The sting of his betrayal hurts worse than a thousand hornet stings. And to think, I was coming up here to be with him.
Dizzy, weak, and feeling sick to my stomach, I pull away from my hiding place when I’m sure Leslie is gone.
I feel crushed as I make my way down to the coffee shop. When the staff elevator opens up on the lobby level, I expect Vandenburgh to appear just because my day can’t get any shittier.
Thank fuck he doesn’t.
I make it across the lobby and head for the coffee shop. It’s after closing time, but I see Mindy. She looks up when I walk through the doorway. She must sense that I’m upset because she comes flying around the counter running as soon as the door’s closed.
“Bri!” Mindy gasps, peering at me in concern. “What’s wrong?”
I’m not gonna cry, I tell myself, looking into Mindy’s worried face. I won’t fucking do it.
“Gavin was with another girl . . .” I almost get it out, but then I burst into tears.
Mindy places a hand over her mouth in horror, and she pulls me in for a hug. “Oh, Bri, I’m so sorry.”
She holds me for a few seconds while I try to compose myself.
Finally, I’m able to get out, “I was just going up there to see him.” I pull away from her embrace and sniff several times, wiping my cheeks with the back of my hand.
“What did you see, exactly?” she asks, searching my tear-stained face.
Anger grips my stomach thinking about it. “She was leaving his room and was all over him. I saw her plant a kiss on him. That’s all I needed to see.”
“Damn,” Mindy says, not really knowing what else to say. “Bri . . .”
“He’s probably been doing the same thing with her!” I half-cry. I don’t know why I’m so upset. I should’ve expected this. The man is a player, and he’s not going to stop just because he got a piece of small-town girl tail.
Mindy gives me another hug. “I’m so sorry, Bri. I feel like this is my fault.” She pulls back and looks at me.
“Maybe you should put some distance between you two. Can you maybe swap floors with someone so you don’t have to clean his room while he’s here? That way, you don’t have to see him anymore.”
I grow quiet, thinking. Mindy’s right. Our relationship, or whatever the word you call this thing between Gavin and me, is over. I’m putting in for someone else to clean his room. I won't even fucking say goodbye. Fuck him.
“You’re right,” I say, straightening up and heading toward the counter. I need a shot of something to help me deal with the stress I’m feeling. “Fuck Gavin ‘Anaconda’ Adams. Got anything strong back there?”
Chapter 18
Gavin
The next morning, my hands tremble as I button my shirt. But they’re not trembling because of nervousness. They’re trembling because of what I’m about to do.
After Leslie left, I sat there, thinking about what to do. It was a struggle, debating with myself. My heart was on one side and my brain on the other.
In the end, my brain won.
I have to tell Brianna that we should stop now.
It’ll be the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I like her. She’s real. Genuine. The opposite of the fake gold diggers who usually throw themselves at me.
It’s hard though. I’d rather tell her that I want to take her out to dinner tonight when this filming is over, that maybe it’d be possible for me to see her during the weekends or during some of my off time during the season.
But that’s not fair to her. I’m just being selfish.
This is for the best.
I tell myself this over and over while I’m getting dressed. But I just feel horribly conflicted. My heart is refusing to give up without a fight.
I pull my pants on and buckle my belt. And then I make sure the knots on my shoes are perfect. I retie them twice before I realize what I’m doing. Wasting time. I’m trying to do everything but what I need to do. I scowl at myself in the mirror, clenching my fists. “You’re a bastard,” I growl at my reflection. For what you’re about to do.
I quell the urge to slug the mirror with my fist. Instead, I slowly make my way to the coffee shop, dreading every moment and hoping that Brianna won’t be there.
Opening the door to the coffee shop, my heart skips a beat when I see Brianna standing there with Mindy. A part of me wants to turn back now before it’s too late. There is still time for me to just grab a coffee and walk out and pretend I’m here on a little social visit.
But that’s not what I do.
