by Sadie Grubor
Sighing, I rub the back of my head.
"Yeah, Julia, she is," I confess.
"I'm sorry." She sniffs.
"I know you are, and, if you want to make it up to me, I need you to add something else to your list of tasks."
She sniffs once more, takes an audible breath, and says, "Of course. What can I do for you?"
"I need you to research assisted living homes in the same area you're looking for homes. Sean's grandmother is going to need a place to go and I'd like her to stay close to him."
"You are so amazing." Liza's voice surprises me, making me twist to look over the back of the couch.
"I'll start this afternoon," is Julia's reply.
"Great, thanks."
I disconnect, watching Liza come around the couch. When she reaches me, she sits on my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck.
"You don't have to do all this," she says, furrowing her brow.
Brushing away strands of hair from her face, I say, "I know, but it matters to you, which means it matters to me. Also, his grandmother is the closest Sean's got to a mother. He needs her."
She burrows against my chest, warming my skin and heating my blood. Encircling her in my arms, we sit this way for a while.
Fuck, this girl twists my insides.
Friday arrives and the Bel-Air hotel feels foreign to me now. Like my time here was so long ago, when, in fact, it's only been a few weeks. From where I’m sitting in one of the beige seats, I glance at the chair across from the couch—the same chair Liza and I began our first night of debauchery in. A smile comes to my face and I tighten my hand on the thigh she has propped on the arm of my seat.
"What the hell are you smiling at?" Elliott asks, sitting in said chair. He puts his hands over his t-shirt covered chest. "Quit checking me out. I'm a married man."
"There's something wrong with you," Jimmy says.
"If you're referring to my awesome manly physique, there's nothing wrong." Elliott rubs over his chest. "I can't help it if he wants me."
"You finally get laid by your wife and you think you're a sex god," Kat says from her spot on the couch next to Jimmy.
He scoffs, "I've always been a god."
"Enough," Chris exclaims, pushing off the wall, starting to pace. "When the hell is this bitch going to show up?"
"She's not exactly known for being on time," I answer, bored with this already.
"No, she's known for being God's gift to runway," Sid adds, causing everyone to look at her. She shrugs. "I could make her famous for other things."
The evil glint in her eye matches my own malicious desire to post that sex video to every website imaginable.
"She's on her way up." Una steps out of the bedroom, slipping her phone in her pocket. "We should clear out this area."
"Why?" Chris stops pacing, crossing his arms over his chest.
"So she doesn't go running out the door when she sees everyone in here," Una explains.
"Screw that," he snaps. "Julia, you answer the door, excuse yourself when she comes in, and close the door behind you. I block the door as soon as you're out. This shit ends and he does it with us at his back."
Always the asshole, he raises a brow, challenging Una.
His out of character caring, in his own asshole-like way, doesn't go unnoticed by Una. Her lips thin to hide her smile and she gives a nod.
When the knock comes at the door, Julia hurries to pull it open.
"Hello, I'll just get out of your way." She motions Kristy in and closes the door behind her.
Chris moves in a blur, pressing his back to the door.
Kristy stops in her stilettos. Taking in the group, the smile she wore disappears. Her eyes flit from Elliott to Jimmy, Kat, Una, Chris, Mia, and Sid, finally settling on Liza sitting at my side.
"Well, this is unpleasantly unexpected," she says, her voice heavy with sarcasm. "I thought you wanted to be alone, Jackson?" She bats her eyelashes.
"You're going to cease providing source material to the media," Una demands.
Kristy rolls her perfectly made up eyes. "Didn't we already have this conversation? I don't repeat myself."
"No, you fuck three guys at a time," Sid mutters.
"What did you say?" Kristy sneers, twisting her head in her direction.
Sid opens her mouth.
"Eyes on me, Kristy," I order, preventing Sid from launching into all the dirty details.
Her eyes come to mine, fire still blazing in them.
"I know you're the one spreading shit and providing whatever pictures you can get your hands on." Reaching out to the table, I pick up the bedazzled cell phone. "Whether it's from your own phone," I lift it for her to see, "or someone else's."
