On the Outside (Caught Inside #3)

by S. Briones Lim

  Can’t have any more weirdness, can I? I’d hate for the media to get wind of a Harper Montgomery Now Insane headline.

  I forced a smile. “No, I wasn’t talking to you. Have a nice day.”

  “Whatever.”

  Shaking my head, I retreated into my car, ready to get the hell off of the beach and back home.

  Chapter 17

  Seriously, why was time such a bitch? I spent all day pacing around, trying to ignore the nervousness bubbling in my stomach. By the time evening came I was more than ready to meet with them, having already changed my outfit three times. Finally deciding on a simple combination of jeans, a long sleeved black shirt, and boots, I headed out the door before I could change my mind about my outfit one last time, though I knew I’d be hella early.

  “You will arrive at your destination in twenty-five minutes.”

  I sat in my car and cringed at the GPS. “Twenty-five minutes? I didn’t think I’d be that early!”

  I was about ready to jump out of my car and head back home when I realized something—being early was better than fidgeting in my apartment, albeit not by much. Picking the lesser of two evils, I placed the car in reverse and found myself halfway regretting that I’d turned down Xavier’s invitation to catch a ride with him and his sister. Given that our history of small talk wasn’t a good one—not to mention not knowing whether his sister was anything like him—I decided to forego the risk of an awkward car ride in the middle of California traffic. Who knew whether our dinner was going to include minutes of uncomfortable silence as it was.

  Speaking of California traffic, there was actually none at all! It was a miracle, and not one that I wanted. I arrived a full ten minutes ahead of the GPS prediction, which made me a full hour early for our dinner.

  “Well, you can down a glass or two of wine inside. It might actually calm you down a bit,” I mumbled to myself as I handed my keys to the valet. After garnering another weird look from the young man, I snapped, “Yeah, I talk to myself. So what? Don’t Californians ever do so?”

  The valet held up his hands in mock surrender and jumped into my car, driving off before I could get in another word.

  “Take that! Good job, Harper. Why thanks, good on you too, Harper.” Deciding that the boy at the beach had good reason to think I was the oddest one of the bunch, I quickly shut my mouth and headed inside.

  The restaurant Xavier picked was beautiful! With its chandeliers, crystal vases, and candelabras, the restaurant was a bit classier than I would have expected from him.

  Maybe you don’t even know him at all.

  Charlie’s words echoed through my mind, further adding to my nervousness. It was so unlike me to feel so insecure about meeting someone new, and the fact that his sister could affect me this much really surprised me.

  I rubbed at my forehead and sighed. “What the hell is wrong with me?”

  Sulking slightly, I made myself comfortable at a back table and took out my phone as a distraction. To my surprise, it seemed Xavier was running a bit early too.

  Xavier: You wouldn’t be able to come earlier, would you? We’re actually pulling up to the restaurant right now.

  My heart skipped a beat as I read Xavier’s text. As middle school as it sounds, I couldn’t help but feel giddy. But hey, I’d take giddiness over vomit inducing nerves any day.

  With a stupid smile on my face, I typed:

  Me: I’m already inside. Saved a table toward the back.

  “Being fashionably late is for suckers anyway.” I snickered, throwing my phone into my purse. I rolled my neck from side to side, relaxing my stiff muscles. Finally feeling more comfortable, I nodded my head and let out a slow breath. “This will be good. This is good. I’m putting myself out there, and if I make a good impression, maybe Xavier won’t just think of me as another job.”

  What are you talking about, Harper? He wouldn’t have invited you if he didn’t think of you as a friend at least.

  “At least…” I mumbled.

  A cold breeze worked its way through the restaurant, shocking me as a shiver ran up and down my spine. I shuddered and rubbed at the goose bumps that tickled my arm. Besides the fact that I was inside a restaurant, it was summer and there was no explanation for cool wind.

  “Maybe it was a ghost or…”

  A bad omen.

  “Shut up, Harper. You’ve dealt with the worst already. The karma gods have to be looking out for you now. Besides, what bad can happen to you here?”

