Shatter

by Rachel Van Dyken

  But that was all before she actually met Angelica. I believe her words were, “What the hell were you thinking?”

  My answer was always the same. “I was high.”

  Seriously. A guy would have to be either high or stupid to sleep with that bitch.

  “Doesn’t mean you didn’t want it.” Angelica leaned forward, her boobs literally begging to be released from her dress. It was like they were holding up signs that said save me, save me!

  “Um.” I averted my eyes and pointed. “You’re about to lose the natives, and I don’t want to get puke on the carpet.”

  She stuffed her boobs further into her dress. Poor dress. Poor boobs. Poor me. Where the hell was Jaymeson?

  Within seconds he was bounding down the stairs. “Alright, this is as good as it gets.” He did a quick turn in front of us and held out his hand to Angelica.

  “Nice.” He was sporting nice jeans and a long shirt with a blazer. At least he was covered up, whereas his little arm candy was going to get dollar bills thrown at her all night. Guess that was normal for her kind anyways.

  “Where are Nat and Alec?” Jaymeson asked looking at his watch. “We have to be there in ten minutes.”

  I sent a quick text to Alec.

  MEET US THERE? OR U WANT US 2 WAIT?

  He answered back right away.

  MEET U THERE.

  “Well, let’s get this show on the road!” I jumped from my seat and walked out the door. Since Alec had taken his SUV it meant I had to drive, which also meant that air was going to be in limited supply in the car ride over. I didn’t want to catch anything that girl had.

  Jaymeson opened the back door for Angelica. She scooted over but he slammed it right away and took the front seat.

  “Hey!” She smacked the seat with her talons, I mean hands. “What the hell, Jaymeson? We’re supposed to be happily dating!”

  “And if you want it to stay that way. I suggest you stop complaining.” He winked in the rearview mirror and put on his seatbelt. “Plus Brits have this thing about… umm.” He looked to me for help.

  I rolled my eyes. “Backseats. They hate backseats.”

  “Huh?” Angelica leaned forward. If she didn’t stop breathing down my neck I was going to run my car into a building. This time on purpose.

  “Backseats,” I repeated. “They hate backseats because…” I cleared my throat and glared at Jaymeson.

  “It’s not Brits.” He shook his head solemnly. “It’s just me. I’m scared of backseats. I can’t sit in them.”

  “Fine. I’ll go for it. Why the hell are you afraid of backseats?”

  “Sex.” Jaymeson’s lower lip trembled. “Bad experience in the backseat of a girl’s car when I was twelve—” I nudged him. “I mean sixteen.”

  I nodded.

  “Bloody awful experience. She said I wasn’t doing it right and then I just freaked. I couldn’t perform and she made fun of me. There was lots of pointing and laughing and… well, I’ve been scared ever since that if I sit in a backseat, I’ll not be able to have sex ever again.”

  “I’m really sorry, man.” I choked on my laughter and patted his shoulder. “That must be hard for you. Is that why you’re such a man-whore?”

  He nodded and wiped a fake tear. “I just worry that one day I won’t be able to… you know? It’s the nightmares that are the worst. The nights are the hardest.”

  “I bet they are,” Angelica murmured.

  I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I burst out laughing. Jaymeson glared and then joined in.

  “I seriously hate you guys,” was Angelica’s heated reply.

  “I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to us,” I retorted. “Now stop, and let the parents talk.”

  “Ugh!” She punched our backseats. “Why the hell did I agree to do this show anyways?”

  “Money,” Jaymeson answered just as I said, “To torture humanity?”

  The car fell silent.

  Had we finally pushed her too far?

  “You just wait,” she said in a very chilling voice. “In a few weeks you won’t know what hit any of you. Hell, you have no idea now. And I’m just biding my time.”

  “Until the world ends?”

  “Nope.” She laughed. “Until I come out on top.”

  “You mean you’re always on bottom? Lazy American.” Jaymeson shook his head in the rearview mirror and winked at her.

  “I’m not even going to answer that. Just know, Jaymeson, your time is almost up too. And I can’t wait to see the look on your face when you find out the truth.”

