Chapter Twenty-One
Josie sped into the parking lot, her eyes lingering on the car waiting for Aubrey as she marched inside the building. She had no idea what she planned to do once she found her. The only thing clear in her mind was the need to let Aubrey know her time had run out.
However, Josie’s single-minded focus was obliterated the moment they came face to face. Josie dropped her eyes to the floor then worked her way up Aubrey’s form as she tried to control her breathing. Aubrey was the epitome of every guy’s fantasy. The fact remained, though, that no matter how pretty a package she was and no matter how many tricks she pulled, she was nothing more than a desperate, pathetic girl with a bruised ego and a sinking career.
The smile that split Josie’s face and the relaxed set of her shoulders was genuine when she came to a stop in front of Aubrey. Her smile grew when Aubrey staggered to a stop, her eyes wide with shock.
“Josie?” Aubrey’s voice was high and unsure as her eyes darted around the hallway.
“Can we talk?” The unassuming lilt to Josie’s voice caused Aubrey’s brows to furrow with confusion.
“Why?”
“I think it’s a conversation best had in private.” Josie tilted her head to the side, her eyes sliding to the crowd gathering down the hall.
Aubrey straightened her shoulders. “Of course.”
“Let’s go to the empty conference room down the hall.” Josie glided past Aubrey with her chin lifted and a small smile on her lips.
“Well,” Aubrey spat, her nerves causing her annoyance to spike. “What could you possibly have to say to me?”
Josie leaned against the table. Her expression was open, yet blank. When she spoke, her voice carried the same soft tone. “I’m sorry,” she exhaled.
Aubrey knew Josie’s apology was bullshit, but the part of her that was Hollywood-saturated, that believed Josie was beneath her, couldn’t help but feel smug. “Oh? Exactly what are you sorry for? The part where you ruined my chance with Anders or the part where you talked to the paps and made me look like a fool?”
Josie resisted the urge to grab Aubrey by the hair and slam her face against the table. Shaking her head, she pushed away from the table and relaxed her stance.
“Oh, Aubrey. How could I ruin a chance that never existed? Anders wanted nothing to do with you.” Josie smirked and clasped her hands hanging in front of her. “As far as making you look like a fool, well, you did that all on your own. After all, I’m not the one in bed with the paparazzi.”
Aubrey narrowed her eyes. “Who do you think you are? You don’t know anything about my relationship with Anders. You might have been sleeping with him but that doesn’t make you special. It makes you the same as every other trashy whore he’s fucked. You weren’t the one going out with him, the one he was dating. You were just some side piece of ass who couldn’t deal with it so you ran to the tabloids. It’s pathetic.”
“Pathetic?” Josie scoffed. “Do you want to know what’s pathetic? A washed-up has-been who had to convince studio executives to arrange a fake relationship because she couldn’t seduce the biggest manwhore in Hollywood. When that didn’t work, you resorted to hiring a pap to take pictures to make it look like you had. Even wasted, Anders wouldn’t touch you.”
Aubrey blanched. “What―”
“Oh, we’re not to the best part yet,” Josie interrupted, her voice dropping to a whisper. “The best part is that after you outed me, played the victim, and had me terrorized by paps, you still didn’t win. You’re still the same loser you were all those months ago. The only difference now is that it’s no longer a secret. I’m going to make sure of that.”
“You listen to me,” Aubrey hissed, embarrassment and rage surging through her. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. If you try to spread these ridiculous lies―”
“You’ll what?” Josie laughed. “Call Levi to stage more pictures? Good luck with that.”
Aubrey’s stomach dropped the moment Levi’s name left Josie’s lips. “You have no proof. Even if you did, no one would believe you.”
“You’re right,” Josie conceded. “In the scheme of things, no one would believe me. But they’d believe Anders. I wonder how he’ll react when he finds out what you’ve done.” She wasn’t sure where her sudden surge of confidence had come from, but it was there. So was her belief in Anders. Maybe it was because Levi had confirmed Anders had never cheated. Maybe it had been there all along. Or maybe it had surfaced over the last several months when he’d shown a different side of himself. No matter the reason, Aubrey no longer intimidated her.
