On the Outside (Caught Inside #3)

by S. Briones Lim

  Harper Montgomery is the comeback queen of this millennium. After a few falls from grace she successfully jumps back to the scene with the forthcoming Cali Break, which is bound to be this summer’s breakout hit and a classic for years to come. The story of a bad girl gone good will undoubtedly capture your hearts and make you fall in love with Montgomery all over again.

  The newspaper shook, and it took awhile for me to realize it was due to my trembling hands. I brought my fingers up to my lips and gasped. “What is this?”

  Xavier grinned from ear to ear. “It is a critic review of Cali Break, and this woman loved you!”

  “I haven’t read anything nice about myself in a very, very long time,” I gasped, still in disbelief. Frowning, I eyed Xavier suspiciously. “You didn’t plant this, did you?”

  “Huh?” He looked at me with bewilderment. “What are you talking about?”

  “This isn’t something fake that you cooked up to raise my confidence level, right?”

  He snorted. “Oh yeah, I went ahead and broke into the newspaper’s print shop last night. I decided to doctor all those surrounding articles too.”

  “Okay, okay, Mr. Sarcasm.”

  He laughed. “I wanted to show you this earlier but I was waiting for the right time.”

  “The right time meaning when I was on the verge of low confidence?”

  He shrugged. “Close enough.”

  I gazed at the article, which had a photo of me—thankfully not from any of my previous scandals. Seriously, if I had to look at my mugshot one more time I was going to…well, not beat anybody up. That was how I got into that mess to begin with.

  “I think I’m going to frame this.”

  Xavier’s white teeth flashed. “You should. It’s awesome.”

  I nudged him playfully in the ribs. “You’re just happy that your movie was deemed a breakout hit and future classic.”

  Once again he reached out and wrapped an arm around my waist. “Nah, I’m happy that my woman is happy.”

  I playfully ran my hand through his hair. “Do you want to know what else would make me happy?”

  I leaned forward and pushed his shirt up, placing a kiss on his chiseled abs.

  Xavier’s eyebrows rose in appreciation. “You sure you want to do this now? We have a lot of work to do before the moving truck comes.”

  “Eh, think of this as christening the apartment, but only backwards. We’ll leave good juju in this place.”

  Xavier reached out and yanked down my pants. “I can so live with that.”

  Before long both of us were rolling on the floor. Knowing full well that the door buzzer would go off at any minute, we did our version of a quickie, which really wasn’t quick at all.

  I ran my hands down his front until they landed on his manhood and began pumping. We were on a timeline and though we didn’t have much room for foreplay there was no way I wouldn’t tease him. He groaned and quickly reached out to play with my clit. Together we rubbed and stroked until we were both on the verge of orgasm.

  “Harper, stop. I don’t want to come like this,” he groaned out.

  I dropped my hands automatically and rolled onto my knees, knowing full well that doggie was his favorite position. “Okay then, do it this way.”

  “Your wish is my command.”

  Sex was no longer just sex anymore with Xavier. It was making love over and over again. Though I no longer felt like a ‘virgin’ every time, I felt like something better. I felt as if Xavier and I were becoming seasoned pros, learning together each time.

  “Fuck! Harper!” Xavier cried out.

  I peeked over my shoulder and felt my insides jumble at the sight of Xavier surrendering to ecstasy, which brought me over the edge. Nothing was better than giving and receiving pleasure with the person you loved, and as my arms collapsed onto my floor in sexual exhaustion, I knew I was in paradise.

  Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz.

  My eyes snapped open. “Shit! Are those the movers already?”

  Xavier scrambled to his feet, grabbing a nearby rag to clean himself off. “Get dressed! Come on.”

  We laughed uncontrollably, trying our best to throw our clothes on. As I pulled on my sports bra, I looked around my apartment and smiled happily.

  “At least my last memory in this place will be a good one,” I mumbled to myself.

  “What was that?”

  “Nothing,” I replied, never losing my smile. “Just thinking that I’d do all the bullshit over again if it meant finding you.”

