by Mira Bailee
“You’re going to hit that car!” Lex shouts. She grabs the emergency brake and yanks it up.
The car starts to skid, tires squealing against the L.A. street. But we aren’t going to stop fast enough. Either we hit the car ahead of us or…
I turn the wheel and steer us into a ditch. The car comes to a stop with a jolt. I throw it in park, and drop my head into my hands, struggling to steady my breathing.
“What the hell just happened?” Lex asks.
“I—I…I don’t know. One second, it was okay. The next, they just stopped working.”
We get out of the car and walk around to the front as though I can diagnose the problem. The bumper’s a little scratched up from the rough stop. A newer car with a warranty would make this much easier. I pull out my phone to call a tow truck and a taxi. Devon’s waiting and…
A car pulls up behind us and parks. Both doors open, and I groan when I see who’s found us. The cameras start going off almost immediately as the two paparazzi climb out.
“Are they serious?” Lex smirks and I’m startled by the resemblance to Devon.
Laughter escapes me. “Yeah. They show up at the worst times.” Adrenaline pumps through me, and the last thing I want to do is deal with the media. They rush toward us, talking over each other.
“Ms. Margot, can you tell us what happened here?”
“Did anyone get hurt, Ms. Margot.”
“Is Devon Stone in the car?”
“Were you driving drunk?”
Ignoring them both, I let them snap whatever idiotic photos they want. I find a tow truck guy who can come pick it up and drop it off at a mechanic. I tell him I’ll pay him extra if he can handle all this without me present. All I have to do is say my name and that I’m trying to get rid of the paparazzi before he shows up, and the guy’s more than happy to take care of my car without me.
Next up, a taxi, so we can get to the diner. Just as I get an answer, one of the paps get in my face.
“You can tell me. Are you on something? Intoxicated? High?”
I recognize this jerk. He’s the one I laughed at last time I saw him because he looks like a damn pirate—hoop earring, weird vest. The resemblance must be intentional.
Not that I have the upper body strength to have any effect, but I shove the guy away from me. I think he’s trying to smell my breath. What a creep.
I turn away to talk to the taxi service, and Lex squeezes past me, getting in pirate guy’s face. I watch her, worried about whether or not she’ll make things worse.
“You got a problem, you talk to me.” She’s fearless, inches away from the creeper’s face. “What do you want?”
A taxi will be here in a couple minutes. Now we just need to get away from these vultures.
“I’m just doing my job, babe. If Olivia Margot’s wrecking her car in the middle of the day, that’s news. And that news can pay me big bucks.”
“Hate to break it to you, asshole, but I was the one driving.”
“And you are?” He lets his camera hang from his neck as he pulls out a cell phone, turning on a voice recorder and holding it toward Lex to catch her next words.
“Special Agent Iris Copenhagen. I’m on a secret mission with the Queen of Spiked Stilettos here. We’re on our way to the Grand Canyon to—”
“You’re screwing with me, aren’t you?” the dumb pirate says.
I stifle my own laughter.
“No,” Lex keeps a perfectly straight face. “I speak nothing but the truth.” She moves fast, grabbing pirate pap’s phone and chucking it out into the street where it meets its fate with a passing semi truck.
We all hear the crunch of metal and glass as the phone is pulverized against the pavement.
“Oops,” Lex says and turns to me. “We ready to go?”
We start walking a few feet down the road while I keep an eye out for our taxi. Behind us, a pissed off pirate yells at Lex, but she doesn’t even blink.
A yellow car comes to a stop next to us, and we hop in.
“Colin’s Diner, and quickly. The paparazzi are following us.”
The taxi driver tells us it’s no problem and hits the gas. I’m not sure it’s a good idea to leave my broken car with a couple disgruntled paps, but what’s the worst that can happen?
“Thank you,” I tell Lex. “For stepping up back there. You didn’t have to tell them you were driving.”
“I never wanted to live down here. Hell, I never wanted to visit down here. But I always thought it’d be fun to tell off the paparazzi. I figured I’d never have the chance.”
