Chapter 4

Ethan

I finally called a cab seeing that I was in no shape to walk any farther. Staying fit by fucking was obviously not the way to go. The idea of going home was still off the radar. I needed to be around people or someplace that left me feeling like I was worth a shit. Seeing Riley would have made everything better, but common sense told me that I'd probably dicked things up pretty badly with her.

The cab driver dropped me off at the studio and I paid before walking through the security gate and making a beeline for my trailer. No one should have been on the set, which was fine by me. I'd hang out in the trailer for a little while, take a nap and walk the sets until it was time to go home and drink myself stupid.

Call her, you idiot.

Want wasn't going to win out where Riley was concerned. It's almost as if I subconsciously wanted to jack things up between us.

I pulled my trailer door open and froze in place as someone called my name. Not just any someone. Clayton Welms.

"Ethan. What are you doing up here on a Saturday? A popular guy like you doesn't have somewhere to be or some woman's heart to steal?"

I turned and forced myself into character. Cool. Calm. Collected. No way was this bastard going to see me sweat.

"I could say the same to you."

He snorted. "Was that a line? From one of your movies?"

"What do you want, Clay? I came up here to get away from everyone seeing that it's Saturday."

"I just wanted to see what you were up to." He shrugged and glanced to his left as if he had something to say that he wasn't going to say.

"Well, now you know, so fuck on along." I turned and opened my trailer door again.

"You know you could have asked."

"Asked what?" I moved into the doorway and tried to play cool.

"Why I stole that part from you."

I laughed sardonically. "You must be jerking my cock right now. There's no way in hell I would ask a man that was more like a brother to me why he fucked me over. I'd rather bust out my front teeth with a beer bottle."

"You're so dramatic." He smirked.

"I'm an actor." I rolled my eyes. "I'm not interested in your reasons. Get the fuck outta here."

"I'm interested in telling you."

"Good. There's a Catholic church down the street about two blocks." I pointed down to my left. "Go give your confession to someone who gives a damn."

"Right, well, from one old friend to another... You need to ask Riley out and stop dicking around." He crossed his arms over his chest, as if the prick was handing out advice that I hadn't thought of ten times myself.

"You think?" I smiled. "And if I don't do it soon? Let me guess... you're going to swoop in and steal her heart and her panties. That's about right, hm?"

"I said that to get you off your dead ass and into action with her."

"Well, fuck you very much. I'm good. I don't need a five-hour Clayton Welms boost. Save that crap for your students." I moved back to close the door.

"You used to be one of my students." He reached out and pressed his hand to the door. "The best I had. Hell, the best I've ever had."

"I'm not listening to this Clay. I have a ton of shit on my plate right now. I just wanna go in my trailer, jack off to my favorite picture of Riley and take a nap. Is that too much to ask?" I kept my voice comical as if everything was a joke. The pain that wrapped its black tendrils around my heart would be my burden alone. Clayton hadn't just stolen the part from underneath me, he'd stabbed me in the back and raped my confidence and trust in him as a friend - a brother.

A few words of overused advice for relationships shared from his lying ass lips wasn't going to change any of that. Nothing was.

"She's a talented woman and someone is going to swipe her up and treat her like the queen she is."

I couldn't pinpoint exactly what triggered my fury, but him talking about Riley with such familiarity had to be it.

"You touch her, and I'll break your face, old man." I walked down the stairs, ready to let out every ounce of my disappointment and anger on him.

He lifted his hands. "She's not even on my radar, Ethan. Besides... she's already taken."

"By who?" I took another step toward him. Deza would skin me and dip me in boiling oil if I hit Clay, but it might actually be worth it.

"By you, idiot." He pressed his hand against my chest. "Stop getting so defensive. I just wanted to tell you that she's in love with you."

"Thanks for the replay. Love isn't enough most days of the week in this world."

"That's bullshit and you know it. You're just trying to protect your heart."

"Tell me one actor that has a solid relationship at home."

"There are plenty."

"Oh really? How about you? You got a woman at home that loves you with all her heart, that opens her legs to you every night and holds you while you sleep?"

"Fuck you, Ethan."

"Yep. I understand that look on your face and the tense emotion beneath it, because it's my life too. It doesn't work. We've traded love for fame. Fake love from millions of people that will never matter."

"When in the world did you become such a cynical prick?" Clayton slipped his hands into his pockets and glanced down at the ground. "You used to be so positive and full of joy."

"The day my best friend reminded me that I'm not the best. I'm just a stupid kid who knows no other life but this one." I turned and walked back up into the trailer, slamming the door and ignoring him banging on it. "Go away, asshole!"

"Ethan. Dude. Open the damn door and I'll explain."

I walked over to my dresser and pulled out my headphones. Clayton was persistent if nothing else. He'd beat on the damn door all afternoon and leave me with a migraine by the time he gave up.

Dropping down in a chair, I pressed the button on my phone to activate my playlist and forced myself to conjure up good memories. I could barely hear Clay beating on the door over the volume of the music blaring in my ears. I turned it up and winced, forcing myself to get lost in it.

Clayton was a snake, and I was the only one that knew it.

He could go sit on a dick and fuck off for all I cared.

Childish? Absolutely. Me? 100%.