Two Worlds Collided

by Karen Michelle Nutt

  "I am?" His voice rose. "You slept with him." He said it like it was something she should be ashamed of, something she should regret.

  She didn't regret a thing. She slept with Bellamy Lovel and it was beautiful, wild and unforgettable. "I did sleep with him," she shot back. "And I liked it. I liked it a lot."

  "Jesus Christ, do you hear yourself?" The vein in Bryce's forehead stood out as his face turned red. "I thought you were smarter than this. I would have never told you about this job if I'd known this would happen. I thought you were safe. I thought he wouldn't find–" His words skidded to a stop.

  "What did you think?" she asked. Bellamy came to her side as if to lend support, but she didn't want it right now and jerked away from his touch. She wanted her brother to answer her, but when he didn't she said it for him. "You didn't think Bellamy would find me attractive. You thought I'd be safe because you didn't think he'd ever look at me. Right?"

  Her brother at least had the decency to appear abashed. "Evie, I–"

  "Save it," she said and backed away from him. "Unbelievable." She gave him an unflattering once over, not hiding her disgust. "Fuckin' unbelievable, my own brother." She turned away and stormed toward the elevators, feeling humiliated and pissed, but mostly pissed.

  "Evie, wait," her brother called after her.

  "Better let her go, man," Bellamy said. "What you just did – not cool."

  "I'm the one… I'm the one not cool? You took a sweet innocent girl and took advantage of her."

  Evie could hear Bryce as she stalked away. Her brother was embarrassing her, embarrassing himself. She wanted to crawl under a rock. She raced the rest of the way to the elevator and luckily the door opened as people filed out and she rushed in. She jabbed her finger into the button and willed the doors closed. Once they did, she slid to the floor and hugged her knees close and let the tears fall.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Kick

  "You handled that well," Bellamy said to Bryce as he watched the elevator doors close with Evie behind them. He wanted to go to her, but first, he had to deal with her brother, a pissed off brother who looked like he wanted to beat the living shit out of him. "Listen, can we go somewhere and–"

  "I'm not going anywhere with you, you bastard. You stay away from my sister."

  "I believe she can make her own decisions," he shot back. No one was telling him what to do or who to see even if Bryce was only looking after his sister. If he were in Bryce's place, he'd warn someone like himself away from his sister too. He wasn't exactly a perfect choice. He was a man with a drug habit and no history of ever having a long-term relationship. Yeah, he was every mama's nightmare, someone she would warn her daughters not to mess around with. Even so, Bryce had no right to belittle Evie the way he had. It was uncalled for.

  "I'm making the decision for her," Bryce snarled. "Stay away," he warned again and took a bite of his donut as if he were chewing on rawhide. Then he turned to walk away.

  Probably a good thing, if Bellamy allowed him to. Probably should let Bryce cool off so they could really have a man-to-man talk. Probably went right out the door. "For the record," he said evenly, "Emerson is beautiful and sexy and–" He should have seen it coming, but didn't until Bryce's fist plowed into his jaw and he staggered back in surprise. Coffee had been splattered everywhere when Bryce had tossed it to the wayside, and the chocolate donut with sprinkles was smashed inside the guy's hand, bits of the cake and frosting oozing in between his fingers.

  The band was still gawking at them from the entrance of the dining room like they were watching a live soap opera unfolding. Leon and Maury came to the rescue. Maury took hold of Bryce and led him away, while Leon inspected his face, for damage, he supposed. His ego was a little bruised. His jaw felt like it was still attached to the rest of his face, so he figured he would be okay.

  "What were you thinking?" Leon asked. "Sleeping with Bryce's sister for God's sake."

  "What is it with you guys? You all conspired behind my back and hired her. I didn't bring her onboard. And for your information, I'm not blind." He tapped his head. "She's smart and pretty and…and I like her. Dammit, I like her. What the hell did you think was going to happen?" He shoved Leon's hand away. "Fuck this. Fuck all of you." He lifted his hands and gave them all the bird, just in case they hadn't heard him.

  Of all the blessed things to go wrong this morning, the reporter who'd pushed his way into the room yesterday, in the guise of a hotel employee, stepped into view with his camera. The flash that blinded him proved the last straw. He went after the guy, tackled him to the ground and punched him in the face. Would have hit him again but Leon and Clark pulled him off of the guy.

  "I'll sue you for that!" the reporter shouted.

  He shrugged out of Clark and Leon's grip, "Yeah, well take a fuckin' number, pal." He whirled away and headed for the elevators.

  He pushed the button on the panel and grimace. "Shit." His hand hurt like a son-of-a-bitch and he cradled it, staring at the swollen knuckles.

  The ride up to the top floor took less than minute, but it felt like the damn thing had stopped moving. The doors finally opened and he stepped out into the hall and spotted Evie in front of her room, sitting on the floor and leaning against the door with her knees curled toward her chest. He cursed silently for being so stupid. He'd forgotten he still had her key. He hurried over to her. "Hey."

