by Olivia Evans
“The final rule, and I never cared about this rule until recently, is you don’t ruin your costar’s relationship because you’re a jealous, insecure B-list actress.” Anders sighed and ran his hands through his hair as the voices in the room became louder and more insistent.
“When people break these rules and get caught, well… They go on something we call a blacklist.” Looking at the reporter, Anders spoke, his voice dominating and clear. “So you see, this is why the name of the movie is so perfect. Because Aubrey Nash is a walking billboard for double crossing someone who’s supposed to be her partner. She’s a liar and a manipulator. She played a part in wrecking my relationship with the best woman I’ve ever known. Her actions were deliberate and malicious. She acted without my knowledge and was unprofessional on levels that even someone like me finds offensive. That’s why I feel it’s my duty to warn everyone now. Directors, producers, and actors alike, if you work with this woman, make sure you have eyes in the back of your head. Call your wives every day and never give her an in. Don’t give her the opportunity to manipulate a situation because she will rip you apart and watch you burn if she doesn’t get her way. If I’m sure about anything, it’s that I’ll never make that mistake again.”
Slapping his hands on his knees, Anders pushed up from his chair. His gaze slid over to Aubrey, who sat frozen in her chair as tears streamed down her cheeks. “I think we’re done here. I have somewhere I need to be.” Leaning over Aubrey, he whispered in her ear. “Burn, baby, burn.”
He strolled off the stage without a backward glance, ignoring the voices yelling and screaming behind him. He was five hours away from LA. Five hours away from Josie. He wasn’t going to waste another second. It was time to get her back. It was time to tell her everything.
Anders flexed his fingers around the steering wheel. Shifting in the seat of his rental car, he cursed the weather. He’d hoped to catch the next flight to LA, but every flight was delayed for hours. He couldn’t stand the thought of sitting in the airport, so he rented a car. He needed to be moving. The weather and the obstacles it created were enough to make Anders want to hit something. The addition of Nathan berating Anders did nothing to lessen those urges.
“I told you to keep your cool, Anders.” Nathan sighed in exasperation. “My phone has been ringing off the hook since your little stunt. Clarence has called a dozen times. Livestream, Anders. Everyone saw what you did.”
“I don’t give a fuck,” Anders spat, his jaw tight. “She fucked me, Nathan. She ruined everything. That bitch gave Josie’s name to the paps. I don’t owe her shit. And the studio has no reason to be upset. I kept the entire thing about me and Aubrey. I dare her to fucking challenge me. She has no idea how much worse I can make things for her.”
The line was silent for several seconds before Nathan spoke. “So this is about Josie?”
“Does it matter?”
“I’m just trying to understand. I’ll do whatever you want, but I have to ask. Are you…are you still hoping to make things work with her?”
Anders blew out a heavy breath and gripped the steering wheel tighter. “I want…I just need…” Anders wrestled to get the words out, but his head was too full of thoughts of Josie and what happened with Aubrey to be coherent. “I need you to fix this fucking mess and not worry about what I’m doing in my personal life.” Anders knew Nathan was only trying to help, but he had no idea what the fallout would be from his annihilation of Aubrey.
Remembering the shocked faces of the press and fans caused a smile to spread across his face. Mad as Clarence might be, Anders never mentioned the studio’s involvement. If anything, Clarence should thank him. The amount of attention he created would spike interest in their movie even more.
Nathan cleared his throat, the sound pulling Anders from his thoughts. “Don’t worry about anything. I’ll take care of it. And Anders, if this girl means as much to you as it seems, you better get your shit together.”
Anders knew what Nathan meant. He had to trust her, let her in. The idea of laying everything on the line still scared him, but he wasn’t going to back down again. “Are we done? Nathan? Hello?” Anders looked at the black screen of his phone and groaned. He’d left in such a hurry that he hadn’t thought of pulling his charger out of his bag before he threw it in the trunk. He turned up the radio and relaxed back in his seat. He had a tank full of gas and no intentions of stopping until he reached LA.
