Tangled Hearts (Evermore 4 Book Box Set)

by ANDREA SMITH

  Chapter 15

  Six months later…

  September 15, 2000

  “Are you sure I’m not leaving you in a lurch?” I asked Jazzy, as I was packing up another box in my bedroom.

  “It’s not like you’re ever here, Neely,” she said, marking the side of the box with a black magic marker. “You’re always with Seth, and there’s no sense in you continuing to pay rent on a place where you don’t stay. Besides, you’re moving on up, girl. You and Seth in that fancy condo at the Marina. So I’m just wondering when I’m going to be hearing those wedding bells, or getting fitted for some ugly ass Maid of Honor gown.”

  “Oh puhleeze,” I said, giggling, “We’re only staying there because the producer who lives there doesn’t want it staying empty while he’s filming in Europe. And as far as a wedding? Are you crazy? We nearly killed one another a few times while Seth was filming that damn movie. I don’t think we’re ready for marriage.”

  She stacked the last box I’d packed and flounced down on my stripped bed. “People argue, Neely. You know I’ve been on a couple of shoots myself. I know how stressful they can be, and I only have to worry about their hair and make-up.”

  Jazzy had finished her schooling and continued on to get her license in cosmetology since she’d been drawn to it ever since landing her position at the studio. She’d been promoted to Make-Up Artist on a hit series called ‘Abbey McNeal,’ which she absolutely loved. Her income had gotten a nice boost as well. She could afford this place by herself now.

  “I know,” I replied, “It was really a learning experience for both of us. And there’s a whole lot to be said for make-up sex,” I added giving her a sly wink.

  “Don’t I know it, girlfriend,” she said giggling. “Which reminds me, I will be perfectly fine with you moving out because I have an announcement for you.”

  I stopped tossing shoes into the open box on the floor and looked over at her.

  “Dante is moving in.”

  “What? Dante? Who the hell is Dante?”

  “I told you about Dante, remember? He handles wardrobe at the studio?”

  “Well…yeah, Jazz, but you freaking told me he was gay!” I said.

  “Oh, no. I had that wrong. I mean all these months we’re having lunch together, hanging out after work, going shopping—shit, I thought he was gay. I admit it, I was so caught up in that whole stereotypical thing, it never occurred to me he wasn’t. He was just filling that void you’d left when you took off with Seth.”

  “What happened?”

  “I’ll tell you what happened, girl. About three weeks ago he slipped the whole Monte to me and damn if it wasn’t the best sex I’d ever had, and you know I’m picky about that.”

  I burst out laughing at her choice of words. I’d told Jazzy years ago about the whole Monte thing, and she hadn’t let me live that one down.

  I collapsed down next to her on the bed, and continued giggling. “Oh my God, Jazz! Did you tell him you thought he was gay?”

  “Are you crazy? Of course I didn’t tell him that! You got to leave a man with some ego, you know?”

  “Yeah, I hear that,” I replied. “You know, Jazz? I didn’t know squat about guys until I spent the last six months with one. But truthfully? They’re not all bad.”

  “Ah yes,” she said, batting her eyelashes, “They do have some redeeming qualities, don’t they? Mostly their tongues,” she finished and once again, we got caught up with laughter. “I am going to miss you, Neel,” she finally said, her tone solemn.

  “I’m only going up the road, Jazz. It’s not that far.”

  “You know what I mean. This is one of those life-changing moments. You moving in with Seth. Dante moving in here with me. It’s a relationship milestone. Do you realize that you and Seth have been back together for almost a year?”

  “Yeah, it doesn’t seem possible. You know, Jazz, I love him so much and I know he loves me back just as much, but I gotta tell you, it bugs me when I think about him doing those love scenes. I actually read the book while we were on location. Umm…yeah, pretty steamy.”

  “That’s only natural. You’re human after all. Why do you think Seth wanted you with him?”

  I sat up on the edge of my bed and shrugged. “I figured it was for moral support being this was his first movie, and to help him with his lines. I dunno.”

