Fall: A Seaside Novel (The Seaside Series) (27 page)

Me:
That’s too bad, because I’m Priscilla S. Garcia and I need you to ask.

He didn’t respond. My heart deflated a bit as I stared at the phone and waited for the notification alert.

And then I looked up.

Jamie Jaymeson wasn’t messaging me on Facebook. He was real, in the flesh — and he was kneeling in front of me. An adorable, worshipful smile crossed his lips as he reached for my phone, set it on the bed, and wrapped his warm hands around my fingertips.

“Demanding little minx, aren’t you, love?” Those same full lips curled into a gut-wrenching smile that had me full-on melting against the bed.

“I love you.” Each word was said so softly that my ears strained to hear. “I love you.” He looked into my eyes and repeated, “I love you.” With a sigh he lifted my hands to his lips and kissed every single finger before uttering again, “I love you.”

My breath caught as he lifted my palm to his mouth and kissed. “I want to spend my life saying those three little words… every chance I get. Priscilla, will you rescue me? Will you reform me? Will you partner with me? Will you do me the greatest honor of becoming my wife?”

“No way,” a low voice muttered.

I looked up with blurry eyes to see Demetri, Alec, Nat, and Alyssa watching the exchange. Demetri looked like he was about ready to pass out while Alec was grinning like a fool.

Jaymeson cleared his throat.

I glanced back at him, at his beautiful green eyes, dark hair, full lips, he was beautiful on the outside — it’s what had attracted me to him in the first place. But I could honestly say, it was his heart that I loved the most.

“Yes,” I whispered. “Yes!”

I flung myself into his arms nearly knocking him over.

Alec whistled while Demetri looked like he needed a paper bag to breathe into.

“What’s all the noise?” my sister asked in a sleepy voice. Then she rubbed her eyes and paled. “Pris, please tell me I don’t have both members of AD2 in my room as well as Jamie Jaymeson.”

“Uhh…” I laughed. Dani had only met the guys a few times, and even then she’d been so tongue-tied she’d actually gone pale and just walked away.

“Want me to sing you a song?” Demetri offered, grinning like a fool. Alyssa smacked him in the stomach, and he bent over in pain.

“See?” Alec laughed. “We’re real.”

“Pris,” Dani croaked. “I think, when I’m not so tired, we have some catching up to do.”

“Yeah.” I pried myself away from Jaymeson and grabbed her hand. “We do.”

Chapter Forty-Four

Jaymeson

Demetri alternated between eyeing me like I was high and shaking his head, before he finally resorted to muttering to himself. Pretty sure this was one of those times he wished he still did drugs.

“You fell fast.” He shook his head. “Less than two months and you’re proposing.”

“When you know, you know,” I teased.

His eyes narrowed, and then he pointed. “We’re getting married first.”

“You and me?” I asked innocently.

“Jackass. Me and Lyss. Don’t go raining on our parade, I want to have sex again. Lots and lots of sex. I will not have my British brother cock block me!”

“Shh.” Alec gave me an irritated look. “She’s sleeping.”

It was just us three and Dani.

The girls had gone to get food and thought it might be smarter to keep us all secluded in the room so we wouldn’t be responsible for another nurse passing out. I didn’t actually see it happen, but apparently when Demetri accidently walked into the wrong room, a nurse was so startled — he says by his good looks — that she fainted.

I think she was just overworked and exhausted.

But Demetri was convinced it was his
presence
. Yeah, good luck with that one, Alyssa. He was still as cocky as ever.

Dani had fallen asleep again on account of all the drugs they were pumping through her system, which was probably a good thing considering her heart monitor had gone crazy once she realized that all of us were, in fact, standing together in her hospital room.

My phone started ringing.

Peter.

It was the third time he’d called me that day.

“I’ll be back, guys.” I answered the phone and walked hastily into the waiting room. “I won’t change my mind.”

“Jamie,” a gruff voice said. “This is Danny Erickson, I’m sitting here with your agent discussing the movie’s future.”

“Sir.” I cleared my throat. “I’m sorry that I turned down the in-person audition, but there’s no way I could leave—”

“I understand, son.” His voice was gruff. “I lost my little girl to a car accident when she was seven. She was riding her bike in the street and got clipped.”