The rain fell in sheets. Thunder and lightning rumbled and lit the darkened sky. The slickened roads and low visibility had slowed traffic to a near crawl. His hope that the weather would clear once he was south of San Francisco vanished when an alert on the radio informed him the storms were moving in the same direction as him.
Resigned, he spent the next several hours alternating between fear and excitement. He didn’t know how Josie would react to him showing up, plus it would be late, close to midnight. He couldn’t wait another day to see her, though. He wanted to see her face, touch her skin, and hear her voice. If it pissed her off that he didn’t call first, then she could yell at him. He needed to see her tonight.
By the time he made it to her neighborhood, his hands were shaking. He turned onto a side street, flinching when he met blinding, flashing lights. Men wielding chainsaws braved the pouring rain as they worked to remove a large tree that had fallen into the street. There was no alternate route to her house. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel for a moment then blew out a gust of air.
“Fuck it.” He pulled the rental car to the curb and killed the engine. He made it this far and he’d be damned if a fallen tree was going to stop him now. Exiting the car, he took off in a jog, the heavy rain biting into his skin.
When he reached Josie’s street, his clothes were clinging to his body and his shoes were full of water. His entire body was taut with anxiety. Soft light filtered through her windows, and he hoped that meant she was awake. Pulling in several deep breaths, he climbed the porch steps and knocked.
He strained to hear any sign of movement. He pressed his ear to the door, stilling when the sound of the lock disengaging broke the silence. A breath later, the door swung open, and Josie stood before him. Everything he’d planned to say was forgotten the moment their eyes connected.
“Anders?” His name was no more than a whisper from her parted lips.
He couldn’t speak. The lump in his throat trapped the breath in his lungs. Instead, he catalogued every single part of her body. He scanned her face, her arms and legs, and then did it all over again.
“Anders. Are you okay?”
Without breaking their gaze, he crossed the threshold and slammed the door. His body trembled as he wrapped his arms around her, his fingers digging into her flesh. Dropping his face to her neck, he inhaled. Her familiar scent caused his chest to expand and his eyes to sting. Holding her again gave him a completeness he’d never experienced. She felt like home.
With his face pressed to her neck, he spoke, his voice muffled as his lips moved against her skin. “I know there are things that need to be said. Things I need to tell you. But can I just hold you for a minute? I’ve missed you so fucking much, Ivy.”
She nodded, and a broken sob left her body in a shuddering sigh. “Yeah. I’d like that.” Tears welled in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she weaved her fingers into his hair and held him tighter, closer. Cocooned in the sound of falling rain, they stood in an intimate embrace. Chest to chest, they could feel the thump of the other’s heart pounding. The pain of being apart for months began to melt.
Josie shivered and loosened her grasp. “You’re getting me wet,” she mumbled.
Reluctantly, Anders slid his hands from around her and laced their fingers. He moved back just enough so their clothes were no longer touching. His eyes drifted to her tank top and shorts. He bit back a groan when he noticed the thin material had become very see-through. “Don’t I always?” he joked, his eyes widening when he realized what
he’d said.
Josie’s mouth fell open in shock. She wrenched her hands free and smacked his chest. “Oh my God,” she gasped, a smile forming on her lips before she burst into a fit of giggles. “Some things never change.” She clutched the front of his shirt, fresh tears brimming in her eyes. “Thank God.”
Anders barely had time to brace himself before Josie crashed into him. She twisted her hands in his shirt and kissed him so hard their teeth knocked together. Anders bent his knees and in one swift motion grabbed the backs of her thighs and hoisted her over his hips. Her legs wrapped around his waist and her fingers dug into his shoulders as he walked them to the closest wall. Josie’s back hit with a thud as he fell into her, pinning her body against the wall.
Their mouths moved frantically as they kissed, every inch of their bodies fighting to consume the other. “Fuck, Ivy.” Anders panted, his lips moving down the column of her throat. “I can’t…I never…I never thought I’d get to do this again.”
