One More Night (Backstage Pass Book 1)

by Ali Parker

  "Yeah. Sure." I pulled out my wallet and glanced around before turning my attention back to the girl. "So, I need something that says I'm sorry for being an idiot male."

  She laughed. "How about white roses with one red one? It's almost like asking for friendship, but the red one gives off the vibe of offering your heart in the process."

  "Oh, I like that." I handed her a hundred and waved her off as I took the flowers. "Keep the change."

  "No way. This is way-"

  "Please?" I lifted them to my face and breathed in deeply. "You've been really helpful. Let me do something nice to feel better about myself, hm?"

  Her smile was warm, welcoming. "Okay. Thank you, and good luck with your love."

  "Thanks." I winked at her and walked into the hotel, mumbling the rest under my breath. "I'm going to need a whole lot more than luck."

  Like a tranquilizer and a love potion. I chuckled, feeling a little bit more alive than I had lately. Seeing Riley was all I could think about, even though the chance of her coming were slim. I could still hope. Hell, hope was all I could do.

  "Deza." I walked toward her and Frank as they stood in the lobby, Frank talking with one of the bellhops. "Any luck?"

  "Yes." She let out a sigh and reached up to pat my chest. "I got her here. The rest is up to you, but don't fuck anything up related to the film. Please. Our asses are all on the line with Eon already. Just go slow and back off if she wants you to. Got it?"

  "Of course." I extended my hand to Frank as he turned to greet me. "Hey."

  "Hey, buddy." He pulled me into a fatherly hug. "You doing okay? You had us all pretty worried this time."

  "I'm alright. For now, at least." I glanced around. "Where is she?"

  "In her room. Are those flowers for her?" Frank asked, his lips lifting in a smile.

  "Yeah. I'm sure it's too much, but I'm going for broke on this one." I reached up and ran my fingers through my hair. "Do I look alright?"

  "You look like you. Good job." Frank walked around me, snorting at his own joke.

  "Thanks, man." I rolled my eyes and turned back to Deza.

  She reached up and brushed her fingers through my hair. "You look windblown."

  "Does she hate me?" My stomach tightened at the thought, and I felt all of ten years old again. Needy and wishing someone cared enough about me to show up for one of my rehearsals or God forbid, a movie premier. My folks were too busy, and Liam was too young to get himself there.

  "I don't think so, but you got a long road ahead of you, Ethan. She's got a lot of pent-up hurts in her life, and I think she's adding you to that list." Deza backed up and slipped her hands into the pockets of her dress. "And I know I've said it a million times, but I'm sorry."

  "It's okay." I glanced around, checking for Riley again. "Just help me fix the parts that you can. I'll try my best to do the rest, and if it doesn't work, then that's on me." I shrugged as if it didn't mean anything to lose out on possibly the best thing that had ever happened to me in my life.

  "Don't do that." She reached out and gripped my wrist, pulling my attention back toward her.

  "Do what?" I asked, confused.

  "Act like you don't care, like her walking away doesn't matter. You gotta let that guard down and let her see your heart. Otherwise, you are going to lose her. It's where we all go wrong." She released me. "We're all trying so damn hard to protect ourselves, and in the process, we push everyone away with our callous responses. Don't do that. Open up this time and be prepared for whatever comes your way."

  "Alright." I offered her a smile. "Wish me luck."

  "Assume this isn't going to go well." She tilted her head to the side and pursed her lips.

  "Thank you, kindly for sucking the wind from my sails, the come from my nuts, the- wait. That doesn't work. Sucking the come from my-"

  "Hey! Shut it and go get the girl. For fuck's sake."

  "I love it when you say fuck. You should do it more often." I wagged my eyebrows and turned, walking toward the elevator. "Ten-twenty-four?"

  "Yes. Stop yelling it out, and good luck."

  "You said that already." I pressed the button and ignored the stares from three middle-aged women beside me. A chant raged in my head, which seemed childish, and yet, if I could just remember it, things might work out.

  Just be yourself. Just be yourself. Just be...

