Beautiful PRICK (7 page)

CHAPTER TWELVE

“Johnny, what happened to you?”

He pushes the door open and swings past me, careful not to
touch me in the process.

“How did you get here?” He questions as he closes the door
behind him.

“I called Keith.”

“Keith? Keith?” He seems angry and agitated.

“What happened to you?” I reach up toward his face.

“Oh, this?” He wipes the back of his sleeve across his face.
“This is just makeup.”

“Oh my God. Seriously? You left set like that?” I scold him,
as I feel my heart rate start to subside in my chest. I really want to slap him
for scaring me like that. “I thought someone attacked you!”

“Me?” He begins to laugh. “Look at me, Caroline. No one is
going to attack me.”

It makes sense; no one would attack him. He’s a giant. And
yet, him saying that just makes me feel even more vulnerable… more susceptible…
more… weak.

“So Keith. Is that your boyfriend?”

“Keith? No. I told you my boyfriend’s name is Nick.”

Nick. Oh my God, Nick. I haven’t told Nick. I didn’t even
think to call Nick.

“Do you have your phone on you?” I ignore his stare and hold
out my hands.

Johnny pulls his phone from his pocket, and I steal it
quickly from his fingers. I call my voicemail.

You have four new messages.

*Beep*

Message one:

Caroline, it’s Nick. Are you ignoring me? Call me back.

*Beep*

Message two:

Caroline, this is ridiculous. Answer my texts or call me
back. I don’t need to be chasing you all over the country.

*Beep*

Message three:

Okay, is this really how you want to play this game? Fine.
No, I didn’t want to come out to Los Angeles this weekend, but I didn’t make up
the meeting. You know how important my job is to me, and now you’re being a
child. I would appreciate a little respect from time to time.

*Beep*

Message four:

It’s now been twelve hours. Are you serious? I know you have
a tendency to be petty, but this is insane. Should I assume this is it? Is this
how you’re breaking up with me after five years? Or what? Did you plan on
breaking up with my in person if I came out this weekend? That’s real nice of
you: make me fly six hours there to see you, break up with me, and then let me
fly six hours right back. That’s real mature, Caroline. Real mature. Oh wait…
it actually would have been more mature than what you’re doing now. You know
what? Fine. I’m happier without you.

*Beep*

I let the phone slide down my face as I take in everything I
just heard. Everything.

Well, this day is pretty freaking awesome. (That was more
sarcasm for you.)

My eyes still fixed on the corner of the room, I decide to
talk, as Johnny has been staring at me the entire time. “Um. Right. Keith.” I
start to stammer. “Keith isn’t my boyfriend. Keith is my best friend’s husband.
Nick. Nick is my boyfriend… was my boyfriend…” I shake my head, trying to stop
my stare. “Is my… was my… I don’t really know anymore.”

All of a sudden, I feel his hand on my shoulder. It’s warm,
it’s encompassing, and…

I freak out.

“Don’t touch me!”

“Whoa. Whoa.” His hands shoot up to the sky. “What just
happened?”

“I… I don’t know?” I question even myself. “I’m sorry.”

Johnny doesn’t say anything, only stares at me.

“What?” I bite my lower lip. “What? Dude. Stop staring.”

“Are you okay?” He cautiously steps toward me.

“I’m fine.”

He reaches out again, but I feel that same burst of energy,
of fear spin through my body again.

“Don’t touch me!”

This time, he doesn’t retract his hands. “Caroline, I’m not
going to hurt you.”

“Right. Right.” I try to calm myself. “I know that.”

“And yet your hands are still covering your face.”

I feel his fingers wrap around mine as he pulls my hands
down from their guarding position.

“I’m fine.” I whisper, completely unsure of the real truth.

“You’re not. Can I please take you back to my place?”

“No. No.” I shake my head. “Absolutely not. I want to be
here. I’m comfortable here.”

“Then I’ll be back tonight after I’m wrapped for the day.”

“No.” I shake my head again. “I really just want to be
alone.”

