Chapter Twenty-Three
Anders blinked against the soft morning light filtering through the window. His body was heavy, his mind groggy. With furrowed brows, he looked around the familiar room, stopping when his gaze landed on Josie. The previous night flooded over him and caused a slow smile to curve his lips. Leaning over her, he pressed his lips to her sleep-warm skin, chuckling when she swatted him away.
“Morning,” he whispered, his forehead resting against her temple.
Josie groaned and turned her head, her mind and body not ready to wake from what she was certain was a dream. Pressing one last kiss to her cheek, Anders slipped out of bed and pulled on his shorts. With a final glance at Josie, he walked into the kitchen. Digging inside the cabinets, he grabbed the coffee and started a pot when someone knocked on the front door. His eyes darted from the door to the hall leading to the bedroom. Not wanting to take a chance of being seen, he remained still. After several moments of silence he moved to the doorway, jumping when the pounding started again.
“Josie, get up. Oh my God, open the door. I have to talk to you!”
Anders exhaled and his shoulders sagged when he recognized Madison’s voice. Hesitating for a second, he walked to the front door.
“I’m going to break your door down if you don’t open up. You’re not going to believe what Anders Ellis has done...”
Anders smirked and swung the door open. Madison gaped at him, her eyes sweeping over his half-naked body.
“Well, fuck,” she exhaled. “I guess she already knows about your little stunt.”
“She does,” he answered, his voice still thick with sleep.
“And I’m assuming since you’re here”―she waved her hand toward him―“and dressed like you are that she’s forgiven you.”
“I sure as fuck hope so.” He chuckled and stepped to the side. “She’s asleep but do you want to come in?”
Madison shook her head. “No, I’m sure you guys have a lot of things to discuss. Just tell her I stopped by. I’ll call her later.”
“Of course.” Anders nodded, relieved to have Josie all to himself for a little longer.
Turning to leave, Madison stopped and looked back at Anders. “I’m not going to make any threats, but I just want you to know that’s my best friend in there,” she said, pointing down the hall. “She means the world to me. If she’s happy and you’re the reason for it, then I’m happy. But Anders, don’t hurt her again. She doesn’t deserve it.”
Anders wanted to tell her to mind her own business, but she was being civil, which was more than he expected, or deserved. She was also Josie’s best friend, and he didn’t need to piss her off by acting like a dick.
“I don’t want to hurt her.”
“Then don’t. It’s simple.”
“I won’t.”
“Good. I’d hate to have to sneak into your trailer and replace your shampoo with hair remover.”
Anders smirked and raised his brow. “What happened to not making threats?”
Madison shrugged, her face unapologetic. “I just needed time to think of something I could accomplish.”
“Duly noted.”
“Good. Later!” she called, throwing her hand in the air as she jogged down the stairs and out into the street.
With a heavy exhale, Anders closed the door and retreated to the kitchen. The beginnings of a headache crept over his temples as he thought about dealing with the people in Josie’s life. He was certain not everyone would react like Madison had. Like her brother, for example. The probability of Josie being okay with Anders telling him to go fuck himself was slim to none.
“What are you thinking about so hard?” Josie asked, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind. She pressed her cheek against his back and inhaled, her body sinking into the comfort of relief as she confirmed that last night had not been a dream. Anders covered her arms with his hands and squeezed.
“I was just trying to figure out if I had enough time to snoop through your shit before you woke up. Looks like you ruined that plan.”
“You wouldn’t snoop through my shit,” Josie scoffed, tightening her arms.
Looking over his shoulder, he smirked. “The fuck I wouldn’t.”
“You’re such a dick.”
“This is not news.”
Josie tried to pull away, but Anders held her in place. Keeping her arms secured, he spun around and trapped her hands to his chest. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“I’m going to burn all the shit I don’t want you to know about. Some things just aren’t meant for others to see.”
“Quit lying. You’re not going to burn anything. You’re going to move it and hope I buy your line of bullshit. Don’t play a playa.”
“You’re not gangsta. Stop. And are you going to let that coffee sit there all day, or are you going to drink it?”
“I don’t know if I should. How long has this coffee been in your pantry anyway?”
“The coffee is fine. It’s the food you should worry about.”