  Jazzy shook her head and sighed. “You really are clueless sometimes, aren’t you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean you’ve been around the Hollywood scene long enough to see how it chews up relationships and spits them back out. Look at everything you saw when you were Grace Evangelista for crying out loud.”

  “Okay, so yeah, humans are imperfect…but they’re imperfect everywhere, Jazz. Not just here. What’s your point?”

  “My point, Neely, is that Seth wanted you there to see that he wasn’t tempted to do anything to put your relationship at risk. Of course it bothered you when he did those steamy, sexy love scenes with Tara Thompson, why wouldn’t it?”

  Okay, so Jazzy wasn’t really helping with this. Like, at all. Tara Thompson was the twenty-year-old actress that had played Lindsey in the movie. And yeah, she was gorgeous.

  “But he came back to you every night after shooting was over, didn’t he? That proves his commitment.”

  I wasn’t sure about her theory. I should’ve just changed the subject, but no, that wasn’t me.

  “First of all, I wasn’t on the set watching them film. So, I don’t know for sure how much steam factor went from the book into the movie. Secondly Jazzy, one could make the argument that Seth wanted me along for the purpose of avoiding temptation,” I pointed out.

  She sat straight up and glared at me. “What? Oh Neely, leave it to you to always see the glass half empty. You and your twisted thinking. Come on, let’s finish getting this stuff packed up.”

  But the seed had already been planted and first chance I got, I was going to open it up for discussion with my man.

  Chapter 16

  September 15, 2000

  Seth

  “Good news, darling,” my agent gushes over the phone, “They’ve moved the premiere up a bit on Love Plus One. Post production went fabulously! The film premiers on January 10th which is a fantastic date being it’s the dead of winter. Congratulations!”

  “Thanks, Diana,” I say, looking around for a box cutter. We’ve been moving in for the past week and for some reason, Neely is taking forever in cleaning out her closet at the condo she’d been sharing with Jasmine.

  “Now, we need to plan an after-party for the premiere. I’m sure the press will be all over this having you and Tara attend together—,” Diana continues.

  “Whoa, hold up there, Diana. I’ll be attending the premier with Neely.”

  Nothing but silence.

  “Did you hear me?” I ask.

  “Yes...yes, I heard you, Seth, but that’s not how it’s done and I think you know that. Part of the draw is having the stars attend it together. That’s simply how it’s done in show business, darling.”

  I’m just about to open my mouth to tell her I don’t give a flying fuck about how it’s done in the business, when I hear the front door slam and Neely’s footsteps pounding up the stairs to the upper level. Once I catch sight of her, I tell Diana I’ll call her later and end the call.

  “Hey babe,” I say, “I was starting to get worried. Do you need me to unload the boxes from your—”

  “Did you want me tagging along with you on location to avoid temptation, Seth?” she asks, her hands placed firmly on her hips.

  What the hell?

  “What are you talking about?” I ask, crossing the room to where she stands.

  “I haven’t seen the movie yet. I’ve only seen a few of the dailies that you shared, but I have to know about those sex scenes you did with Tara,” she trails off, now looking duly sheepish.

  “What in
God’s name has gotten into you woman?” I halfway bark. “Where in the hell is this coming from, Neely?”

  She blows out a hard breath and spins around so she is no longer facing me, but she doesn’t budge. So I wait.

  Finally, she turns back around, her eyes searching mine. “I’m…I’m sorry,” she says quietly, “I let something Jazz said get to me I guess.”

  I walk over and pull her up against me, loving the way her body molds so easily to mine. “Wanna talk about it?” I ask softly.

  “No,” she replies, shaking her head, “I don’t. It wasn’t so much about you as it was about this business that you’re in I think,” she continues. “Seth, I’m just not sure any couple can survive this shit long term. I mean, I know your parents have, but they are certainly the exception. I’ve…well, I’ve seen a lot you know? And what I’ve seen, I just don’t ever want happening to us, does that make sense? Or do you totally think I’ve lost my mind here?” she finishes with a sardonic laugh.

