by Eva Haining
By the time we pull up outside Jasper’s house, I’m seeing visions of him hurtling out the front door. I wish he were here.
“What the fuck happened, Haze? You were supposed to take care of her.” My eyes roll back in my head as I try to focus. He’s here.
“I had no idea Cece was going to be there. You know what she’s like, all vitriol and raging bitch.”
The scent of Jasper’s cologne tantalizes my senses as his strong arms reach under me and pull me from the back seat. Dropping my head to his chest, every muscle in my body relaxes. The sound of his heartbeat a soothing balm to my soul.
“You’re going to tell me everything once I get Maisie into bed.”
“Not her fault.” My speech is a little slurred as exhaustion and booze fight to pull me under.
“What, baby? Just rest. I’ve got you.”
“She’s a spitfire. You should’ve seen her, Jasp. I know it might not help the movie, but that bitch deserved it,” Hazel interjects.
“Why the hell would she confront her?” His arms tighten as he strides through the living room and toward the master bedroom.
“Defending your honor…” As he lays me down on the bed, I instinctively reach for the pillow I’ve been sleeping with, the one that smells like him.
“Get some sleep. We’ll talk in the morning.” He brushes an errant curl off my face, his gaze fixed on me, the firm set of his brow showing his anger.
“In the South… we defend our man.” My eyelids become so heavy I can’t keep them open any longer, no matter how much I want to drink in every inch of Jasper’s face and commit it to memory.
Pressing his lips to my forehead, I hear his sharp intake of breath at our proximity. I know I should let him leave because I’m the one who ruined what we have, but I give in to my selfish side.
“Don’t go. I can’t sleep without you. Don’t leave me, Jasp.” The mattress dips as he slumps down at the foot of the bed.
“Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t.” His words do little to calm the storm raging inside of me, but I take what he offers and drift off into a dreamless sleep, content in the knowledge that he’s here if only for tonight.
Chapter Twenty
JASPER
Maisie crashed out almost the second her head hit the pillow last night after begging me to stay. I’ve been lying here awake, listening to her slow, even breaths, trying to figure out what the hell I’m doing. I’m in my bed, but I’m on top of the covers. She’s sleeping next to me, but I’m wide awake. The smell of her perfume has me hard as a fucking rock with no release.
I promised I wouldn’t crowd her. That I’d give her as much time as she needs to figure out I’m the guy for her—a fact I already know with unquestionable clarity. So where do I go from here?
As I ponder my next move, my phone starts beeping, pinging, and ringing off the hook. I quickly shut it off so as not to wake Maisie, but I’m up and out of the room in a heartbeat. Ethan is the first call of the day.
“What the fuck did she do?”
“I haven’t spoken to her about it yet.”
“All she had to do was show some southern manners and endear herself to the media. Why the hell is she out brawling like a backwater hick? You were supposed to keep her on a leash.” My hand tightens, the edges of my phone digging into my palms.
“Watch your fucking mouth, Ethan.”
“I knew this was going to happen. You’re letting your feelings for her cloud your judgment.”
“I’m going to hang up now before I say something I’m going to regret, and you say something else to piss me off. Just send me the media links. I’ll make some calls and set up some soundbites with the right people.” Before he gets a chance to say anything else, I end the call. I need to find out what Cece has been saying.
Grabbing my wallet, I find the business card for the club owner and dial his number.
“Carter de Rossi speaking.”
“Hi, Carter, it’s J.J. Savage.”
“I thought I might be hearing from you today. Quite a show your leading lady put on last night.”
“Tell me you’re true to your word, and footage isn’t going to leak on this?”
“It’s already been wiped. The bouncers ensured there were no cell phone pictures making their way onto social media.”
“Why would you do that? What if the police come looking for CCTV?”
“I guarantee discretion, and just between friends, that ex of yours is a piece of work. She was dangerously close to being barred before last night.”
“I’m not surprised. She has an affinity for mayhem.”