“Speaking of, I’m starving. Considering Madison just left, I can assume Holden isn’t at home whipping something up?”
Josie’s face paled. “Maddie was here? When? What did she want? What did you say to her?”
Anders didn’t miss the way her tone shifted from shock to suspicion. His back stiffened even as his jaw remained relaxed.
“I told her to fuck off.” Anders shrugged and shifted his eyes to the coffee pot. He jumped when the sound of Josie’s laughter exploded into the quiet room.
“I call bullshit. She would’ve kicked your ass, or at least cussed you out loud enough to wake me.” Josie’s expression morphed. Her laughter faded and her lips twisted into silent amusement. “Wait a second. Were you…were you nice to her?”
Anders rolled his eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. You know better. I think she was embarrassed by her reaction to me opening the door shirtless. It was easy to make her leave. I mean, how awkward would it have been if you’d come out here and caught her gawking at me?”
Josie leaned against the counter and accepted the cup of coffee from Anders, all the while shaking her head. “How in the world did I convince myself I missed you?”
Anders’ face twisted with disgust when the taste of bitter coffee hit his tongue. “Probably because you’ve poisoned your brain with this shitty coffee. Jesus, Ivy. What the fuck is this?”
“It’s regular coffee! What did you do, pour half the bag in there?”
“Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do? Fuck, I don’t know. I have that single serving thing at my house. If it’s any more complicated than that, I go out for it.”
Josie pulled the cup from his hand and set it on the counter next to hers. “We’re hopeless. You know that, right?”
Stepping forward, Anders clutched her waist and tugged her forward. “Yeah, basically.”
Slipping her hands around his waist, she scratched her nails over his back. “Why don’t I run out and grab us breakfast. When I get back you can tell me what you really said to Madison.”
“I can come with you.”
Josie stiffened. “Do you think that’s such a good idea? Someone could see you.”
The tightness in Anders’ throat was unexpected as was the feeling of weightlessness when his stomach dropped. This must have been what it had felt like to be in Josie’s place when they were dating, and it sucked. He wanted to go with her. He wanted to do something normal like grab breakfast.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, bending his knees until his lips brushed against her temple.
“For what?”
“For being such an asshole. For hiding you before.”
“You know this isn’t like that, right? I’m not doing this as some kind of punishment. I know there are no guarantees with anything, but I don’t think either of us is ready to deal with going public. The speculation will be bad enough. I just need time with you before everyone tries to come between us.”
“Ivy, that’s not going to happen. I’m not going to let anyone fuck with us. Not again.”
“Can we talk about this later? Let me get us food. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes. Okay?”
Anders nodded and released his hold. “Okay.”
After a few minutes of going back and forth, they decided Josie would walk the two blocks to Anders’ rental car in case the tree was still blocking the road and use it to go pick up breakfast. Popping up on her toes, Josie gave Anders a quick kiss and smacked his ass before spinning around and darting for the door. Anders chuckled when the door slammed shut moments later, the sound of Josie’s giggles trailing behind her.
He scratched at the scruff on his jaw and looked around the room. Everything looked the same, but it felt different. He wasn’t in any hurry to leave. He wasn’t worried about motives or plagued by suspicions. The doubt was still there, though. A lingering feeling of distrust that had followed him for years, waiting for everything to come crashing down.
It wasn’t that he doubted Josie. It had nothing to do with her. She might have changed him in a lot of ways, but like the bubble she wanted to keep them in, his walls had only fallen for her. He didn’t trust other people any more today than he had yesterday. He wasn’t sure if that would ever change.
After pouring out the coffee and washing the cups, Anders decided to jump in the shower. He started down the hall, but stopped when there was a knock at the door. With a grin on his face, he jogged to the front door and pulled it open. “Did you change your mind about me coming with you?” Anders’ hand tightened around the edge of the door when his gaze locked with piercing brown eyes.
“What the fuck?”
Anders cleared his throat and lifted his chin with a small nod. “Hey. It’s Holden, right?”
Holden’s eyes swept over the room before returning to a still shirtless Anders. Dragging a hand through his hair, Holden let out a humorless chuckle. “She’s lost her damn mind,” he muttered.