  “I don’t think you’ve lost your mind, Ms. Evangelista. And I do know that you’ve seen a lot, babe.”

  Her head snaps up to look at me. She releases a sigh and then lowers her head. “You knew?”

  My fingers tilt her chin up so that our eyes meet once again. “Not the whole time, but yeah, I figured it out eventually.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  I shrug. “I guess I figured if you wanted me to know, you’d have been up front about it.”

  “Then you’re not mad at me?”

  “About what? The fact that you were, for a brief time, a notorious paparazzi? Or that you didn’t want me to know about it?”

  “Either.”

  “Nope.”

  “So, then you aren’t pissed that I’m the one that took the pic of Julia with Jasper Knight?”

  I shake my head. “No, I told you before, I’m just happy it wasn’t you underneath the asshat.”

  She jumps up and wraps her arms around my neck. “I love you Seth Drake,” she says and proceeds to plant kisses all over my face and neck.

  “I love you too, babe.”

  And then we kiss and it is the kind of kiss that still leaves my knees weak and no dude ever wants to admit that, but it is the truth.

  Finally I pull back from her, because I have something to say. “Neely, after this next movie, I’m done.”

  “What? What do you mean, done?”

  “I mean we’ll have enough money so that we can go where we want and do what we want.”

  She crinkles her nose up in confusion. “I don’t understand. I thought this is what you wanted? Your dream come true, right?”

  “Partly,” I say, “But my biggest dream is being with you and having a normal marriage and a normal life with a house where we don’t need guards or gates. A place where we can go out to eat without people recognizing us.”

  “Don’t you mean recognizing you?” she corrects coyly.

  “Alright then, me,” I reply. I know it bugs Neely a little bit because now it happens more than ever, but she’s been a good sport about it. “A place where we can raise our kids differently than how we were raised because we won’t be in the spotlight, or under a microscope, or in the business,” I finish.

  She’s quiet for a moment. “Okay, but I mean, what will we do for a living? We’ll have to have an income at some point, now that I won’t be star fucking anymore,” she finishes with a wide grin.

  I laugh and lift her up, twirling her around. “You just finish school and we’ll figure it all out together, how’s that?”

  She nods and plants a kiss on my lips.

  “By the way,” I continue, “What do you think about a June wedding?”

  “Next June?” she asks, quirking a brow. “I think it will be just perfect. Wait until I tell Jazz we need to start looking for that ugly-ass bridesmaid gown!”

  Chapter 17

  June 1, 2001- New York City

  This was the day all of my dreams came true. Not all at the same time, because some of them had already come true. But today was the day the biggest and the best one was coming true for me.

  I now realized that life wasn’t like a box of chocolates at all. To think that was to believe that no matter which one you chose, you’d still be getting some chocolate as a consolation prize, even if you didn’t like the filling.

  No, life was not that generous. I looked at life as being more like a piano. The white keys were happiness and good times; the black keys were sadness and despair, but it took both keys to make beautiful music.

  My father was walking me up the aisle of Hope Presbyterian Church in the heart of Queens, New York. We’d found it quite by accident. We’d been driving around, missed a bridge, and ended up in Queens.

  Let me backtrack here. Seth and I’d been living in New York City while he finished up filming the second movie, “Taz.” So because we’d both decided on a June wedding, a June wedding it was in the Big Apple.

  And surprisingly, the church was small and quaint, and fit perfectly with our wedding, because it was the same.

  Up ahead I saw Jazzy standing there in her beautiful salmon-colored gauze gown. She’d picked it out and I totally approved of her choice. She looked stunning with her bouquet of salmon colored roses, cream-colored baby’s breath, and the garland of matching flowers in her hair.

  Seth’s best man was standing opposite her. He’d asked Blake to take that role. Blake looked great too. He’d finally come out of the closet and regretted not doing so sooner. His career was going well and he was actually in a relationship.