  I slammed on the brakes. “He’s adopted!”

  “Laugh it up now,” Angelica hissed. “Laugh it up now.”

  Chapter Nine

  Alec

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Nat asked, feeling my forehead for the fiftieth time that afternoon.

  I hadn’t been able to bring myself to eat, so I told her I thought I was possibly coming down with something. Just more lies on top of more lies on top of more lies. Damn.

  We had spent our free hours watching movies in the room. I didn’t have to pretend to keep throwing up. Each time she asked me if I was okay I felt sicker. And then she started giving me a massage to feel better, which only made it worse. I finally resorted to pretending to sleep the last hour so I could push away the crappy feeling.

  I had woken up to Demetri’s text and felt even more like a failure. Could I do nothing right these days?

  I nodded and continued the short drive to the new restaurant opening just outside Seaside. “It’s probably just stress.”

  Nat’s eyes narrowed. “Alec, no offense, but you’ve dealt with way more stress than a stupid TV show before.”

  “Right.” I swallowed the dryness in my throat. “But I didn’t have you. And I can’t—” My voice cracked. I cleared my throat. “I can’t lose you.” And that was the God-honest truth. The crux of the matter. I was so afraid that if I lost her, I’d lose me. Wow, didn’t realize I was that incredibly selfish.

  “You won’t.” She rolled her eyes. “Geez, you’re almost as emotional as Demetri these days.”

  “Ha ha.” Shit. Even my laugh was fake.

  Cameras flashed as we pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. Nat was used to this part by now. Jump out of the car, make nice with the mean photographers, smile, wave, and say no comment.

  I jumped out with her and put a protective arm around her shoulders as I led her quickly into the restaurant.

  “Alec! Alec! Are rumors of your split true? Are you hooking up with Angelica Greene?”

  My jaw clenched. Nat just laughed, she knew how much I hated Angelica. She just didn’t know how deep that hate went.

  “Why hook up with Angelica when I have this?” I pulled Nat as close to me as possible and kissed her head.

  She looked up at me adoringly and smiled.

  The restaurant was decked out in true Seaside fashion. Huge bay windows lined one half of the restaurant. A bar sat in the middle with hanging glass and seashells.

  The lights flickered everywhere giving it a glittery feeling. People were around smiling for the cameras and drinking champagne.

  “Alec, Nat, over here!” A camera flashed just as I reached Demetri and pulled him into a hug.

  “I’m going to use the bathroom,” Nat whispered in my ear. “I’ll be back.”

  I nodded and watched the sway of her hips as she walked away.

  Suddenly a demon in the shape of a ridiculously dressed stripper stood in front of me. “She’s nice. Too bad you’re going to break her heart.”

  I scowled and grabbed a glass of champagne. “What the hell do you want, Angelica?”

  Weaving through the crowds, I waited until we reached the bay windows before turning and glaring at her.

  Angelica downed her glass as I finished mine. She reached for two new glasses and handed me one. I took it begrudgingly and waited. “Well?”

  “Come on, Alec. Be reasonable.”
Her hand moved to my cheek as her fingers touched my lips. I tried to jerk away, but it was like I was frozen in terror. “She doesn’t belong in this world. Our world.”

  I smirked. “Neither do prostitutes, yet here you are.”

  “Funny. Sounds like you’ve been hanging out with Demetri too much. Your jokes are just as bad as his.”

  “Are we done?” My eyes began scanning the room for Nat.

  “Never.” Angelica snapped gaining my attention once again. “We won’t be done. Not now, not until I say we’re done. And you and I have some business to deal with, don’t we?”

  “I wouldn’t sleep with you then, what makes you think I’m going to sleep with you now? What makes you think I’m going to throw my entire life out the window? You want money? I’ll give you money. You want people to love you? Fine. I’ll help make you loveable. But that’s it. Why can’t you just drop it? What do you have to gain by ruining my life?”

  Angelica shrugged. Her glossy black hair may as well have been Medusa’s snakes. The woman was pure evil. “Never scorn a woman, Alec. That’s your first lesson.”