  His sister might hate you.

  “Shut up,” I grumbled, flipping through a gigantic sized leather menu to distract myself.

  “I see her. She’s over there.” The sound of Xavier’s voice brought me back to earth. It’s hard to explain, but somehow his baritone sent soothing waves through my body, instantly calming me.

  Not wanting to be rude, I rose to my feet and plastered a huge smile on my face. From where I stood I couldn’t see his sister behind the tall wooden booths, but figuring she was close by, my heart continued its pounding beat.

  All of a sudden I spotted a head of brown bouncing beside Xavier’s monstrous figure. At six-foot-two, he towered over my five-eight stature, but his sister was so tiny. She couldn’t have been more than a little over five feet!

  The siblings rounded a corner booth and before long I finally caught a look at the infamous woman. It was hard not to see that the two were related. They both had the same big brown eyes, oval shaped face, and sharp features. Their parents must have been really attractive, because together the brother and sister commanded the attention of the entire room.

  Xavier spotted me and lifted his hand up to wave. His smile wavered a bit when his sister stopped in her tracks.

  “What’s wrong?” I heard him ask.

  The woman looked at me—no glared at me with a ferocity I had never seen before. Frowning, I glanced behind me to make sure she wasn’t looking at someone else—anybody else. When I turned back around she had turned beet red and was shaking uncontrollably.

  “What’s wrong?” Xavier repeated in a firmer tone. His thick eyebrows furrowed as he reached out to touch his sister, who merely slapped him away in annoyance.

  Well, if this isn’t the worst case scenario then I don’t know what is.

  Gulping, I mustered enough courage to walk forward and extend my hand. “Hi, I’m—”

  “Fucking Harper!” she screamed before launching herself at me.

  Okay, I take that back. This was definitely the worst that it could be. Shocked, I found myself on the floor before I could even blink.

  Chapter 18

  “What the fuck are you doing?” Xavier’s voice boomed.

  Gasps and even a scream sounded through the restaurant as shocked onlookers jumped to their feet. Wincing as I heard the telltale sound of breaking glass, I couldn’t help but think, Great. There goes my anonymity.

  The petite woman’s weight was lifted off my body and I immediately scrambled to my feet. My chest heaved up and down, mirroring my pounding heart. I took an involuntary step back when the woman began thrashing against Xavier’s arm, which flexed around her tiny waist. He held her against his body, making her look like a young child throwing a tantrum.

  “What is your problem? How old are you now?” he demanded. “Why are you attacking her? You know how I feel about her.”

  I was too freaked out to even comprehend his words, though looking back I shouldn’t have taken them so lightly.

  “Don’t you know who that is?” Her voice sounded high pitched and squeaky. Almost like a cartoon mouse or a little girl who had sucked on helium.

  “Yes, she’s the actress I told you about. You know, the one I asked you advice on…” His voice trailed off. The skin around his clavicle reddened, looking splotchy and painful to the touch.

  “You told me you were teaching someone to surf. You didn’t tell me her name, you didn’t tell me you were working with an actress, and you didn’t tell me it was her!”

  The
way she talked about me made me feel even tinier than all the tabloid rumors about me combined. I shifted uncomfortably, feeling the familiar twinges of self-pity and sadness all over again.

  I shook my head.

  No.

  I would not let anybody make me feel worthless again. Especially someone I didn’t know.

  FLASH.

  “Why wouldn’t someone take a photo of this?” I muttered. Shaking my head, I lifted my chin, allowing the earlier feelings of anxiety to melt away. After being attacked, nervousness was the least of my problems. I peered at the woman I had once sought to impress and sneered. “If this is about those rumors in the tabloids, you’ve got to let it go, hun. I didn’t do anything to you.”

  My voice was cool and calculated. For once I was going to look like the mature one. I was quite proud of myself and hoped that the tabloids got a hold of this.

  Her eyes narrowed into two tiny slits. The way she scrutinized me reminded me of a snake getting ready to bite.

