Questionable Love (A Love Beyond Labels #2)

by Danielle Rocco

  “Shay, are you awake?”

  I turn from my side to my back and pry my eyes open. The frame of Jace and me from the zoo lies beside me.

  “Yes, I’m awake. I haven’t even slept.”

  “I’m at the front door. Come let me in.”

  “I’m getting out of bed.” I hang up my phone, still grasping it in my hand. I don’t ever put it down in case we hear something. Dragging my feet to the door, I unlock it, letting the sun pour in along with Jules. “Why are you here so early?”

  “I didn’t want you alone when you saw it.”

  “Saw what?”

  “Oh my God, Starkie.”

  “What, Jules? Is something wrong? Did my parents hear something about Jace? Don’t tell me they found him, and he’s…” I can’t finish my thought. She bites down on her lip and turns her cell phone toward me. “What the hell is this?” I grab her phone out of her hand. “That’s Jace! Jules, that’s Jace!” I start crying. “Who is that girl he’s with? Where is he?”

  Spent the night with Shay Stark’s fiancé.

  “It was posted to your social media accounts.”

  “To my social media accounts?”

  “You don’t ever check those, but I do, and I saw it. I reported it, so it’s been taken down, but I snapped a screenshot of it first.”

  I look at the picture closely. It’s a cute girl leaning into him.

  I hand Jules back her phone. “I can’t look at that anymore.” I start pacing the kitchen. “All this time, I’ve been searching hospitals, driving through the streets looking for him, haven’t slept a wink in three days, over my perfect, perfect boy who promised to always hold my moon and stars, and he’s with some girl? I can’t make any sense of this, no sense at all, but now I’m angry! I’m so angry! I take my phone in my hand, throwing it hard onto the tile, shattering it into pieces.

  “Shay!”

  “Three days I’ve sat wondering. Three damn days! All to see he’s not hurt, but taking pictures with random girls.”

  “There has to be more to it than that, Starkie. I know it looks bad—”

  “I don’t care why. Never in my life would I have ever thought Jace would let me down like this. He failed me the second he got out of prison and didn’t call me!”

  “Shay.”

  “And don’t tell me to just breathe, Jules. I don’t want to hear that. This is the boy that I’ve been in love with since I was freakin’ twelve, the boy that has never let me down, who just gave me the biggest epic fail ever.” I stand, shocked, and shake my head back and forth. “Landon told him all the rumors about Hunter and me, and Jace believed them. Remember when he didn’t call me for a whole day after Cole took my phone and sent him those messages that he was putting sunblock on my back and we were together in the pool?”

  “This is different, Shay.”

  “Not to Jace. I talked to him that morning before he found out he was being released. Everything was fine. There was nothing said that would lead me to believe something was wrong. Landon saw him later that day and told him about the pictures and rumors about Hunter and me kissing and leaving together for the night from the club. Jace knew all that and got out the next day. He’s keeping silence between us! He promised he would never do that again!” I seethe. “He thinks I cheated on him, and now he’s with some random girl!”

  “You’re jumping to conclusions.”

  “Jumping to conclusions? Jace and I have never fought. The only time we ever had a problem was when Cole tried to make him jealous, and that jealously kept us apart without any communication for twenty-four hours. I know him. He’s letting what Landon told him affect us. He’s upset by what he heard.”

  “Then why isn’t he with Landon? He told Landon to pick him up so he could surprise you. That doesn’t sound like someone who’s jealous and putting distance between you. Where else would he go if he wasn’t with Landon?”

  I wipe away tears as I stare down at my phone in pieces. “That I don’t know.”

  “Okay, now that we know he’s not dead in a ditch, I’m killing him myself for doing this to you, Starkie!”

  “Maybe he won’t ever give you that chance.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “I lost my charm bracelet. I think it’s a sign that I’ve lost him.”

