keep Oregon as my permanent home. When you live in a place like LA, a place where people call you special, tell you that you’re a star, that you’re important, it’s easy to believe it. It’s easy to forget that you’re the same kid who dressed up as Tallulah and acted out Bugsy Malone with your older sisters. It’s easy to believe your own hype. It’s easy to forget who you really are in Hollywood.
And it’s not that I’m ungrateful for the opportunities that my profession affords me.
But the person I want to be is the person this place keeps me being.
I have a great family who treats me the same as they always have. They are the reason my feet stay firmly on the ground, where they belong.
And, despite the shit I endured a few months ago, I’ve always thought of myself as a happy guy. But I didn’t know happiness until I met Charly.
And I’ve never been more myself than I am with her.
We reach my house, and I let us in. Jester shouldn’t need to pee. He took about twenty pisses on our way over here.
Charly kicks her flip-flops off. “Mind if I go straight up?” she asks. “I’m super tired after all that food.”
“Yeah, sure, babe. I’ll just get Jester settled for the night, and I’ll be up.”
She starts up the stairs, and Jester follows her.
“Jester,” I call after him.
He stops on the stairs.
“Back down here, buddy. You know the rules.”
“Sorry, Jester,” Charly says to him. “Not my house, not my rules. But, if it were my house, I’d totally let you upstairs.”
“You’re not helping,” I tell her.
She smiles at me and then crouches down on the stairs. “Night, Jester. See you in the morning, cutie.” She kisses the top of his head and then gets to her feet, turns, and goes upstairs.
Jester sighs and then comes back down. I swear to God, he gives me a dirty look.
Jester trots into the living room, hopping up onto the sofa.
“Don’t make yourself comfy there either. You’re in the kitchen,” I tell him as I head into the kitchen, through to the utility room to get out his bed and water bowl that I keep here for him.
I set them up for him and go back into the living room to get him. “Jester,” I call.
No sign of him.
I instantly know where he is.
“Little shit,” I mutter to myself. I jog upstairs and walk into my bedroom, stopping in the doorway.
Charly is passed out on my bed, fast asleep. She didn’t even get undressed. And Jester, the sneaky little bastard, is snuggled up beside her, his head on her shoulder.
Honestly, in this moment, I wish I had my cell phone, so I could take a picture.
“You,” I whisper, pointing at Jester, “downstairs.”
Fucking dog just ignores me.
I go over to pick him up, and Charly rouses.
“Can he stay?” she mumbles sleepily, hugging Jester to her.
I stare down at Jester, giving him the evil eye. He just smugly stares back.
“Sure thing, Pins. But let’s get you undressed.”
I lift her dress up her body, and she moves, helping me get it over her head. Jester grumbles because he has to move. I actually chuckle at the cheek of the dog.
My cock hardens at the sight of her in just her pale pink lacy underwear, but it looks like he’s not getting any action tonight.
“Where are your pajamas?” I ask her.
“Bag,” she mumbles.
I dig out a pair of shorts and a tank that she’s worn to bed before. I slip the shorts up her legs, and she lifts her butt, helping me get them on her. Then, I lift her head, slipping the tank over her.
“Bra,” she says. Then, she lazily undoes it and pulls it off, giving me a great view of her fantastic tits, making my dick painfully harder.
I’m considering tugging one out when I go in the bathroom.
I help her slip her arms through the armholes, and she’s done.
I pull the duvet down from underneath her and cover her. Jester is just about to get in with her.
“You. Floor.” I point in the direction of the floor.
Jester stares at me and then slowly gets off the bed, lying down on the floor at Charly’s side of the bed. He lets out a loud sigh.
“Fucking dog.” I chuckle to myself, hitting the light, plunging us into darkness.
I make a quick trip to the bathroom, take a piss, brush my teeth, and then come back into the bedroom. I strip my clothes off, leaving just my boxers on, and I climb into bed.
I reach over for Charly to pull her into my arms, and instead, I get a furry dog.
“For fuck’s sake, Jester,” I grumble.
“Sorry,” Charly mumbles sleepily. “He got in when you were in the bathroom. Shall I move him?”
“No, it’s fine, babe.” I throw daggers at Jester in the dark, realizing I’m not winning this battle tonight.
I’ve been edged out by a fucking dog.
I lean over and press a soft kiss to her lips. “Night, babe.”
“Mmhmm. Love you,” she mumbles.
I freeze.
She loves me.
My heart starts to pound in my chest.
Does she realize what she just said?
Even still, I can’t resist saying it back, testing it out loud. I guess I’ll know if she means it when I tell her that I love her, too. That I’m crazy about her. She’s all I think about. She’s all I want.