Anders’ face twisted with annoyance. He’d already had a run-in with Madison. The last thing he wanted to do was go a couple of rounds with Josie’s brother. “Josie’s not here. I can tell her you stopped by…” Anders let his voice trail off, but his implication was clear.
Holden’s stony glare slipped, his face morphing into confused concern. “What do you mean she isn’t here? Her car is here. Where is she?”
The sudden non-confrontational tone of Holden’s voice caused Anders’ shoulders to drop. He was much more willing to answer Holden’s questions if he wasn’t feeling interrogated. “She went to grab breakfast. She took my rental car.”
Holden hesitated before nodding and stepping past Anders into the living room. Anders’ jaw ticked as he shut the door with a little more force than necessary. He knew what was coming.
“Well.” Anders shrugged and pushed his hands in his short’s pockets. “Let’s hear it.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m here because of Josie.”
“But why?” Holden asked, his body tense.
“That’s between Josie and me.”
Holden scoffed. “Like Aubrey was between you and Josie?”
It was the wrong thing to say. The betrayal was too fresh, the repercussions too painful. It didn’t matter that Holden had every right to be concerned for his sister’s well-being. Anders never was one to use rational thought when his back was against the wall.
“You have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about. I told myself I wouldn’t tell you to go fuck yourself, but I’m beginning to reconsider.”
“Good. If you prepared for an argument, then you acknowledge I might take issue with you being in my sister’s life. You know, since it worked out so well the first time.”
“That was different,” Anders said through gritted teeth.
Holden shook his head and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Look, man. I know what you did yesterday. It’s everywhere. But it doesn’t change the fact that you fucked with Josie’s head. I don’t think you’re good for her. Lucky for you, when it comes to her personal life, my opinion means shit to Josie.”
“I’m sure you have a list of people you think would be better suited for her. People like Levi.”
Holden shrugged. “I know you two have a past, but he’s never hurt Josie.”
Anders’ eyes glimmered with anger, a condescending smirk twisting his lips. “How blissful your ignorance must be.” A part of him wanted to tell Holden how his good friend Levi had hurt Josie, but that would prolong their conversation and Anders had no interest in that scenario.
“What?”
Before Anders could answer, the front door opened behind him. “You’re not going to believe what I just saw,” Josie began, her words trailing off when her eyes landed on her brother. “Holden? What are you doing here?”
Holden blew out a breath and crossed the room until he stood in front of her. “I was looking for Maddie. She said she was going for a run this morning, which is code for ‘I’m going to Josie’s, but I don’t want you to know.’”
A sly grin turned up the corners of Josie’s mouth. “You figured that out, huh?”
“You girls aren’t as stealthy as you like to think.” Holden turned his gaze to Anders, his brows pulling together in annoyance. “Well, at least about most things.”
“Holden―”
“Don’t,” he interrupted. “We can talk later. I just want you to be careful, okay?”
“Okay,” Josie whispered.
Holden moved into the doorway as Josie stepped beside Anders, their arms wrapping around each other and pulling them together like magnets. The message was clear. They were together. Holden looked between the two of them, his shoulders slumping in defeat when he saw the same defensive determination in their eyes.
Without a word he stepped over the threshold onto the front porch, stopping when the sound of Anders’ voice broke the silence.
“I hope the next time we see each other you’ll be better informed.”
“With your track record I doubt there will be a next time. I’ll call you later, Josie.”
Josie’s eyes stung with unshed tears as Holden closed the door and disappeared down the stairs. “What happened?”
“Fuck,” Anders groaned, dragging a hand through his hair. “Can we talk about it while we eat? I’m fucking starving and I need coffee.”
Nodding, Josie untangled herself from Anders and walked into the kitchen. She moved around the room methodically, pulling out plates and silverware and setting them on the table, her thoughts consumed with unease. Once seated, Josie wasted no time with her interrogation.
Anders recounted his conversations with Madison and Holden. He surprised them both with his honesty. He didn’t paint himself as the good guy or hide his annoyance with either confrontation. He was done lying.
“For what it’s worth,” Josie said, her hands tightening around her cup. “I appreciate you not telling Holden to go fuck himself.”
Anders dropped his chin to his chest and chuckled. “It wasn’t easy.”
“Nothing ever is with you.”
Anders grimaced. “I know. I’m trying. I promise. But as a general rule, I hate people. Apart from you, of course.”
