Hollywood & Vine (26 page)

“Oh, no. You’re not going to pull this shit with me right now, Anders. You want everything a fucking secret about us. You don’t get to change the rules because for once you’re the secret.” She pushed him into her bedroom as he stared at her with barely contained anger. She pursed her lips and moved to close the door. “Stings, doesn’t it?”

She didn’t wait for an answer as she pulled the door shut. Anders fell on the bed and stared at the wall. He tried not to focus on the voices outside the door, but he couldn’t because she was right. It did sting. A feeling Anders hadn’t experienced in a long time bubbled to the surface as he waited. It fueled his growing agitation because for the first time in a very long time, Anders’ feelings were hurt.

He tried to brush it off, blame it on lack of sleep, but the feeling persisted. Even when they fucked later that afternoon in her shower, he couldn’t make it stop. It was eating away at him, and as a result, he was more short-tempered than usual. When he left Sunday morning, things were better, but the underlying tension remained.

The following morning when Anders stepped on the set, his demeanor hadn’t improved. He’d spent the majority of the night before trying to lock down the emotions swirling inside his head. He needed to stop letting her in, letting her actions affect him. The hair on the back of his neck prickled as he crossed the set. He could feel Aubrey tracking his every move. Normally, he wouldn’t think anything of it, people watched him all the time, but the way she studied him was different. It made his barely contained temper flare.

“Cut!” the director yelled, his eyes pinched shut in frustration. “Anders, take five and get your head out of your ass. We’re shooting this one more time or I’m calling in Dean to read your lines.”

Anders scoffed. “Bullshit. You and I both know that won’t happen. I’ll be back in an hour. You’ll get your shot then.”

“I said five minutes.”

Anders turned and smirked. “And I said an hour. You can wait or you can film utter shit. That’s up to you.”

He turned and stalked across the set to his trailer, Aubrey hot on his heels. “You seem tense, Anders. You would think after your night of fun you’d be more relaxed.” The anger in her voice was hard to miss, and it only served to piss off Anders more.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I’ve no doubt you have every intention of enlightening me.”

“Ouch.” Aubrey flinched and stuck her bottom lip out in a pout. “You’re in a rotten mood. I can help with that, you know.”

Anders sighed and fell into his chair. “I’m sure you could, but I’m going to have to take a rain check.”

Aubrey dragged her finger along the surface of his vanity and nodded. “Yes, as I said, I’m sure you had those needs taken care of this weekend.”

Anders stiffened. “What are you talking about?”

“The pictures, Anders. The pictures of you and Owen out on the town this weekend. It’s nice to know you’re so fond of blondes.”

“I wasn’t with any blonde this weekend.”

“Well, the pictures of that girl straddling your lap say otherwise.”

“Fuck.” Anders reached for his phone. He wondered if Josie had seen them. His shoulders slumped and his eyes fell shut when he realized he never told her about going out with Owen.

“Exactly. How do you think those pictures make me look?”

“You? What the fuck do you have to do with anything?” The only person he was worried about was Josie and the fight they were going to have because
―
yet again
―
she was going to be pissed.

“Excuse me? We’re supposed to be dating. Your little romp with that slut makes me look like a fool. I didn’t sign up for that.”

Anders’ eyes flashed, a dark look crossing his face as he stood. She was worried about how she would appear in public, how his actions made her look. A memory of Eva draped over his arm and smiling for the cameras flashed in his mind. It made his chest tighten and his fists clench. “I didn’t want to do this shit in the first place, but I didn’t have a choice, did I?”

Aubrey cocked her head to the side and smiled. It was small and calculating. “What’s the big deal? It’s not like you’re dating someone for real, and until this very moment, I thought you were just playing hard to get. Maybe I was wrong and there’s more to your avoidance than I’d realized.”

Aubrey was the picture of calm on the outside, but on the inside jealousy burned through her veins like poison. She hated being stuck in Italy for months, filming a movie she didn’t care about. She wanted to be in LA with Anders so she could do what she wanted to for over a year: Tame him. Claim him.