  Xavier groaned in frustration. “Kacy, what is your deal?”

  The blood immediately drained from my face. “Kacy?”

  The little chipmunk voice piped up. “You did something to me the moment you slept with my best friend’s ex!”

  Xavier’s hold on her immediately loosened. Kacy’s face looked triumphant, and judging by the way she rose onto the balls of her feet, I was certain she was prepping for a flying leap. To my relief, the manager of the restaurant chose that moment to show up and grab Kacy’s twiggy arm.

  “Hey!” she gasped. “Let go of me!”

  “Ma’am, if you don’t leave now I’ll have to call the police.”

  I felt a glimmer of hope rise in my chest. Maybe I wasn’t about to get my ass beat after all. Sure, she was a lot tinier than me, but judging by her toned arms she had a great deal of upper body strength.

  She’s probably a surfer too.

  “Then call the cops!” she snapped angrily.

  Xavier and I gasped in unison.

  “Kacy,” he warned. “Do you think Miles would appreciate bailing his wife out of prison?”

  She rolled her eyes and pulled her arm away from the manager’s grip. “Fine. I’ll leave.” Her head whipped around and once again I was met with her glare. “You—meet me outside.”

  My lip trembling, I shook my head. “Why do you think I’d agree to that?”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “Suit yourself, but either way you will be talking to me. If you want to live in fear about when that’ll be, then go ahead and run away right now. However, if you want to get the inevitable over with, meet me in the parking lot.”

  “Are you threatening me?” I let out a shrill laugh.

  To my dismay the tenacious woman did not budge. “Yes, I am.”

  ***

  “Can someone tell me what the hell is going on here?” Xavier paced beside his car, shaking his head furiously. “Can someone tell me why my little sister was about to beat the woman I…never mind.”

  Even in my nervous state, I couldn’t help but feel a burst of hope in my chest. Maybe he liked me too. Keyword, liked—past tense. If his sister had anything to do with it, she’d probably have him shipped halfway across the world to get him away from me.

  “How could you not know about Miss Harper Montgomery?” Kacy let out a gagging noise and snorted. “This slut bag was all over the news!”

  “Entertainment news,” Xavier snapped. “You know I don’t follow that shit. It clouds my judgment when we’re casting for projects. I care about the actors, not their personal lives.”

  Oh, so that explains why I was cast.

  I didn’t know whether to take it as a compliment or an insult. Sure, they cast me based solely on my acting abilities, but then again if Xavier knew about my past would he even have given me the time of day? I guess I had no choice but to find out now.

  His gaze flew in my direction. “What’s the deal with you two? This seems more personal than a tabloid rumor.”

  My cheeks burned from the Greenes’ scrutiny, and I suddenly lost all ability to speak. Of course, Kacy had no problem filling in the blanks for me.

  “She slept with Aaron! You know, our ‘sister-from-another-mister’s’ ex-fiancé!” Kacy just about screamed. “She’s a bad person, Xavier. I can’t believe you actually wanted to give her the time of day.”

  “How can you judge me based off stupid tabloids and blogs?” Sweat began to pool at the base of my neck. I felt myself shaking in anger. Unfortunately, I felt my eyes welling up too. I had the stupid Montgomery trait of breaking into tears whenever I got super emotional. Trying my best to fight through the anger, I sucked up a sob and gritted my teeth. “You know nothing about me.”

  “Oh, so you didn’t sleep with Aaron?”

  “I…” My voice trailed off.

  Kacy arched an eyebrow. “Thought so.”

  “What does it matter, anyway? Riley and Aaron broke up eons ago.” It was as if my mouth was running by itself. I had no idea what I was saying until I heard myself speak.

  “It’s called friendship, dipshit. And it’s called respect. Obviously you know nothing of either concept.”

  I shook my head feverishly. “I’m sure you’re just mad because Riley’s closer to me than she is with you. Otherwise—” I gasped and jumped back when I saw Kacy’s hand flying toward my face. To my relief, Xavier grabbed her arm before her palm landed on my cheek.