Aubrey grinned. “Anders? He’s not going to help you. Do you think he’d ruin his career for you? I hate to think you’re that naive. After all, you two are over.”
“Are we?” Josie smirked. “It would seem without the help of someone doing your dirty work, you have no fucking clue what’s going on.” Walking toward the door, she smiled again. “I can’t wait for you to get what you deserve.”
Before Josie could pass through the doorway, Aubrey grabbed Josie’s arm and twisted her around. “You don’t walk away from me,” she spat. “Do you think you’ll win? This isn’t some fairy tale. In real life, peasants don’t become princesses.”
Josie wrenched her arm free and glared at Aubrey. “Don’t you dare fucking touch me. Just because I haven’t slammed your face into a door doesn’t mean I don’t want to. I just refuse to give a desperate bitch like you the opportunity to play the victim again. And for the record, you’re not better than me. You can’t hurt me, and you can’t beat me. And as much as you’re loath to admit, you’re jealous of me.”
“You have nothing I want.”
Josie’s smile was full of mischief and her eyes conveyed all of Aubrey’s fears. “Don’t I?”
Aubrey’s anger faded as the color leaked from her face. “You’re not still with Anders. He’s not that pathetic.”
“You seem to like that word, Aubrey. It’s a good one.” Josie nodded. “Pathetic. It suits you.”
Without another word, Josie glided out of the building and to her car. With shaky legs, she eased into her car and blew out a heavy breath. She had things to do at the studio, but the thought of remaining in the same building as Aubrey was too much for her to handle. She wanted to drag her into a crowd of paparazzi and throw her to the wolves. As good as it would have felt, however, she would have been no better than Aubrey. If there was one thing Josie was certain about, it was that she wanted to be nothing like that woman.
Josie reached for her phone, pausing when Aubrey emerged from the side door. Her eyes drifted shut when she remembered Aubrey was heading to San Francisco for the convention. The same one as Anders. Cursing again, she dialed Madison’s number.
“Hey you.”
“I need you to talk me out of doing something stupid.”
“I’m going to need a few more details before I make any kind of commitment. Would I be entertained if I allowed you to do said stupid thing? Because I’ll need to factor that in before I give you an answer.”
Josie rolled her eyes, but the smile in Madison’s voice kept her from snapping. Instead, she decided to get straight to the point. “I know who gave the paps my name.”
“You have my attention,” Madison replied, all playfulness gone.
“Meet me at my house.” Minutes after she walked through her front door, Madison appeared, breathless and wide-eyed.
“Are you okay? What happened?”
Josie laughed as she raised her eyes to Madison. “I don’t know what I’m feeling. This has been one hell of a day.”
“I can’t decide if I want you to start at the beginning or skip to the part where you tell me whose ass I’m going to be kicking later.” Madison eased onto the chair across from Josie, not a hint of jest on her face. Her expression caused Josie to smile.
With a heavy exhale, Josie recounted her conversation with Levi. To Madison’s credit, she managed to remain seated and quiet, only allowing a few choice words to pass through her lips. When Josie got to the part where she confronted Aubrey, however, Madison was on her feet.
“Where is she? Is she still there? I swear to God―”
“She’s gone,” Josie interrupted. “She left for the convention in San Francisco.”
“I knew it,” Madison spat. “I knew she was involved. I just had no idea that she’d take things so far. And Levi…” Madison shook her head. “I don’t know if I want to punch him or kiss him. I know you’re pissed. You have every right to be, but can you imagine if he’d never come clean? Sure, you and Anders are talking again, but that lingering doubt would have always been there. Now that it’s gone, well, I don’t know what I’m saying. I’m just glad you found out the truth. What are you going to do about Levi?”
“I don’t know. Honestly, he’s not important enough for me to worry about right now. All I can think about is Anders and how he’s going to react when I tell him.”
“Have you called him?”
“No. I can’t tell him something like this over the phone, not with Aubrey in the same building as him. I have no idea what he’ll do, but I can say without a doubt he’s going to lose his shit. I don’t want him to do something he’ll regret and damage his career.”
“You mean like slam Aubrey’s head into a desk?” A smile crossed Madison’s lips as she remembered Josie telling her how many times she wanted to do just that.