“Well, from what I saw, your girl held her own just fine.”
“She’s… my co-star.”
“Is that what you’re telling yourself? Fuck, she’s making you work for it.”
“How…”
“Been there, done that. My wife made me work really fucking hard to win her over.”
“She doesn’t know how she feels,” I utter, unsure why I’m opening up to a veritable stranger.
“She knocked out your ex with a sucker punch last night. I’d say she feels plenty.” A chuckle escapes me at the thought of Maisie going all cage fighter. She’s sassy as hell, but I didn’t think she was violent. “Hang in there, man. Something tells me she’s worth the wait.”
“Thanks, Carter. And I really appreciate you taking care of this. I’m not sure what I am walking into with the press today, but I don’t think Maisie could cope if there were videos of what happened.”
“You let me know what I can do for you. None of my staff will be giving information to the press, and you can consider Cecelia Bain a non-issue when you come to my establishment in the future.”
“You don’t need to do that.”
“I know I don’t. My club, my fucking rules. You’re welcome with your girl any time.”
“Thanks.”
“Good luck.” As the line goes dead, a swell of pride blooms in the center of my chest. Maisie sucker-punched Cece.
My inbox is flooded with headlines as I saunter through the house in search of Hazel. Of course, Cece has already been flaunting a busted lip all over her Instagram and calling Maisie out as the perpetrator. Tension is coming off me in waves as I read through all the different media outlets.
Hazel is sitting at the kitchen island with coffee and a bagel.
“Hey, Romeo. Juliet still sleeping?” Holding my phone out to her with a picture of Cece’s bruised face, she can’t mask the grin tugging at the corners of her lips.
“It’s not funny, Haze.”
“It is a little funny. You fell in love with Rocky!” I can’t help but laugh.
“I need to fix this before it gets out of hand and tanks the movie.”
“It’s time to man-up and set the record straight on Cece. You’re not doing yourself or Maisie any favors by staying quiet at this point.”
“Fuck. I didn’t want to do this.”
“I know, but it’s not about you now, it’s about Maisie. She chose to slug your ex because she was smack-talking you… and me.”
“What did she say?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Like hell, it doesn’t.” I reach for the coffee pot, my sleep deprivation hitting every cell in my body. “Tell me now.”
“She called you pathetic.”
“And?” I know there’s more. You don’t punch someone for saying your boyfriend—or whatever I am—is pathetic. “Spit it out.”
“She called me a dyke. Told Maisie she’s trash. Told her to take me home and put on a show for you before you get fed up with her.” My coffee mug shatters as I hurl it against the wall, the murky brown liquid dripping down the newly-painted surface.
“Son of a bitch!”
“I let her go.”
“What?”
“I was holding her back, but when Cece spewed that shit, I loosened my grip. I was angry, but I shouldn’t have let Maisie go. I’m sorry.”
�
�Why didn’t she just walk away?”
“Would you have walked away if someone was talking like that to you? Get with the program, Jasp. That girl is head-over-heels in love with you, whether she wants to admit it or not.” It’s a physical struggle to stop myself from stalking back to my bedroom and fucking Maisie until she can’t remember her own name or why she keeps fighting the way she feels about me.
“Can you hang today? I need to get with Ethan and sort this shit out. I don’t want it coming back on Maisie. She’s still asleep.”
“I have some damage control of my own to do, but I’ll be on my cell if you need me.”
“Okay. I better get after it. I’ll call you later.”
Maisie was out for the count when I left. I showered, shaved, and made myself presentable to deal with the angry masses. I left a note on the bedside table letting her know I’d be back later, along with a bottle of water and two aspirin. She’s going to be rocking one hell of a hangover this morning. I hate leaving her, but Hazel is right, I need to nip this in the bud before it blows back on Maisie. If I’d just been honest from the get-go, maybe we could’ve avoided all of this.