I can tell he wants to fight me, to tell me that I need
someone around to take care of me while I’m playing the role of the invalid,
but I don’t allow him the words. I don’t want to be taken care of,
I don’t want to be pitied. I want to be able to take
care of myself. I want to be seen as someone who doesn’t need someone else to
protect her.

But after last night, no one is going to see me like that.

I did it to myself. I allowed myself to be a victim. Now I
just need to try my hardest to make everyone see that
I
really am
fine.

Even if I don’t believe it myself.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I am. Thank you for taking care of me this morning, but I got
it from here. And thank you for the day off, but I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“Caroline, you don’t need to…”

I cut him off. “I do need to, Johnny. I need to be there.”

He understands and lets me have my freedom.

After a quick, kind of awkward goodbye, he nods at me before
stepping out of the doorway. But before I can walk back toward the bedroom
where
Criminal Minds
is still playing, I hear a soft knock at the door. The
sound startles me at first, causing my stomach to turn, but I remind myself
that it’s just Johnny and I have nothing to fear.

I open the door slightly and look up at his face. The sun
shines behind him, making him look sort of angelic.

I laugh at the thought.

“Did you forget something?”

“No.” He shakes his head. “Well, yes.”

For the first time, he doesn’t seem confident. It’s kind of
refreshing. I wish I were in a better mood so I could make fun of him.

“What is it, Johnny?”

I’m anxious to get back to my crime show marathon.

“Just, be careful, okay?”

My eyes widen at the extreme awkwardness. “Got it.”

Then
he leans in and kisses
me softly on the cheek. He holds there for just a split second, and in that
brief moment, my eyes close. For the first time, I don’t hate him. I don’t want
him to leave. I don’t want to be alone.

But, of course, I don’t tell him that.

“Goodbye, Caroline.”

And he’s gone. And I hate it. And I want him back.

It’s that freaking accent, I tell you.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“Can no one let me just watch a full episode?”

I toss the blankets off of myself and throw my feet to the
floor.

“Ouch. Ouch.” I make a mental note to grab more ibuprofen
when I get back from answering the door.

I push my face up against the door, expecting to see Melissa
on the other side of the peephole, but it’s someone I don’t recognize. Or do I?
It’s a woman. She’s maybe five foot, nine, with blonde hair, sunglasses, and she’s
wearing a sundress.

She
seems
harmless…

“Can I help you?” I call as loud as I can while still
sounding normal.

“Caroline Carver?” She calls back, pulling down her sunglasses.

“Yes. And who are you?” My voice is shaking.

“I’m Jules. Johnny sent me over with your car and a few
other things.”

“Johnny?” Now I’m confused, but the blatant fear is
dissipating.

“Yes. I actually have him on the phone right now. Would you
like to speak with him?”

My first instinct tells me that it’s a trap. Someone is
after me, and they knew this would be the best way to make me feel comfortable;
telling me that Johnny sent them with my car. Sending a woman, in a sundress,
that’s just smart thinking, of course I wouldn’t see her as a threat. But I
know, as soon as I open the door, she’s going to break in and push me to the
ground, and then she’ll…

Really, Caroline? How paranoid can I really be? There’s no
one after me. It was random. Why can’t I get that through my head?

Still, just to be safe, I keep the chain on the door and ask
Jules (if that really is her name) to slip me the phone through the small
opening.

“Hello?”

“Caroline, it’s me.”

Relief flushes over me. “Oh thank God.” I sigh.

“Hey, listen…” He starts. “Jules is my sister. I asked her
to bring your over.”

Jules… Julia… Julia Braylock. I
knew
she looked
familiar. Wow. I really am a mess.

“Wait, how? My keys were in my bag.” I begin to look around,
at nothing in particular, but for some reason, I feel as though I need to check
for a spare set of keys.

“I had a guy from the dealership come down to the lot and
make you a new set.”

“Why?” Now I’m totally confused.

He chuckles on the other end of the line. “How else were you
planning on getting to work tomorrow? I know you’re not going to try to walk
that trip again.” He tries to lighten the situation.

“Right.” The fog begins to lift just a bit. “Right. Um,
thank you?”

“Is that a question?” He jokes.