  “And my second?”

  She leaned in. Her body nearly touching mine as her lips grazed my ear. “You should be more careful whose hotel room you go into… as well as who may see you leave it.”

  I swear I almost broke the champagne flute as I clenched my fists and told myself it wasn’t right to hit a chick, even though I had my doubts about Angelica. She was possessed. It was the only explanation.

  “Remember the timeline, Alec. You’ve got until the end of filming until I break my silence. Especially considering you’ve turned down the last offer. Not that it would have worked anyway.”

  I swore and drank the rest of my champagne. The party went on around me, but everything seemed hollow — dead.

  “You know I can’t say a damn thing.” I licked my lips. “I promised her I’d protect her. I gave her my word that if the media caught wind, I’d keep my silence and let it play out. If I tell the truth then it will ruin her, it will ruin him, I can’t do that.”

  “That’s too bad.” Angelica’s bottom lip went into a pout. “Because when I go with my story, you better believe it’s going to look bad. Alec Daniels, golden boy no more. Tsk, Tsk, your own brother won’t want to be within ten states of you. You know, since you royally screwed him.”

  “So that’s it?” I smirked. “You just ruin my life?”

  Angelica’s eyes turned dark. “Yes. Just like you ruined mine.”

  “You can’t blame me for your mistakes,” I countered.

  “If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have stumbled into that hallway. I wouldn’t have been caught—” She poked me in the chest. “I wouldn’t have been locked out of my room. I wouldn’t have passed out in the damn hallway, and I wouldn’t have missed the morning flight for the biggest movie role of my life. They fired me, Alec. Fired me. It was the last straw, according to producers. So yeah. I do blame you. You ruined me, all because you said no. And now I’m going to give you hell until it’s fixed.”

  “Three million.” I almost choked on the words as they flew out of my mouth. “Invest in a better publicist, get the right wardrobe, and I’ll get you on the phone with the best casting agent in L.A. You’ll be filming by the end of the month.”

  “Tempting.” Angelica winked. “But I like my way better. After all, he’s promised me the lead in the next three movies regardless of what happens. You go to the media and he’s happy. Everyone knows what a whore his wife was, and he gets his production company back because she cheated. I go to the media and the story’s the same. So basically…” She tapped her long fingernails against her chin. “Yeah, basically I win. Have a good night, Alec.”

  I grabbed her arm. “You’d sell your soul for the lead in a movie? You’d ruin countless lives — for your career?”

  “I’d kill for my career.” Angelica jerked her arm free. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that though.”

  “You’ve lost your damn mind.”

  “Oh, but Alec…” She sneered. “At least I’m pretty and my fans like me. At least they’ll like me more once they know the truth… in a few weeks, you’re going to be knocking down my door for a favor.”

  Chapter Ten

  Demetri

  “Why’s the devil talking to Alec?” Nat asked as she leaned against my shoulder. We’d both been watching the tense exchange for the past five minutes.

  “Beats me.” I wrapped my arm around her and sighed. “But I’ve got a theory, want to hear it?”

  “Always.” She grinned, a waiter passed. I grabbed a bottled water and handed her a glass of champagne, knowing it was one of her favorite things in the world. Alec was seriously spoiling the girl. She probably had no idea how much Cristal cost.

  She hesitated at first then took a small sip. “So the theory?”

  “Ah, yes.” I took a swig of water. “It’s quite simple. She’s the Anti-Christ.”

  Nat sighed. “So many things make sense now. Wow, you’re brilliant.”

  “I know.”

  Angelica leaned into Alec, he didn’t move a muscle but his hand was flexed so tight around his champagne glass I was surprised it didn’t explode into a million tiny pieces.

  A few minutes later she was walking toward us. “May-day.” I looked to Nat for help. “Abandon ship, abandon ship.” Seriously why weren’t my feet moving? See? Just like I said. Theory proved. Anti-Christ.

  Nat patted me on the back and made a bee-line for Alec. Little traitor. “You’ll pay for your sins!” I yelled after her as cameras went off. Great. Now the papers were going to say I found religion and was preaching to Nat.