  Xavier walked up behind me and placed a kiss on my shoulder. “I wouldn’t want you to be in that much pain again, but I am really happy things worked out how they did.”

  “Yeah.”

  Bzzz. Bzzz.

  “Shit, Harper go answer the door!” Xavier laughed, jumping into his pants.

  I threw on a shirt and ran to my door, feeling the happiest I had felt in a long, long time.

  Chapter 42

  “We’re here with Harper Montgomery, star of Cali Break.” A statuesque blonde shoved a microphone in my face. “Hi, Harper. May I say you look amazing.”

  “Thank you.” I shook slightly, still freaking out beyond belief. The night of Cali Break’s grand premiere was finally here, marking my first red carpet experience, and I was basically scared shitless. For one thing, I was still unsure about facing the public live. At least during our press tour, Robert and Monique made sure each interviewer would not cross the line with their questions, but being live on the red carpet meant anything could happen.

  “Harper?”

  I blinked quickly once I felt Xavier lightly pinch me on my back. I was more than thrilled that he had agreed to walk the carpet with me, seeing as he hated to be in front of the camera. Of course, he was still probably ecstatic that what started off as an indie flick was picked up by a few major studios. None of us could have expected Cali Break to take off as much as it did, especially since it wasn’t even released yet.

  “Harper,” the woman repeated. “What are you wearing?”

  I smiled a bit sadly. I always imagined my red carpet outfits being designed by Riley, and it sucked knowing that on this momentous occasion that was not the case. Sure, in my floor length, salmon colored gown I felt like a million bucks, but I knew I’d feel more beautiful in one of Riley’s dresses. To make matters worse, Piper wasn’t even available to do my makeup! She had booked a new movie in Europe and wouldn’t be back in California for months. Of course both of my friends couldn’t be there for me.

  I cleared my throat. “It’s actually a Fabre design from head to toe.”

  “And your jewelry?”

  My lips moved, but I could hardly hear what I was saying. The cameras, the people, and the whole experience were a bit overwhelming to me.

  The blonde looked as if she were quickly becoming bored with me. It wasn’t a surprise; I was a red carpet virgin and had no idea how to play for the crowd. Luckily, her eyes brightened when she spotted someone else making his way down the carpet.

  “Charlie!” the woman practically squeaked. “Can we have a few words with you?”

  I let out a sigh of relief and tugged at Xavier’s hand. He looked so handsome in his fitted dark maroon suit and newly coiffed pompadour. “You ready to go?”

  Before we could take one step forward, the woman blocked my way. “Stay here so we can interview you with your leading man.”

  But I’m already with my leading man.

  Xavier leaned forward and placed a kiss on my cheek. “And that is show business talk for the significant other to make a graceful exit.”

  “Don’t go,” I hissed quietly.

  “I’ll be right there, and don’t worry. You’ve already been with Charlie during the press junket.”

  “Which sucked, by the way.” I cringed, imagining how awkward it felt to act so chummy with him. Though we chose never to speak about the fight on set and had a silent agreement to never speak about what happened between him and Xavier or how I ble
w him off, things would never be okay between us.

  “Charlie! How are you?” The woman’s collagen injected lips looked as if they were about to pop from her exaggerated grin.

  I pasted a fake smile on my face as I watched the debonair man strut toward us with a supermodel in tow. He was decked in a classic tuxedo, which hugged his firm body wonderfully. He even grew a new beard for the occasion, which I must admit made him look even more wonderful. He briefly kissed his date on her hand and motioned for her to step back so he could join me in front of the cameras.

  “Harper,” his accented voice cooed sensually. I swear I even saw the reporter’s panties drop from under her dress. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

  He placed a stiff hand on the arch of my back and placed an even stiffer kiss on my cheek.

  “Charlie, so great to see you again.” I cringed at how unbelievable my voice sounded.

  You’re an actress. Act like it.

