by Maree Green
The response was just as I expected it. Loud and cheerful with varying forms of, “Finally!”
I looked back at Liv and winked. “Now you can’t back out.”
Chapter 61
Olivia
Everything was happening so fast. Two months ago, I was a nobody. Six weeks ago, I was a mystery girl. A month ago, I was the girl who broke a million hearts around the world. A week ago, one of the broken hearts retaliated with a coat hanger. Today, I was moving into Josh’s apartment. Well, one of his apartments—as a tenant. It had been a crazy roller coaster of a ride, but it had been an exciting one.
Grabbing a box from the middle of the living room, I took a handful of books off Sam’s bookshelf and stacked them neatly inside. Sam grunted as she picked up the box she’d just finished packing and carted it to the door, plonking it down on top of another.
Collapsing on the floor, she rolled onto her back dramatically, arms flying out to the side. “I hate you so much right now, Liv,” she said.
I laughed. “Why?”
“Firstly, because you have fucking nothing to pack, and secondly, because you’re making me move.”
“You don’t want to move downtown? I can go on my own if you want,” I said, smirking.
Sam threw me a dirty look from her prone position on the floor. “Over my dead body. You need me. Don’t even pretend you don’t. I’m like you’re freaking publicist now.”
Now that made me laugh, because in a weird way, it was kind of true. “Then stop complaining. If you have too much stuff to move, you only have yourself to blame, you hoarder.”
“I’m a collector, not a hoarder, I’ll thank you,” she said, rolling onto her side.
It was then that the front door opened and six bodyguards started filing in. Sam let out a tiny squeal as she scrambled to her feet.
Gardner grinned at her with amusement as she hurried back to the bookshelf. “How are you still not finished packing that?” he asked, shaking his head.
“Get off my case, Hulk. I’ll be done in, like, thirty seconds,” she said, grabbing a pile of books. “You need to remember that some people aren’t as ginormous as you and need to rest for a while between boxes.”
Shaking his head, he grabbed his own pile of books and shoved them in the box she was packing.
“Be careful!” she said, her eyes wide with fear as she watched him. “If you damage my Jane Austen I will punch you, despite the fact that I’ll probably end up breaking my hand.”
The rest of the guys chuckled at their banter, before spreading out through the living room and sweeping the couches out the door in the blink of an eye. I shook my head as they disappeared. They made it look so freaking easy.
“Olivia?”
I turned at the sound of Mom’s voice from the kitchen. She appeared in the doorway, a spatula in one hand and a whisk in the other. She and Dad had come under the guise of helping with the move, but I had my suspicions it was more of an excuse to meet Josh. They were super freaking happy he was making me move, so, according to them, he’d already passed one of their biggest tests. Unfortunately for them, Josh was working today.
“What’s up?” I asked, shoving the last book in my box and closing the flaps.
“These are broken,” she said, waving the offending utensils in the air. “Do you guys still want them, or should I throw them in the trash?”
I turned to Sam, seeing as they were her utensils. She frowned, and I knew it was because she hated parting with anything she owned. It was a little bit funny.
Sam sighed, her shoulders slumping with defeat. “Toss them. I’ll get some new ones.”
Mom’s lips twitched. She and Dad loved Sam. She, too, had passed the test of having my best interests at heart.
“How much space is left in the truck?” Dad asked, coming out of my room with a huge box.
At the same time, the front door opened and Corey led the way inside with the guys. “Heaps,” he said, as cheery as usual. “We just need to put these bookcases in and that’s all the big stuff.”
My head whipped back and forth, trying to follow this weird conversation that was directed at me, but not including me. I was struggling to keep up.
Dad winked at me. “That’s your room packed up, kiddo. Good thing we’re gypsies or I wouldn’t have agreed to come help.”
Mom pointed the spatula at him. “Oh, yes you would have.”
Dad’s eyes widened on me dramatically. “Oh, yes I would have.”