  She sets all the broken cell phone pieces onto the table and puts her hands on my shoulders. “I’m so mad at your ex-jailbird, so damn mad. But, I don’t believe you lost him, not one bit. Why he didn’t call you the minute he was told he was being released I don’t know, but losing him? The way you love him, and the way he loves you? No freakin’ way you lost him.” She smiles. “Okay, wait, you might have lost him, like lost, like you don’t know where the hell he is, but lost his love? Not a chance.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “How can you question that? I’m the one who doesn’t buy in to the whole love thing. You found your soul mate before those fabulous boobs started growing. Do you think he would give you up for one second?” I shrug my shoulders. “He’s in love with you, Shay. He has been since the day you met. Hello?”

  “Maybe he’s not anymore.”

  “Oh, Starkie, you silly, silly girl. It’s been what? Three days? Do you really believe he would fall out of love with you and be in the arms of another girl?” she says. I bite down on my lip.

  “And what am I supposed to do now? Just sit here and wait for him to come back?”

  “Isn’t that what you’ve been doing?”

  “Don’t be a smarty pants, Jules.”

  “I’m not trying to be, but let’s say you’re right, and he’s just upset about everything he heard from Landon. Maybe he just needed to take a break for a few days to clear his head…”

  “I won’t accept that! We’ve had too much time apart, and we don’t need a damn break. We need to be together again. And, he promised me, Jules. He should know I would never want to be with anyone but him. He should never question that!”

  “He’s a guy that’s been locked up in prison for a year while you’ve been spending time with a very famous Hollywood boy. His friend tells him rumors and shows him pictures that even you can’t deny are extremely convincingly true. I’m not justifying his absence, Shay, but I can sympathize with him. Now, if he did something to hurt you, that’s another story, but we still have no freakin’ idea what happened when he walked out those doors.”

  “What happened was, he didn’t believe in me, he didn’t trust me, and he broke a promise he knew I was holding on tight to. And, he’s clearly spending his time in silence, away from me with other girls.”

  “Well, then maybe you should be spending your time with other guys. There is an industry mixer later tonight that Thorn Productions is hosting for some upcoming projects. My dad told me about it a few days ago, but between school and searching hospitals for your lost boy, it slipped my mind.”

  “I’m not up to it.”

  “I’m not taking no for an answer. It’s a mix of movie and music people, and I’m sure Hunter and Beau will be there. My dad wants us to go. You could be missing opportunities. These people are heavy hitters in the business.”

  “Okay, fine. I’ll go, but only because your dad asked.”

  “It doesn’t start until eight o’clock. We’ll get there around nine, stay a while, and come back here and watch the first season of One Tree Hill again.”

  “I have enough drama in my own life right now. I don’t want to sit through episodes of fake teen drama.”

  IT RINGS AND RINGS

  I PULL OVER AND fill up my tank, grab a water and burrito, and go back outside. I’m tired and still hung over from my pity party last night, but I can’t rest until I have her in my arms. I scarf down the burrito, that was probably made yesterday, and chug the water, then without hesitation, I go to my lifeline and hit Send. I look down at the words Pretty Girl and listen as it rings and rings. “Come on, baby. Answer your phone.” I end the call and hit Send again. Ring…ri
ng…ring…”Where’s my girl? Answer the phone, baby.”

  I end the call, put my phone back into my pocket, and get back on the road. I just want to get there, and with the open road in front of me, I’m making great time.

  I’M FREAKIN’ SORRY!

  AFTER SPENDING HOURS in the store getting a new phone, I have to wait until tomorrow to pick up a replacement. Downloading all my saved text messages over the last few years of my boy’s and our pictures will take hours. I walk next door to get a jasmine tea to soothe a cried-out throat.

  “Can I have a large jasmine green tea latte, please?”

  The barista stares at me for a moment longer than normal, and I know he realizes who I am, probably from all those tabloid rumors. I hand him my money and step aside.

  “My girlfriend loves your song,” he says.

  “Thanks,” I tell him as he hands me my drink. I sit down, noticing eyes on me. Taking a long sigh with understanding that my life will not quite be the same if I continue in this business, I get up and walk out the door.