  I relaxed my face so I didn’t look like the Joker and took a slight step back to give the reporter room to question Charlie. As expected, he answered each question flawlessly. A Hollywood veteran, he oozed the self-confidence that I only wished I had.

  Wait, why can’t I have it?

  As soon as the thought entered my mind, I automatically lifted my chin and took a step forward, prompting the reporter to ask, “Inquiring minds want to know, what’s next for you, Harper?”

  “Yeah, what is next for my leading lady?” I could easily pick up on the sarcastic venom that dripped from Charlie’s tone and couldn’t help but wonder why nobody else seemed to hear it. Then again Charlie was like the golden boy of Hollywood. People probably thought he shit roses.

  “Cali Break was a different direction than what I was used to. Being in a comedy—”

  “The one you were killed in, right?” The reporter’s thick red lips curled into a calculating smile.

  Knowing full well she wanted to see the ‘bad Harper’ make an appearance, I did nothing but shoot her a kind smile in return. “Yes, Joy In and Joy Out. For as sad as it was to have to say goodbye to that awesome show, it was actually what led me to audition for Cali Break, so I can’t really feel too bad about it.”

  The woman’s sneering smile faltered. “Yeah, that’s true.”

  “Besides, I heard they weren’t picked up for another season.” I pulled my lips into a fake pout. “It’s such a shame because I know that show had great potential. I can only wish my old castmates the same luck I had.”

  “But what’s next for you?” she insisted, obviously a bit perturbed that her attempt to piss me off failed.

  “I hope to continue on this path of movies and…” My voice trailed off as I looked around for Xavier, who was pushed behind some photographers. Catching his eyes, I smiled. “And I’m looking forward to seeing where my future with my wonderful boyfriend takes me as well.”

  “So no more late night sexcapades?” The woman laughed, causing Charlie to chuckle along with her.

  Keeping my head held high, I shook my head and in my sweetest tone, replied, “Of course not. Once you’ve found the love of your life, none of that shallow stuff matters anymore. Also, you have lipstick on your teeth.”

  The reporter’s face visibly reddened as she ran her tongue over her teeth. As discreetly as she could, she motioned for the cameras to shut off.

  Stifling a giggle, I started to make my way back to Xavier when Charlie grabbed onto my wrist. Flashes immediately ensued as the photographers went crazy.

  “What do you want?” I kept my lips curled up and my eyes kind though inside I was fuming.

  “Harper, I just wanted to apologize for everything. I’m not a bad guy and I want you to know I am really happy for you.”

  I let out a breath and blinked in surprise. “Wow, thanks, Charlie.”

  He nodded his head. “I think I was just a bit sad you chose Xavier over me. It was like déjà vu again, you know? I hate rejection.”

  I reached out and patted his shoulder. “Believe me, I know how that feels, and for the record, I know you’re not a bad guy. I never thought you were.”

  He bowed his head in appreciation. “Thanks.”

  Chapter 43

  The premiere went off without a hitch and the movie was…

  Amazing.

  The way it came together was unbelievably awesome. I couldn’t believe ‘that one surfing movie’ ended up being such a beautiful story of trials and true love. Despite having read the script countless times and actually shooting those scenes, seeing the finished product was magical.

  “That was wonderful, Harper.”

  “Great job.”

  “I see more leading roles coming your way.”

  “Here’s my card. Have your manager call me.”

  All night long people that I’ve only heard about and looked up to were approaching me—me—to congratulate me and give me accolades. What alternate universe did I just land in?

  “Champagne?” A server interrupted my thoughts, holding out a sparkling glass toward me.

  “Yes, thank you.” I gripped the stem in my hand and let out a sigh of contentment. I was still in disbelief how much my life had changed, and though I knew many people wouldn’t believe me, I had a feeling that Limbo’s words of advice helped me. Invite the great things in your life and you will receive great things. I snuck a peek at Xavier, who was busy schmoozing a few feet away, and felt my heart melt. “He’s my great thing.”

  As if hearing me, Xavier excused himself from the conversation he was having and strutted toward me. “Hey, lady of the night. How you feeling?”