  The door opened, and I got into the elevator, pressing the button for the tenth floor.

  "Are you-" One of the woman glanced over at me.

  "Yeah." I nodded. "How are you today?"

  "We're great. Tell us what the name of your new co-star is again? She's just stunning."

  "Like Marilyn Monroe," the third one piped in. "So beautiful."

  "Riley Phillips, and yes, she is a knock-out. Even more so in person." I smiled as the door opened to my floor. "Well, this is me. You ladies have a great day."

  "Thanks! Tell Riley we love her."

  I smiled and walked down the hall as warmth filled my chest. Riley would be a star with or without me, and I realized that whether we made it to the top in the eyes of America wasn't a concern to me anymore. It was whether we made it together.

  I reached up to knock on the door as terror raced through me. Closing my eyes, I let my chin touch my chest and breathed out slowly. "You got this. You're the award-winning Ethan Lewis. The crowd goes wild for you. They think you're-" I paused and glanced up, not giving two shits about any of that. "This is the woman you love. Fix it."

  Lifting my hand, I knocked without hesitation and moved back. I needed to prepare for the worst.

  Riley opened the door and stiffened. Her short strawberry blond hair was in cute little curls, her yellow dress and white sandals enough to make me cream my pants. Innocence sat on her like a well-worn coat, and yet I knew what lay beneath it. Hunger that couldn't be matched.

  "Riley." I extended the flowers toward her. "I just-"

  "I'm not interested." She pushed the flowers back toward me, not angrily, but nevertheless. It hurt.

  "I understand. Thank you for coming to finish the film."

  "Yep." She moved back and started to close the door.

  "So the white ones are for friendship and the red-"

  "I don't care, Ethan. Give them to someone else." She pushed the door a little farther, and I reached out, pressing my hand to it.

  "Please don't do this. I promise I won't bother you after this, but please talk to me."

  "No." She put her shoulder against the door and pushed, forcing me back a little, though I kept my hold on the door. "If I didn't have a contract, I wouldn't be here. Period."

  "Riley." I pushed back as softly as I could and thought about sticking my foot in the doorway, but knew Frank would flip his shit if I broke the damn thing. "I wasn't dicking around in that rain scene. I really do-"

  "Stop!" She jerked the door open, her eyes filled with anger. "I'm not doing this with you. My heart can't handle another blow. I want to wrap up the movie and get the fuck outta here."

  "Alright. I'm sorry." I lifted my hands as tears filled her eyes. "Forget I stopped by."

  "Done!" She slammed the door and my heart sunk.

  I knelt and left the flowers in front of her door, plucking out the red one and twirling it between my fingers as I walked back down the hall.

  Deza had gotten my beautiful co-star to come back to the set, and I'd almost caused her to leave again. If things were going to work out between us, I had to back off and take it painfully show.

  It was something I wasn't good at in the slightest.

  Having patience.

  Chapter 6

  Riley

  I'd been way too harsh in my response to him bringing me flowers. I was shaking as I slammed the door and locked it, my emotions all over the place.

  "Chill out. Shit." I walked to the floor to ceiling windows at the far part of my hotel room and pulled the curtains over. Liam was below, standing near the water with two hot girls and laughing from w
hat I could tell. "Must be nice. To be alive and free."

  My eyes moved down to see Ethan walk out of the hotel and toward his brother. Shit. Was he going to take one of the women for himself?

  The fact that I cared spoke volumes.

  He'd come to apologize, and I had shoved him away?

  "Why?" I whispered and sunk down on a chair next to the window, watching the scene below as horror raced through my chest. He was going to break my heart again, wasn't he?

  Deza's words from early that morning echoed through my head. Give him a chance. He's a good man. Love's never come easily to him.

  My pulse spiked as he neared Liam and turned, flipping his middle finger in the air and walking toward the other end of the beach. The red rose in his free hand caused my heart to skip a beat. Had he left the rest of them?

  I got up and half-jogged to the door, feeling a little too vulnerable already. Fight or flight kicked in, but I forced myself to chill the fuck out.