From the minute I saw her dancing around, twerking her cute ass like she was Nicki Minaj, I knew she was going to be different. I just didn’t know how different.
Now, she’s everything.
I brush my fingers over her forehead, sweeping her hair back, my heart beating so fast, as I whisper, “I love you, too, Pins.”
I wait a second, but she doesn’t respond, and when she starts to snore softly, I know she’s asleep.
The disappointment I feel is surprising. But I guess this just wasn’t meant to be the moment to say how we feel.
I’ll tell Charly how I feel about her when the right moment arises. And I pray to God I won’t scare her away. Hopefully, she really does feel the same way I do, and she’s not just speaking meaningless words in her sleep.
Chapter 31
Charly
I
had this dream last night where I told Vaughn I loved him.
Thank God it was just a dream; otherwise, that would have been embarrassing.
But I do love him. I’m crazy in love with him.
It’s just not the time to be telling him. Especially when he doesn’t know everything about me.
He’s taking me to a place called Crater Lake today. He said it was this really huge lake that came from a volcano that had collapsed thousands of years ago. He said it was a really beautiful place. I’m looking forward to seeing it. We’ve packed up a picnic with some of the food that Vaughn’s mom had stocked his fridge and cupboards up with.
We’re dropping Jester back at his mom and dad’s. I think Vaughn’s had enough of Jester monopolizing my time. I think he’s feeling a little jealous and left out, which is seriously cute. Also, it’s an hour’s drive there, so Jester might get bored in the car for that length of time.
Vaughn also wants to check if his mom needs us to do anything for the wedding before we head out. I can’t believe the wedding is only hours away. I bet Sasha is getting so excited.
I can’t wait to see the look on Greg’s face when he sees Sasha in her dress. She looks stunning in it.
Vaughn puts the picnic basket along with a picnic blanket in the backseat. I sit in the front with Jester on my lap.
I’m dressed sensibly today. Well, as sensible as I can. I didn’t bring any sneakers with me, not that I have any, so I’m wearing my flip-flops, knowing that we’ll be walking a bit. And I’m wearing jean shorts and a tank, as it’s really warm today. I’ve put on sunscreen as well, as I don’t want to burn. Vaughn is wearing khaki shorts, a tank, and sneakers. He looks hot, like usual. He’s also wearing his ball cap, and he has sunglasses on.
I tug his cap off and put it on my head. “You worried about people recognizing you when we’re out?” I ask him, referring to the cap. I know he wears it as a disguise of sorts.
“We shouldn’t run into anyone. It’s a big place, and I’m taking you to one of the quieter areas, but you never know.” He shrugs, putting the car in drive.
I can’t imagine how it is for him, always having to worry about being recognized.
We stop at Vaughn’s parents’ house. I get out, carrying Jester in my arms.
“He can walk, you know,” Vaughn teases as we head over to the house.
“I know, but he’s so cute, like a little baby.” I snuggle Jester and get a lick on my face in return.
I wish I could have a dog. But it’s not feasible, as I travel a lot for work, and even though Nick is always home, it’d be stuck inside while he was at work all day. That, and we live in a small apartment, which isn’t really practical for a dog.
“It’s us,” Vaughn calls as he walks through the front door.
Is it silly that I get all glowy when I hear him say that? Us. I’ve never been part of an us before. Except with Nick, but that’s different.
“Hey.” His mom comes out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a dish towel. “Has he been okay?” She gestures to Jester.
“No trouble at all.” I smile at her.
“Except for hogging the fucking bed all night.”
“Ignore Vaughn.” I shake my head. “He’s been a little gem.”
“Maybe for you,” he grumbles. “Jester thinks the sun shines out of your ass.”
“You saying it doesn’t?” I tease, checking my behind.
Vaughn’s mom chuckles and takes Jester from my arms.
“We’re just heading up to Crater Lake.”
“Have you ever been, Charly?” she asks me.
“No.” I shake my head.
“You’ll love it. Such a pretty place. Do you need any food to take with you?” she asks.
“No, we’re good. We packed a picnic. Before we go, I just wanted to check if there’s anything you need us to do or to pick up before the wedding?”
“Nope. All taken care of,” she tells us. “Go have fun.”
“Okay. We’ll see you later.” He kisses the side of her head.
“Bye,” I say. “Bye, Jester.”
I wave at him, and he whines and wriggles in Vaughn’s mom’s arms. I feel mean, leaving him behind.
I follow Vaughn out the door.
“That dog fucking loves you,” he says as we walk over to his car.
“I’m very lovable.” I give a comedic flick of my hair, sashaying my hips as I walk.
“That, you are,” he says. There’s something different in his voice. He doesn’t sound as light as he did a second ago.
