Reluctantly Famous (6 page)

I smile and duck into my Chemistry class not
believing a word Beth says.

Turn out I’m a bigger idiot than I
thought.

Allie
–
now

“
Allie! Hey, come in.” Dex
opens the door to his trailer so I can get by him.

“
Hey, thanks for letting
me crash here. I just had to get out of that hotel room. The spy
was coming over plus Drew’s lawyer. It’s too much for me to deal
with. Anyway, I know you’re filming tonight. Promise I’m not in the
way?”

I clutch my small backpack of overnight
things to my chest, praying that he doesn’t make me leave.

“
Nah. It’s fine.” His kind
smile lets me release some of the tension in my shoulders. I can
almost feel each knotted muscle loosen. “Here,” Declan moves a pile
of books off of the couch, “sit. Be comfortable. I don’t have to be
on set for a few hours. Want to talk?”

I’m about to join him on the tiny sofa, but
for some reason, I’m drawn to the stack of books he placed on the
floor. Sitting cross-legged, I lower myself to the soft carpet and
slowly sort through the pile.

The classics are there, John Cheever,
Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Ralph Ellison, along with modern favorites,
John Clancy, Vince Flynn, and John Krakauer’s book about Mt.
Everest.

Jesus, if these books are a window into
Dex’s mind, then he is fucking brilliant. Not your average guy in
his mid-twenties.

“
Ummmm, yeah, so I like to
read.” I was so engrossed in Dex’s books that I forgot he was
watching me snoop though them.

My eyes look for his only to find him
staring at his hands, his cheeks and neck mottled by a deep scarlet
blush.

“
Sorry Dex. I didn’t mean
to go through your things.” I restack the books so I can get up and
sit on the couch.

He hesitantly looks at me, his clear blue
eyes projecting a sweet vulnerability. “I’m not mad, Allie. It’s
just… sometimes people give me shit for reading stuff like that.
For reading, period.”

“
Huh? I’m not following
you.”

People give him shit for having a hobby?

Dex shrugs like it’s no big deal. “No
worries. So, did your brother figure anything out about the spying
yet?”

Drew’s hideous behavior towards Declan
springs forward in my mind. “Dex, I’m so sorry that my brother was
such an asshole to you. He promised to stop acting like a
jerk.”

Dex smiles, his previous vulnerability
replaced by pure joy. “He wasn’t so bad.”

Then Dex makes a face, as if he tasted
something sour.

That’s all it takes to crack me up. I laugh,
hard and long until Dex joins me. When I’m finally able to stop to
catch my breath, I pat his leg. “Thanks for that. God it feels good
to laugh after all that other shit. You don’t have to sugar coat my
brother’s behavior, I’m used to it. He was an ass, but he means
well.”

“
Glad I could help you
feel better.” His beautiful grin draws me straight in. He really is
stunning, but if those books are a glimpse into his mind, he’s way
more than a pretty face.

Our gazes lock, the mood quickly shifting
from jovial to intense in the span of one heartbeat. I break eye
contact first, dropping my eyes to his chest. He’s wearing another
massive shirt, a button up at least a size, maybe two larger than
he needs.

“
You should fire your
stylist,” I say without thinking. “Your clothes are always too
big.”
What the hell is wrong with me and my stupid mouth?
“God, Dex. I’m sorry. That was so rude.”

“
You have to stop
apologizing, Allie. It’s fine. Say whatever you want, you can be
comfortable around me.”

“
I am.” Our eyes meet
again, this time the blush is undoubtedly on my face, not his.
“Comfortable around you, that is. Actually, you’re the first guy
I’ve been relaxed around since…” I snap my mouth shut, realizing
that I’m blabbering on without thinking again.

Dex tilts his head and looks at me, studies
me. It’s as if he can see right through my bravado, peeling away
all the layers to find the infected wounds hidden deep inside. He
shifts on the couch, moving closer until we’re pressed together
from our shoulders to our knees.

