Demetri walked over to our secluded spot on the beach where we’d all convened after seeing Andrew. Basically, we were hiding and the gang decided to hide with us. “He still talking about the mafia?”
“Yes,” we all said in unison.
“Why does nobody believe me?” Zane asked aloud. “Look I’m going to prove it.” He started working furiously on his phone and then held it up. “Nixon Abandonato, known contacts, Chase Abandonato, Sergio Abandonato—”
“That’s a hell of a lot of Abandonatos.” I scowled. “What does that even mean?”
“Oh, wow.” Nat looked over Zane’s shoulder. “He kind of looks like you, minus the menacing I’d probably shoot you in the face first ask questions later sort of way.”
“Case closed.” Zane dropped his phone. “I’m sending him a text. I just need to find his number…”
“No.” Ang finally spoke.
All eyes fell to her.
“Trust me, the mafia’s good at this sort of thing it’s why he’s never been in prison.” I wasn’t even concerned that Zane was actually seriously contemplating murder or that I was ready to leap over the group, snag his phone and beg his cousin to make a special trip, I had money, it wasn’t like I couldn’t pay him millions to keep it quiet.
It made me insane.
That insane.
To see Andrew again.
Even though I trusted Ang, a small part of me still didn’t know what to think about the fact that he’d touched her, more than once, that he’d been inside her, that he’d —
“Easy there.” Alec said to my left. “You’re turning the sand into diamonds with nothing but your fist.”
I dropped the sand and wrapped my arm around Ang instead.
She ducked her head against me and sighed.
“We’re not killing him.” Demetri, somehow ended up being the voice of reason. “It’s one cameo, and they sprung it on Jay last night after one of the guys, probably Jackass Andrew, had his agent pull some strings. The studio thought it would bring in more ticket sales, and since Will was already acting in the film, it made sense.”
“To them,” I spat. “But to me? It sounds like a complete nightmare. I’m fine with the rest of the guys. They’re… whatever, done with the whole scene. Hell, I keep in touch with them, send Christmas presents to their kids. But this… with Andrew. The media’s going to—”
“—do nothing.” Ang shrugged. “I mean what can they possibly say that hasn’t already been said?”
It was like the minute she said it, I recoiled because I knew there was one secret that had never leaked.
Alec nudged me.
I imagined he knew.
Both him and Demetri.
And when Zane locked eyes with me across the way, I guessed maybe our secret hadn’t been such a secret to anyone but us. Since we never talked about it, since it never hit the news, that made it not real, right?
But it had been real between us.
Too real.
“He can still find ways to hurt you, Ang.” I said hoarsely.
Her eyes widened and then fluttered closed. “Oh.”
The air felt thick with tension, heavy, even though it was cold out on the beach, and when Jay finally made his way toward us, his expression was grim, like he was about to tell us somebody had died.
“Bad news.” He sat next to Pris. The girls had been mostly silent, just offering water, gum, protein bars, whatever they could find in their purses to distract Ang from the fear. “The studio won’t budge. It’s my fault. Had I not done rewrites, forced Will into—”
“No!” I snapped. “This isn’t your fault, Jay, none of it is.”
“And here I thought you were going to put my head on a spike and stick it in the sand,” he said grimly.
I wiped my face with my hands. “It’s tomorrow, right? The cameo scene? And then they all — mainly Andrew — hop back onto planes and leave?”
“Fingers crossed,” Zane grumbled.
“Just use the buddy system.” Demetri shrugged, “Don’t leave Ang alone with the bastard, girls go to the bathroom in groups anyway, we can make sure that he doesn’t approach her in the next thirty-six hours. It won’t be hard. Besides, it’s not like he blends in.”
As if to prove the point, Andrew was a blur back on the beach; his tats stuck out beneath his loose tank.
“He should join the mafia,” Zane mused. “Kid looks like he’s seen things.”
“Kid.” I snorted. “He’s my age.”
All eyes turned to me again, and Zane laughed. “Yeah well, you don’t look as old as you used to, old man.”
I gave him the finger.
“Is that a hickey?” Demetri pointed at my neck.
“All right, enough of that, kids.” I emphasized kids and everyone burst into laughter. I could have sworn I felt Andrew’s intense gaze at my back.
Years ago, he had been jealous of my career.
And now I had new things for him to be jealous of.
And they were surrounding me as he stared.
Friends.
And he’d done nothing but burn bridges with every last one of them.
I LOST A part of my calm in the reflection of Andrew’s gaze, he didn’t stare at me like he wanted to part ways as friends.
He stared at me like I’d stolen something from him.
And he wanted it back.
I shivered again.
Too many memories surfaced, too many things I’d dealt with and locked away, because dealing with them once was painful enough. Reliving the past wasn’t exactly a hobby of mine, nor would it be to anyone who dealt with what I’d dealt with.
Hours after the group sat on the beach, surrounding me, flanking every side like my own private security detail, even going as far as to threaten death to anyone who looked our way — I was finally ready to shoot another scene.
With Will.
The rest of his bandmates had arrived.
They didn’t have to be on set.