I glance at him, but whatever expression he was wearing is gone, and his face is schooled. “And, of course, you have a hot ass,” he adds with a grin.
“That the sun shines out of,” I remind him.
“Yeah, we should check that out later.”
“The sun shining out of my ass?”
“Mmhmm. For scientific purposes, of course.” His hand finds his way to my butt, giving it a squeeze.
“Scientific purposes? Sure, West.” I laugh. “Well, check away, buddy, but there’ll be no sticking of anything in my sun-shining ass.”
“Spoilsport.” He sighs dramatically, making me laugh again.
We both climb in the car and buckle up.
“You want some music on?” he asks me when he fires up the engine.
“What have you got?”
“There are some CDs in the glove box,” he tells me as he puts the car in drive.
I open it up and pull out a CD case. I start flicking through it. “I didn’t know you liked Nirvana,” I say, coming across Nevermind in his CDs.
“The question should be, who doesn’t like Nirvana?”
“Right?” I smile. “Nick doesn’t like their music.”
“And you’re friends with him why?” He takes his eyes off the road for a second to look at me, giving a teasing smile.
My stomach fills with warmth. I love that we both love Nirvana.
“It was a bone of contention in the beginning of our friendship, but because he understood my love of clothes, I decided to overlook it.” I twist in my seat, bringing my knees up, so I can look at him. “Which is your favorite song?”
“‘Lithium,’” he states. “Yours?”
“I’m always torn between ‘Come As You Are’ and ‘Heart-Shaped Box.’”
“Both are great,” he says.
“What do you think of the Foo Fighters?”
“That they’re life.”
I smile, agreeing. “Dave Grohl’s kinda hot, too,” I admit.
“Nah, he’s not my type.” He glances at me, smiling. “I like ’em cute and blonde. Oh, yeah, and female.”
“With pink and lilac highlights.”
“Of course.” He reaches over and tugs on a lock of my hair. “There should be a couple of Foo Fighters albums in there as well,” he tells me.
“We’ll listen to them on the way back. I kinda want to listen to Nirvana now.” I pull the CD from the case and insert it into the CD player. I put the case back in the glove box just as “Smells Like Teen Spirit” starts to play.
I relax back in my seat and reach over to rest my hand on Vaughn’s thigh, squeezing it. He takes ahold of my hand, linking our fingers together, and he doesn’t let go for the rest of the journey.
Chapter 32
Charly
Vaughn pulls into a parking lot. There are hardly any cars here. He parks the farthest away from the other cars and turns the engine off.
He takes his hat from my head and pulls it on. “Come on, gorgeous,” he says to me.
We climb out of the car. He gets the picnic basket and blanket from the backseat.
I meet him around the back of the car. I take the blanket from him, leaving him with the picnic basket.
Taking my hand, Vaughn leads me off, and we start to walk up the road together.
“We’ll take one of the trails up to the picnic area,” he tells me.
“Cool.”
We venture off
the main road and onto one of the trails, which gives me a view of the lake.
“Holy shit.” I come to a stop, tugging on his arm.
“Amazing, right?”
“It’s stunning.” And it is. It’s a beautiful huge hole in the earth filled with the bluest water I’ve ever seen. The forestry surrounding it is spectacular.
“Come on.” He tugs on my arm. “You’ll be able to get a better view when we get to the picnic spot. It’s just a little further up.”
We walk for a little while longer and then come to a clearing. He wasn’t kidding; the view is spectacular.
“I have to take a picture.” I go to my pocket to get my phone, and then I realize it’s still in the trunk of Vaughn’s car.
Weird that I haven’t felt the urge to use it until now.
“Crap, it’s still in your car,” I tell him.
“Do you want me to go get it?”
“No, it’s fine. Don’t worry.”
I set the blanket out on the grass, and Vaughn puts the basket on it.
I step a little closer to the edge. “What’s that in the middle? An island?” I ask him.
He comes up behind me and slides his hands around my waist. “That’s Wizard Island. And that tiny one over there…” He points a finger, and my eyes follow the direction.
“Where?” I squint.
“Right over there.” He gestures with his finger again.
My eyes pick up on something, but it’s not very clear. “I can just about see it,” I tell him.
“That’s Phantom Ship.”
“Sounds spooky,” I say.
Then, I make a ghost noise, and he chuckles. I feel it rumble against my back.
“Why’s it called that?” I ask.
“Because people say it resembles a ghost ship.”
I slide my hands over his, linking our fingers, and lean my head back onto his shoulder. I turn my face to him and press a kiss to his neck.
“Are you happy?” he asks me, staring down into my eyes.
“Very. Are you?”
“I’ve got the hottest girl in the world in my arms, and her ass is currently pressed up against my cock. I’d say I’m extremely happy.”
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