“
Tell me when you’re
ready, Allie. I’ll be here. I won’t hurt you.” He puts his hand
over mine, warm and comforting. I thread our fingers together,
loving the contact, the feeling that Dex is someone I can rely on.
I can literally count the number of people in my life that are
there for me unconditionally on one hand.

“
I know.” And somehow, I
do. I’m just afraid to pick that scab, to see what’s been festering
under it all these years. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to find
out.

Declan
–
now

After a long night of filming on location,
all I want to do is crash in my trailer. I’m too tired to even wait
for a cab to take me back to the hotel. I stumble up the stairs,
almost tripping on my own feet in the dark. As quickly as possible,
I strip down to my briefs. The tiny bedroom at one end of the
trailer might be small, but right now it may as well be a king
sized pillow top at the Ritz. That’s how fucking tired I am.

I brush my teeth and use the bathroom before
making my way to the bedroom. It’s so dark out I can hardly see,
but I know where the bed is. I pull down the covers and slide into
bed… and right into a warm body.

“
What the hell?” I leap
out of bed, tumbling to the floor with a loud
thump
.

“
Dex?”

“
Allie?”

“
Yeah. I was so tired
waiting for you and your couch is so small. I hope this is okay. I
can’t face everything yet, the reporters, the spying… I just
can’t.”

Her voice is low and raspy from sleep. All I
can see is an inky shadow moving over the white pillowcase as she
shifts over in the bed.

“
I made room for you,
Dex.”

“
Al,” I whisper,
swallowing down the arousal that starts to build. “I’m not
dressed.”

“
S’okay. Can you just hold
me? I’m so worn-out from being scared and alone.”

I grit my teeth, determined to do the right
thing and somehow give Allie the comfort that she needs. No way
will I take advantage of a vulnerable girl who trusts me. “I can do
that, Allie.” Hopefully, I’m able to disguise the warring feelings
I’m having. I have no interest in making Allie uncomfortable by my
sexual desires.

I’ve never been more thankful in my life for
being drop dead exhausted. I’m able to slither between the sheets
next to Allie and gather her in my arms without my dick taking much
notice. When she shuffles back to press against my body, hungry for
human contact, her warmth immediately draws me into a deep sleep. I
throw an arm over her waist, holding her to me all night.

Bright sunlight filters through the large
window on the ceiling of my bedroom. My eyes blink rapidly until
they adjust to the harsh light. I reach for Allie only to find an
empty spot. She must have gotten up a while ago because the sheets
are stone cold.

“
Al?” I pull on a pair of
sweats, shuffling out of the bedroom in my search for Allie. I
figure she’s probably reading on the couch, drinking a cup of
coffee. The thought makes me smile.

“
Allie?” The living area
of the trailer is empty. I check the bathroom. It’s empty as well.
My gut clenches at the thought of Allie sneaking out of my trailer
in the middle of the night.

All of my old insecurities come flooding
back. They’re picking at me, nagging me to remember that girls
don’t stick around. They use me for my body and take off
immediately after. I’m just a pretty face. Only, Allie and I
haven’t even kissed, let alone had sex, so why would she bail? My
brain hurts, it’s way too early for all of this deep thinking.
Instead, I decide that a cup of coffee is exactly what I need right
now.

After rummaging through the cabinets, I
locate the Keurig cup that has the strongest blend. Mid-yawn, I
find the note Allie left taped to the front of my Keurig
machine.

Sorry. Didn’t want to wake you. Had to get
back to discuss wiretapping with Drew. Call me when you can.

She didn’t bail on me. Even though I knew
she didn’t, it’s nice to have it confirmed. Old insecurities can be
a bitch to overcome. That’s why I’m done with hookups. No more
using girls for sex. No more allowing girls to use me. I may not
have used my degree, but I’m not stupid and I’m not going to be
treated as if I am.

Allie, though… she’s different. She sees me.
I’m hoping that in time, she’ll let me see her. For some reason, I
get the feeling that her demons might be worse than mine.

Allie
–
now

I’m flat out fucking exhausted. Sleeping in
Dex’s trailer was great. He made me feel safe, protected from all
the shit that’s about to blow up in my face. But that didn’t stop
my mind from racing through it all night before he got back from
filming, and all during the cab ride back to the hotel.