She has this satisfied look on her face, as though we’ve just crossed something off her bucket list.
“Well, I’m glad I could make your dreams come true.”
We get to the diner only a few minutes late, thanks to the fact we’d left unreasonably early from the apartment. Devon’s waiting on the upstairs terrace. First he spots me, and I get that sexy grin that implies he’s relieved to see me, but then his eyes meet Lex’s, and his expression vanishes.
“This’ll be fun,” Lex says under her breath.
“Just wait at the table. Let me talk to him real quick.”
I walk to Devon, take his arm, and without saying a word, lead him inside to a quiet hallway.
“What the hell, Olivia?”
“I know. Don’t be mad.”
He glares down at me, eyebrows raised.
“For starters,” I say, leaning up and kissing him. “Welcome back.”
He softens a little at that, relaxing his shoulders.
“Now hear me out.” I take a breath, ready to defend all of my good intentions. “She needs help. We’re going to help her.”
Maybe I catch him off guard by my assertiveness, or maybe he just missed me while he was gone, but he smiles. “And why are we helping the woman who slammed a door in our face?”
“Because we won’t stoop to that level. Plus, I think…when you talk to her, you’ll find she’s a lot like you.”
“Is that good or bad?” he asks.
“I’ll let you be the judge of that.”
He steps closer to me, and I’m overtaken by his scent. I close my eyes and soak him in. It’s unbelievable how I feel about him.
“One more question,” he says quietly in that low, sexy voice.
Want to go back to my place? Want to stay with me forever? Want to elope yesterday?
I’d say yes to all of them right this instant. “Hmm?”
“When were you going to explain this?” Devon holds up his phone to show me the ScandalLust article announcing my car accident. A photo shows me on the phone and Lex yelling at the pirate guy. And the article proves to be the icing on the cake.
“Girls Gone Dirty: Devon Stone’s Girlfriend, Caught In a Lesbian Love Triangle After Crashing Into Ditch—What Were They Doing in the Front Seat to Cause the Accident? You’ll Never Believe It.”
“Wow…They work fast.” I want to make more jokes, but he’s still waiting for an actual answer though. “Sorry. My focus is on this lunch. My car’s old. It gave up on me. There’s nothing more to it, but those guys were trying to build more drama, obviously.”
Devon looks at me for a long second. “You’re okay though?”
“Yes. And Lex helped, so you really owe it to her to listen. Now let’s go.”
We go back to Lex, and I’m relieved how easy it was to get Devon to agree to this. I flash Lex an encouraging smile, and we all order our drinks and food. Let this lunch begin.
“So,” I start, hoping to help break the ice. “Lex has hit some hard times, and Maddie and I are letting her stay with us. It works out great.”
Devon eyes me suspiciously and turns to Lex. “So you couldn’t give us the time of day in Oregon, but you have no problem using my girlfriend for your own needs?”
I kick Devon under the table. He’s got to stay cool.
“I’m sorry about the way I acted when you guys came up,” Lex says. She speaks calmly, and I’m g
lad to see the effects of her morning high have worn off. “It all caught me off guard, but that’s no excuse.”
“Fine.” Devon grabs his glass of wine as quickly as our server sets it down. He takes a large swallow and pushes his hair back from his face. “So what do you want now?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t been around family in so long I—”
“I’m family now?” Devon smirks and shakes his head. “Actually, that brings up an important point. I was talking to Kaidan about you.”
That’s news to me. When did he talk to Kaidan? How did Kaidan react?
Devon continues, “Our family has seen its share of scams. People try to trick us out of our money, our business secrets, our personal freedom. So Olivia and I take a trip to Oregon to find my mother. We find you instead, someone who’s been living off money that wasn’t hers. Why should I even believe you when you say you’re my sister—oh, I’m sorry. Half-sister.”
The condescension in his voice couldn’t be any thicker. He has a point though. Unfortunately, unless Lex is a great actress, the resemblance between these two is enough of an answer alone.