Anders’ breath stilled as anxiety slithered up his spine. His anger faded as his old friend, fear, wrapped its hands around his throat and squeezed. His relationship with Josie had changed, shifted. He knew that. Just the same, fear was seldom rational, and years of building walls and molding himself into someone who would never be hurt again wasn’t going to change overnight. Falling into the person he’d become, though, feeling nothing but apathy for anyone other than himself...that was as easy as breathing.

“I think the pictures should prove to you that I’m not attached to anyone, Aubrey. Come on,” he chastised, “you know better. Now, what can I do to make up for those pictures?”

Aubrey dragged her tongue over her lower lip and stepped closer. “We need to be seen together. That will overshadow some shitty trash mag’s picture of you with that slut.”

Anders’ jaw ticked, but he kept a smile on his face. It didn’t go unnoticed that she didn’t ask him to fuck her. She asked to be seen in public. And even though he had no idea what he would’ve done had she asked, at least then he would have felt less used. He thought of Josie. Even though she hated hiding, it was different. She didn’t want to go out to put on a show. His stomach twisted when he remembered the pictures again. He needed to tell Josie what had happened before she drew her own conclusions. He needed to get Aubrey out of his face.

“When?”

“I’ll text you?”

“Awesome. I’ve got something I need to do. I’ll see you back on set.” Not waiting for her reply, he crossed the room and walked out the door. He grabbed his phone and called Josie.

“Hey, you.”

“Where are you?”

“In Craig’s office,” she replied, her words slow and measured.

“You alone?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll be right there.” He was relieved she didn’t sound angry.

Josie straightened the papers in front of her and eyed the door. Anders sounded on edge, agitated, and nothing good ever came from that. Something had happened, and she was certain she wasn’t going to like it.

As soon as he stepped through the door, his stance confirmed her thoughts. “What’s the matter?”

“I kinda fucked up.” He chuckled, raking a hand through his hair and falling into the chair across from her.

Josie lifted her brow. “Oh? How so?”

“The night you went out with Madison…,” he trailed off, prolonging the inevitable.

“Yeah?”

“I might have forgotten to tell you that I’d been out with Owen when you texted.”

Josie’s stomach bottomed out and her face smoothed. “And why are telling me now?”

“I wasn’t trying to hide it from you.” His tone was defensive, his posture rigid.

“Anders, we were together all weekend. You had a million opportunities to tell me.”

He sat back in the chair and smirked. “Really? Should I have told you while you were puking your guts out? Or how about the next morning when you were hungover and hiding me from your brother? I guess with all that excitement, it slipped my mind.”

Josie’s faced heated with embarrassment and anger. “Oh my God, you’re an asshole. It’s one thing to be like, ‘Oh hey, remember that one time you threw up because you were drunk? That was great.’ It’s another thing to use it to deflect being a jerk and keeping shit from me. Obviously whatever you did that night is going to piss me off, so just spit it out already.”

Anders wanted to argue, but he knew she was right. Pulling in a deep breath, he told her about going to the bar. How he’d wanted to relax and hang out. How he’d signed autographs for fans and had been getting ready to leave when a drunk girl fell into his lap and kissed him.

Josie tried to mask her emotions, but the tremble in her voice gave her away. “She kissed you on the mouth?”

Anders was out of his seat and around the desk before she even finished speaking. “Ivy, it was less than two seconds. I swear. She fell in my lap and kissed me at the same time. I pushed her off and was out of there right after.” He cupped her jaw and tilted her face until they were eye level. “I just wanted to see you. You have to know that much at least. Come on, Ivy, you know that, right?”

Josie let out a heavy breath and dipped her chin. “Yeah.”

“Hey.” He hooked his finger under her chin and tugged until their eyes met. “Come over tonight. We can have a Honey Boo Boo marathon. We can even order some fried chicken and cornbread. Get the whole experience.”