Fucking paparazzi ruining my life, exposing
my identity! I want to cry, throw a tantrum, pull my hair out,
break a bunch of shit in frustration… but I’m just too tired to
care. All I want is to curl up next to Declan and let everything
fade away.

“
Drew? Syd? Are you guys
still sleeping?”

I push open the door to the dark suite.
Apparently no one is awake yet.

Grateful I don’t have to face Drew Forrester
and his firing squad of overprotectiveness, I start to sneak off to
my room.

“
I’m coming!” His voice
rings out loud and clear from Sydney’s bedroom.

Damn.

The sounds of playful giggling and sheets
rustling stop me dead in my tracks. “Ewwww, gross, are you guys in
there doing it?” Dear God why would he answer me if they’re having
sex? “No wait! Don’t tell me!” I cringe back and move towards my
room.

“
Unfortunately, no. We
aren’t
doing it
, Allie,” Drew says, right as he comes out of
the bedroom, wearing only a pair of jeans.

I roll my eyes at him. “Don’t bother getting
dressed on my account, Drew.”

“
I should be asking you
that. Where the fuck were you all night? You took off before the
meeting with the agent then stayed out all fucking night! What the
hell?”

Christ, he’s so fucking high-handed.

“
I am twenty-five
years-old, jerkoff! I don’t have to explain myself to you!” My
anger at everything shitty happening in my life explodes on my
idiot brother. I’m so pissed off that I’m literally shaking. But
I’m not stupid, Drew isn’t someone you want to face when he’s
angry, sort of like the Hulk. I quickly move through the kitchen,
putting the table between myself and Drew, who looks livid enough
to try and rip the table in half.

Hulk indeed. All he needs are cutoff
shorts.

“
You’re my sister and it’s
my job to look out for you! So yeah, you do have to explain to me
where the fuck you’ve been all night!”

Over Drew’s shoulder, I see Sydney slip out
of the bedroom. Her eyes fly back and forth between Drew and me,
hesitant to get involved but probably worried enough to attempt
it.

“
It’s none of your damn
business where I was or who I was with!” I defiantly cross my arms
over my chest, giving Drew the adult version of sticking my tongue
out at him. For some reason I want to piss him off even
more.

It works, because my brother clutches at his
hair, something he only does when he’s on the verge of losing his
shit.

“
I don’t want you to have
a fuckin’ reputation as another conquest, Allie! I’ll beat his
fuckin’ face in! That shit’ll follow you around for the rest of
your life! You wanna be the girl guys wanna fuck just because some
movie stah had you!”

I gasp from the slicing pain of his words,
almost bent over from the agony. That was a low blow, even for Drew
who pulls no punches when he wants to get his way. He doesn’t know
details, but he sort of figured out what happened at B.C. For him
to use that against me… it’s fucking cruel.

“
You’re an asshole.”
Before I can cry in front of them, I go to my room and slam the
door shut.

“
Shit, shit, shit…” The
memories that I’ve tried to repress flood back, making me nauseous.
I throw myself down on the bed, burying under the thick down
comforter, using it as a shield to protect me from the pain.
Unfortunately, you can’t escape your own mind, no matter how hard
you try. That’s a lesson I learned all too well.

Allie
–
then

“
This is a bad idea,
Al.”

I finish putting the last coat of mascara on
my eyelashes, batting them in the mirror to see how they look.

“
Beth, you worry too much.
It’s going to be fun. I mean, not everyone gets to go out with the
star of the football team.”

She moves out of my way as I grab my
favorite pair of Manolo boots and shove my feet into them.

“
Allie, I
just…”

“
Listen,” I snap, “you’ve
been hounding me ever since people found out about my brother. I’m
having a great time. I always have to live in his shadow. Here, I’m
the one everyone wants. Me. I’m going to have fun and live it up
while I can. Be my friend or don’t, it’s up to you. Just stop
fucking killing my fun!”