“Hey,” I say, getting their attention. I stop as soon as they both look up at me, their eyes burning with aggression and anger. Brianna’s eyes, in particular, are as cold as ice.
“Hey,” I repeat, forcing myself to take a step forward. “You look good today.”
Brianna is tight-lipped, looking like she wants to choke the shit out of me.
I frown, not sure what’s going on. The last time we were together, she was happy. “Brianna?” I ask. “What’s wrong?”
When she doesn’t answer, I look to Mindy, who’s strangely quiet. Very unusual. She’s standing behind the counter, cleaning a mug and avoiding my gaze. There’s no smile. There’s none of the normal wisecracks or smirking that are what I’ve come to associate with Mindy. She’s not her usual self. Something is definitely up.
“Seriously. What’s going on?” I repeat.
Brianna slams her coffee cup down so hard it almost breaks and causes me to take an involuntary step back. “Don't you have a movie to film?” she asks with venom in her voice.
She’s so mad she’s practically trembling. All of my thoughts of trying to end it with her flee. The only thing I care about now is finding out why she’s so angry. “I was just stopping by for a coffee before I start filming,” I lie. I can’t tell her I was here to break it off now. “Can we talk?”
She scowls at me. For a moment, I’m not sure if she wants to say yes or take the fork on the countertop and stab me in my balls. “Just for a second. Please.”
Brianna continues to scowl at me before finally letting out a defeated sigh. Mindy jerks her head toward the back, and I go around the counter, allowing Brianna to lead me into the storage room. It feels weird to be back here, but whatever’s going on, I want it to be in private.
“Listen—” I begin to say, but Brianna cuts me off with a shot right in the middle of my chest.
“I saw you!” she hisses in rage. “I should’ve known better!”
“Huh?” I ask, confused now.
“I saw Leslie Hart leaving your room. I saw her kiss you. You know, your co-star you tried to act like you were nonplussed about. I saw . . .” Brianna says, punching me right in the chest again. Maybe it’s a country girl thing or maybe she’s that damn angry with me, but Brianna’s got some pop to those punches. If she weren’t so upset, I’d be turned on.
“Wait a minute,” I protest, trying to defend myself without having to grab her. “It wasn’t like that.” I shake my head in confusion, trying to get my words right. Why the hell does she think I was getting it on with Leslie? The little peck on the cheek at the door? “Listen to me, Brianna, this is all just one big misunderstanding.”
She ignores me, convinced in what she saw. “I don't want to ever see you again. I should’ve listened to myself. You’re just one big player . . .”
Brianna turns away, but I can see her shoulders shaking and I know she’s crying.
Seeing her cry tears at my heart. Even though I came down with the intention of breaking things off, I can't let it end like this.
“Brianna, don't,” I say, placing a hand on her shoulder. I want to turn her around, to pull her into my arms and admit that I was stupid. That I’m scared. I’m scared that I’m starting to need her.
Brianna spins, slapping me across the face and making my head rock back. “Don’t fucking touch me!”
Mindy barges into the room at the sound of the commotion. Seeing Brianna’s frazzled state, s
he rushes to her side and pulls her into a fierce, protective hug. Brianna starts to sob as Mindy holds her and strokes her hair.
“I think it’s best if you just leave,” Mindy says, shaking her head.
“I just need a chance to explain,” I say, still confused. “But I will . . . for now.”
“Go away,” cries Brianna, her voice muffled by Mindy’s chest. “Go break somebody else’s heart.”
Setting my jaw, I walk out of the coffee shop feeling like shit. I don’t have the time to wait till Brianna calms down. I’ve got to be on set in the next few minutes. I barely make it to my car before a small group of paparazzi runs up, their cameras flashing in my face.
“Anaconda, have you shown Leslie Hart the snake yet?” one of them asks, grinning like a perverted high school boy.
I’m enraged, and it’s only by a small miracle that I don’t punch him right in the face. Instead, I shove them out of the way and get in my rental, speeding off like a bat out of hell.
