Make Believe (24 page)

“Wine?”

I don’t really like wine but it may take the edge off.

“Yes, please.”

“Whose apartment is this?” I ask trying to make small talk. How is it possible to feel so uncomfortable with someone after you’ve spent so much personal time with them?

“It’s Kirsten’s,” he says nonchalantly.

Shit, the woman who’s still in love with him.  I feel my heart breaking. What if he’s gone back to her? Maybe that’s why he brought me here to tell me.  I feel myself becoming all flustered. I need to get this over and done with. I can’t deal with it.

“Right, Elliott, can we talk now please?”

He looks at me as if I slapped him in the face.

“Jessica, what’s with the demands? Just let me get the drinks first.”

I glare at him. If he’s going to finish with me, the least he can do is do it before she comes back. I don’t want to be left with a nice image of the two of them together.

I sit on the sofa tugging at my necklace.

“If you pull much harder, you’ll break it.” Elliott smiles.

He hands me my drink and walks over to the chair opposite me.

He looks directly at me with distant eyes.

“So you said you can explain about the picture of you, half naked with your so-called ex-boyfriend? Feel free to start,” he snaps.

“He’s not my boyfriend, you are. And we are not half naked, he was. I was fully clothed.”

“I’m glad to hear that, but for all I know you could have been naked, from those photos.”

“You have to trust me. I had clothes on. It was my stupid mother’s fault. Her last ditch attempt at getting Henry and me back together.”

“What did she do? Steal your clothes and leave you locked in a room together?”  He rolls his eyes.

“Pretty much! No, she didn’t tell me he was sleeping in my old room, so by the time I realised he was, he was asleep in my bed. I went down and had it out with her, but she had no other place for me to sleep. So I went back up to talk to Henry who agreed to go to a hotel.” I sigh, tears streaming down my face.

“Let me get this straight. You didn’t sleep with him at all? It was all totally innocent. And he went to a hotel?”

“Um, yes and no. I did get into bed with him but he said it was too much and he couldn’t possibly share a bed with me and not be able to touch me.” I hear the words come out my mouth and I can’t stop them. Why am I telling him this?

His face changes and he stands up. He walks over to the counter and puts his glass down. He starts to pace up and down. I can see the anger in his face.

“I wanted to tell you the truth, Elliott. There is nothing between me and Henry. I could have lied, but I want to be honest with you,” I sob.

“Did you kiss? Sex? What the fuck did you do, Jessica? I need to know.”

“Nothing,” I sob. “Please, Elliott you have to believe me.”

He comes over and puts both hands on my cheeks. His expression’s changed again.

“Jessica.” I look into his eyes.

“I’ve been screwed over before; I don’t want to ever feel that pain again. I am falling in love with you and can’t bear the thought of losing you, it kills me. I do believe you this time and thank you for being so honest…but don’t ever get yourself in that situation again. I mean it. I won’t be so lenient next time. We need to discuss some conditions I have if this is going to work.”

I look up. I’m so grateful to him for believing me. I would do anything for him right now.

“OK, what conditions?” I ask through the sobs.

“Hush Jess, it’s ok.” He brushes his fingers over my tears wiping them from my cheek.

“Well number one, no naked photos!” He laughs. “No seriously, you are not to see him again. I can’t risk another story like this one. I need to know who and where you are at all times. I’m not keen on boys as friends either.”  He gets up and starts pacing again. He has that haunted look.

“That’s fine with me but how can you possibly know who I’m with and where I am at all times? You can’t monitor me twenty-four hours a day.”

“Oh I can, Jessica, if I want to.”

“What do you mean? You can?”

“How the hell do you think these photos have come about? It’s not just some random paparazzo taking them. You’ve been set up and probably by a private detective. Someone has paid for these photos to be done. I wouldn’t be surprised if Henry’s even in on it.”

Oh my God, this is information overload.

“What? Henry’s planned the photos? You’re telling me I’ve been set up.”

“Yes, Jessica, welcome to the wonderful world of celebrity. These photos were planned.   Someone has paid good money for these to come out.

Oh my God, what a life, I don’t think I want this. It’s too difficult. And as for Henry, he would never do that to me.

“OK….if what you say is true, why did they follow me and not you?”

“Because I wouldn’t slip up like you did.”

“Well, I’m not sure about that. You’re staying here with your ex,” I snap.     

“Touché, Jessica, but at least I’m not naked.” He smirks.

I feel the jealousy building. How can he be so contradicting?

“How is it OK for you to see your ex and not me?” How dare he be so judgemental?

“She’s just a good friend that I can trust. Normally I would run and hide at Hudson’s but I can’t do that now can I?” He looks at me.

“I understand it’s hard for you without Hudson watching your back, and I’m sorry about that. But that is no excuse, in my mind, why you’re staying here with a woman who’s still in love with you and fully admits it.”

He flushes red.

“I had nowhere else to go. You weren’t here and I needed some company.”

Company? What the hell? Is he trying to tell me that he’s slept with her?

“COMPANY, what the fuck does that mean, Elliott?” I shout. I have never felt anger like it. I wanted to claw that bitch’s eyes out. If she’s touched my man, I swear I won’t be able to control myself.

He flushes red again.

“Have you fucked her?”

He doesn’t answer and walks to the kitchen to pour himself another glass of wine.

“Elliott, answer me! NOW!”

He comes back over and sits down.