But they were.
And it was suddenly too much, the curious stares, the sickness in the pit of my stomach that they were filled with judgment rather than grace.
“All right,” Jay’s evil eye hit every single person staring at us before he looked back to Will and his position in front of me like a shield. “Do me a favor, guys.”
Will tilted his head, his lips pressed in a thin line. He leaned forward his voice low. “You nail this scene, but not for me, not for the rest of the crew, nail this scene for you. You can’t beat this… thing.” He sighed. “There will always be monsters in this world — the only way to fight them is to make sure they know that in the end, they’ll never win.”
“But Will has no lines…” I pointed out. “Again.”
“I know.” His smile was back. “So do what you do best when I put a camera on you guys… talk it out.” He gulped. “Talk everything out.”
“Everything,” Will repeated.
“Everything,” I echoed.
“Everything.” Jay nodded. “If we have to cut out some minor details that don’t match with the story, I will… or just stare at her, you’re good at that too, Will.”
He gave him the finger.
Again, shirtless.
“This a new thing for you on screen?” I teased my knuckles grazing his stomach.
“Apparently.” Will grit his teeth. “I’m freezing my ass off, and Andrew keeps watching us like he’s going to pounce any second,” He shook his head, inhaled slowly. “I want to kill him. I do.”
“Stay out of jail, Will. He’s not worth it.” I exhaled a shaky breath. “And regardless of what happened in the past, I still made the choice… never forget that I’m not blameless in this. Yes, he led me down a path, but I sure as hell didn’t have to follow.”
Something flickered in Will’s eyes that looked like guilt. He shuddered and nodded. “I know.”
He gripped my hand and moved me into position. It was a scene that was supposed to film tow
ard the end, it needed to match the beginning where the protagonist finally gave up and owned who she was, where she finally gave up and let herself love for her, not because she wanted what someone else had.
It would be painful.
I tugged at my jean shorts and willed my off the shoulder black tank to stop shrinking. Already I felt naked, no bra, just the shirt hanging off of me. And my shorts with no sandals.
Will was in ripped jeans, slung so low on his hips I had trouble focusing on anything but the way his perfect V dipped into exactly where my body wanted to be.
“Keep doing that and I’m turning this into an improv sex scene.” Will grumbled, then cursed when I paused and gave him a “well I’m up for it if you are”, look.
“Quiet on set!”
I looked over my shoulder. Alec and Demetri shielded me from peering eyes, right along with their wives, my brother, Zane, the girlfriends.
And I smiled.
And smiled even brighter when it was Alec and Demetri that smiled right back, like… they were proud of me.
Like I deserved their praise in the first place.
And for the first time in a long time, I kind of felt like I did.
Will pulled me in for a hug, brushed a kiss down my jaw, and whispered, “You’re beautiful when you smile.”
“I’m beautiful because you make me feel beautiful.” I said back softly. Weeks ago I would have said, I know, and walked off. It was a deflection, another way to keep my armor in place, but today, today I took the compliment because I felt like maybe it was true.
“Scene one seventy-five, take one.”
“Action!” Jay called.
My lines were simple. I apologized, we talked about the sunset, Will sat there, done.
But as the sun truly did begin to set, something felt so religious about the way the colors kissed the waves, I didn’t want to take my eyes off of it.
And when Will and I stood hand in hand staring at it, the holy scene was almost more than my small human body could handle, I imagined he felt it too, his breath hitched.
It was like we were facing a new start.
“Before the sun sets…” Will spoke first. “Before a new day begins…”
“Before all of that.” I said back as wind whipped at my back.
“The past… it stays there.”
We were silent and then he spoke again.
“I won’t ever be sorry you got pregnant Ang.” And there it was, the bomb being swiftly dropped for all the world to see, for everyone to hear. “ I’m sorry you lost the baby. And what’s more, I’m sorry that the situation wasn’t one born out of love. But hate.”
Stunned, I fought for air, for breath. Were we doing this? Was I doing this? “He didn’t care.”
“Does he matter?”
Tears streamed down my face, he caught them with his lips and kissed my mouth.
“He never did.” I rasped.
“Before the sun sets,” Will said again, “we should let the waves wash it away, all of it.”
“Just like that?” I couldn’t control the emotion wrecking my voice, making me insane. Was he really making it that simple?
“Yeah.” Will grinned, offering me his hand. “Just like that.”
We walked hand in hand toward the sun, my feet dug into the sand as we finally met the water, still hand in hand.
“What do you think?” Will nodded his head toward the ocean. “We may die trying. Last time we were in here your lips turned blue.”
I bravely pulled my tank over my body away from the camera, then slid my shorts down to my feet, kicking them off. “Last time you weren’t exactly ready to kiss my lips back to their normal color.”
“I’m here now.” Emotion deepened his voice, added a touch of hoarseness.
“Yes.” I clung to his hand. “You are.”
His jeans fell.
I was pretty sure Will’s plan when he woke up this morning wasn’t to numb himself to death and dive into frigid cold water without a wet suit.