I’ve missed driving, so it’s a small luxury in my day to slide behind the wheel of my Bugatti Chiron, but as I ease out onto the sidewalk, I’m swarmed by reporters. Fuck. Today is going to be a grind. Letting the roar of the engine dampen the anger in the pit of my stomach, I put my foot to the floor and focus on one thing—Maisie.
By the time I reach Ethan’s office, he’s pacing the floors muttering like a madman.
“Good, you’re here. I’ve pulled a lot of strings, but I have sit-down interviews with newspapers and television set up. E!, TMZ, and Good Morning America are willing to film with you this afternoon, and they’ll air tomorrow morning. Also, you’ll be sitting down with the ladies of The View on Wednesday.”
“Okay. What about Maisie? Does she need to be around for any of these?” His eyes are feral as he pins me with his stare.
“Are you shitting me right now? Of course not. We need to keep her as far away from this as possible. She’s done enough damage.”
“Careful, Ethan.”
“Yes, yes. You Tarzan, she Jane, whatever. I’m trying to salvage your career and this movie. God, we’ve not even got a final cut of the damn thing, and it’s already resting on a knife-edge. You need to bring every ounce of showbiz charm you’ve got today.”
“I will. We should’ve put out a statement months ago refuting Cece’s bullshit story.”
“So now it’s all on me? All I’ve ever tried to do is help you. You were fucking royalty in this town. Actresses are the fucking bane of my existence.”
“Calm down. I’m not relinquishing the crown quite yet. I’ll make it right. Just give me the details on where I need to be and when. I’ve got this.”
There’s an audible sigh of relief as he slumps into the chair behind his desk.
“You keep her out of the press. You hear me?”
“Yes. I don’t want her getting vilified over this. Trust me, I’ll take care of it. I already spoke to the club owner. The footage of the incident has already been wiped, no pictures and soundbites coming from them. It’s Cece’s word against Maisie, which means it’s Cece or me. This time, I’m not going to sit back and let it happen. Hollywood is about to get a dose of reality when it comes to their beloved woman scorned.”
I’m sick of the sound of my voice by the end of the day, but my interviews so far are trending on Twitter, and the major celebrity blogs are buzzing, last night’s indiscretion forgotten as my revelations hit the headlines.
My phone is still blowing up, but I haven’t heard from Maisie all day. Eager to get home to her and figure out where we go from here, I make short work of the freeway with my foot on the accelerator.
The house looks quiet, the lights are out as I pull into the driveway. Maybe Maisie went to bed already. I imagine she’s still feeling the effects of last night. As I head inside, I’m careful to keep the noise down, but I make a beeline for the bedroom. I need to hold her in my arms and tell her everything’s going to be fine.
When I open the bedroom door, my heart comes to a grinding halt. The bed is made, and there’s no sign of Maisie except a single sheet of paper. Flicking the lights on, I grab it, praying she’s just letting me know what time she’ll be home.
I’m so sorry. M x
Wrestling my phone from my pocket, I dial her number, but it goes straight to voicemail. Hoping beyond hope, I dial Hazel.
“Is Maisie with you? Tell me she’s with you, Haze.” I don’t recognize the sound of my voice, strangled and desperate.
“You haven’t seen the latest blast, have you?”
“What? I don’t care about that shit. Is Maisie with you or not?”
“She was caught leaving your place with her suitcases about an hour ago. She’s not with me, Jasp.”
“Fuck!”
“I thought you guys were going to figure things out. Maybe she just went to a hotel to give you some space. I’m sure she’s feeling pretty bad about what happened with Cece. Give her tonight to cool off, and then we can track her down tomorrow.”
“What if I’ve lost her? I fucking love her, Haze.”
“I know. We’ll find her.”
“I’m going to try calling her again. I need to know she’s safe.”
Time and time again, she dodges my calls, or her phone’s switched off.
As I pace the floors, racking my brain for a way to get through to her, realization dawns. Grabbing my phone, I find the number I need and hit call.