“Yes.” Josie chuckled. “Exactly like that.”
“You know, I’m both impressed and disappointed by your restraint.”
“That makes two of us.”
Madison laughed. “So what’s the plan?”
“As soon as he gets back, I’ll tell him everything. And not just about Aubrey and Levi. I’m going to put it all out there. If we’re going to be more than whatever we’ve been the last couple months, I want to know he’s all in. He’s going to have to jump with me.”
“Are you sure you’re ready for that?”
“I’m not sure about anything these days,” Josie admitted. “But someone once told me that sometimes I have to take chances, even if it scares the hell out of me.”
Madison hummed. “She sounds very wise.”
“I never said it was a she.” Josie grinned when Madison scowled.
“Yeah, yeah, be a smart-ass. It’s what you’re good at.”
They both laughed, but the light feeling only lasted a moment. Josie fidgeted with her hands. “What am I going to do about Holden?”
Groaning, Madison pushed her hands through her hair. “Let me take care of Holden. I’m not going to tell him anything about your plans with Anders. That’s your deal. But I can at least tell him what happened today. He deserves to know, but you have enough on your plate without having to deal with him too.”
“Thanks. I feel shitty for dumping that on you, but I’m not interested in talking to Holden about Levi right now. I need to focus on what I’m going to say to Anders.”
“When does he get back?”
“Not for a few days. He left earlier than everyone else because he had an interview this morning. I’m not sure about the rest of the convention, but he’ll be pretty busy while he’s there.”
“Why don’t you relax? Take a long bath and have a glass of wine. I’ll come back later and we can grab dinner.”
“That sounds kind of perfect. You’ll call me if anything comes up?”
Madison smirked and nodded. “Of course.”
Josie didn’t have to guess that Madison was fighting the urge to make a “that’s what she said” joke. “I’m both impressed and disappointed by your restraint,” she quipped.
“That makes two of us.” Madison giggled before looping her arm through Josie’s and pulling her up from the couch. “Go start your bath. I’ll call you later.”
Josie didn’t waste any time pouring herself a drink the moment Madison left. The tension radiating through her body was beginning to take its toll. Taking a long sip from her glass of wine, she decided to hold off on the bath and instead opened her laptop. It was unfair to look at pictures and videos of Anders when he didn’t have the same opportunity to see her, but she didn’t care.
After everything that had happened, she needed to see his face. She wanted a connection to him. It only took a couple of searches to find his radio interview from earlier that day. Leaning back, she pressed play, her breath catching when she saw him. He looked the same as always but different somehow. His clothes were immaculate, but scruff covered his jaw and dark hair fell into his eyes.
The questions from the DJ, as well as the callers who managed to get through, were mundane and typical. Just when Josie decided to close the video, the DJ’s question caught her attention.
“Anders,” he asked, “what was your favorite or most memorable part of filming?”
Josie’s fingers tensed around her glass as she waited for his answer. His face relaxed and a smirk tugged at the side of his mouth. He laced his fingers around his knee and cleared his throat before speaking.
“Well, they’re the same. My favorite and most memorable part of filming was on location in Arizona.”
Josie’s throat bobbed as the next question was asked. “Why Arizona?”
Anders shrugged and gave a lazy grin. “There was a lot of privacy in Arizona. I was able to act like a normal person without being harassed or having cameras shoved in my face. I remember our first day off. I went to these falls I found when I arrived. I spent the entire day there undisturbed.” His eyes flicked to the camera, and for a moment Josie felt as though he was looking directly at her. He turned his attention back to the DJ, and with a serious expression he said, “It was one of the best days of my life. I loved every moment.”
The DJ grinned and leaned forward in his chair. “How can you say that was the best part of filming?” he joked. “Aubrey wasn’t even there.”
With a bored expression, Anders looked across the expansion between them. When he answered his voice was dull, flat. “Exactly.”
Josie closed her laptop and set it on the coffee table. Grabbing her phone, she pulled up Anders’ name and sent a text that could either begin something new or break her into a million pieces all over again.
We need to talk when you get back to LA.
His response was immediate.
