Beautiful Trouble (Dirty Hollywood Book 2)

by Claire Raye

  “Lewis,” she says, hands up as she steps toward me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I haven’t said or done anything. I...”

  “Oh, cut the shit, Joanna,” I shout. “I know it was you, so stop fucking lying.”

  “Lewis,” she repeats, an air of annoyance in her voice now. “What are you talking about?”

  I exhale, pinching the bridge of my nose as I mentally tell myself to calm down. I know I need to just say what I came here to say and then leave. Getting pissed off or angry is not going to achieve anything.

  I pull my phone from my pocket and open up the webpage that’s still linked to the article that was published about Ava.

  “This,” I say, shoving the phone in her face.

  Joanna takes it from me, scrolling down the screen as she reads it. When she’s done, she looks up at me, a weird look on her face that could almost pass for guilt.

  I grab the phone from her hands, glancing down to see the picture of Ava that was included with the article now filling the screen. The picture of her that Joanna was just staring at.

  “I know it was you,” I say, my words measured. “No one else besides my family knows about that ring.”

  “Victoria does,” Joanna immediately says with a sneer.

  I let out a short, humorless laugh. “Yeah, like I said, no one but my family knows.”

  Joanna scowls, hating the fact that I see V as family. She always hated our close relationship, always assumed there was something more going on between us. And even though we all shared a common circle of friends, Joanna never made any effort to really get to know V. It probably wouldn’t have mattered considering how much V hated Joanna, somehow being able to see from the start exactly the kind of person she was.

  It had made for an awkward couple of years when Joanna and I were seeing each other though. Something I was scared was going to happen again when Ava came into my life too.

  “Why did you talk to them?” I ask again.

  Joanna shrugs.

  “Stop with this shit,” I say, frustrated by her lack of response. “This isn’t a game, Joanna, this is someone’s life, someone’s career and Ava doesn’t deserve to have this bullshit about her splashed across the internet.”

  “I don’t deserve this,” Joanna suddenly cries, hands out as she stares back at me. “Why are you blaming me for all of this.”

  “Because you told them things that you had no right to talk about,” I scream back at her. “Things that are private and quite frankly, none of your fucking business.” I pause, taking a deep breath before I continue. “You and I are over, Joanna,” I say. “We’ve been over for a long time. I’ve moved on and I’m with someone who makes me incredibly happy. I want that for you too,” I add, not missing the look of surprise that flashes across her flash as I attempt to placate her. “So, please stop with this shit. Stop telling them things they have no right to know about.”

  Joanna says nothing, the room silent except for the muffled sounds of a TV from a neighboring flat. We’re staring at each other, separated by a couple of feet, but I can’t tell if my words are actually sinking in or not. Can’t tell if she really understands the magnitude of what she’s done and the possible effect this could have on so many people.

  “I miss you,” she finally says, her words a whisper.

  I throw my hands up. “And what, you thought this was the perfect way to get my attention?”

  She shrugs, taking a step toward me.

  “Stop, Joanna,” I say, holding a hand up. “This is not happening,” I tell her. “I’m married, I’m happy. I’m not leaving her and this,” I add, moving my hand between us. “You and me, is over. Has been over for a very long time.”

  She blinks up at me, her bottom lip pulled between her teeth. “So we can’t even be friends?”

  I shake my head once. “You know we can’t,” I tell her. “Stop talking to the fucking press, Joanna,” I add as I move toward the front door. “I mean it.”

  I turn and walk out, the sound of Joanna’s footsteps behind me on the stairs. She follows me as I walk out onto the street, her cry of, “Lewis,” stopping me even though every instinct is screaming at me to just keep walking.

  When I turn around, she’s right behind me, her eyes filled with tears as she looks up at me. She says nothing though, just steps closer, her arms wrapping around my shoulders in an awkward hug that I don’t return.

  I ease her back, my hands on her shoulders as I attempt to disentangle her body from mine. I shake my head once, forcing out a, “Take care of yourself,” before turning and walking away.

  I skip the tube back and walk instead, needing a few minutes to try and clear my head after seeing Joanna. I’m not sure I actually achieved anything by going over to see her and I can only hope that I haven’t made things worse either.

  When we broke up over a year ago, things hadn’t been great between us. But I’d thought we were done for good this time, sick of all the lies and bullshit and determined not to forgive her excuses and end up back with her like I had so many times before.

  But Joanna had had other ideas and the first few months had been hell; a constant back and forth between us that was different to all the other times.

  Coming home to find her wearing that ring had been a slap in the face, a wake-up call that I needed. I already regretted that she knew about it, knew the importance of it, but to come home and find her wearing it, questioning why I hadn’t given it to her and when I was planning to.

  That had all been so much worse.

  I’d needed to get away, clear my head and get her out of my life for good. In the end I’d left London and gone to Oxford for a month. When I’d come back, things had seemed better, she’d stopped coming around or calling me, stopped begging for us to get back together and I really thought she’d moved on. It had been months of radio silence and I’d felt relieved, finally at peace.