I laughed. “You two are dorks. Dad, go drag Mom out of the kitchen. You guys have only got an hour before you have to be at the shelter.”
Placing the box near the door, he gave me a salute before rushing to scoop Mom up into his arms. I shook my head, giving them both a kiss as Dad swung her out the door. “Bye, honey. I’ll talk to you tomorrow!” Mom’s voice echoed, already sounding as though she was halfway down the stairs.
“Your parents are awesome,” Corey said, grinning. “I imagine your house would’ve been like the go-to house in high school if you’d stayed here.”
I smirked. “Oh my God, it really would have. They love having people around.”
Sam frowned at the guys as they swooped in and picked the bookcases up. “Be careful with my babies. They’re my most loved possessions.”
Gardner rolled his eyes. “That’s what you said about the books.”
“They go hand in hand, Gardner!” Sam said, throwing her hands up. “They’re a team. Without each other, they’re nothing.”
“Chill, tiny,” he said, winking. “I got this.”
Heading to the bathroom, I shook my head at them and wondered how long it would be before something happened there. It was obvious there was some serious attraction going on. Under normal circumstances, I would’ve said soon, but Gardner seemed to take his job pretty freaking seriously, so it just might not happen at all.
Taking a basket off the bathroom shelf, I started stowing all the little bottles and sprays we had stored in the drawers, and cleared out the shower stall. When I was done, I had another quick look around before making my way back out to the living room.
It was weird coming out to find the entire area completely empty. If I was to be honest, it felt a little daunting to be packed up so quickly. Life was moving so fast. I was having trouble keeping up with it all, and I was sure Sam was feeling slightly the same.
As if my thoughts had summoned her, she wandered out from the kitchen, Corey trailing behind her. When he saw me, he rushed forward and took the basket from me. “Everyone’s downstairs already, loading the last of the boxes. Have you two got everything else?”
We both looked at each other and nodded. Sam sighed. “Well,” she said, “this is it, Liv. We’re all grown up now. Off to bigger and greener pastures.”
I laughed, making my way to the door. “I think we should co-write a novel, Sam. I can see it now. It’ll be epic.”
Sam’s eyes lit up, following me eagerly. “Oh my God! Can we? That would be so awesome.”
Corey rolled his eyes at us. “You two are crazy.”
“Crazy’s good, though, right?” Sam asked, moving down the stairs.
I was halfway down before I halted my steps. “Crap,” I said, slapping my palm against my forehead. “I left the security pass Josh gave me on my windowsill. I’ll be back in a sec.”
“All right, we’ll wait right here,” Corey called as I rushed back to the apartment.
Unlocking the door, I dashed into my room and swiped the card off the sill. I couldn’t believe I nearly left it here. Josh would never have let me live that down.
The sound of the door closing behind me had me spinning with confusion, but before I could take a step, a body with long brown hair came flying at me, tackling me to the ground, hands grabbing, fingernails raking.
I screamed as I hit the floor, my knee striking something hard on the way down. I cried out in pain, pushing at the figure, grabbing whatever I could get my hands on and pulling, trying to ge
t away from them.
“I told you to stay away from him,” the girl grunted through gritted teeth, ripping at my hair, her legs locking around my thrashing body, pinning me down.
Panic soared inside me. I couldn’t move. She was too big for me—too strong. I didn’t know how I could possibly get her off me. Scratching at her face, I writhed harder, trying to buck her off, but she slapped me across the face, her hands wrapping around my throat, squeezing hard. My eyes widened as I grabbed at her hands, trying to pry them off. I couldn’t breathe. Not even a little.
Bucking harder, I scratched at her hands, but I knew I was losing. I desperately needed air. Spots flashed in my vision, alternating between blackness and bright white.
A knock came at the door. “Liv?”
It was Corey. I tried to scream, but there was no way I could manage even a squeak. Consciousness blurred. Oh God. She was going to kill me.
