Just like in the movies I work on, I kicked in the door and was pleased when I didn’t break my foot in real life.
Granted, it took a few tries, but once that sucker finally flew open, I felt like a bad ass.
Of course, the doors on set aren't solid wood like this one was but that just goes to show you when you're pissed, you really do have super strength.
Upon stepping inside, I saw the betrayal with my own eyes and no longer felt like a bad ass.
No. I felt like a dumb ass.
Without thought, I started scratching and slapping.
I wanted blood and skin under my nails as a souvenir.
God, I was stupid.
Stupid.
Stupid.
Stupid.
And apparently, I was also asking questions; though for the life of me, I don’t know what they were.
But his voice breaks through enough that I slowed my assault to listen.
“If I explain, will you please stop hitting me?”
“Maybe,” was all I had to offer. Since walking in on this nightmare, I was using my subpar acting skills pretending to be far more upset than I actually was. “Start talking and if I were you, I would do so out of swinging distance.”
“Dammit, Finn,” he groaned but did, in fact, step back because, for all of his faults, he cared about preserving his face. “I never see you anymore. You’re always traveling –”
“Working,” I interrupted. “It’s called working.”
“Fine, working. We haven’t been you know –”
“Fucking,” Just as I supplied the words, I also supplied the money and all the comfort this asshole has known for five years.
“Okay yes, if you want to be crude about it, we haven’t fucked in weeks.”
“Months.” Which was on him, not me, just saying. I was always down for a fake orgasm. It was the only realistic acting I was capable of.
“See?”
“So, fucking her,” I pointed to the woman who I’m certain peed herself on the sheets I bought in Italy for his birthday. “Is my punishment for being career-driven? For taking the jobs you scheduled on my behalf?”
“Oh my God, you’re –” the woman started but zipped it when Talon growled at her.
A woman who was my polar opposite in every way. Her hair (when she wasn’t being screwed, I imagined looked nice) was curled, heavy eye makeup and gigantic tits were a package I wouldn’t purchase. Because it took this woman time to look like this whereas I, never bothered.
Because I was gorgeous just as I was and I knew it.
“I’m not punishing you,” he sighed as if I’m the one being unreasonable. “It’s just…men have needs.”
No sooner did those words leave his mouth; three things happened.
1. I Hail-Mary kicked him in the dick
2. I dumped him and
3. I fired him
I also left him on the floor, which I thought was the savvy choice since it put him that much closer to hell.
Truly, he’d thank me later.
Then I wished his freak of the week a good fuck on my way out and boosted his wallet too.
Climbing into my 1970 Chevelle, (I call her Jolene, like the song) I blew down his street leaving nothing but dust and car alarms behind me. Merging onto I-75, I gunned it likely scaring the absolute shit out of every driver I cut off. Cursing, swerving, and wishing I was a smoker, I was caught off-guard when a pickup nearly side-swiped me. Having had just about a -fucking-nuff, I sped up, cutting the driver right back off. Pissed about that, he tried going around me but I blocked him. Thus, began our chicken fight. See, I was the last person you wanted to battle out your road rage with on a good day. And today was not a good day.
Not only was I one hell of a driver, I happened to love the high of a high-speed car chase. So that’s what we did.
And it was clear the guy wasn’t going to give up.
Distantly, I heard sirens but didn’t care. This asshole’s day was nowhere near as shitty as mine and I wasn’t letting him by me. By far the superior driver, I made certain I stayed in the lead in an effort to protect the few poor suckers stuck on the freeway with us.
For fuck’s sake, I just wanted to go to the bar! But instead of drinking my problems away, I was reenacting a scene from The Fast & The Furious. PS: I loved that franchise and am still a little pouty that I never worked on set.
And fuck me, was that a helicopter? Peeking out my window, I see it was in fact, a helicopter.
Media exposure never boded well for me but this was some next level shit.
Now that we were racing side by side, I looked over to see the pure determination in his eyes. This prick was going to kill me and anyone else in his path with a smile on his face. This guy, it seemed, had nothing to lose.
Which meant it was time to stop playing around.
“Oh, fuck it,” I sighed and quickly checked the lanes surrounding me before yanking my wheel to the right sending him into the concrete wall.
And let me just say, he didn’t just crash. He crashed hard. I counted four complete rolls before the show was over.
Oops.
Unfortunately, I had clipped something just hard enough to smack my head and for a split second, saw stars. And yes, they were pretty.
Slowing down and finally at a stop, I eased out of my car placing my hands on the hood. My head was not exempt from impact and the dots I was seeing were proof of that. Police cars, the men and women who occupied them all around me, guns drawn, all screaming at us to get on the ground. With a roll of the eyes, I was making my way to my knees when an officer, clearly tired of waiting, tackled me and wasted no time flipping me onto my stomach. He was such a gentleman about it, I nearly forgave him for the knee in my spine. Glancing to my right, I see the Dominic Turetto wannabe being cuffed and hauled up.
Seeing blood pouring from his face gave me immense satisfaction too. Because, I won.
And just as I was acclimating to the pain in my back, it was gone.
Dazed, confused, and ready to slap someone, I listen as police all yell over each other but what stood out was my name. The handcuffs were removed, a man was trying to placate me, offering his apologies… blah blah blah.
All I knew was my fucking head hurt.
And when I was coherent enough to seek Jolene out, I realized I had wrecked too.
That hurt worse than my head.
Because there was no saving her. She was toast.
Leading me over to the ambulance, a medic took over my care and closing my eyes, I answered his questions wishing I was anyone except who I was.
The woman who only had to think of trouble to find it…
When the helicopter hovered above I knew the very image my cheating ex was pretending to save was completely blown to hell. Add to that the news vans, citizens on the side of the road taking photos, and my raging headache it was safe to say I was in a mood.
“—allergies?” Opening my eyes, I looked up at the man ministering to me and blinked. “I asked if you have any allergies?”
“No?”
“You’re not sure?”
“No allergies,” I managed to say.
“I’m going to give you something for the –”
“No need,” I mumbled. “I just need to get out of here.”
“Hell of a thing you did today,” he said jabbing me in the arm anyway. “You’re lucky all you got was a bump on the head.”
“You should see the other guy.”
“I did, which is why I’d rather tend to you.”
“My phone,” I suddenly remembered it and where I was supposed to be. “I need my phone.”
“I’ll have one of the guys check your car,” he said with a wink. “What’s left of it.”
Then I heard my name being called at every turn and the only place I could hide was underneath the scratchy state-issued blanket. That’s the thing about televised car chases. Letting you leave took time you didn’t have.
Because dammit, I had someplace else to be. I needed to fulfill a promise I had made.
But time was funny like that. Racing down the freeway time didn’t register, didn’t exist.
I was in a selfish place doing what I wanted, uncaring of how fast or slow it passed. Now though, in this moment, it came to a crashing halt. It literally fucking stopped. I knew it the second an officer knelt in front of me and said, “You are listed as Ryan Williams’ emergency contact,” followed by, “I’m sorry, but I regret to inform you…”
That my image was the least of my concerns. Because the one person who meant everything to me was gone.
And the fault lied solely with me.
No second chances, no do-overs.
No director yelling cut.
Not with this.
From the moment I had opened my eyes, my entire world had felt off balance that morning.
And because I had wanted answers, because I had to be right, had needed the last word…
I had chosen revenge over friendship.
And Ryan had paid the ultimate price.