“Of course.” Josie grinned. While she hated Holden finding out about Anders like he had, she couldn’t deny her relief in knowing she wouldn’t have to tell him.
Anders shifted in his chair and cleared his throat. He didn’t know what thoughts were running through Josie’s head and it made him antsy. As he played the events from earlier over in his mind, he remembered Josie’s words when she walked through the door.
“What were you going to tell me earlier? Before you realized Holden was here.”
Josie’s eyes flashed with a mix of excitement and fear. Reaching across the table, she grabbed Anders’ hand and pulled him into the living room. “Did you turn on the television or look up anything on your phone while I was gone?”
Settling on the couch beside her, Anders shook his head. “No. Holden showed up not long after you left. How did you get back here so fast?”
“The place where I got our breakfast is right outside my neighborhood. I usually walk there, but I was in a bit of a hurry this morning.” She winked.
Anders smirked and rubbed his hand over her thigh. “Oh? Did you have someone you couldn’t wait to get back to?”
“Hell, no. I was freaking starving.” She laughed.
“That’s what happens when you’re thoroughly fucked,” Anders retorted, ignoring her attempt to tease him.
“Is that why you ate all of your breakfast and half of mine as well? I didn’t mean to wear you out. I’ll go easier on you next time, champ.”
“You’re not ever going to let me have the last word are you?”
“Not in a million years.”
“I didn’t think so.” He chuckled. “Well, if you weren’t rushing back here for round two, what happened while you were out?”
Josie’s smile never faltered, but her eyes gave her away. Anders could tell she felt conflicted by whatever she had to tell him and that in turn made him nervous.
“Well, the good news is your car was fine, and I didn’t run into any paps.”
“And the bad news?”
“I doubt I’ll be so lucky next time.”
“Care to explain?” The forced restraint in Anders’ voice was evident.
“Here.” Josie grabbed her bag and pulled out a magazine. “See for yourself.”
Taking the magazine, Anders scanned the cover. A picture of him and Aubrey covered the front. “It would be my fucking luck that I expose Aubrey the day before Variety magazine goes to print. I hope those assholes were up all night doing the reprints.” With his expression twisted with disgust, he thumbed through the pages and settled back on the couch.
“Hollywood lies exposed,” Anders said, his tone mocking. “In a Lifetime movie-esque turn of events during a fan panel yesterday, Anders Ellis exposed one of the many ugly truths about the deception among celebrities. In a move to promote their upcoming movie, The Double Cross, and fatten their already padded pockets, Anders Ellis and costar Aubrey Nash plotted to fool us all.
“Pretending their onscreen romance had become their off-screen romance as well, Anders’ and Aubrey’s names were on the lips of every gossip columnist in the world. The news that once-unattainable playboy Anders Ellis was off the market had the media buzzing. Fans of their upcoming flick spent countless hours surfing the Internet searching for pictures of the duo.
“The attention garnered from their faux relationship guaranteed their film would be a success. But in a tangled web of lies, it turned out Anders was indeed off the market, just not because of Aubrey. Unhappy about the turn of events, Aubrey acted as any woman scorned. She exposed Anders’ secret lover and played the victim. At least that’s what they wanted us to believe. Did Anders really have a secret girlfriend? Was she in on the lie? Or was everything a hoax that went too far?
“Lies run deep through the veins of Hollywood. The public only sees what celebrities allow. One thing is certain, however. Anders outing Aubrey as a double-crossing costar will undoubtedly mark the end of her career.”
With a groan, Anders tossed the magazine on the coffee table and dropped his head back. “What a fucking mess.”
“It could be worse. They hardly mentioned me.”
Anders lifted his head and locked eyes with Josie. “In this magazine, but not the others. They’ll each take an angle and sell their version as exclusive insider information. It’s how they stay in business. Everything’s connected. We’ll all have our turn in the hot seat.”
The memory of Josie’s run-in with the paparazzi caused Anders to stiffen. “They’re going to start following you again, asking questions, watching where you go and who you’re with.”
Josie bit the inside of her cheek and curled her fingers under the hem of her shorts. She wanted to tell him she could handle it, but the truth was the thought terrified her. Anders noticed. Wrapping his arms around her middle, he pulled her onto his lap.