I sucked in a breath. “That’s awful, my condolences, sir.”

“What I’m trying to say, and what I’ve been telling your agent for the past two hours is… you need to do what you need to do. But this movie? It’s not going to get made unless you have the lead. I believe in you for the part, and I can’t imagine anyone but you playing it.”

It felt good to be wanted, but I couldn’t leave Pris. “I just asked my girlfriend to marry me.”

“Congratulations!” Danny sounded genuinely happy. “Would that be the girl who did the scene with you?”

“Yeah,” I said in a voice that probably sounded more blissful than business.

“Great, that makes this so much easier.”

“This?”

“We want her to play the role opposite you.”

I almost dropped the phone.

“Pardon?” I squeaked, pounding my chest like I’d just swallowed a bug. An unknown? They were going to give the part… to
Pris
?

“I’ve surprised you.” He chuckled. “Your agent poured himself a drink, I’m not sure if it was in celebration or stress. At any rate, it’s my movie, and I have full control of casting. The chemistry you both demonstrated was unlike anything I’ve seen in a very, very long time, son. Now, Peter has explained your situation in great detail. If we’re able to move a chunk of the movie to Oregon rather than Louisiana, and if your
fiancée
is okay with it, can I get a verbal agreement?”

“Yes.” This was happening.
Holy shit.
“Yes, I’ll do it.”

“Fantastic.” I heard a few claps. “We didn’t want to film in Louisiana anyway. It didn’t have the right feel. Oregon has some great tax breaks, so we’ll be saving money filming in that location anyways. Alright, pre-production’s set for two weeks. You may need to fly down with your
fiancée
a few times, but we’ll make it work.”

“Do you want me to tell her?”
Please let me tell her.

“Of course! We’ll be in touch, Jaymeson.”

“Sir.”

I ended the conversation and stared at my phone for a good five minutes before mindlessly shuffling back into the suite.

“Everything alright?” Alec popped his gum and leaned back in the chair.

“Yeah.” I stuffed the phone back in my pocket. “Um, I got the part.”

“Awesome.” Demetri pumped his fist in the air. “I love happy endings. The whore discovers a heart and lives happily ever after in Oz under a rainbow of potted gold.”

“Uh…” Alec patted Demetri’s shoulder. “I think you’re mixing your fairy tales up with the great wizard and lucky charms.”

“Damn, I’m starving,” Demetri muttered.

“They’re offering the other lead to Pris.”

Demetri fell back in his chair. Alec caught him before he hit the ground. Both of them cursed then winced as Dani moaned in her sleep.

“How?” Alec asked while Demetri said. “Does she know?”

“We did the audition tape together. It was…”
Hot
. That’s what it was. It was amazing. The first time I’d said
I love you
out loud.

Alec clapped his hands. “Dude, stop spacing out. You’re worse than Demetri, and you don’t have the excuse of having no brain cells left from drug use.”

“I love my brother. I love my brother. I love my brother.” Demetri squeezed his eyes shut and repeated the mantra.

“Boys!” Nat entered the room lifting bags of food in the air. “We brought you food!”

We fell silent.

The girls stared at us.

We stared back.

Demetri coughed.

“Er, something wrong?” Alyssa asked with a weak smile in place.

“Priscilla’s going to be in a movie!” Demetri blurted then covered his mouth while Alec smacked him on the back of the head. “Sorry, I’m hungry. I can’t control myself when I’m hungry.”

Groaning, I looked back to Pris.

Her eyes narrowed. “What?” She shook her head and let out a nervous laugh. “That’s impossible.”

“They liked the audition video we did.” I smiled encouragingly. “Danny Erickson just called me. Not only does he want you to play opposite me, but they’re going to film here.”

“We have got to jump on that soundtrack.” Alec elbowed Demetri in the ribs. “Call Stan.”

“Are you serious?” All color drained from Pris’s face. “But what if I’m horrible?”

Everyone burst out laughing.

“You’ll be fine.” I took slow steps toward her. “I promise. You’ll be with me.”

“But—”

“Dude, she may need Demetri’s paper bag,” Alec interjected.

“Funny,” Demetri grumbled under his breath.