  “Is it true the boyfriend in prison is really your fiancé? Who is this girl who claims to have spent the night with him? Do you know about this girl?”

  I try to walk around the guy. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I say, rushing to get into my car to get away from the guy with the camera. I get inside and slam my door shut, spilling my latte all over my white shirt. Dammit! As I pull off the curb and into oncoming traffic, a horn beeps, and I swerve to the other lane. The driver flips me off, mouthing, “You dumb bitch!”

  “I’m freakin’ sorry!” I scream into my car. “What the hell is going on, Jace? Where the hell are you?”

  I pull up my parents’ driveway and storm into the house, right up the stairs to Tatum’s room. I open her drawers and grab a shirt to replace my latte-covered disaster. “I didn’t know you were stopping by. I haven’t left the house, Shay. He hasn’t called.” I hear her say behind me.

  “Well, maybe that’s because he’s too busy hanging out with other girls to call and let the one girl that has always stood by his side know he’s okay!”

  “What?” Dad says, coming into Tatum’s room, Mom on his heels.

  I turn around and face my parents. “Yeah, you can tell your friend to call off the missing person’s search. Looks like my boy is alive and well.”

  “What are you talking about, Shay?”

  “Oh, just a picture that was brought to my attention.”

  “What picture?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it, Dad. I guess you were right. Jace and I can’t handle rumors that are going to come from being in this business, because as soon as he heard what was being said and seen out there with Hunter and me, he freaked out.”

  “How do you know that’s why he’s missing?”

  “Landon told me when he went to visit Jace that he mentioned the rumors and tabloid pictures, and the next day, Jace got out and vanished. He doesn’t trust me. He believes what he heard, and now…now I see what he’s done to me because of it. All the years together, and he threw them away by not believing in me!”

  My dad walks out of the room, rubbing his jaw, and my mom stares at me in disbelief. “You’re doing exactly what you think he did, Shay.”

  “It was clearly him in the picture, looking drunk with a girl hanging on him, Mom. Don’t tell me how to feel right now.” I take my shirt off and throw on one of Tate’s. “Don’t wait by the phone anymore. When he shows up, he shows up. Oh, and I shattered my phone. I won’t have a new one until tomorrow, so don’t freak out if you can’t get ahold of me.” I walk out the door.

  I head down the stairs, wiping tears. As I hit the last step, I see my dad overlooking the city below from the terrace. I suck in a breath and walk out to him. “There are things in life I find forgivable, and things I don’t, Shay. I’ve been in the entertainment business most of my life, and I’ve had women try their best to make me see them. It comes with power, and I’ve always had a strong name in this business. But, the moment I met your mother I honored her and cherished our relationship. I would be devastated if she didn’t do the same. I could never get past another man touching the girl I love, and I know she would feel the same way. Rumors happen in this business, though, and that’s why I told you—you and Jace will have to learn to fight through them, and it might take some tears in doing that, but love should always conquer all.”

  “What if it’s true?”

  “Are the rumors with Hunter true?”

  “No.”

  “Don’t beat a boy who has already been beaten down, Shay. He’s spent a year in prison. I’m sure he’s already fought feelings of jealously knowing you’ve been working with Hunter while he’s been away, and then on top of that, he hears rumors that have been linked to pictures. He’s probably confused.”

  “He broke a promise to me before he even gave me a chance to explain those rumors myself. Instead, he believed someone else and has left me wondering where he is while he gets through whatever he has to get through.”

  “That’s the only thing that upsets me,” he says, crossing his arms.

  “You wouldn’t believe a picture of some girl claiming to have stayed the night with him?”

  “No, I don’t believe it. The boy that sat across from me when he was in prison told me that you were the most important person in his world, and I believed him. The conviction in his eyes and his voice told me he is a man of his word. I have a very good instinct with people, Shay, and I know Jace’s character is strong. He would never hurt you in that way.” He smiles.

  “I’m leaving. I have an industry party to get ready for tonight.”