Is everything okay?
Josie wasn’t sure how to answer his question. Was everything okay? She wouldn’t know that until they were face to face, until they talked about everything. So she answered him as honestly as she could.
I hope so.
The dull roar of voices echoed around Anders as he stared at his phone. He’d been on edge ever since he’d left LA. His mood worsened once he arrived at the hotel to find fans screaming questions about Aubrey. Hearing her name tempered his excitement about Josie wanting to see him. Her second text didn’t make him feel any better.
“Excuse me, Mr. Ellis. Your next interview is in five.”
Anders twisted around to the young guy standing behind him with a clipboard clutched to his chest. He lifted his brow when the guy stood unmoving, his mouth hanging open. “Did you need something else? Or are you planning on staring at me like a fucking idiot?” The guy’s jaw snapped shut and his eyes dropped to the floor before he scurried away.
“Fucking ridiculous,” Anders muttered as he rose from his chair. He stretched his back before bending at the waist to catch a glimpse of himself in the mirror across the room. He needed to shave and get a haircut, but for once his appearance wasn’t at the top of his priorities, at least not since deciding to get his shit together and fight for Josie. He shook his head and pushed his thoughts of second chances out of his mind as prepared for his next interview.
For the rest of the day and through the following morning, Anders shuffled from one interview to the next. As much as he wanted to text Josie, he didn’t want to push. He was having a hard enough time maintaining his composure. Nathan’s constant reminders to keep his cool during the panels with Aubrey only served to piss him off more. He didn’t want to play nice. He wanted to be finished with that part of his life, and the reminder of how different things would be had he never gotten involved with her still haunted him.
Even though Anders had changed in many ways, some things were harder to let go of than others. For example, his habit of placing blame on the shoulders of others, even when he was a willing participant, wasn’t going to vanish overnight.
When it was time for his first panel with Aubrey, he reminded himself that he only had to endure her presence for an hour. Still, he had to bite back a growl when Aubrey walked on stage. Her smile was wide as she waved to the cameras, and when she passed Anders, she let her fingertips trail over his shoulders before pulling out the chair next to him.
“Anders.”
He dipped his chin in her direction before turning his attention back to the audience. He didn’t trust himself to speak. Once he got though their current panel with the press, he’d only have the fan panel left. That was the one that worried him. Nathan had provided the reporters with an approved set of questions, but the fans didn’t have a list. There was nothing stopping them from yelling out whatever they wanted.
As the questions dragged on, Anders soon realized it didn’t matter if he kept quiet. Aubrey wasn’t going to be deterred. She leaned in too close. She dropped her hand over his on the table and tried to lace their fingers. She embellished stories and gave every indication that nothing about their relationship was over. Which was why Anders wasn’t surprised at the end of the interview when a reporter got the courage to broach the subject.
“You two seem to be getting along well after your very public breakup,” the reporter noted. “Does this mean you two are working on reconciling?”
Before Anders could tell the guy to go to hell, Aubrey leaned into her microphone and answered. “Don’t believe everything you read. Some things aren’t as final as they seem.”
“And sometimes, things are exactly how they seem,” Anders shot back, his eyes hard. He looked to the side of the stage where the moderator shifted. “Are we done here?”
When the moderator nodded, Anders pushed his chair back and strode off the stage. He couldn’t say he found Aubrey’s implication they were still together shocking. She’d proven how relentless she could be time and time again.
“What the hell was that?” Aubrey spat.
Anders spun around and took a step back when he realized how close she was. “I could ask you the same thing.”
“I’m trying to sell our movie.”
“No. You’re trying to sell us. I’m telling you right now, I won’t play this fucking game anymore. Stick to the goddamn movie, and quit trying to push your personal agenda. You look desperate and pathetic. It’s fucking embarrassing. Tell me Aubrey,” he murmured.” Do you want me to call us out? Do you want me to tell them just how fake this is?”
“I wonder how he’ll react when he finds out what you’ve done.”
Aubrey’s spine stiffened. The sound of Josie’s voice echoed in her mind and caused her fists to clench and her stomach to flip. Words tumbled from her mouth before her mind could catch up.