“Love.” By the time my fingers grazed her jaw, color was returning to her cheeks. “We’ll be together. I was all set to turn it down, and then he said your name. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than get to kiss my
fiancée
, and get her to fall in love with me all over again, scene by scene, line by line…”

Nat and Alyssa sighed.

Yeah, the guys were probably going to poison my cereal.

“Okay.” Pris’s brown eyes were wild with excitement. “But, if I suck, you have to make me better.”

“Oh, I’ll make it all better,” I murmured, kissing her.

“There he is!” Demetri announced. “Damn, I was worried for a second. It’s always hard, you know? Losing a whore.”

Chapter Forty-Five

Priscilla

It was a week before we were able to take Dani home. Jaymeson and I had spent countless hours in that suite with her. I still couldn’t believe that he’d gone to all that trouble just so we would be comfortable.

Dani was a lot more easy-going around the guys, but I could tell it still unnerved her.

There were also the nightmares.

At least once a night she woke up yelling for our dad. Every time, I held her and cried with her. My heart wasn’t healed, but I was trying so hard to be strong for her, and in turn, Jaymeson was strong for me.

One night, I must have slept through her scream because when I woke up Jaymeson was sitting next to her on the bed, leaning against the pillow stroking her hair as she slept.

I imagined the piercing in my heart was what it felt like to watch someone you love loving the most important person in your life in return. It was beautiful, and I knew in that moment that my dad would have loved Jaymeson. Because Jaymeson loved my dad’s little girls more than life itself.

He showed it in his actions.

Jaymeson had helped get Dani to the car while I’d gone to the accounting department to discuss the payments for the hospital bills. I knew my parents didn’t have a ton of money, but I figured that hopefully with their life insurance I could pay for part of her bills.

“Paid in full.” The nurse had flashed me a knowing smile.

“But—”

“Paid in full,” she repeated. “Now was there anything else I can help you with?”

Confused I’d made it ten steps before it struck me.

Jaymeson.

It had taken the entire plane ride back, lots of kissing and coaxing, but he finally ’fessed up and said he not only paid for the hospital stay but may have possibly bought Dani a new car in the process, for when she was ready to drive again. Sort of as a welcome home present so she wouldn’t be so sad.

I accused him of spoiling her.

His answer was, “I want to spend my life spoiling you. Both of you.”

Pretty sure Demetri and Alec were getting tired of watching us because they’d all moved to different parts of the private jet.

Yeah, private jet.

I was still in shock.

“So.” Jaymeson cleared his throat. “I, uh, thought we should um…” He turned bright red. “Bring your stuff over to my place.”

“My stuff?” I asked.

“Yeah.” Why was he turning red?

“I know we need to go through all your parents’ belongings. I know it would be too hard to stay there right now, so I kind of thought you and Dani should stay with me.” He gulped. “At my beach house.”

“Why are you sweating?” I touched his forehead.

“Holy shit, I feel like I’m fifteen,” Jaymeson muttered. “I don’t want to ever, ever, ever, sleep without you. Ever again…” He coughed. “Ever.”

“Say
ever
one more time, man.” Demetri walked between us and laughed. “I don’t think she heard you.”

Jaymeson flipped him off.

Somehow, Demetri could read minds, because his middle finger was already hoisted in the air toward Jaymeson even though he hadn’t turned around.

They were helping us unload our bags and Dani, while they packed up for the next leg of their tour.

“Okay.” I licked my lips. “But with Dani there, we can’t… you know.” I put my hands in front of me, and twisted them in the air.

“Mime?”

Demetri walked back between us. “Wow, your guys’ communication skills need work.” He patted Jaymeson on the back. “Oh, and if you didn’t catch that, she means you can’t have sex. Sucks to be you.”

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Jaymeson snapped.

“No.” Demetri beamed. “I’m quite happy. Do continue.”

Within seconds Alyssa had Demetri by the ear and was dragging him away from our conversation.

Jaymeson turned his full attention back to me. “I’ve controlled myself for how long? Pretty sure I can wait, love.”

“Famous last words!” Demetri shouted from the other side of the plane.

Chapter Forty-Six

Jaymeson

I was staring at her — hard.

I may have snuck into her room once Dani fell asleep, and now I was being the creepy boyfriend/
fiancé
that stared at his girl as if she held secrets to the universe on the pillow of her lips.