"How did you get my phone?" Stalking forward, she rips it from my hand. "You stole it?" she accuses. "I'll have you arrested."
"Oh, no, that would be me." Kat raises her hand, a large smile on her face. "But, I didn't steal it. I happened to find it on the floor of a club. I grabbed it so it wouldn't fall into the wrong hands." Kat's face is a mask of sweetness.
"Like mine," Sid adds, smirking.
Kristy, trying to ignore Sid, sees right through Kat's act. Seething, she turns back to me. Her mouth twisted in fury, she parts her lips to breathe fire.
"You'll pay for this and everything else, you pathetic asshole," she threatens.
Standing, I tower over her.
"You," my voice rises, "will stop this bullshit or every dirty thing we found on your phone will find its way to certain people."
Our eyes bore into each other, neither one wanting to back down.
"That means," Sid steps up next to me, "a particular celebrity will find out you have a video of him and his lover. And if he happens to believe you're trying to blackmail him, well…" Sid lets the sentence fall off and shrugs.
"You fat fucking—"
"And perhaps YouTube needs a new celebrity sex tape!" Sid claps her hands together, smiling. "Could you imagine the number of hits my channel could get?" She looks wistful.
Kristy's face falls, her body going still as a gush of air puffs out of her.
"Let me just tell you," Sid drops the smile and steps into Kristy's personal space, "You are no Kardashian. I don't think you'll skyrocket to fame on that one." Her eyes rake over Kristy's body. "You don't have the ass or tits for it, so I suggest you do as Jackson asks or I'll crotch kick your boney ass."
Liza grasps Sid's arm, pulling her away from a shell-shocked Kristy.
The room falls silent, aside from Kristy's heavy breathing. Her mouth pops open and closes, then opens again to say, "You wouldn't?" Her watery eyes come back to mine.
My silence widens her eyes. Stepping forward, her hands come to my chest, fisting my t-shirt. "You can't. I didn't…it wasn't..." she sobs.
Gripping her wrists, I pull her off of me and step back. Reaching back, I take Liza's arm and haul her to my side, wrapping my arm around her back.
"You mean like you tried with her." I nod to Liza.
A large tear spills over Kristy's cheek.
"And with me," I add, pointing to my chest. "You're a fucking piece of work, you know that?" I sneer.
Her shoulders shake and another sob escapes her mouth. More tears flow, causing her mascara to run.
"If it were up to me, that shit would've been viral four days ago. You can thank Liza for that not happening."
Her eyes move to Liza and then back to me.
"What do you want?" she whispers.
"You know what I want. Leave us the fuck alone," I growl.
"And you'll give me the video?" Kristy's eyes gleam with hope.
I shake my head.
"I don’t trust you. I'm not giving anything back."
"How do I know you won't use it anyway?" she whimpers.
"Because I'm not like you, Kristy," I growl. "I won't use any of it, as long as you stay away."
Sniffing, she uses the back of her hand to wipe away her tears.
"Fine," she agrees through
clenched teeth. "But—”
"But nothing," Liza interrupts, her words containing the strong suggestion of reproach. "Just end it before I stop feeling sorry for you and give my cousin the green light to go live. Your modeling career may end, but at least you'll have porn to look forward to."
"Jackson, you should teach your home wrecking whore to be quiet," Kristy quips.
I flex my fingers into the flesh of Liza's hip.
"I'm sorry," Liza puts her hand to her chest. "Whose home did I wreck?"
Kristy opens her mouth, but Liza doesn't allow her to speak.
"You were out of the picture before I met Jackson. You weren't even on his mind when he took me back to his hotel. And if you think my cousin is a scary threat, you come at me or my son again and you will regret every moment. I sure as fuck can assure you it will be much, much worse than crotch kicking your boney ass."
Christ, she's hot. Do not bend her over the chair in front of everyone.
Kristy clamps her mouth shut and straightens her spine. The fight visibly dies from her body.