“Can’t you see Josie’s lying? She’s no one, Anders. She’s using you to climb her way to the top.”
Anders’ brow furrowed as he looked at Aubrey’s panic-stricken face. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
Aubrey should have stopped talking. She should have listened to Anders’ words, but she was too far gone to make sense of his question. In her mind, he knew everything. “Josie just wants you back. I don’t care what she told you about me and Levi. It’s all lies. I’d never set up pictures of us or leak her name. She just wants your attention. She wants you to feel sorry for her because she’s missed her shot.”
Anders’ breath froze cold in his lungs. Her words flew around his brain, spinning a web around his thoughts until he was only able to snatch small bits and pieces. The main parts, though, names like Levi and Josie, and phrases like “it’s all lies” and “leak her name” seared into his brain like a branding iron.
He wanted to demand answers. He wanted her to repeat everything so he could make sure he’d heard her correctly, but he worried she’d realize her mistake. She would clam up and backtrack. Instead he smoothed his face and relaxed his hands. “I didn’t realize you had it in you.” Anders smirked. It was forced, but Aubrey didn’t seem to notice. “She never stood a chance against you. Did she, baby?”
Aubrey froze. Her mouth dropped open as she stared at him wide-eyed. Her eyes darted over his face as she tried to get a read on his expression. He seemed relaxed, his face calm. Aubrey’s shoulders dropped, and a hint of a smile played at the corner of her mouth. “You seem relieved.”
“I am.” Anders nodded and stepped toward her. The proximity caused his hands to tense. Squeezing his eyes shut, he fought to stop envisioning wrapping his hands around her throat and squeezing until her eyes were bright red with broken blood vessels. She deserved so much worse. Slowly, he opened his eyes. He lifted his hand to her neck and twisted his fingers in her hair. Leaning forward, he tightened his grip until she winced. With his lips brushing the shell of her ear, he spoke, his words no more than a whisper. “I’m going to fucking ruin you.”
Before Aubrey could respond, Anders walked away. Even though she hadn’t said much, Anders knew enough. Levi took the pictures, and Aubrey was behind them all. She was the reason a car almost hit Josie. She arranged the pictures that made him look like a cheater.
He wanted to call Josie. He wanted to ask if she knew what Aubrey had done. His stomach dropped as he remembered Aubrey’s mention of Levi. He wondered if Josie had somehow found out about his involvement and that was why she wanted to talk to him.
His head throbbed. He found a corner to seclude himself in, and over the next several hours he stewed in his own thoughts. The more time he spent dissecting Aubrey’s words, the brighter his anger burned. When a voice rang out behind him telling him it was time for the fan panel, he’d lost all sense of rational thought.
In a haze of anger he walked to the stage, his muscles taut. He tried not to squint from the rapid flashes of the cameras as he nodded and smiled at fans. To the normal observer he seemed the same, but he wasn’t. His blood boiled and his body vibrated as he suffocated from the raw rage bubbling just below the surface.
The room echoed with murmurs as fans’ and reporters’ voices filled the open space. Aubrey took her place next to Anders, but her smile was absent and she didn’t dare touch him. Anders tapped his foot restlessly, the sound of Aubrey’s voice grating on his nerves. When she brushed her fingers against his arm, he snapped his eyes over to hers. The blazing heat from his stare caused her to flinch as if it burned. She dropped her hands and gave him a fake smile, belying the nerves eating through her.
“You’re up,” she whispered.
A slow smile stretched across his face then. His shoulders relaxed and his chin lifted as he swept his tongue across his bottom lip. “Thanks, Aubrey.” The same calm that had washed over him earlier, when he’d learned the truth, fell over him again. It settled thick and heavy around his body, a comforting blanket of retribution.
The moderator cleared her throat and addressed the crowd. “Now we’ll open the floor to questions for Anders.”
Anders scanned the front row of reporters and fans with their hands raised. A slow smile slid across his face when he spotted the reporter from the earlier. Any other time Anders would have passed over him, but Anders noticed how the reporter’s eyes darted between him and Aubrey. He knew the gleam in the man’s eye was because he could tell something was going on and he wanted to expose it. Anders wanted this too, so he had no intention of passing him over. He was going to give the reporter way more than he bargained for. Anders nodded in the reporter’s direction and leaned back in his chair as he waited for his question.