“Do you think it will be as bad as last time?”
Anders didn’t want to lie, but he didn’t want to scare her either. He’d do everything he could to keep the attention away from her no matter how long it took. His muscles tightened as realization washed over him for the second time. “Ivy, I’m leaving.”
“What?”
“My press junket starts next week. I’ll be gone almost a month.”
“But you just got here. And now this.” Josie motioned toward the magazines on the table. “It’s going to be just like last time.”
“No. It won’t. Nothing about us is going to be like last time.” Anders hooked his finger under her chin and tilted her face up. “I need you to trust me.”
“I want to, but you have no more control over those assholes than I do. Even if you did, you’re not going to be here.”
Anders scooted back against the couch and shifted Josie in his lap. Dropping his face to her neck, he breathed a lingering kiss against her skin. “Come with me,” he whispered.
“Where?”
“The press junket. I can protect you if you’re with me.”
“I can’t take a month off work, Anders. I have responsibilities here. And if I go with you, there will be no hiding that we’re together. If we think it’s going to be bad now, can you imagine how much worse it will be if it gets out that I’m traveling with you?”
“I don’t want to be away from you.”
“I don’t want that either, but we’ll figure it out. Maybe this will be a good thing.” The lie tasted bitter as it left her lips. Nothing about being away from him for a month sounded good.
“Liar.”
“I sounded pretty confident though, right?” Josie joked, but nothing about their situation was funny.
“It was weak at best.”
Josie huffed and elbowed him in the stomach. “Well, do you have any other suggestions?”
Anders traced random patterns over her exposed skin as he tried to come up with a solution. “Do you have any time off work?”
“I told you I can’t―”
“I’m not talking about traveling with me,” he interrupted. “I don’t leave for a week. Take a few days off and stay at my house. It’s more secure. You’ll have everything you need. It can just be us.”
Josie agreed without hesitation. She wanted that uninterrupted time with him. She wanted to stay in their bubble and reconnect. “I have a few days coming up when I don’t have to be in the studio. I’ll need to let Craig know, and I need to grab some drawings from the studio that I’ve been working on.”
“Can Madison get them for you? I’m not trying to push, but I’m worried about you going there after what happened yesterday.”
Nodding, Josie went to her bedroom to pack and call Madison while Anders jumped in the shower. As expected, Madison agreed. Of course this was only after Josie promised to call when she watched the video of, as Madison put it, “Anders losing his shit on Aubrey.”
After Josie took a quick shower and Anders loaded her car, they were ready to leave. Josie’s stomach knotted with excitement and anxiety as she followed Anders out of her neighborhood. She tried not to dwell on the fact that in a week she’d be alone again while Anders promoted his movie. The thought of being left to deal with the paparazzi alone terrified her, but if the end result meant she got to have Anders, it would be worth it.
Josie scanned the entrance of Anders’ neighborhood as the gates swung open. She didn’t notice any suspicious vehicles, but she knew that didn’t mean they weren’t being watched. Levi had opened her eyes to that fact. Pulling onto Anders’ street caused Josie’s stomach to flutter with nerves. She never thought she’d be there again. Never in a million years did she imagine Anders showing up at her door in the middle of the night to pour his heart out to her, to offer it to her. But he had, and she wasn’t going to waste a second of their time together. It seemed Anders had the same idea.
Gathering Josie’s bags, Anders ushered them through the front door. Before Josie could blink, her bags were on the floor and Anders had her pinned against the wall. His kisses were demanding, and his need consumed them both.
“I’m sorry,” he panted, yanking Josie’s shirt over her head. “I can’t…having you here.” Anders stiffened and squeezed his eyes shut. He tried to calm his racing heart and the overwhelming rush of emotions that hit him when she stepped inside his home. Wrapping his hands in her hair, he tilted her head and pressed their foreheads together.
“I have replayed you walking out this door in my head a million times. I’ve imagined chasing you down and demanding you listen to me. I’ve imagined telling you to go to hell, that I didn’t need you. But I never allowed myself to imagine you here again, like this, with me. I couldn’t. It hurt too fucking much. Having you here now…” Anders pressed their lips together and opened his eyes, locking her in his tortured gaze. “I have missed you every second of every day, Ivy.”