  She glanced at him. Her eyes were swollen and her nose was red and it pained him to no end that she'd been crying. She lowered her head once more. He wanted to hit something again, preferably her brother for making her sad, for deflating this vibrant woman's self-esteem. Funny thing, he understood having his balls busted, feeling worthless, feeling like no one understood him, feeling alone… But he wasn't alone with Evie, and he'd be damn if she felt alone either. He slid onto the floor beside her, leaning against the wall.

  "You don't have to be here," she said.

  "You're right. But I want to be."

  Her head was resting on her forearms as she peeked at him. Maybe she didn't believe him. He scooted closer and wrapped an arm around her. "Brothers can be dicks."

  That made her chuckle. "Really? How would you know? You don't have a brother."

  "I have my band mates and they're family to me." And he chuckled too. "But I suppose Bryce is just worried, you know." Where did that come from? He was defending her brother, the man who had tried to dismantle his face downstairs. "I'm probably not the best catch."

  She leaned her head on his shoulder. "What do brothers know, my brother in particular?"

  "Exactly my point."

  She sniffled and he could tell she managed to find some of that strength he admired about her. She sat up and glanced at him, then frowned. "What happened to your face?"

  He grinned and regretted the action. His jaw was a little tender, after all. "I might have run into a fist."

  "Bryce? He did that to you?"

  "Don't worry about it." He shrugged. "Deserved it. I did take advantage of his sister."

  "You did no such thing," she said with a harrumph.

  His mouth nuzzled the nook of her neck, and she leaned to the side to give him access. His hand sought her breast but instead his fingers caressed the pendant she wore before moving down to where his fingers itched to touch. "What your brother didn't know is you took advantage of me also." She turned to look at him and he covered her mouth and didn't care that his jaw hurt. She tasted like heaven, she tasted like a sinful delectable treat, and he was going to indulge… as soon as he opened the door to her room.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Who Pays the Price

  "There," Evie said as she dabbed a little foundation over Bellamy's bruised jaw. It had healed considerably after four days. "No one will even know." Luckily, his hand was okay too, the swelling had gone down after a day and the skin was only slightly abraded. He'd told her what had happened with the reporter and she couldn't say she blamed him. The pesky man should consider himself lucky.


  She met his gaze then and those blue eyes sparkled with mischief. "You know you stick out your tongue when you're concentrating."

  "Do not," she said, horrified at the thought.

  "I think it's cute." He kissed the tip of her nose before he stepped back. "So what do you think?" He turned around giving her show.

  She checked out the outfit he'd chosen to wear for his meeting with the producer in regards to his solo album. He had put in the call the other day and had just heard back this morning. He wore a smart gray silk shirt that draped his broad shoulders nicely, and also showed just enough of his chest to make it sexy, too. His black jeans hugged those slim hips and muscled thighs. He turned just then, giving her a view of his nice tight butt. She felt her insides heat with desire, but sighed, knowing there was no time to fool around. A quickie was not in Bellamy's vocabulary since he had no track of time. She refused to make him late. She glanced at the laced-up boots with silver hardware and approved of his choice. They finished off his rock star attire. Her gaze returned to his face with his curls draping over one side of his forehead, the longer locks falling into place around his face. He looked sharp. He appeared confident.

  She knew the meeting tonight would go well. Before his untimely death, he'd been ready to record his solo album, a date set for the beginning of the year, after the tour and the holidays. But still, she was nervous for him. She took the steps separating them and ran her hand over his collar. "You look ready to take on the world." His lips curved into a wide grin. She loved his smile, the way his eyes lit up when he looked at her. God, she could fall in love with him, maybe she already had. This wasn't just a fan-girl crush, this was real, something she hadn't considered happening when she agreed to travel back in time.

  "Is something wrong?" His brows furrowed as he took her hand and brought it to his lips.

  "No. Everything is perfect. Now go. Go get your deal."

  That conversation had been over four hours ago. She paced her hotel room, wondering what was taking so long. Had something changed to make the deal go bad? Had her being here somehow screwed up his chances?

  She finally settled on reading and reached for the Harry Potter book. She hadn't had much time to read with her busy schedule with the band and keeping Bellamy on time. Private moments with Bellamy were stolen whenever they could manage it.

  He liked watching old movies and they'd rented a few videotapes from the hotel desk. The hotel had yet to change over to DVDs, which were only just beginning to gain popularity.

  She propped up the pillows behind her and opened the book to where she'd left off. Some time later, she must have drifted off to sleep. The next thing she knew, Bellamy was beside her and nuzzling her neck with tender caresses. She turned and he captured her lips. He tasted of liquor and cigars. "How did it go?" she asked when they parted from the kiss.

  "Good," he said and slid his hand beneath her shirt. "Really good." He was grinning. "I start production at the beginning of next year."

  Evie prayed that this time around it would happen for him. She hoped whatever was going on between them would make a difference with his mindset, too. It certainly had made an impact on her life.