“You’re serious? Why would I lie about that?” She looks genuinely confused by the accusation. It’s the same way I reacted to Kaidan asking me if I was using Devon.
“Why? The same reason others do. They want money, fame, power. I don’t know. Greedy, selfish people do crazy things.”
Lex leans forward visibly pissed off. “If I were greedy or selfish, don’t you think I would’ve shown up long ago? You’re the one who came and found me. It’s not like I plotted some devious scheme to convince you.”
“That’s the thing. I need you to convince me. Now, before this conversation can go any further.”
Lex lets out a frustrated sigh and reaches into her back pocket, pulling out her wallet. She opens it and delicately brings out an old, creased photo. I can tell it’s been living in that wallet for years.
She lays it down in front of Devon, and I lean over to get a closer look. A young woman sits in a rocking chair with a preschool-aged girl on her lap. Both are beaming with great big smiles.
“Am I to believe this is you and mom?” Devon asks. He tries to keep the same skepticism in his tone, but I see pain flash across his eyes.
“It is,” Lex says. Then she pulls out a second photo, placing it next to the first. This one’s not tattered and worn. It has the same woman in it—this time holding two newborn babies swaddled in hospital blankets. “This one should look more familiar.”
Devon doesn’t say a word. Does he still doubt her? Who’d fake these photos? And how would she, anyway—by searching through yard sales until she found a woman who looked like her mom who just happened to be holding twins?
I watch Devon, waiting for him to speak. Instead, he pulls out his own wallet. I hear him let out a frustrated breath—or maybe it’s sadness. He lays a picture on top of the others. This photo is bent on one side from getting caught in the fold of the wallet, but it’s unmistakable. It’s the same exact photo Lex brought.
“You’ve been carrying that all this time?” I ask him. He didn’t even know his mother’s name until recently, yet he’s had this photo?
“I found it back when I was searching for my father’s will. Remember, when I was trying to find out if I’d been written out of it? I wasn’t sure this was even me and Kai, but…I was just in denial.” He replaces the photo, putting his wallet away.
I turn to Lex, “Do you know what happened—why she left?”
“She was my mom, and I loved her and all, but she was fucked up. I guess she was even worse before I was born.” Lex looks at Devon. “She said she was terrified after she gave birth to twins. She couldn’t get sober and was a mess and couldn’t handle being the mom of one, let alone two babies. Your dad gave her an out—but it came with a sacrifice. He provided her with the means to live comfortably. Granted, she spent a lot of it on drugs, but she was taken care of. And in return, her babies would have a life she could never give them. Then she had me a few years later.”
Our table is silent as we let the truth settle in. It’s a heartbreaking reality, but it sounds like Melody Hastings made the best decision at the time.
One question still lingers, and I find the courage to ask it. “When did she pass away? What happened?”
Lex collects her photos and carefully puts them back in her wallet. For a second I think she’s going to ignore my questions. But she clears her throat and tells us. “She never could get clean. When I was sixteen, she got sick. Sharing needles and whatnot. She stopped coming home, relying solely on her dealer to care for her. He took her money and kept her doped up until she died of an overdose. I think the fucker did it on purpose but…”
How horrible. “You stayed at the apartment?”
“Yeah. I got emancipated. We couldn’t find my father, and with no one else around to take care of me, I took care of myself.”
I’m not sure that’s how I’d word it. Judging by her behavior—getting high, leaving with strangers, being homeless—she seems more like she’s following in her—their—mother’s footsteps.
We finish lunch in contemplative silence. Under the table, Devon takes my hand, caressing each of my fingers with his thumb. I squeeze his hand in a supportive gesture.
Then he looks to Lex. “How can I help you get back on your feet?”
She can’t hide the smile and relief that crosses her face. “Right now, I just need a place to stay. And…it’d be nice to get to know my brothers.”