“Yes, but not since we went out!” He raises his eyebrow.

“Huh, what?  Don’t be so bloody pedantic. Have you had sex with her since you’ve known me?” I try and control the anger in my voice.

“No, Jessica, I haven’t. But now you may understand the hurt I’ve been going through since I received those photos.”

A wave of relief covers my body. I sink to the back of the sofa.

“Please, Elliott, let’s not do this to each other again. The thought of you with another girl tears me apart.”

He sits down next to me and folds me into his chest. Looking down into my eyes he says,

“I can’t live without you, Jess. What you’ve just experienced is a fraction of how devastated I’ve been since those photos. You are my world. I can’t live without you. If anything, it’s made me realise how much I need you. I don’t want you to go back to the UK to live. I want you to move out here and in with me.” He kisses my head.

Move in with him? What? It’s all moving so flipping fast. I’ve been over here two months. My world has changed so much. I plan the words in my head that I want to say to him. I don’t want to hurt him anymore.

He looks at me for an answer.

“Elliott, you mean the world to me too…. I think I’m also falling for you. The thought of you with another woman…well ,I just can’t think about it, it makes me sick. We’ve been through so much together already.  The thought of waking up next to you every morning fills me with joy. I’m just not sure if it’s moving all a little fast. I don’t want you to get sick of me!” I smile.

He traces his fingers down my cheek.

“I will never get sick of you, babe. I don’t think I will ever be able to have enough of you. I think about
you constantly - what you’re doing, who you’re with, when will I see you again. This way, I know that no matter what we are doing we will end up with each other at the end of the day. Please, Jess, don’t discount it. I know it’s fast, but, in my life, if you don’t move fast you miss out. Think about it, that’s all I’m asking.” He leans in and kisses me.

His words radiate through my mind. He’s right; it would be perfect for us.  He would be the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing I see at night. That thought alone makes me want to say yes.

I kiss him back. He stands up whilst kissing me and pulls me to my feet. He pulls back slightly and scoops down, towards my legs and picks me up. Kissing me again, he walks directly, I guess, into Kirsten’s bedroom. I look up at him and can’t wait for him to prove how much he wants me. And the fact it’s happening in her bedroom fills me with joy. I look at him again - his wanton gaze sends a carnal sensation throughout my body. Wow, I’m one very fortunate girl.

****

I reach for my phone as it rings.

“Hey Mia, what’s up chick?... Yeah, I can meet you in about half an hour.” I glance at the clock.

Elliott looks at me Concerned.

“Yep, Starbucks is good. Just make sure you’re not followed. Bye.”

“So you’re leaving me then?” Elliott asks.

“Yes, I’ve had a better offer.” I smile. He leans over and starts tickling me under my arms and on my knees.

“Stop it, please!” I scream but this just makes him even more determined.

We both lay there, out of breath, giggling like school children.

“I didn’t know it could be this good, Jess.”

“I know. It scares me to think how close we’ve come to losing it.”

“All I know is that I couldn’t live without you. Nothing will ever keep me from you.” He smiles.

I love hearing him declare how much he needs me, but sometimes it seems like a warning too.

“I’d better get ready,” I smile, climbing out of bed, banishing those negative thoughts.

Chapter 16

I spot Mia immediately; she’s sitting in the corner wearing a baseball cap and glasses as her disguise.

She waves at me as I collect my latte.

“Hey, babe.” I kiss her on both cheeks.

“Hey.”

“By the way, thank you so much for yesterday… Is everything OK?  You seem a bit …off.”

“I’m OK. It’s just I have a bit of bad news for you.”

“Oh God, what more?  Don’t keep it to yourself then, tell me,” I tease.

“I had a call from work and we’re finishing next week because we’re on schedule, but they want me to continue doing your job. They say it’s because you’ve been away and it will help with the consistency.  But to be honest, I think it’s because you’ve been in the papers.”

“Oh my God, so I’m not working anymore?”

“No, sorry. They want me to take all your security passes back with me.”

“Oh shit, I bet this has a real knock on effect. What the hell am I going to do? How could I have been so stupid or naive? Elliott is not going to be happy about this,” I rage.

“Apparently he already knows about it. He did try to stop them, but he’s in no position at the moment to negotiate anything without an agent.”

It all starts to make sense, the conversation that we’ve had about work finishing and me moving in with him. He was safeguarding me.

“I think the silver lining in this is at least I have another week off,” I smile.

I notice my iPhone flash up.

“I have a text from Henry,” I announce to Mia.

Jessica,

I thought you would like to know I’m in LA for work.

It would be nice to meet up to discuss what happened and the recent press intrusion.

Love as always

Heners Xxx

I laugh nervously.
  Mia raises her eyebrows.

I turn the phone towards her so she can read the message.

She bursts out laughing too.

“It’s not funny,” I giggle.

“I know it’s not, but at least you will have company on your free week,” she teases.

“Why the hell is he here? For work? That’s bollocks. He’s never had to go away for work. What’s he playing at?”

Mia convinces me to text him back.

You’re in LA?  Where?

Not sure if a meet up’s a good idea?

Xx

Instantly I have a reply.

Los Feliz.

Why is it not a good idea?

I need to see you ASAP.

Henry xx

I show Mia the reply. Why the hell is he here? I don’t buy his excuses. He’s come a long way to see me about something and how the hell am I going to explain this to Elliott?