  Then Ava had walked into my pub and upended my life again, but in a totally good way this time. Because this time, I hadn’t been able to think about anything except this incredible woman who kept walking into my bar each night. Couldn’t stop thinking about the intense connection we shared, a connection I’d never felt with anyone, including Joanna.

  But more than anything, I couldn’t stop thinking about the way Ava was changing everything for me. Making me think about a life I’d never thought about before, a life I hadn’t thought I’d wanted. And all without us ever talking about what was going on between us.

  I’d thought for sure she felt the same way, how could she not when the feelings were so strong on my side.

  But then she’d just disappeared. Stopped coming by, leaving me confused and honestly, completely fucking heartbroken.

  My phone chimes out with a text, interrupting my reminiscing.

  Ava: am heading home, all good here – see you soon x

  I smile, knowing now that the feelings were there for her too. That even though I’d spent three months wondering where the fuck she’d disappeared to and how the hell I could possibly find her, in the end, she’d come back to me, because she had felt the connection too. It was real for her, like it was for me. And it was so much more than just the connection we shared in the bedroom too.

  And this time I knew she wasn’t going anywhere, because this time, we both knew exactly how we felt and where we stood.

  I type out a quick response.

  Me: see you soon baby, let’s go do something fun tonight x

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Ava

  This day, this past week, hell even this past month, has been a never-ending mess of me constantly looking over my shoulder. It sucks to live with the continuous worry that some epic lie is about to be told about you, that one person has so much power that they can destroy your life with just a few words.

  It’s abuse of power at its best and as much as I’m fearful of the repercussions I know I have to be a part of this. I have to help bring Noel Robinson down. I’m
not about ruining someone’s life, but at this point, he’s ruined so many and he can’t continue.

  I climb into the waiting car in the parking lot of the movie studio set, closing and locking it behind me, I pull my phone from my purse and begin to clear the notifications. Once the movie was shut down and the stories started to roll in, I received more phone calls and text messages than ever before. Noel’s lawyers are constantly reaching out with reminders to “be careful” and “you signed an NDA”. I think the warning to be careful is what is more unnerving than the threat of my NDA. It could mean a number of things and I need to stop letting my head create these scenarios.

  The last notification is from one of Noel’s lawyers and it’s just a link to an article posted in some trashy, but big name online tabloid magazine.

  Leaving the message unread, I roll my eyes and lean forward to ask the driver to go, but find that my sudden curiosity gets the best of me. Opening the message and clicking the link, I’m hit with a picture that causes me to take a pause, my breath catching in my throat for a split second.

  It doesn’t matter that I know it’s not the truth, it doesn’t matter that the short article was written with its corresponding picture to push doubt into my head, it doesn’t matter that it’s all been done to push the public onto Noel’s side. But that small part of me, that small part that everyone has, whispers to me.

  What if…

  I shake my head, clearing out the negative thoughts that cloud it and suck in a hard breath, letting the doubt wash away as it’s replaced by anger.

  I look down at the picture once more, reading the short paragraph that accompanies it.

  Lewis Bristol, heir to the Public House fortune is seen leaving ex-girlfriend Joanna Walters home in Canonbury. This all comes as a huge surprise given he is currently married to Ava Bristol, former assistant to Noel Robinson. Sources close to the couple say their relationship has taken a hit with all this media coverage. But more than that, there’s speculation that Ava was always in it for the money, and from the looks of it, it seems that Lewis may be finding comfort in the arms of his ex.

  “Fuck off!” I call out in the confines of the car, the driver glancing at me in the rear view mirror, a look of surprise on his face. “Finding comfort in the arms of his ex,” I now mutter, again out loud. This whole story is bullshit, and while it’s minor, it’s still another thing Noel has done to drive the media attention away from him.

  I’m angry over the story, I’m angry that shit like this is still happening, but I’m even more angry with Lewis. He’d absolutely lose his shit if he knew I went and saw my ex without telling him.

  I’ve been through this kind of shit with almost everyone I’ve worked for, but I’m still struggling with what this invasion feels like when it hits on a personal level. Most people aren’t interested in a celebrity’s personal assistant unless that personal assistant is about to spill the tea. But in this case, the attention isn’t about me, but what Noel needs to do to get the heat off of him. And it’s working.

  I fling open the car door, telling the Uber driver he can go, and I make my way back to Sadie’s trailer. Not that she can do anything about this, but I need to vent to someone who fully understands the weight of this situation.

  “Look at this damn picture,” I practically demand as I walk in, not bothering to greet Sadie as she sits at her desk, her eyes on the computer.

  “Jesus, Ava! You scared the shit out of me!” she yells, jumping up from the desk and rushing over to lock the door. “I swear I locked that thing.”

  “Look at what your asshole husband is doing. He has the media following my husband to dig up dirt that isn’t even there.”

  I thrust my phone at her, not in a way that says I’m angry with her but that I’m angry at the situation.

  “You can’t possibly believe this,” Sadie responds, rolling her eyes and handing my phone back to me.

  “Of course I don’t believe it, but it doesn’t mean it’s not intrusive and bothersome.” I let out a huff and begin walking the length of the small trailer.