Josie moaned when his teeth scraped over her skin. She was on fire. “How―what are you…”
Anders rested his head against her neck while he tried to slow his racing heart. “I have a lot of things to tell you. And while kissing you is much more appealing, we need to talk.”
Josie nodded and loosened her grip. Easing her to the floor, Anders cupped her cheek, his thumb sliding across her skin. “I have missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too.”
Intertwining their fingers, Anders tugged her toward the couch. “C’mere.”
“Wait. Let me get you some dry clothes. I think I have some of Holden’s things here.”
Anders looked at his soaking wet clothes and nodded. “Yeah. That would be great. I’ll be in the bathroom.”
Josie changed out of her wet shirt and grabbed a pair of basketball shorts and a T-shirt for Anders. She tapped on the bathroom door, pushing it open when Anders told her to come in.
“This isn’t helping with the whole ‘we should talk’ thing.” Josie smiled and handed Anders the clothes, trying to stop her eyes from lingering on his towel-covered lower half.
“Get out of here, pervert.”
Josie gasped, her hand flying to her chest. “I never.”
“Yes, you did. I know your secret.”
Josie’s smile faltered and Anders dropped his eyes. They both knew she wasn’t the one with secrets. “I’ll be out in a sec.”
“Okay.” Pulling the door shut, Josie walked into the living room and eased onto the couch. Her entire body vibrated with nerves and curiosity.
“Hey.” Anders sat beside her and grabbed her hand. “You okay?”
“I don’t know what I am. Confused? Happy? Scared? I’m kind of a mess right now.”
“I know the feeling.” Anders leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “I owe you an apology. I owe you a lot of apologies. I pretty much sabotaged us from the very beginning.”
Josie gave him a half-smile and shrugged. She wasn’t going to argue. She might not have been perfect, but Anders’ inability to trust her had doomed them from the start.
Anders let out a humorless chuckle at her nonverbal confirmation. She never did pull any punches. Pulling in a deep breath, he locked eyes with Josie. “Why didn’t you tell me about Aubrey?”
Josie stiffened but didn’t move away. There was no accusation in his voice, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t annoyed about having the ball thrown in her court when this was his show. She thought about how he must have left the conference early and come straight to her. How he held her so tight she could barely breathe and it still wasn’t tight enough. Now wasn’t the time to point fingers, and she didn’t want to either. If he was going to give, then she had to as well.
“I planned to when you got back. That’s why I sent you that text. I’m guessing you already know, though.”
“I don’t know everything, but I know enough. Why didn’t you call me? I would’ve believed you. You know that, right?”
“I know you would have.” Josie nodded, a small smile on her lips. “I didn’t want to tell you over the phone. I worried what you might do to Aubrey.”
Anders’ jaw slackened. “You were worried about Aubrey? Why the fuck would you care about her?”
“I don’t care about her, but I do care about you. I worried you’d do something drastic.”
“Ah.” Anders huffed out a laugh as his hand found his hair. “Well, your worry wasn’t unfounded.”
“What happened?” Josie watched him with wide eyes, a million scenarios running through her head.
“I’ll tell you. I promise. But will you tell me how you found out? What you know?”
“Levi. That’s how I found out. He told me everything.”
Anders’ teeth clamped together at the mention of Levi. “Why would he do that?”
Josie shrugged. “Guilt? A newly-developed conscience? At least that’s what he said. I haven’t given him much thought since I found out the truth. I was too busy thinking of all the ways I could murder Aubrey.”
“Considering she showed up at the convention, it’s obvious you didn’t go through with your plans, but you did talk to her. What happened?”
Josie recounted her confrontation with Aubrey, not leaving out a single detail. When she finished, Anders was stone still. He knew Aubrey was involved, but the realization that she was behind all of it was more than he expected. With his jaw clenched, Anders tried to breathe through the rage starting to boil in his veins.