As everything went black, I heard the distinct sound of wood splintering before Corey’s voice pierced the air, loud and filled with so much anger, all I could do was let go with peace. I had no doubt he’d take care of me.
Chapter 62
Josh
Climbing into the back of the Escalade, I dropped my head back against the headrest and sighed heavily. I was sure that was one of the longest days of filming I’d ever experienced. I was fucking exhausted.
As Lance pulled out of the lot with Daniel in the passenger seat, I vowed to let everyone have a few days off very soon. Myself included.
“Did you hear how everything went with the move?” I asked no one in particular. I’d been disappointed I hadn’t been able to help, but I knew it probably would’ve only made things more difficult anyway.
Daniel looked over his shoulder and frowned. “No. Knowing Corey, they’re probably already sitting back at Liv’s new apartment scarfing down pizza or something.”
I rolled my eyes. That sounded about right.
As Lance moved through the streets, heading toward Liv’s new place, my phone started ringing. Seeing Corey’s name on the screen, I grinned. “The fucker must’ve known we were talking about him.”
Lance laughed, taking the next turn.
Swiping the screen to answer the call, I pressed it to my ear. “I hope you’ve saved me some fucking pizza, asshole.”
“Josh?” I frowned at the sound of a girl’s voice on the line. “It’s Sam.”
“Sam? What’s going on? Where’s Corey?”
Daniel’s head whipped around, and Lance looked nervously in the rearview mirror.
“It’s Liv,” she said, her voice shaking. “Someone attacked her.”
My heart leaped straight into my throat. “What the fuck happened? Is she all right? Where’s Corey?”
I hoped to fucking God nothing had happened to either of them. Lance accelerated harder, swerving around cars, trying to get us out of the city faster.
“It was a girl,” Sam said, the cell muffling a little as she moved. “The same one who attacked her last week. She was hiding somewhere in the apartment, Josh. She attacked when we were leaving—when Liv went back into her bedroom. Corey’s with her now. With the paramedic.”
“Where am I headed, Josh?” Lance said, his voice urgent.
“Where are you now, Sam? Where’s Liv?” I demanded.
“We’re still at the old apartment, but Corey says we need to leave—”
The line crackled, followed by more muffled noises, then Corey’s voice came on. “Josh?”
“Corey! What the fuck is going on?”
“I’m taking Liv to the new place. Things are fucking out of control here. Meet us there.”
Meeting Lance’s gaze in the mirror, I barked, “New place,” before directing my attention back to the call. I was close to losing my fucking sanity. “Is she all right?”
“I need to go, man. Just come to the new place. I’ve got Gardner and the guys here, so we’ll be all right. We just need to move.”
The line went silent before I could even mutter another word. I felt sick, like I could literally toss my cookies at any second. I tried to console myself with the fact that she wasn’t en route to the hospital. That had to mean something, right?
As Lance gunned the Escalade, tires screeching around corners, I felt my body tightening with an insurmountable amount of tension. Knowing that Liv had been hurt again did something to my state of mind. It fucking killed me to know she’d been attacked twice since we’d been dating—and it had only been a month!
Again, I was forced to consider whether it would be best for her if I just vanished from her life altogether. She might hate me, and it might break her heart, but that had to be better than someone trying to fucking kill her every goddamn week.
None of us said a word for the remainder of the trip. Without knowing what we were dealing with, there was nothing that could be said. As Lance zipped into the secure parking underneath the apartment complex, I tried to breathe through my anxiety. The instant I saw Gardner waiting at the elevator with the doors open, ready to go, I almost cried. I honestly didn’t know what I’d do without these guys.
As Lance screeched to a stop, Daniel and I jumped out and dashed through the doors, Gardner hitting the button to get us moving. “How is she?” I asked, pinning him with my gaze.
“She’s a bit shaken, but she’s been given the all-clear.”
Daniel shifted, his hands tight. “What happened? How did the girl get in, Ben?”