  “Fantastic.” I breathed deeply. “This is so surreal to me.”

  “So how many auditions do you have lined up?” he teased.

  “How many projects are on your schedule?” I shot back.

  He reached out and squeezed my shoulder. “Maybe it’s a great thing we chose L.A., isn’t it?”

  “Oh yeah. I have no idea how we could do everything if we lived in—”

  “Mistcoast?”

  I pursed my lips. “I was going to say New York, but you know…” A cloud suddenly dampened my good mood. I cleared my throat and sighed. “I always thought I’d have my best friend with me when I had my first premiere.”

  “You do,” Xavier whispered.

  I knew he was trying to make me feel better, but I couldn’t help but miss Riley more than ever. When we first met in New York we started out as two wide-eyed kids who were dead set on making it big. Now at the height of both our careers we weren’t even talking.

  I noticed Xavier moving in my periphery, but paid him no mind. I was quickly succumbing to the negativity abyss that I’d tried my hardest to avoid. After months of yoga, Reiki healing, and surfing, I'd thought I'd finally learned how to protect myself from low vibes.

  Guess I didn’t after all.

  “Harper?”

  Focus, Harper. This is the greatest night of your life.

  “Harper?”

  This is the night that defines your whole life.

  “Harper, look at me,” Xavier’s voice was full of nervous laughter.

  I snapped out of my daze and gasped when I saw him in front of me, kneeling down on one knee. A crowd had gathered around us and to my surprise and relief, none of them included photographers.

  The press wasn’t allowed at the after party, Genius.

  “Shut up,” I told the annoying voice in my head.

  “What was that?” Xavier asked with a frown.

  “N-nothing,” I stammered. I placed my champagne down on a nearby table, worried that I’d drop it at any moment. “Xavier, what are you doing?”

  “Harper, these past few months have been something else.”

  A few excited giggles elicited from the crowd.

  “They were the some of the most amazing moments of my life.”

  Xavier paused and reached into his pocket, pulling out a dark velvet box. At this point I lost all sense of time and coheren
ce. Xavier cleared his throat and opened the box, revealing a gigantic solitaire with a delicate band. He could have gotten me a ring from a Cracker Jack box for all I cared, but I had to admit seeing the beautiful ring only added to the ambiance.

  “Harper, I want to have more amazing moments with you. I want to continue this crazy life in show business and create a new life filled with kids, family, and love to last forever.”

  My hands shook as I lifted them to my mouth. I choked back a sob, which only caused more tears to blur my vision. Sniffling, I wiped the teardrops away.

  “Harper Montgomery, will you do me the honor of creating more moments with me forever? Will you be my wife?”

  I let out what I could only describe as choke, cough, squeal, and giggle. Seriously, it sounded horrible. “Xavier…”

  He leaned forward and let out a nervous chuckle. “Well?”

  “Yes! Yes, of course I will!”

  Thunderous applause echoed around us, followed by cheers and whistles. Even Wyatt looked as if he were touched.

  Xavier and I wrapped ourselves into a tight embrace just as Charlie took to the mike. “Ladies and gentleman, let’s congratulate the future Mr. and Mrs. Xavier Greene.”

  I shot Charlie a look over Xavier’s shoulder and together we shared a nod of understanding.

  At least that’s another enemy off the list. If only I could make amends with Riley.

  As soon as her name passed through my mind, I felt myself deflate momentarily.

  No, don’t ruin the moment.

  Repeating my mantra of positivity above all else, I surrendered to the wonderment of spending the rest of my life with the man I loved. If I had that, I didn’t need anything else.

  Chapter 44

  “It’s Blake’s handwriting.” I chucked the R.S.V.P. card into the wastebasket and cringed.

  “How do you know? The guests only have to check whether they’re coming or not.” Xavier laughed hesitantly.

  I shook my head and rested my cheeks into my hands. “He wrote a little note apologizing. He also added a little inside joke.”

  Xavier lifted an eyebrow. “Since when did you guys have inside jokes?”