I couldn’t be happier that these two are getting a chance to build a relationship. I’m so proud of Devon for cooperating, hearing her out. The truth is painful, but so’s not having any support, any family. Lex needs him, and I think he needs her. He was holding onto the photo of his mom. He wanted these answers. Now he can get to know his mother through his sister.
“How about we go out tonight?” I pipe in. “We can go to LUSH or something. Lighten the mood and just have some fun.”
Devon looks at me like I’m crazy. Lex’s eyes brighten.
“Sounds good to me,” she says.
We both stare down Devon waiting for his response. “Fine, we’ll go out.”
I find a couple Calypso Day dresses for us to wear, and Lex and I get all dressed up in my room.
“Thank you,” she says, “for earlier, at lunch. I’m not sure he would’ve talked to me if it weren’t for you.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty certain he wouldn’t have. Kaidan might have been a better one to approach first.” I think. I don’t know. He seems nice, but that could be the facade he uses to hide his own hardened interior.
“He’ll be the next one I talk to…eventually. So what’s this LUSH place? A bar?”
I smudge some black eyeliner around my eyes and put on a flattering shade of red lip stain. “It’s the celebrity spot. It’s an exclusive night club that has ridiculous lines down the block.”
Lex’s shoulders drop. “Hollywood crap? Ugh.”
“I had the same thought at first, but it can be fun.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
I grab a red clutch to match my crimson dress and reach for my phone to toss it inside. Before I do, I notice a voicemail waiting from an unknown number. My pulse quickens at the thought of Nat trying to mess with me again. Should I bother listening?
I let curiosity get the best of me.
Ms. Margot. This is Ron from Auto Care. I had a look at your car, and it seems the damage came from a punctured brake line. It causes the problem to worsen each time you stop until the brakes give out completely. Seems like that’s what happened here, so uh—I suggest filing a report with the cops ‘cause it looks like you upset the wrong person. This was no accident. Now, if you can give me a call tomorrow…
I hang up before hearing the rest. It wasn’t an accident. And it wasn’t simply “someone” who punctured the brake line. Obviously, it was Nat. She could’ve killed us. What the hell is wrong with
her?
“You alright?” Lex asks. “Looks like you saw a ghost.”
I put my phone away and pretend to check my makeup one last time. “I’m fine.” She doesn’t need to know about my problems, but I do have to tell Devon. The text message was unwelcome. The flowers were creepy. But this…this is taking it too far. I can enjoy myself tonight. We’re safe, and I’ll be with Devon. Tomorrow morning though, Devon and I will have to figure out what to do about our psycho stalker.
Mark pulls up in a limo, and Devon—dressed sexy in a black button-down and dark denim jeans—holds the door for us, acting like a gentleman.
“You’ve got to be kidding?” Lex mutters, looking around the interior of the limo.
Devon opens the mini fridge and pulls out a bottle of whiskey, pouring us each a couple shots into lowball glasses. Before I lift mine to my lips, Devon throws his back, gulping it down quickly and pours another one.
I sip at mine. This stuff burns. What’s up with him though? “Everything okay?”
He drops his hand onto my leg, rubbing my thigh. His touch sends shockwaves through me.
“I’m fine,” he says, sounding an awful lot like me after listening to my voicemail. “Just have a headache.”
I let it go and lean my head against his shoulder. I want us to have a good time tonight and show Lex how she can be happy without the need to hang out with skeezy people.
Mark pulls up to the front of LUSH and walks around to open the door for us. A dozen cell phone cameras flash as we step out. Waiting in line to get in this place must have its own excitement when you see celebrities pull up right in front of you.
Lex keeps her head down, but apparently I’ve gotten used to this. I send a quick wave to the waiting crowd, and Devon wraps his arm around me, leading us in.
“Couldn’t just keep it low-key, could you?” Lex says, irritated by the sudden onslaught of attention.
“Like I said,” I tell her, putting my arm around her shoulders, “you get used to it. I swear. I hated it at first, but…it grows on you.”
Lex shakes her head, not believing me. “Whatever. I’m going to need another drink if you expect me to hang out with first class snobs all night.”