  “Fuck, Kacy. Stop! Haven’t you learned not to slap people anymore? You know what trouble it gets you in.”

  She does this all the time? What the fuck.

  “I slap those who deserve it,” she said nonchalantly.

  Groaning, he dropped her wrist. “You know what? Harper’s right.”

  “What?” Kacy shrieked.

  “Riley and Aaron did break up a long time ago.”

  I lifted my chin happily. I wanted to break out into song and dance. Xavier was taking my side!

  “But it was disrespectful not to check with Riley first to see if she had any feelings left for the asshole.” There was something strange in Xavier’s tone, but I had no time to overthink its implications.

  “Well, I don’t have feelings for him,” I insisted.

  “So you slept with him just for the fun of it? Or do you really crave dick that much?” Kacy snapped.

  I narrowed my eyes at her. “You don’t know me. You have no right to judge me. In fact, I’m fucking sick of everyone judging me without all the facts. I’m a nice person. I’m a nice girl!”

  “Glad you admit you’re a child and not a grown ass woman,” I heard Kacy mutter.

  Xavier sighed. “Kace, let’s go back to my place so you can cool down.” He turned and looked at me. “Harper?”

  “Yeah?” I replied meekly.

  “If you know Riley as well as you think you do, then you should have known to check with her before you hooked up with her ex.”

  It was weird hearing Xavier talk about Riley. It was even stranger to think he knew her longer and possibly better than I did.

  “It just happened. It was an accident,” I whispered.

  “His dick accidentally landed in your vagina?” Kacy snorted.

  I scowled. “Don’t act like you know what went on that night. How well do you really know me?”

  “She’s not,” Xavier interjected. With a cold face he added, “I’m beginning to think I don’t know you too well either.”

  “What does it matter if I slept with him? They’re broken up!” I felt like scum saying those words. I was no better than Aaron. Yet, I was desperate for Xavier to see that I really wasn’t a bad person. I made a mistake, but so what? I was only human! I was far from perfect and I couldn’t help but wonder why people could act as if they’d never made a mistake either.

  As expected, Kacy scowled. “It’s called respect. You know perfectly well that if you really did care about Aaron, Riley wouldn’t have stopped you from pursuing him, but to hear about it from the media? To feel lie
d to and—”

  “And what?” I asked hesitantly, though part of me knew what she was going to say.

  Kacy crossed her thin arms tightly against her chest and lifted an eyebrow. “And to wonder if this was going on the whole time she dated him was pretty hard to swallow.”

  I gasped and shot a look at Xavier. The stone cold look on his face did not make me feel any better. “Kacy, you know that’s not true.”

  “How would I know that?” she snapped. “Like you said before, I don’t even know you.”

  “Yet you can throw these ridiculous accusations at me? Pretend that you know what happened?”

  She crossed her arms haughtily. “I saw the photos. Riley saw the photos.”

  “But—”

  “Enough!” Xavier yelled, frightening us both. He turned to Kacy and tugged at her arm. “Let’s go.”

  “Whatever.” Kacy yanked her arm back and walked around the car to claim her seat—my usual spot on the passenger side.

  I gulped, staring at Xavier’s back. He wouldn’t even throw a final glance my way. Was he really that mad at me? Would he ever see me the way I saw him? Better yet, would I even see him again?

  “Wait!” I called out before I knew what he was doing.

  Kacy peered through an open window, but Xavier merely froze.

  “What do you want, bitch?” Kacy sneered.

  “I…the movie…” I could feel myself cringe. Of all the things I could have said.

  Xavier I have feelings for you!

  I didn’t mean for it to happen!

  Please, stay.

  Now all he would think I cared about was the stupid role that I didn’t even want to begin with.

  Kacy threw her head back and let out what I could only describe as a war cry. “Of course your stupid Tinsel Town airhead would only care about the movie. Don’t worry, I’ll let Riley know that you—”