  He kissed her quickly on the lips and jumped off the bed. He went over to the table and she sat up and blinked, still a little groggy from sleep. "What are you doing?" she asked.

  He moved aside and she saw the white powder he was cutting and arranging into lines. No, she thought. She hadn't seen him use in days, but it didn't mean he hadn't. She threw her legs over the side of the bed and hurried over to him. She placed her hand over Bellamy's, stilling his action and making him look at her. "Come back to bed."

  "I'm too amped." He looked back to the table with longing as he licked his lips. He glanced at her again. "Try some with me, Emerson. We can fly together."

  She shook her head. "It's not my thing."

  "How do you know it isn't if you haven't tried it?"

  "I don't have to," she said and she couldn't quite keep the sadness from her voice. He needed help, more help than she could give him. The addiction wasn't going to go away on its own, but she also knew he needed to want to kick the habit. No one could help him if he didn't want it.

  "Don't bring me down," he whined with disappointment, and she could hear the anger in his voice too.

  She folded her arms against her chest. "I'm not trying to bring you down. I don't want to snort cocaine. It's a price I'm not willing to take."

  His eyes narrowed as they locked onto her face. "You lied to me. You said you didn't want to change me, but you do." His accusation shot like venom to her heart, but she remained calm. She needed to stay rational when she knew he was incapable of doing so right now.

  She didn't say anything at first, but just stared at him, the man she'd fallen in love with. Even with him being broken, she still loved him, but she also despised what was going to eventually take him down. It was beating him. He was losing the battle and he had no weapon in sight to fight it. Bit by bit he was paying the price, the good in him turning into something ugly until he eventually had nothing to hope for. "Even if I wanted to change you," she said, "I couldn't. Change comes from within." She closed her eyes and let the frustration spill out in a fiery sigh. "You know it goes both ways." She regarded him again. "Don't try to change me either. You know who I am. I've never pretended to be anything else."

  She hated seeing the wounded animal look in his eyes as if she'd just beaten him with a stick, but maybe some of it was due to the drugs he consumed tonight. God only knew what else he'd taken. His eyes were dilated. He didn't know what to do with his hands as if he'd suddenly developed a nervous twitch.

  "Don't look at me like that," he warned.

  "In what way?" she asked, not aware she'd been looking at him any differently.

  "Like you pity me," he spat and ran an agitated hand through his hair.

  "I care about you, Bellamy. When you're happy, I am too. When you're hurting, I hurt." She touched her chest. "What I can't do… What I refuse to do is be okay with you destroying your life."

  He laughed and his grin was decidedly nasty. "You think a little cocaine is going to ruin my life?"

  "I know it will," she said firmly, her emotions were raw, chafed and sore from knowing what would happen to him and knowing she couldn't tell him, not all of it anyway. "It will consume you and adding all the other crap you're putting into your body, you're heading down a path of destruction."

  "Is this another one of your premonitions? It's sure a shitty way to bring me down. You're always doing that. I want to have fun and you don't know what fun is." His voice was razor sharp and his blue eyes were like shards of glass as they bore into her.

  "Wow," she said, shocked at his outburst. This was a side of him she hadn't seen, an ugly side that probably could get a whole lot worse, but she understood why he lashed out at her. She was poking at his crutch, and he didn't know how to stand without it.

  Full comprehension of what he just said to her must have finally sunk in. He squeezed his eyes closed as his stance relaxed. "Fuck," he said and ran a hand through his hair and turned away from her. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. I-I don't know why I said any of that. It's not true." He leaned on the table and seemed to be catching his breath, but then he pushed away and looked at her. She witnessed the vulnerability there in his eyes, the man who was so lost. She went to him and put her arms around his waist and placed her head on his chest. His arms encircled her and he rested his chin on the top of her head. They stood that way for a long time. Just holding each other. The only sound was their breathing, slow and steady. Finally, he spoke. Maybe he'd been trying to figure out what to say all this time. "I don't know how to be the man you want, Emerson."

  She held him tighter. He was everything she wanted, and at the same time, his choices were ruining any chance for a future.

  He took her to bed then and just held her, caressed her, but he didn't make love to her. In the morning the cocaine wasn
't on the table. She didn't ask what happened to it, and he didn't volunteer the information. They were heading for New York in a few hours. The band was going to be on the show called Late Nights with Tony Jones, one of the most popular nighttime shows of the decade. Anyone who was anyone wanted a spot on the show. Civilized Heathens were ecstatic when Sonya called to say they'd been booked with a spot.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Newsreel Babies

  Bellamy felt like he was being pulled in all directions. He had the pressure from his producer to make every interview count. The band depended on him to belt out the songs with a smile and a fresh look, as if he were singing it for the first time. Then there was Evie, even though he knew she hadn't intentionally tried to stress him out. He wanted to please her, wanted her to find him worthy. He didn't want to disappoint any of them, but he feared in the end he would.