Gardner’s jaw tightened. “She scaled the wall to Liv’s window and broke the lock. We were all downstairs, holding the crowd, ready to leave. Corey was with Liv and Sam. He was supposed to bring them out so we could get them safely into the SUV.” He shook his head. “They were on their way down when Liv needed to run back for something. That was when the girl attacked. She locked herself in the room with Liv and tried to strangle her.”
Daniel swore. I just tried to breathe.
“Corey knew something was wrong straightaway,” Gardner continued. “He broke down the door and tackled the girl, ordering Sam to come get me.”
I thumped the wall as the elevator slowed to a stop. “Sam said it was the same girl who attacked her last week.”
As soon as the door slid open, we were moving, Gardner leading the way. “She got out on bail. The cops have assured us she won’t this time.”
Daniel grunted. “She better fucking not.”
The room fell silent the minute I walked into the apartment. My gaze immediately found Corey, standing by the window. His entire being was visibly shattered.
“Where’s Liv?” I said, searching the room.
Corey stepped forward. “She’s asleep.” He slowly shook his head as he moved toward me, his jaw clenching with emotion. “I’m sorry, man. I’m really sorry.”
Pulling him to me, I gave him a hard hug and thumped him on the back before taking his shoulders and meeting his gaze. “Don’t be. It wasn’t your fault, man. You did everything you could. She’s here right now because of you.”
His brow twitched as he tried to get his emotions under control. “I shouldn’t have let her go in alone. I should’ve gone with her.”
“Don’t let it eat at you, man. You got her out safely. You did good.”
He nodded. I knew he didn’t agree with me, and I knew he’d continue to beat himself up over it for a long while yet, but that was something only he could deal with.
Looking around at the guys surrounding me, I gave them all a nod. I couldn’t ask for a more loyal and trustworthy bunch of people if I tried. “Order some pizza and grab some beers,” I said. “You’ve earned it. I need to go be with my girl.”
With that, I went straight to the room I knew Liv had been planning on taking and quietly let myself inside. When the door was securely closed behind me, I took a minute to just watch her sleep. There were still a bunch of boxes stacked against the wall, but her bed had been made, and a little lamp was softly glowing on the table beside it.
All of a sud
den, I was exhausted—body and mind. All I wanted to do was curl up with her in my arms, and go to sleep inhaling her. But I didn’t want to wake her. She looked so peaceful as she lay there. I knew I should just go and let her rest, but I just wasn’t ready to leave her yet.
With cautious movements, I lifted the little armchair that was in the corner of her room and brought it closer to the side of her bed, searching the nearest box for something to read to keep me awake. As my gaze landed on something wedged to the side, I frowned. Carefully, I eased it out of the box, reading the title printed on the cover.
In the Name of Love – a screenplay by Olivia Maxwell.
My gaze flashed to Liv’s sleeping form with surprise. Not once had she told me she was writing a screenplay. She hadn’t even told me it was something she was considering. Confusion pulsed inside my veins. I couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t. Unless . . .
Dropping my gaze back down to the script, I opened to the first page and started reading.
Chapter 63
Olivia
Nerves fluttered deep in my stomach as the Escalade moved slowly down Santa Monica Boulevard, toward the Beverly Hilton Hotel. As much as I’d started to get used to going out in public with Josh the last week, this was a way bigger deal. Tonight, we were attending the Britannia Awards Gala dinner, and I was more than a little anxious. I was ready to pee myself.
With the help of Sam and Aunt Jenny—my improvised wardrobe team—I was wearing a red slim line dress with a V neck that crossed over the bust, and small, conservative pumps. My hair had been set in soft, loose waves, and other than a silver bracelet Josh had given me this week, I wore no jewelry. It was a modest look, with my dress falling just below my knees, but I wasn’t out to make a statement. I just wanted to support Josh in whatever way I was able to. The only controversial part to my look—if you wanted to call it that—was the slight bruising that still lingered on my neck.