“Anders?”
“Give me a second,” he said as he digested this new information.
“This is why I didn’t call you,” Josie mumbled. “You would have ended up in jail.” Pushing her foot against his, she tried to pull him from whatever dark place his mind had drifted to. “You’re too pretty for jail.”
Anders’ eyes snapped back to Josie. Her small grin and soft eyes caused his shoulders to drop as some of the tension left his body. “I am too pretty for jail.”
“You are.”
“You’re also right. I would have done something stupid. Much worse than what I did.”
“Of course I’m right. Wait, what did you do? How did you even find out?” Josie asked.
“Aubrey. She outed herself. I’m guessing she thought you already told me and just flipped out. I didn’t have all the details, but she said enough for me to piece it together.”
“Wow. I can’t believe someone so sneaky could be so stupid.”
Anders shook his head. “Knowing what I do now, I’m shocked too. But I’m glad she did.”
Josie eyed Anders. “What did you do?”
Anders straightened his shoulders, his expression blank, emotionless. “I returned the favor.”
Confusion pulled Josie’s brows together. “What?”
“I might have outed her in front of a lot of people.”
“Anders,” Josie exhaled. “You didn’t.”
Anders gave her a tired smile and leaned back against the sofa before recounting the events that had taken place at the convention.
“Everyone saw?”
He nodded. “Livestream made sure of that.”
“Do you think you’ll be in trouble?”
Anders swallowed and rubbed his hands over the tops of his thighs. “The only person I give a fuck about upsetting is you. Everyone else can go to hell.”
“Me? Why would I be upset?”
“Because I brought you up. Not by name, but it won’t be hard for people to put two and two together. You’ve been through so much because of me. Christ, you almost got hit by a car, and I never even asked if you were okay. I’m such an asshole.”
“You can be an asshole. And if I’m being honest, I am worried about what’s going to happen next. As you pointed out, I almost got hit by a car. Anders, that was terrifying. What’s worse is that you weren’t even around. Everything you worried about while we were dating was happening, and I had to go through it alone. Seeing you out partying while I felt tr
apped in my house? That hurt. It validated every fear I had about you. About us.
“I tried to tell myself it would get better, but you hurt me so much. And as much as I hated it, I missed you. I didn’t, and still don’t, understand so many things, like why you chose to date Aubrey for publicity when you didn’t need to, why you never told me about your history with her, or why you would never let me in. But what confuses me the most, what I can’t figure out no matter how hard I try, is why you keep coming back. Why won’t you just let me go?
“Every time I think we’re done, I turn around and there you are. What do you want from me? Because what you see is what you get. If that wasn’t enough before, it’s not going to be enough now.”
Anders slid his hands over her bare thighs, his fingers wrapping around her skin and anchoring her to him. His eyes were the softest Josie had ever seen. “You said to me once that you hoped I’d be able to find someone I could let in. Someone I could trust.” He shook his head and leaned forward, raising one hand to cup the back of her neck while the other cradled her jaw. “I don’t need to look for someone. I’ve already found her. I just want you, Ivy. You’re so much more than enough. You’re everything.”
“Anders.” Her lips trembled as she clutched his wrists. “Don’t say things you don’t mean. Please don’t break my heart. Not again.”
“I don’t want to break your heart, baby. I want to fix us. Will you let me explain why I acted the way I did? It’s not an excuse, but I’m asking for your understanding. I’m asking for a chance. When I’m done, if you want me to go, I’ll go. I’ll leave you alone.”
Anders clenched his jaw and tightened his grip as his eyes drifted to the floor. He pressed his lips into a thin line and shook his head as the thought of walking away from her settled in his chest. “You know what? Fuck that. I won’t walk away. I’ll fight. I won’t let you give up on me, on us. I need you to understand. I need you to forgive me. Because being without you has been the worst experience of my life. I’m not going to feel that way ever again, not without a fight.”