But that part of him was back, the adventure, and the fear had completely disappeared from his eyes. I knew it because when he looked at me, he looked at me, not through me. I wasn’t a puzzle anymore.
I was just me.
We dove head first together, hand in hand.
And when our heads bobbed up, the sun winked behind the horizon, blanketing us with dewy pink sky.
Will’s mouth met mine in a frenzied kiss.
I met him half way as we kissed and kissed and kissed until my teeth started chattering.
Finally a cut was yelled.
And the crew ran toward us with towels and blankets.
When I looked over at Will, I expected him to be freezing his ass off, maybe still a bit hesitant, shy.
Instead, he was smiling brilliantly like he’d just been reborn.
And maybe, maybe he just had.
I’D NEVER EXPERIENCED this sort of freedom before, maybe when I was a kid but even then nothing but money and fame surrounded me. Angelica Greene, the girl who had destroyed my heart, crushed my soul, made me a shell of a human, had breathed life back into me.
And yet, it wasn’t just her.
It was the realization that every road I’d taken had been because of her, and had been wrong.
It’s easy to lose yourself in someone you love.
Easier still, to lose yourself in someone you hate.
I pulled the blanket tighter around my body and searched frantically for the one and only girl I wanted in my arms.
Zane was currently handing her another blanket and exchanging the wet towel for another dry one.
The lightness in my chest only grew when I locked eyes with Ang from across the beach, her smile was bright — free.
I started walking.
And then walking turned into a slow jog.
Until I was sprinting toward her.
And lifting her into my arms, twirling her around, and crushing my mouth against hers. Our lips molded across each other while I slid my tongue inside. Heat spread down my body.
Someone whistled.
A few people started cheering.
And when we both finally came up for air, the magical moment was gone, because Andrew was standing there with a knowing smirk on his face.
Like he still had something over me.
Over us.
I glared and then gave him a smirk of my own.
Because I’d won.
He’d lost.
“Hey.” Ang wrapped her arms around my waist. “What was that for? I thought you weren’t into public displays of affection.”
I kissed her again just because I could.
“Yeah, well I figured it was time to change that, besides, someone reminded me that I used to strip on stage so there’s that…”
Zane snorted next to us. “And you think I’m bad, I swear for an entire year I was convinced you didn’t even own anything other than loose tanks and shirts with holes in them.”
“Will!” A familiar voice called.
I looked over my shoulder as Trevor approached, his grin wide.
Ty, and Trevor made their way through the crowd. We’d all aged since our last world tour when I’d turned twenty-two.
And every single one of us for the better.
Trevor was married with three kids and basically invested all of his money and decided to produce with Ty who had started his new label and basically did what he did best since he was still single.
Played the drums.
And got laid.
But he still looked good.
And then there was Andrew, standing on the outside, when he used to be always standing by my side.
I was the lead singer and he’d been the only one in our little group that had picked up the slack with vocals more often than not.
An uncomfortable silence settled over all of us before Trevor averted his eyes from me to Ang.
“Hey, Ang,” he said softly, then pulled her into a tight hug.
br /> I expected her to flinch, to default into what was comfortable, but instead she returned his hug and pulled away only to wink and say. “Someone finally married you, huh?”
He barked out a laugh. “Yeah, apparently I’m not, wait what did you use to call me? Allergic to commitment? A hater of love?”
“I believe I told you that you were going to die alone too,” Ang said thoughtfully.
Zane burst out laughing behind her.
“Hey, man.” Trevor shook his hand. “When you gonna leave your label and come over to The Dark Side with me and Ty?”
Their label was literally called The Dark Side because of all of the alternative music they produced.
Zane shrugged. “Yeah well, my agent’s kind of an asshole when it comes to shitting where I sleep so…” His grin widened. “Sounds like a fun idea and easy way to send good ol’ Will into an early grave, I’m in!’
I groaned. “You’re not in, you’re… wait I thought you wanted to stop touring for a few?”
Zane just shrugged. “I think I could be convinced if I had the right… opening act or maybe even a double headlining tour.” That was all he said before he walked off and started talking with Alec.
“That look on his face.” Ty finally spoke up. “That’s the look of trouble, he had that same look when he set my pants on fire.”
“First of all,” Trevor said, “your pants were already on fire, he was trying to put the fire out.” He coughed into his hand. “Second, it’s Zane ‘Saint’ Andrews, you can’t really say no to the guy when he asks.”
“Don’t I know it,” I grumbled.
Andrew crossed his arms behind Ty, his gaze solely on Ang, but he still wasn’t speaking.
“So…” Ty sniffed. “Looks like you’re repping pretty much every big name in the business.” I felt Ang recoil next to me. “Including the incredible comeback from the one and only Angelica Greene.” He said the words like he meant them. Ang smiled softly, as a pink bloom spread across her cheeks. I suddenly wanted to take her away, from the crowd, from all of it. From the past that she was doing a damn good job of facing.
“Comeback?” Andrew finally piped up. “Is that what we’re calling it?”
Ang flinched while Trevor rolled his eyes and looked heavenward like Andrew had pushed him past his limits before filming even began for them.