"Fine," she says, defeated.
"Good," Liza says on a sigh, giving a nod.
Gripping her phone in her fist, she holds her head up and walks to the door.
Chris doesn't move.
"Excuse me," she bites out.
Chris doesn't move.
"I said, excuse me," she whines. "What else do you want from me?"
Snorting, Chris finally steps out of her way, shaking his head and allowing Kristy to leave the hotel room.
Exhaling loudly, Liza falls back into the chair behind us.
"That was fun," Kat says, smiling wide.
"I've missed our little get-togethers." Elliott fakes a sniffle as his phone rings. Pulling the device from his pocket, he answers, "Yo, baby, yo—”
He jumps from the chair.
"I'm on my way." All humor gone, Elliott rushes to the door and out.
"What the fuck?" Jimmy asks.
"Serena's in labor," Mia blurts, her eyes on her phone.
Her fingers working on the screen, she strides to the hotel room door. Chris has it open before she reaches and follows her out.
"Hey, wait!" Kat calls after them.
"I'm texting everyone the hospital she's going to," Mia shouts, the door closing behind them.
Multiple pings go off in unison as everyone files out of the room.
Liza
In the back of a car taking us to Cedars-Sinai Hospital, Jackson holds me close to him. With his arm draped over my shoulder, I'm blissfully happy. Maybe too content, because all this good has to go wrong at some point, right?
Taking a deep breath, I exhale the nervousness dulling my ease.
The chime of my phone surprises me. Jackson's hand slips down my back, pulling it from my pocket and handing it to me.
Taking it from his hand, I look at the screen and see another text from the unknown number.
Good job with the whore.
"Why is Chris texting you?" he asks.
My eyes widen. Chris is the one who's been texting me updates?
Jackson turns my hand so he can see better and reads the message. He chuckles, giving me a squeeze.
"He's right about one thing," Jackson says, releasing my hand.
"What's that?" I choke out, still surprised by Chris being my unknown source of information.
"She's a whore," he says with disdain. "But you did more than a good job."
"I didn't do anything." I put the phone back in my pocket.
He grips my chin, pulling my face to his. Dipping down, he says, "It's fucking hot when you defend me," against my lips.
I inch closer to kiss him, but he won't allow it. Determination setting in, I stare at his evading mouth.
"Like with Julia," he groans low, "I'm hard thinking about you getting fired up."
"Unless you're making this a threesome, you need to control your pheromones," Sid says, interrupting our lusty moment.
Jackson drops his head to the back of the seat.
"You are like the queen of derailing dick," he says in exasperation.
Without missing a beat, Sid quips, "Undefeated champion, five years running."
Shaking his head, he chuckles.
At the hospital, we're the only ones in the waiting room, which works well since there are so many of us. Chris sits in the corner of the room with Mia on his lap. Kat and Sid sit across from Jackson and me, looking through magazines. Laney sits adjacent to them, leaning with her head on Jimmy's shoulder.
After thirty minutes, a young boy rushes in.
"Where's my baby?" He looks around.
Jackson's mother and Nicholas Shaw follow, Nicholas holding a gorgeous little girl in his arms.
"Daddy," she squeals. Stretching her arms out to Chris, she clenches and unclenches her fists in excitement.
Mia slips off his lap, allowing Chris up. He goes straight to her.
"Hey, princess," he coos, taking her from Nicholas. "Come sit with me and mommy."
The little girl's eyes flicker to me before landing on Jackson.
"Jack," she squeals.
"Hey, baby girl," he calls out, grinning.
"Jack," she calls again, smacking her dad's shoulder.
Rolling his eyes, Chris puts her down on her little feet. She wobbles and then finds the right pace to bring her to Jackson.
Jackson puts his arms out, lifting her against his chest.
"You been a good girl?" he asks, tickling her sides.
She giggles, burying her face in his neck.
The precious moment is almost enough to make me hope my period doesn't come.
"Where's my baby?" the little boy asks again, turning to Gwen and Nicholas.