  With Dante.

  Yeah, long story, but I’ll cut to the chase: Jazzy is over it, and in fact, she is fine with it. Turns out Dante was bi and hadn’t come clean with that fact. Jazz is seeing a guy from the studio now, Cedric, and she is in love!

  We passed the pew where Grandma, Mama, and Merle were seated and they were all smiles. I was so glad they’d made the trip, and the fact it was here and not California, especially pleased Mama. I could see that she was truly happy now, and for that I felt particularly grateful.

  Grandma dabbed at her eyes, but she’d already told me I was the most beautiful bride she’d ever seen bar none. Mama had given me the something old and something new: the old was a small diamond hat pin that she’d attached inconspicuously to my veil; and the new was a delicate gold ankle bracelet that was actually kind of a sexy thing for somebody like Mama to give me, and I totally loved it.

  I was proud of Mama. She’d cleaned up her act and surprisingly seemed to go out of her way to be polite to Daddy. Maybe it was an act, but for once I actually believed that Mama had put someone else first. It was surely a start. It seemed Merle had been a good influence on her. They seemed extremely happy with their lives.

  I spotted Seth’s family on the other side. His sisters were both so beautiful and genuinely happy that their big brother was tying the knot. Kent was all smiles, and as we passed, Laura gave me a wink and a nod, her seal of approval. She’d been instrumental in helping me plan this wedding being that Mama was so far away. Laura was going to be the best mother-in-law a new bride could ever want. I was sure of it.

  She’d even taken special care to ensure everything was kept from well-meaning friends so the media wouldn’t get wind of it and turn it into a circus. Seth was clearly in the public eye now, and just as soon as he finished filming the second movie, we had a plan hatched that would take us out of the spotlight.

  And then my eyes fell on him. A swirl of emotions, memories and confettied clips of our past played out in my head like a kaleidoscope in the few seconds it took to reach my place next to him.

  Seth and me swimming in my pool; fishing on the wharf, riding the Ferris wheel on the pier, meeting at the bleachers after school, kissing on the beach with the sky full of stars watching us. Seth had been a part of my life for more than half of it, and God willing, we’d grow old together with a porch full of grandbabies
stepping on our toes.

  I felt my father’s arm drop away as he pressed a kiss to my cheek, handing me off to my soon-to-be husband. And our eyes locked and held, the intensity of our love and commitment tangible.

  “Hey Beauty,” he whispered as he took my hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. “It feels like this is the moment I’ve been waiting for all of my life,” he said softly and immediately my tummy did those special little flips that only Seth could evoke from me.

  “Me too,” I whispered as we walked together up the three marble steps to where the minister stood waiting for us.

  Seth and I had decided to go the traditional route with our vows, with one small exception. At the conclusion when the rings have been exchanged and the minister pronounces us husband and wife, we did agree to say something to one another that came straight from the heart.

  It was that time now. And I was first.

  “Seth,” I said, my voice quivered with emotion, “You are my best friend and the love of my life. You own my heart, and with it, all the passion and commitment that comes with it. I want you by my side. From this day forward, we will walk the path of life together; share our joys and our sorrows not as two people, but as one entity bound by love.”

  Seth squeezed my hand. His eyes were filled with emotion as he cleared his throat before speaking. “Neely Evans Drake, my heart beats for you. My love and devotion for you is boundless. We are joined together today in love, our vows sealed by trust. You are forever mine to love, honor, and protect. My wish is to never fail you, to always put our love and commitment first, and to cherish every second of every minute, of every hour, of every day I’ve been blessed by having you next to me as my wife.”

  And now the tears rolled as his precious words caressed my senses like a soft and gentle breeze.

  The minister spoke to the congregation. “Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Mr. and Mrs. Seth Drake.”

  The organ music blasted and we left the church hand in hand to begin our lives together. Our journey to find one another had been worth the emotional bumps and bruises along the way since it had led us to where we were now.