  Sigh.

  “What brings you over to my side of the room?” I asked once Angelica regained her seat where the rest of the crew was sitting. “Bored with my brother and me so soon? Moving on to Jaymeson for real now? Let me see if I can grab him. Hold on…” I whistled and yelled Jaymeson’s name.

  Girls were draped all over him. Geez, hope the guy at least knew their names. “What? I’m busy!” He smirked as a girl kissed his neck.

  I missed Alyssa.

  “Looks like it’s just you and me,” Angelica said in a sing-song voice that made me want to run headfirst through the large bay windows. If I didn’t lose blood from the glass piercing my skin, at least I could look forward to the thirty-foot fall.

  “So, it’s weird that Nat doesn’t know, right?” Angelica said after a few minutes of awkward silence where she was drinking like a fish, and I was trying to kill her with my mind.

  “Know?”

  “Yeah, about Alec.”

  “Come again?” I tried not to sound interested, but I was a bit confused, not gonna lie.

  “You know… when he left Seaside for a few days last fall.”

  “Huh?”

  Angelica tilted her head, and then placed her hand on mine. “You really don’t know, do you? And I thought you guys were super close. I mean, think of all you’ve been through. It’s a shame he’s not even man enough to tell you the truth about his naughty little past.”

  “Yeah.” I pushed her hand away from mine and poured my bottled water over it just in case I caught an STD from her, not that I should pass judgment but still. “I’m going to call your bluff.”

  “Call it all you want. But you should ask him. It was right when you guys moved here. I think it was after the first two weeks of school. He went to L.A. for a movie premiere. Another one of Jaymeson’s I think… I mean, I would know. I was there.”

  “And Alec was there,” I said trying to make sense of everything she was saying.

  “Yup… he was in really bad shape, something about being in love with a girl that chose you over him? I don’t know. I’m guessing it was Nat, but whatever. If he really loved her he wouldn’t have messed up so bad, right?”

  “Right.” My mind reeled and I felt like I had left my body and was now replaying everything that had happened over the past year a
nd over the past few days. Was that why Alec was acting so weird? Had he slept with Angelica or something? Shit. Been there done that. I mean, that’s all kinds of screwed up, but hell, Nat wouldn’t flip. It wasn’t as if they were dating then.

  “So… just to clarify… you slept with Alec?” I whispered.

  “No…” Angelica got up from her seat and leaned in to whisper. “I didn’t… but you should ask him who he did spend the night with.”

  Just like that she was gone. And I was left staring into space. Shit, I wanted to finish her champagne more than breathe. I quickly got up from my seat and approached Nat and Alec. They were sitting in one of the booths laughing and whispering.

  Yuck. Seriously. From here on out if Alyssa abandons me, I’m going to put her in handcuffs and throw away the key.

  On second thought… handcuffs…

  “Dude.” Alec waved in front of my face. “Why are you looking at the ocean like it makes you horny?”

  I shook my head as I felt my face flush red with embarrassment. “Handcuffs, idea… you don’t want to know.” I waved my hand flippantly into the air. “Anyway, Nat, can I steal your favorite Daniels away for a few minutes?”

  “Aw, Demetri, you know I don’t pick favorites.” She winked.

  “Right.” I rolled my eyes. “Oh wait… you did pick. I lost. P.S. Thanks for reminding me, especially considering I kept rehearsing my own death since you left me with Satan.”

  “Angelica?” Alec guessed.

  “Anti-Christ.” Nat nodded. “Demetri can explain. I’m going to step outside and get some fresh air. I don’t feel very well. Alec probably passed me some of the bug he had today.”

  She waved and walked through the crowds to the door.

  I waited until she went outside then turned to Alec and crossed my arms. “Spill.”

  “Spill what?” He reached for another glass of champagne, but I grabbed his hand midair and smacked it away.

  “Stop avoiding. Just tell me. We’re brothers, we can deal with it. I mean, we’ve dealt with some pretty serious shit. Right?”