“There was quite a bit of attention surrounding you and Aubrey during filming. Do you think those events led to the name chosen for the film? Do you think the title is appropriate?”
Anders barked out a laugh. The row of reporters smiled nervously. They shifted, fidgeted, and refused to make eye contact. Personal questions were off limits. Even though the reporter dressed his personal question in professional clothes, no one was fooled. Anders’ chuckle tapered off as he grabbed his water bottle and took a sip. Sighing, he sat back and cocked a brow at the reporter. “Do you want to hear a story? Because I have a doozy.”
Several gasps echoed around the room as Anders and the reporter eyed one another. The reporter smiled, slow and sly. “I’ve always loved a good story.”
“Excellent. We’ll start with the easiest part first, the name of the movie. I must admit when I received word The Double Cross had been chosen, I was a bit shocked. Like you, I had to wonder if maybe the events taking place in my personal life might have influenced the name. Granted, it is an excellent title and that’s essentially what the movie is about after all. It wasn’t until recently, however, that I realized just how damn perfect it was.”
“How so?” the reported asked.
“Anders,” Aubrey hissed. “What the fuck are you doing?”
Anders turned his head in her direction. When he met her gaze, the malicious gleam in his eyes told her everything she needed to know. Turning his attention back to the audience, he continued. “Sorry about that. Now where was I? Oh, right. The title. It couldn’t be more perfect. Two people working toward the same goal who decide to strike a deal, but it’s soon discovered that one of them has other plans.”
Leaning forward, Anders rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands between them. His eyes were wide with excitement as he began to speak. “See, one of the conspirators wants more than their fair share of the spoils and does some pretty underhanded things to get them.”
Anders fell back in his chair and shook his head. “But the difference between deception in movies versus reality is the consequences. Take actors for instance. There are unwritten rules, a kind of mutual respect if you will, that you just don’t mess with.”
“Anders,” Aubrey begged, her voice trembling.
“One of those rules,” Anders snapped, his eyes boring into Aubrey. “Is that you never screw over your costar. You don’t enter a mutual agreement then manipulate the situation until you ruin their life. You act like a professional and do your job.
“Another rule, and I’m sure you all can appreciate this,” he said, motioning to the room full of open-mouthed reporters and fans. “Is that you don’t ever call the paparazzi to set up your costar, and then sell lies to the tabloids. Now don’t get me wrong. I know it happens all the time, but the key is not getting caught.
“The final rule, and I never cared about this rule until recently, is you don’t ruin your costar’s relationship because you’re a jealous, insecure B-list actress.” Anders sighed and ran his hands through his hair as the voices in the room became louder and more insistent.
“When people break these rules and get caught, well… They go on something we call a blacklist.” Looking at the reporter, Anders spoke, his voice dominating and clear. “So you see, this is why the name of the movie is so perfect. Because Aubrey Nash is a walking billboard for double crossing someone who’s supposed to be her partner. She’s a liar and a manipulator. She played a part in wrecking my relationship with the best woman I’ve ever known. Her actions were deliberate and malicious. She acted without my knowledge and was unprofessional on levels that even someone like me finds offensive. That’s why I feel it’s my duty to warn everyone now. Directors, producers, and actors alike, if you work with this woman, make sure you have eyes in the back of your head. Call your wives every day and never give her an in. Don’t give her the opportunity to manipulate a situation because she will rip you apart and watch you burn if she doesn’t get her way. If I’m sure about anything, it’s that I’ll never make that mistake again.”
Slapping his hands on his knees, Anders pushed up from his chair. His gaze slid over to Aubrey, who sat frozen in her chair as tears streamed down her cheeks. “I think we’re done here. I have somewhere I need to be.” Leaning over Aubrey, he whispered in her ear. “Burn, baby, burn.”
He strolled off the stage without a backward glance, ignoring the voices yelling and screaming behind him. He was five hours away from LA. Five hours away from Josie. He wasn’t going to waste another second. It was time to get her back. It was time to tell her everything.