  “This is what he wants. You know that, right? He wants to make you second guess yourself, he wants you to hate the intrusiveness of the media so much that you disappear.”

  “Yeah, I know and a part of me wants to disappear, but then another part of me wants to make him so uncomfortable that he disappears,” I announce, stomping my foot a little as I clench my fists.

  “Then do it.”

  “I will!” I shout, again letting out a deep breath, but this time instead of boiling with anger, I find myself laughing with Sadie following suit.

  Laughter fills the trailer, the ridiculousness of it all weighing on both of us, but needing a moment that isn’t focused on what this is doing to us mentally.

  “Now I need to find out what the hell my husband was doing at his ex-girlfriend’s house,” I say through gasping breaths of laughter.

  “Fuck, Ava. He was there because that ex of his is loving this shit. You damn well know Lewis was there to tell her to back the hell off.”

  “But for him not to tell me? It pisses me off.”

  “He knows you’re already dealing with all this and I’m sure he didn’t want to stress you out even more.”

  “You’re probably right,” I admit, knowing I’m overreacting to this. With my hand on the doorknob, I tell Sadie good bye.

  “One more quick thing,” she says, tossing up a hand to stop me from leaving. Turning back to face her she adds, “Just remember who you’re really angry with in all of this. It’s Noel. Not Lewis, not Joanna or the press. It’s Noel. He’s behind all of this and what he wants is you to become so overwhelmed by the attention that you go away. Don’t go away.”

  “You should think about taking your own advice,” I tell her, my eyebrows going up as I point a finger at her.

  “Yeah, yeah. Get moving,” she teases back and all I can hope is she doesn’t stay.

  I’ve called an Uber again and I’m walking to the parking garage that’s about half filled when I see him leaning against the trunk of one of the cars. He’s waiting for me and there’s no way I’m going to be able to avoid him as he’s blocking my way out to the street now.

  “Noel, what do you want?” I ask, already gearing myself up for a conversation I don’t want to have.

  “Saw some interesting news today about that husband of yours. You’re looking at a cheating scandal, Ava and no one likes to be on the receiving end of that.”

  “Fuck you,” I respond back, attempting to squeeze past him as I try to walk past him to the stairs that lead to the street.

  “You’re quite feisty,” he snarls back, reaching out and locking his hand around my wrist. He pulls me closer to him, his breath hot against my face and I want to scream out loud, my heart racing in my chest. “Just be careful.” A smarmy smile on his face, his words coming out in a whisper.

  He leans in as if he’s going to kiss me and I shove him away with the heel of my hand in his chest. Laughing he stumbles back and I quickly run toward the stairwell and shove the door to the street open. Luckily the Uber driver appears and I quickly climb into the car. Looking out the back window, I watch as Noel steps through the door, but he doesn’t walk away. He watches me until the taillights disappear out onto the busy streets of London.

  When I walk in the door Lewis is waiting for me, sitting at the small kitchen table, his eyes on his phone and when he looks up, his eyes are cold.

  “You okay?” I ask, as Lewis stands up and tugs at the collar of his shirt.

  “No, Ava, I’m not,” he shoots back and just like I did to Sadie, he thrusts his phone at me. “Why didn’t you tell me you were going to see Noel? You knew this would piss me off. You know how I feel about you being around him. It’s not safe.” His words are harsh and they rise to nearly a yell.

  “Excuse me?” I practically shout back. “First of all, I didn’t go see him. He accosted me in the parking garage at the studio. And second, why the h
ell didn’t you tell me you were going to see Joanna?” Digging around in my purse, I shove my phone at him with the picture front and center.

  Grabbing my phone from my hand, he quickly looks at it before calling out a what the fuck and handing it back to me.

  “So if you’re going to come at me, Lewis, you better be prepared to explain yourself too.” With my hands on my hips, I glare at him, waiting for a response and what he does next surprises me.

  Grabbing my wrist, he pulls me into him and chuckles a little into my ear as he whispers, “Ava, sweet girl, you really know how to put me in my place.” His lips brush against my neck and he begins to suck and bite gently and in between each time his lips touch my neck he tells me why he went to see Joanna.

  “So in the end, the media caught me there and all I was doing was telling her to back off and stay out of our lives,” he says, finishing his thoughts.

  “This is what Noel wanted. He wanted us arguing and questioning each other,” I say in response.

  “We’re stronger than this, Ava. We both know his game and we can’t let him decide how we respond.”

  I laugh a little. “Like going to our ex’s house and threatening them.”

  “Whoa, I didn’t threaten anyone,” Lewis quips back, a playful smile on his face. “I simply asked her to stop talking to the press.”

  “We both know there’s nothing we can do to prevent that. She’s free to talk to whoever she wants. Just like Noel can drop stories for the media to pick up and we just have to let it happen.”

  “But do we?” Lewis questions. “I’m pretty sure there are some laws being broken here and the issue is that no one ever challenges him. No one ever pushes back so he just keeps doing it.”

  “Are you going to?” I tease, shaking my head at him.

  “I think we should consult my lawyer and see what we can do.” His words are firm and I understand where he’s coming from, but we’re attempting to take on someone who has more connections in the industry than either of us will ever have.