Josie smiled, her eyes pinching at the corners. Her pulse fluttered when his smile matched hers. These were the moments that made her heart race and set her body on fire, the unguarded moments when everything between them felt like more. “Will you drink Budweiser and stick your hand down your pants?”

“I’ll stick my hand down
your
pants.” He laughed, kissing her before standing. “I have to get back.” Anders hesitated and shifted his weight. Squaring his shoulders, he shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out his keys. Twisting his house key off the ring, he stared at it for a second, wondering if he’d lost his mind, before handing it to her. He’d get it back. He was just making things easier for tonight. That was all.

Josie stared at the key like it might bite her. She lifted her eyes to Anders’, her expression a mix of shock and curiosity. “Um…”

“I don’t know if I’ll be running late. You can let yourself in. You still have the codes I texted you, right?”

Josie reached out tentatively and pulled the key from his fingers. “Yeah.”

“I’ll see you later?” He walked backward as he spoke, a small smile on his lips.

“Yeah.” Josie’s expression was dazed and unsure, like she was waiting for aliens to land and give her back the Anders who barged into the room minutes earlier.

Anders chuckled and reached behind him to open the door. “Bye, Ivy.”

She smiled. “Bye, asshole.”

His laugh echoed down the hall.

Josie spent the rest of the day with a smile on her face. He was trying. He sucked at it, but he was trying nonetheless. Besides, nothing said I like you like offering to have a Honey Boo Boo marathon.

She took a little extra time getting ready that afternoon. She even conned Holden into making her a pan of cornbread to go with the fried chicken she’d decided to pick up on her way over. It was strange being in his house alone, but at the same time, the enormity of the gesture was unmistakable. He was slowly starting to trust her; he was letting her in. She felt like she was beginning to matter to him, that it wasn’t only her that felt things changing, which was weird considering earlier she was preparing herself for the worst. Maybe in their own ways, they were both messed up.

Anders groaned as the director changed the scene again. They’d shot eight different takes so far, and nothing seemed to please him. He yelled for them to take five while he spoke with the lighting crew. Anders moved to the edge of the set and pulled out his phone to text Josie that he was going to be late when Clarence and Aubrey appeared in front of him.

“Anders, having a rough night?” Clarence’s smile was indulgent and patronizing.

“Nope. Things are perfect. It’s a beautiful thing watching the director learn the difference between his ass and a hole in the ground.”

“Pleasant as ever,” Clarence murmured, a fake smile stretched across his face. “Here.” He handed Anders a slip of paper.

“What’s this?”

“It’s reservations for your dinner tonight with Aubrey. We need to do some damage control after your weekend exploits.”

“Excuse me?”

“We’ve arranged your first date with Aubrey. It’s tonight. We can’t afford to wait after those pictures.”

Anders’ jaw clenched. “I have plans tonight.”

“Oh?” Aubrey challenged. “Hot date?”

Anders glared at her then looked to Clarence, who watched with a bemused expression.

“Then cancel. This is important, Anders, and you did agree to this, after all.”

Anders nodded. He didn’t want to cancel on Josie, but he didn’t have a choice. With a resigned sigh he excused himself and pulled out his phone.

Josie chewed on a piece of cornbread, her socked feet tucked under her and a blanket draped over her lap as she flipped through the channels. She reached absently for her phone when it buzzed, her eyes still glued to the television. When she looked down, her good mood vanished.

I can’t make it for dinner. They’re making me go out with Aubrey. Wait for me?

Irrational or not, she felt second best, discarded and unimportant. She turned off the television before cleaning up her mess and putting away the food she’d brought. Slipping out the front door, she drove to her house in silence. She didn’t want to sit at his house and wait for him knowing he was on a date. Something burned in her chest, something that made her heart hurt, and she wondered if she was right to try to put up her own walls to protect her heart. Pulling out her phone, she fought back tears as she typed out a reply.

Rain check.

She dropped her phone to her side and let out a heavy breath. Her emotions were swinging from one extreme to the other, but the one thing that remained constant was the burning question bombarding her mind. Could she really do this?