  “Good. I’m glad you’re going,” he says, smiling. I shrug my shoulders and walk away. “Shay?” I look over my shoulder. “Remember when your mom told you I was a bad boy when I was young?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I took off for a few days, and she didn’t know where I was. I was new in the business, around the same age as Jace, just getting started, feeling overwhelmed, and I made some stupid mistakes. I just needed to catch my breath and get my shit together. She was hurt, and I still regret it. I needed to do it at the time, and we’ve never been apart since that happened.”

  “Where did you go?”

  “That doesn’t matter. I never did anything to hurt your mom, other than leave her wondering where the hell I was. I told you I’ve never looked at another woman since I met your mother.”

  “So, you really were a bad boy?”

  “In her eyes, I was.”

  “And in yours?”

  “I was just a young, confused, stupid kid.” He smiles. “Don’t give up on your soul mate just yet.”

  “I told someone once I would never give up on him, unless he gave me a reason to.”

  “Then it will be up to you to decide if he’s still worth fighting for.”

  I give a tight smile and walk away, leaving him standing there staring at our orange grove.

  COME ON, PRETTY GIRL

  AFTER PULLING OVER, I stretch my legs and take my phone out of my pocket again. I hit Send and stare at the name I started calling her when she was twelve. “Come on, pretty girl. Pick up your phone.” But she doesn’t, and it just rings and rings. I let out an exhausted breath and run my hand through my hair. I’m so fucking tired of driving, but I can’t stop. I’m a few hours away. I pay for my gas and walk back out to my bike.

  “Damn, he’s hot.” I hear from the car at the next pump. I ignore the girls in the convertible across from me and straddle my bike.

  “Can I have a ride?”

  I glance over, and one of the girls is sitting up in the back while the others stare at me. I look away, put my helmet on, and start my bike. “Only one girl sits on the back of my bike,” I tell them as I ease out of the gas station.

  Why the hell is Shay not answering her phone?

  HE MADE ME PROMISE HIM

  “YOU DON’T REALIZE HOW convenient having a cell pho
ne is until you have to deal with someone that doesn’t have one,” Jules says, walking into the condo. “I wanted to see what you were wearing before I picked out what color dress I was going with. You know I don’t like to wear the same color as someone else. That’s like fashion suicide.”

  “Well, we didn’t choose the same color, so you live another day,” I tell her, wearing a very pale pink dress next to her black one.

  “You always look so pretty in pink, Shay.” She beams. “Are you ready to leave?”

  “Not really.” I sigh. “I’ve searched all afternoon for my charm bracelet, and I can’t find it.” I look down at my bare wrist. “It’s been days since I left the prison and days without a word from Jace. I haven’t seen my bracelet since the day I found out he was released.” She puts her clutch onto the table and wraps her arms around me. “I went from heartbroken and scared, to mad and angry, back to sad and scared. I have no idea what happened when he was released, and even after seeing that picture, all I want is for him to come home. I remember him telling me the last time we spoke on the phone that no matter where we are, he would always be thinking of me. He told me to never doubt for a single second that he would want to be anywhere that I wasn’t going to be. He told me I will always be the most important person in his world, and he would always protect our love.” I pull out of her embrace. “He made me promise him I knew that. He told me to never give up on him, and I promised him I never would.” I smile, thinking how sweet and loving his voice was when he told me how he felt. He always tells me how he feels. “He told me he would never let me give up on him. He said to always keep his love on my wrist. Jules, I lost it.”

  “Have you checked everywhere you think it could be?”

  “Yes, I even drove by the prison and looked in the parking lot. I’m desperate. That bracelet means the world to me. God, I’m so damn angry and so nervous at the same time. If I’m the most important person in his world, then why did he not call me when he was being released? Why would he let some girl take a picture of him? Why is he not calling me and telling me he’s okay? And if he’s not calling me, is it because he truly is unable to? I just want to scream at the top of my lungs to release this emotional overload I’ve been feeling the last few days. I didn’t think anything could drain me as much as our separation without choice, but this—unless he’s hurt, he’s chosen this separation, and that hurts more than anything else we’ve endured.”