Desperation and longing swelled between them as they made their way to his bedroom. Teeth bit into sweat slickened skin, the dull ache soothed by open-mouth kisses. Collapsing in a heap of heavy limbs on his bed, they hugged each other close, relishing in the intimacy of the moment. A lazy grin lifted the corners of Josie’s mouth as she looked around the room.
“Are you sure you’re okay with me staying here?”
Anders’ smile mimicked hers even though his expression radiated confusion. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
With a cheeky grin, Josie waved her hand toward the floor. “I’m not picking this shit up. You’re going to have to be okay with the fact that I’m sort of a slob.”
With a low growl, Anders rolled on top of her and pinned her hands above her head. “You’re not sort of a slob. You’re a complete fucking mess, and I’m totally throwing your shit in the trash if you leave it on the floor.”
Josie laughed, wrestling an arm free and pinching his side. “What are you going to do when I have nothing left to wear?”
“Isn’t it obvious? If you have no clothes, you can never leave. Sounds kind of perfect to me.”
Josie’s eyes stung with unshed tears as she smiled. Winding her fingers in his hair, she pulled his face to hers. “Kiss me.”
Anders brushed his nose against hers, a smile on his face as he dropped his lips closer only to pull away at the last second.
“Don’t tease,” Josie chastised, her fingers winding tighter in his hair. “I might lose interest.”
With a low chuckle and a mischievous gleam in his eye, Anders put forth his best effort in making sure she never lost interest in what he had to offer.
The days that followed passed as expected. The news of Anders’ outburst reached every gossip outlet in the world. Reporters, agents, studio reps, lawyers, and every other bottom-feeder on the planet fought to get an inside track. Unfortunately for them, the objects of their desire were nowhere to be found.
Having her things delivered from the studio under the ruse of being documents for Anders kept Josie’s whereabouts unknown. Of course, that did nothing to deter people from speculating. As much as Josie would have preferred to avoid the outside world altogether, she knew burying her head in the sand wouldn’t do any good.
For Anders, it wasn’t an option at all. Not only did he have to deal with his impending trip but also with the backlash of his outburst. Nathan had done his best to put out fires, but there was no stopping the legal papers Aubrey had drawn up to sue him for slander and a host of other things. When Anders read the papers delivered by a process server, Josie had to restrain him from leaving the house. She pointed out once again that he was too pretty for jail.
When her joke fell flat, Josie gave him the documents from Levi. Anders’ jaw flexed with anger as he saw the physical proof of Aubrey’s scheming and Levi’s involvement. In the end, though, he didn’t give a fuck about either of them. He had Josie and that was all that mattered. After a quick call to Nathan, Anders sent him scans of everything Josie had given him and then made a point to show his gratitude. Twice.
The lawsuit was retracted a few days later.
For Anders, it was over. He wouldn’t have to deal with Aubrey or Levi again. For Josie, things were a little more complicated, at least where Levi was concerned. Madison called later that day to let Josie know she’d told Holden about Levi’s involvement. To say he was upset was an understatement. He felt betrayed by his friend and hurt that Josie hadn’t confided in him. Josie knew she had a lot of apologizing to do, and much to her disappointment, those apologies would start soon.
Josie leaned against the doorframe of Anders’ bedroom while he packed his suitcase. She smiled when he looked at her, but it didn’t reach her eyes. For almost a week they’d lived in a bubble, wrapped in secret smiles and soft touches. They’d teased, bickered, and taken advantage of every second they had together. She didn’t want to go back to the real world. She wasn’t ready for what waited outside the protective walls of Anders’ home.
“What’s with the pout?”
Shrugging, Josie pushed away from the door and crossed the room. She fell onto the bed and stretched her arms above her head. “I’m sad I won’t be waking up in this amazing bed after tomorrow.”
Anders chuckled. “You don’t have to lie, Ivy. It’s okay to admit you’re going to miss me.”
“What I’m going to miss”―Josie sighed, pulling the corner of the sheet to her face and rubbing it against her cheek―“are these sheets. Maybe I should take them with me. They need to be washed anyway. I’d be doing you a favor.”
“I see. So you’re only with me for my thread count.”
“And what a thread count it is.” Josie grinned and rolled out of the way when Anders reached forward and pulled the sheet from her hand.