* * *
My mood hasn’t improved by the time I'm on set. And at this point, the entire production team is avoiding me like the plague, only talking to me if they have to. I don’t blame them.
I’m royally pissed. Somewhat at Leslie, who just came to talk professionally, but given my reputation and what Brianna saw, I can see how she misinterpreted it. I’m trying not to take it out on Leslie, but it’s hard not to.
I should have just told Brianna right then it wasn’t what it looked like. Leslie wasn’t in my room for a booty call. And the hug and kiss were nothing.
A part of me wonders if I should just let her hate my guts. After all, five seconds before I opened the coffee shop door, I was ready to break it off with Brianna. This should be for the best.
But I can’t end it this way. For the first time in my life, if I’m going to end it, I want to end it with letting her understand that I don’t want to. That I’m ending it because she deserves better, even if I’m not the douchebag the media makes me out to be. I won’t end it with her thinking I treated her like she didn’t matter.
“Cut!” Jim yells, throwing his pen across the room and against the wall. “What the hell is going on, Gavin? I thought you were getting the hang of this!”
“Ow!” Leslie yells, getting my attention. I look down, realizing that my fingers are digging into her arm so deeply that she might develop a bruise.
Shit. I might be pissed at her, but that’s no reason to hurt her. I let go, watching as the marks on her arm go from pale white to an angry pink. “I’m sorry,” I mumble. “My mind was somewhere else.”
“You were supposed to be taking her hand to put the engagement ring on it, not ripping her arm off and chewing on it like this is a zombie movie!” Jim snarls.
I give him a look, but I turn to Leslie. I need her help. “I need a moment with Leslie,” I tell him, looking her in the eyes and ignoring Jim. “Just a couple of minutes.”
“But . . .” Jim starts to object, but I’m already moving Leslie off the set and toward my trailer.
I yell over my shoulder, “Five minutes!”
There’s a general rumble, but nobody makes too much fuss as I lead Leslie inside my trailer. As soon as the door closes, I step away, giving her space. I need to talk to her, not scare the shit out of her after what I just did to her arm.
“Okay, Gavin, I didn’t scream bloody murder,” she says as soon as we’re alone. “So what’s this all about?”
“About last night,” I say. “And your visit to my suite.”
“What about it?” she asks, rubbing her arm. “It obviously did you no good. You absolutely suck today. I thought you said you were going to work out your problem?”
I suck in a calming breath. She has no idea what’s going on, and I know she didn’t mean to cause any trouble. “You caused someone to get upset with me with that little visit.”
“What?” Leslie gawks at me for a moment, then laughs in disbelief. “What on earth are you talking about?”
“Someone I care about got the wrong idea,” I explain. “She saw when you left my room and thought . . . well, do I need to spell it out?”
Leslie scoffs. “Seriously?” She makes a face and then does a little laugh. “Well, I can certainly see how she’d think that, considering your reputation.”
I let out a groan. “Please don’t start with that. I hear enough about it already.”
Leslie coughs, still grinning. “Sorry.”
I’m silent for a moment, thinking. “Leslie, have you ever felt like you cared about someone? I mean, really cared about someone . . . but you know that it’s stupid? That it probably won’t work out, but deep inside, you wanted to say fuck it all? That no matter how stupid it might be, you want to be with them anyway?”
Leslie looks at me in shocked silence. “Yeah . . .” she says softly after a moment, looking up at me with distant eyes that are sad and yearning for something beyond the trailer. “I have.” Her eyes refocus on my face. “What’s this all about, Gavin?”
I take a deep breath, knowing I’m about to break one of the cardinal rules for a single guy. Simply put, never, ever talk with another woman about a girl that I’m dating, or seeing, or whatever it is I want to think of Brianna as. “Well, there’s this girl that I’ve been seeing since I got to town—”
Leslie snaps her fingers, her face immediately lighting up in a huge smile. “I knew it! The way you’ve been acting was like a lovesick puppy. I saw it in my brother, about three years ago. He was stupid for days.” She shakes her head sadly. “Too bad, too. He was totally taken by that damn gold digger.”