“I need your help.”
I’ve talked myself into the ground the past few days. I’m frontpage news. Good or bad, the truth is out there. I’ve spoken with every major network and relayed my side of the breakup with Cece. It’s strange talking about it now because it feels like a lifetime ago. I’ve deflected questions regarding mine and Maisie’s relationship because I flat-out don’t have an answer.
The spotlight has shifted which was my intent. The press isn’t going after Maisie for what happened at Viper 2.0. If anything, with the heat on Cecelia’s infidelity, her reputation has taken a nosedive, and a lot of the press I’ve worked closely with over the years is rooting for Maisie. Without confirmation that she and I are officially in a relationship, they seem to be satisfied she’s a loyal colleague and a trusted friend, so that’s a weight off my chest.
I couldn’t stand it if they thought badly of her.
With my last interview done, I pack a bag, ready to leave. I can’t stay in this house a moment longer. I could get past finding Cece with other men, it only required a change of décor. Now, the short time Maisie spent here has left an indelible mark I won’t be able to forget. She was right not to move in here with me. I should never have suggested it. She deserves better.
I know where she is.
I knew where she was days ago, but she hasn’t answered any of my texts. Sadly, I know she’s seeing them—the convenience and curse of iMessage—she’s just choosing not to respond. I was hopeful she’d watch at least one of my interviews over the past few days. That she’d know I’d done it all for her. I have no idea if she’s seen anything, or if she even cares at this point. From the moment I first laid eyes on her, I’ve been fighting a losing battle. I signed my death warrant when I let my bruised ego get in the way of treating her with the respect she deserved.
Grabbing my bag, I slip the note she left me into my back pocket and head for the door. If I never set foot in this godforsaken house again, it’ll be too soon.
Chapter Twenty-One
MAISIE
Remnants of stolen moments and secret rendezvous plague me as I walk the small footprint of my house. I’ve been camping out here since I got back. The grocery store was all I could handle with everyone swarming me, asking me about LA. I didn’t hang around to find out if they wanted to know about the city, Jasper, or me punching a celebrity in the face. Thankfully, the handful of loca
ls I bumped into were too polite to flat out grill me about the nightclub incident.
The night of the wrap party, everyone had such high expectations for me, and I’m crushingly aware I’ve already failed them. I don’t know where to go from here. Back to the bar, the diner, the library? It would be as if none of this ever happened—except it did. I was swept up in a whirlwind, and no matter what I do from this point on, the movie will release and will forever document our story. Our love story.
I’ve wanted to call Jasper so many times over the past few weeks. I long to hear his voice, to listen to the deep rasp in his throat when he’s tired. I miss everything about him, but it’s better this way. Cece’s actions may have thrown a wrench in the works of Jasper’s career, but mine could be the grenade that razes it to the ground. How could I have been so stupid?
The harsh reality that I’m not destined for the bright lights of Hollywood pales in comparison to the knowledge that my path no longer lies with Jasper. I’m hollow, an empty shell where my heart used to beat wildly for a dream I thought I wanted, and a love I thought was only a dream.
After watching the damage control interviews Jasper was forced to give, it became clear he was distancing himself from anything remotely resembling a relationship with me. When asked flat out if I had acted out as a jealous girlfriend, he used words like respect, co-star, colleague, friend. Given the opportunity to claim me as his, he recoiled, and why wouldn’t he? I gave him no reason to follow any other line of action. He’s doing what’s right for his career and the movie. If there’s one thing I can give him now with grace and nothing but love, it’s the chance to ensure this movie does well and puts him squarely back on his throne as the King of Hollywood.
Maddox and Jax caught wind of my return. I’m sure they’ve seen my shame in the papers and have taken pity on me. They want me to go riding at the ranch with Jessabelle, and as much as I want to feel the wind in my air and the power of Belle’s body beneath me, I’m not sure if I can set foot on the ranch. Not yet. There are too many memories of what I thought my life could be.