“Stop molesting my sheets,” Anders scolded, laughing when Josie buried her face in a pillow and flipped him off. Stepping over her clothes scattered on the floor, Anders swore under his breath and moved to his dresser. She was so messy. He heard Josie groan as her feet hit the floor.
Grabbing some clothes from a drawer, he turned from the dresser, his steps faltering when his eyes landed on Josie. Her arms were filled with the clothes Anders swore she threw on the floor just to mess with him. The nagging feeling that had weighed on his chest dropped to his stomach. He understood it then. He knew what he was feeling.
He didn’t want her to leave. Seeing her stomp around his room in a huff as she shoved her things in her bag was a scene he was all too familiar with. It had played in his mind hundreds of times. Granted this time was different, still, that knowledge did little to soothe the sharp sting of the memory.
Anders dropped his clothes on the bed and crossed the room to where Josie stood. Wrapping his fingers around her arm, he tugged until she followed him, a questioning look on her face.
“What’s wrong?”
Shaking his head, Anders pulled her onto the bed. “Nothing. I just…well I thought that maybe…” He huffed in frustration and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Just fucking stay here, okay?”
Josie flinched at the angry bite in his voice before her eyes narrowed with annoyance. “What are you talking about?”
“I want you to stay here while I’m gone. It’s stupid for you to go back to your house. You have no security, nothing to keep those nosy bastards from walking right up to your door. It’s fucking ridiculous to even consider it.”
Josie wrenched her arm free and stood from the bed. Hands on hips, she glared at him. “What is your problem? Don’t tell me I’m ridiculous for going back to my own home. I managed to get through just fine without your protection last time, didn’t I?”
“If you consider almost getting hit by a car ‘just fine,’ then sure. You did fan-fucking-tastic.”
“Wow,” Josie exhaled, stepping away from him. “You go from zero to asshole so fast sports cars would be impressed.”
Anders swore under his breath and stood. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean… I’m scared, damn it.” He pointed at the pile of clothes at her bag. “I’m scared that if you leave you’re not going to come back. What if you change your mind while I’m gone? What if you realize I’m not worth it after all?” Anders stepped forward and cupped her jaw, tilting her head until their eyes met. “If you’re here, even if I’m not, it means you’re still with me. I’ve watched you pack your shit before. I can’t stand seeing you do it again.”
The lines around Josie’s eyes softened, and she wrapped her fingers around his wrists. She pulled him closer until his forehead rested against hers. “I’m not going anywhere. Not like that. Don’t you get it? I never really left, never really been done. Why do you think I kept the same number? Why do you think I continued to answer your texts? I didn’t want it to be over. I never have. And besides, that was before. Now, after everything that’s happened? I’m not walking away. I promise. But I can’t stay hidden. Someone will see me coming in and out of your neighborhood. I think it’s best if I go back to my own place while you’re away. It doesn’t mean I’m never coming back.”
Anders exhaled. “I’m sorry for acting like a dick.”
“You need to get that tattooed to your forehead. It would save you a lot of time.”
“Smart-ass.”
“Asshole.”
“Will you at least promise if things do get out of hand or you don’t feel safe that you’ll come back here?”
With a small grin, Josie nodded in acquiescence. “Okay.”
The following morning, Anders loaded Josie’s things in the front of her car and checked his watch. “What time is Madison supposed to be here?”
“Any minute. What about your driver?”
Anders blew out a breath and looked toward the gate. “Same.”
“You finish grabbing your stuff. I’ll open the gate.”
“Are you sure I can’t change your mind? There’s still time to book an extra ticket. Or you can tell Madison you’ve decided to stay here after all.”
“Stop,” Josie whined. “This sucks enough without you giving me that pouty face.”
Anders exaggerated his pout. “Is it working?”
“Well, it might have, but then you got cocky.” Before Anders could respond, Josie’s phone chimed. “Maddie’s here.”
Turning away from a sour-faced Anders, Josie stepped inside and pressed the button to open the gate. They’d decided earlier in the week to have Madison come over and switch cars with Josie. They weren’t sure if it was necessary, or if it would do any good, but it made Anders feel better and that was enough for Josie. Eyeing the bathroom, Josie dashed down the hall, unaware of the additional occupant in the front seat of Madison’s car.