"The baby isn't here yet." Gwen tousles his hair before collapsing in a seat.
"Come here, Ry," Laney calls the little boy over to her.
Jackson stiffens, catching the tired look on Gwen’s face.
Nicholas quickly takes the seat next to her.
Standing out of his seat, he hands the little girl over to Mia's waiting arms.
Chris and Jackson move at the same time to Gwen's side; Chris taking the seat on the other side of her and Jackson squatting in front of her.
They speak in intensely hushed tones before Gwen smiles at each of them and shakes her head.
"She's started some medicine in preparation for surgery," Mia says, taking Jackson's seat.
"She looks so tired," I whisper. "Beautiful, but tired."
Mia nods. "I hate it. Gwen's usually so vibrant and full of life."
The little girl smacks my arm.
"Maggie," Mia scolds.
"It's okay." I smile. "How old is she?"
"Almost two." Mia bounces her with a knee.
Maggie giggles.
"She's gorgeous."
"Thanks." Mia looks up from Maggie to me. "She looks like her daddy."
"I think I see a bit of her mom in her, too." I grin.
"I'm a dad!" Elliott's booming announcement startles everyone.
"You're my dad," Ry says, furrowing his brow.
All eyes study Elliott and Ry's interaction. Elliott lock's eyes on the boy and grins manically. Squatting down, he opens his arms.
"Damn straight, little man," he confirms, and the boy runs into his arms. "I'm a dad for a second time is what I meant."
I furrow my brow, not sure what's going on.
"Ryan is Serena's son," Kat whispers.
"Elliott just adopted him," Laney adds.
I nod, now understanding the dynamic.
"My baby's here?" Ryan asks with a smile.
"You're a big brother, dude. Want to come meet your sister?"
"A girl?" Kat, Mia, and Laney all ask in unison.
If possible, Elliott’s grin grows larger.
"Yep. Zoey Mae Brockman came screaming into the world ten minutes ago." He bounces Ryan in his arms. "Mom wants you, little man."
"My baby's here!" Ryan cheers
. "We did it!"
"Come on." Elliott motions to us all.
"I'm pretty sure there's a limit on visitors," Laney says, but still stands to follow.
"I don't give a shit," he exclaims. "Come meet my daughter."
Striding out of the room, he carries Ryan down the hall. The rest of them follow, except me.
I stay seated, pulling out my phone. Shooting a text to Kel, I let him know where we are and that I'll be back soon. Sid sits next to me, bumping my shoulder with hers.
"Hey. I can get a cab back to the penthouse," she offers, nodding to my phone.
"We can go together." I slide the phone back in my pocket. "I'm just giving Jackson a minute before I take off."
Sid rolls her eyes.
"What?" I ask.
"You think he's going to let you—”
"Liza?"
Twisting in the chair, I find Jackson poised in the doorway with his brow furrowed.
"Yeah?"
"You coming?"
He lifts a hand toward me.
I shake my head.
"Go ahead. I'm going back to the penthouse. The boys will be back from school soon." I wave him to go on.
His furrow deepens.
"Well, now you did it," Sid mumbles.
"You want to leave?" he asks, an edge I don't like in his tone.
"It's a family thing," I explain. "I don't want to intrude."
His brow unfurrows, but he doesn't move.
"I can wait for you if you want?" I offer.
"I'm just going to catch a cab," Sid says, slipping out of the room.
"What did I do now?" I ask, my shoulders drooping.
He shakes his head.
"You didn't do anything." He runs his fingers through his hair. "I want you to come with me, but I understand why you're uncomfortable. It just took me a minute."
Lifting from the chair, I close the distance between us, putting my hand on his chest. I raise onto my toes and fist his shirt, pulling him down so I can kiss him. Our tongues slip into the other’s mouth, tangling and fighting for dominance.
Breaking the kiss, I drop back to the flat of my feet.
"I'll wait here for you," I say, releasing his shirt and smoothing the wrinkled material. "Take your time."
"I'll be right back," he assures, walking backward out of the room.