I half chuckle. “Yeah, I guess. But she’s not like that.”
Leslie’s smile dims somewhat after a moment. “Does Miranda know?”
“Hell, no. And I’d like to keep it that way,” I tell her. Miranda’s always looking for an angle on how to turn something into a publicity stunt. I don’t want Brianna’s picture plastered all over the tabloids.
“Oh, boy,” Leslie says, reading my face and sighing. “That’s not good. Keeping things from your agent.”
“I’ll worry about Miranda later. In the meantime, I need you to help me smooth things over with Brianna.”
Leslie gives me a look, and I can tell what she’s thinking. She wants to stay out of it. “I don't know . . .”
I look down, my cheeks red. “I know it sounds like some high school drama shit, but I just want to put her mind at ease.”
Leslie stares at me for a long time before finally letting out a resigned sigh. “Okay. But she’s not gonna grow claws and rip my face off as I walk through the door with you, is she?”
I chuckle. “No.”
“You sure? You’re Gavin ‘Anaconda’ Adams, and this girl sounds like she jumps to conclusions. I’m sure you’ve had some psychos before.”
I shake my head. Sure, I’ve had some creepy fans before, but Brianna’s not creepy. In fact, I think I understand what she’s feeling. “Nah. You’ll be fine.”
“Okay,” Leslie says, shaking her head. “If something happens, I’m going to hold you for the damages. My career’s done if I end up with three-inch-deep nail marks on my face.”
I laugh at the sour look on her face and wave away her concern. “Totally won’t be necessary. I promise, you’ll like her. Once you get to know her, you’ll see she’s the sweetest girl in the world.”
Chapter 19
Brianna
I groan, trying to stretch a little. Damn, my back is killing me. I try to ignore the pulsing pain as I walk into the coffee shop after my shift. I feel like hell, and I know I should change clothes out of my maid uniform, but right now . . . I just don’t give a shit.
“Rough day?” Mindy asks when she sees me. She looks so pretty in her black skirt, tan apron, and light blue blouse, her hair so glossy and her makeup still looking flawless. Meanwhile, I feel like I’m a poster child for frumpy.
I’m envious that she gets the easy work. She gets to stay in one place
and make coffee all day, chatting with customers, getting tips, and flirting with whoever she wants to flirt with while my ass has to break my back changing mystery-stained sheets and vacuuming up coochie hair balls out of the fucking carpets.
I take a deep breath, lean against the counter, and let go of my envy. It’s not like Mindy lords her job over me. And I know she’d love it if I could work here too. “Rough? How about . . . I’m just so fucking sick of this shit!”
Mindy gasps a little. She’s not used to my being so blunt in uniform, especially in the shop. “Babe . . .”
I shrug. In reality, today wasn’t any worse than my typical day. What made it so hard was the invisible weight that I had dragging on my neck all day.
Gavin.
I nearly told him I hated him, and I would have if he’d stayed any longer.
It hurts, and I don’t want to admit it.
Somehow, even though I told myself not to get worked up, I’m heartbroken over his betrayal. I was opening up to him. I really thought we could maybe work something out. How could I be so foolish to think I could be anything but some plaything?
To see him with that tall, gorgeous blonde . . .
“Are you okay?” Mindy asks, drawing my eyes to her. I look down and see that my knuckles are turning white from how hard I’m making a fist.
“Yeah,” I lie. “I’m fine.”
“I don't know about that,” Mindy argues, biting her lower lip. “For a second there, you looked like you wanted to murder me!”
I want to murder someone, I think inwardly. But Mindy is my best friend, and I know she cares about me.
“I’m just tired, that’s all.”
Mindy leans in, her eyes soft and concerned. “It’s Gavin, right?”
Just hearing his name is like a stab to the heart, but still, I shake my head, staring at my balled-up napkin. “No.”
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