Anders turned toward the sound of the approaching car, his jaw tensing when he saw Holden with Madison. He wasn’t in any mood for a pissing contest. He wanted to kiss his girl goodbye. He wanted to demand that Madison keep an eye on her and not let her stubbornness get her into trouble. Not that Holden would stop him from doing either but it pissed him off nonetheless.
“These are some digs you have here. Compensating for something?” Madison chuckled when Anders looked at her with narrowed eyes.
“Jesus Christ. Do you and Josie have a list of insults you pass back and forth?”
“You have no idea. You should see them drunk together,” Holden commented dryly as he stepped out of the car. Giving Madison a disapproving look, he shook his head. “Can you not piss the guy off until after I talk to him?”
Sticking out her tongue, Madison turned her attention to Anders and smiled. “Where’s Josie?”
Dazed by the similarities between Josie and Madison, he hooked his thumb toward the house. “She’s inside. I have no idea where, but you’re welcome to look for her.”
With a nod, Madison took off toward the house, leaving Anders and Holden in awkward silence. Wanting to say his piece before the girls came back, Holden wasted no time getting to the point.
“Listen, about last week. I didn’t…I didn’t know about Levi. I didn’t know a lot of shit.”
Anders’ shoulders relaxed. If Holden wasn’t looking for a fight, then neither was he. “Unfortunately, I know what you mean about being in the dark. No hard feelings.”
Shoving his hands deep in his pockets, Holden rocked back on his heels. “I’m not going to apologize for worrying about my sister, but it’s not my place to say who she should or shouldn’t be with. I’ve lived in this town long enough to know better than to believe the things I read. Granted, stories about you usually included pictures, but what you did before Josie isn’t my business. I wasn’t a saint before Maddie. There’s no reason I should expect that from you.” Holden paused for a moment before continuing. “Madison thinks you guys are the real deal.”
“Josie’s everything to me. I’m not going to let anyone come between us again. I pity any motherfucker stupid enough to try.”
Looking at the absolute resolution on Anders’ face, Holden couldn’t help but nod in agreement. “That’s good enough for me.”
The sound of Josie and Madison’s laughter pulled the boys’ attention to the front door. Josie stepped to Anders’ side and wrapped her arm around him. “Are you behaving?”
“Your lack of faith in me is disappointing. I always behave.”
“Bullshit,” Madison coughed, causing Josie to laugh.
“Okay, that’s enough out of you,” Holden scolded playfully. “Dealing with Josie is difficult enough. Anders doesn’t need you in the mix. Give the guy some time to build a tolerance before you two double team him.”
Madison gasped in surprise. “Are you standing up for Anders?”
“Against you two? I’d be cruel not to.” Holden looked over at Anders and nodded. “Good luck with your movie. Josie will be fine.”
“Thanks.”
Holden kissed Madison on the cheek and took Josie’s keys. “Be careful.”
Madison waved goodbye to Anders. “I’ll wait in the car.”
Josie watched Holden pull down the drive as Madison climbed into her car to wait. “Well, that was unexpected.”
“It was,” Anders agreed, turning to Josie and wrapping his arms around her. “But I don’t want to talk about that.”
“What do you want to talk about?”
“I don’t want to talk at all.” Dipping his head, he showed Josie exactly what he wanted to do. Soft lips parted and tongues moved together as Anders crushed her against him. When Anders’ phone chimed, they parted, their hearts pounding.
“Your driver?”
“Yeah.”
“I should go.”
“Yeah.”
When Anders made no move to release her, Josie smiled. “You have to let go for me to leave.”
“I know.” Still, he held her close.
“Everything’s going to be okay. We’ll get through this.”
Anders nodded and with one final kiss, he released her. “Go. I’ll call you tonight.”
“Okay. Be safe. I’ll miss you.”
Josie turned and walked to Madison’s car, climbing into the passenger seat and slamming the door shut behind her.
“Let’s roll,” Josie instructed, her eyes stinging as she fastened her seat belt.
Madison cut her eyes to Josie but didn’t comment. Driving away, neither noticed Anders standing stone still, both hands in his hair and a pained expression on his face as he watched their car disappear through the gate.