“No, I mean it. Really. Thank you, Johnny.”

Why is he being so nice to me? It feels… weird.

“You’re welcome. I also had Jules take care of cancelling
your credit cards and ordering you a new driver’s license.”

“Okay, now you’re being creepy.”

“I just knew you weren’t thinking about it.”

“But how did you…” I don’t even know how to finish this
sentence.

“Come on, did you really think I’ve never looked through
your bag before?” He smugly announces.

“Hey, that’s not okay, Johnny. That’s a violation of my
privacy.” I start, but I stop. He doesn’t try to fight me. “But thank you for
doing that. I completely forgot that’s a thing.”

I did. The last thing I’m thinking about right now is
getting my wallet back. I guess I subconsciously just thought it would all
magically return to me, and the only thing I would have to take care of was
fighting the memory of last night.

Well, I guess that pretty much
is
what happened.

“Caroline?” He gets my attention back. “How much cash did
you have on you?”

“Cash?”

“Yes. How much was in your wallet?” He seems to be rushing
me.

“Um, like five dollars.”

“Great. Perfect. Hold on for a sec.”

There’s a shuffle on the other end of the line, and then I
hear him yell to someone that he’s just about done.

“Do you have to go?” I question when I hear him return.

“I do. It was just a short break. I gave Jules five hundred
dollars to give to you. That should hold you over until your new debit card
comes in.”

“No, no, no.” I quickly protest. “I don’t want your money.”

“Right, she’s still giving it to you.”

“Johnny, no, I’m not going to spend it.”

“Great. Then you can give it back to me when your card gets
in. Think of it as a buffer. Just in case.”

There’s no use fighting. He’s right. I’ll need something.

“Thank you.” I whisper, genuinely thanking him.

“You’re welcome. Hey, call me if you need anything, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Bye kid.”

Again, with the
kid.
As if I don’t already feel like
a child after this entire phone call.

I unlatch the door and let Jules in, apologizing for being a
bit of a lunatic. She steps into the doorway, but is sure to keep her distance.
She runs me through everything she did, and asks me if she might have missed
any credit cards or ID cards. I shake my head, promising that she did a very
thorough job at getting my life back. She then hands me a brand new set of car
keys and five hundred dollars in twenties.

“Thank you so much.”

“Of course.” She smiles, and she looks just like Johnny…
only she’s a girl… and she’s pretty, really pretty. So, in that sense, she
looks nothing like Johnny.

“And it was nice to meet you.
Baseball is for Sissies
is
still my favorite movie.”

Jules politely laughs. “I actually get that a lot.”

Her accent isn’t as strong as Johnny’s. It’s just a hint.

“Do you still act?”

“Oh God no. I’m a lawyer. I don’t have to be in court today,
so apparently my brother thinks I have time to run his errands.”

I instantly feel ashamed. “Oh my God. I am so sorry.”

“Oh no, no, no.” She waves her hands at me. “I’m happy to do
it. It’s not every day my brother thinks of someone other than himself. You must
be pretty special.”

“I’m not special.”

That didn’t come out the way I meant for it to come out.

“I mean, I’m not special to Johnny. I’m just his assistant.”

“Oh, sure.” She winks at me. Then she whispers through her
sly smile. “You know, I don’t believe that for a second.”

She warmly blushes at me while she walks out of the still
open door.

“Julia! I mean,
Jules!” I
clear my throat. “You left your phone.”

“Oh, no.” She calls back as she opens the back door of a
town car and steps inside. “That’s your new phone. Your numbers should all be
programmed in there, including Johnny’s.”

She gives me a little wave before she closes the door and
tells the driver where she would like to go.

Wow. Julia Braylock was just in my apartment. She talked to
me. She told me I was special.

Wait. What did she mean by that? Did she really not think I
was just Johnny’s assistant? Did she think something was going on between us?

I can’t stand the man. Although,
he’s
being overly nice to me in my current state of just getting mugged, I’m pretty
sure he can’t stand me either.

But I guess that’s not what Julia thinks.

I’m not special to Johnny. I’m just his assistant.

You know, I don’t believe that for a second.

Am I missing something?