  The bouquet of white roses sitting in front of my door had my heart aching. He'd left them. Kneeling, I grabbed them and walked back into my hotel room.

  Why was I fighting against him? I was originally upset because of him kissing Deza, but just before that, things were great between us. We got along so damn well, laughing together and teasing one another. He'd been open with me about the drama in his life and even about the woman who was claiming to have his baby.

  He had included me in all of the things most men would have shut me out of. I put the flowers in my ice bucket and filled it with water before walking back to the window in search of him.

  "There you are," I whispered as emotions beat against my insides.

  He reared back and pitched the red rose into the water, the symbolism not lost on me. He was done with love, which meant that he was trying one last time as he stood at my door a moment before.

  Indecision tore through me, but I knew what I had to do.

  I had to try again. I had to let him back in, even though I was scared to death.

  He was too. That's what love was all about.

  ***

  We were given the day off to wander the beach with a quick group text from Frank that we would all be attending a stretching class the next morning.

  I'd been laying in my room all day, fighting with myself about going after Ethan. I didn't have to make a quick decision, and I wasn't going to.

  My stomach growled, and I got up off the bed and grabbed my purse. Time to get something to eat. If fate wanted me to talk with Ethan, then he would be where I was.

  If not, then I'd make time to talk to him tomorrow. Either way, I was going to take our reconciliation slow.

  After making my way downstairs, I walked out to a small hot dog stand on the side of the hotel and got in line. The sound of Ethan's voice, a few people in front of me, caused my heart to skip a beat.

  "Three please."

  "Three? For a thin guy like you?" The vendor teased him.

  "One is for me, and two are for the girl I'm dating. She likes weenies. A lot."

  I pressed my hand to my mouth as I laughed. Idiot. He always had a way of making everyone smile. Everyone in line let out a chuckle.

  He turned and walked back down the line, stopping beside me. "Hey."

  "Hi." I glanced down at his dinner. "You really going to eat all three of those?"

  "Maybe." He tilted his head to the side, his dark brown eyes captivating me.

  "And what does it depend on?" I stepped out of line as it moved forward. I wanted to tell him that he could have my heart if he promised not to hurt me again, but it was trivial. He already had it.

  "It depends on a certain girl I know."

  "Just any girl?" I lifted an eyebrow and glanced around as if searching for this mystery girl.

  "You." His voice washed over me, the deep timbre of it forcing me to turn back to him.

  "Thank you for the flowers." I reached out and took one of the hot dogs before walking toward the beach. I paused and looked back to find him standing still. "You coming?"

  "Not yet, but thanks for asking." He winked and moved up beside me. "You're welcome. For the flowers. I saw them, and they made me think of you."

  "White is for friendship." I took a bite of my hot dog and moaned softly. "Delicious."

  "Tease." He smiled as I glanced over at him, stealing my heart all over again. "And I know that white is for friendship. It's the best part of what you and I had going before Deza and Clayton fucked it up."

  "You think it was all them?" I kept my tone neutral, not wanting to steer the conversation down a path that would have us fighting or spending the evening alone.

  "Not at all." We stopped at the edge of the water, and he sat down as the sun faded behind the edge of the ocean. "Come on. I don't bite."

  "No? I kinda like biting."

  He gave me a look. "I'm to blame for not telling you the truth." He took another bite of his hot dog and glanced out at the water.

  "About you and Deza kissing?"

  "No." He snorted. "That was all her. She was trying to make Darren mad. I chewed her ass ten times over that shit. Gross."

  I smiled and sunk down next to him before kicking off my sandals. "The truth about what?"

  "About how I felt about you, Riley." He licked at his fingers as mustard dripped between them. The sight of his tongue had my body aching for something more than I knew I'd let happen just yet. He wasn't a good lover. He was the best. Attentive, and the size of his cock was beyond anything I'd ever seen in my life. A simple thrust had my body shaking. Where it would take all sorts of stimulation with Jace, with Ethan, it took very little.

  "Well, how about we start with a friendship? The white roses meant a lot to me. I was just hurt and angry. I overreacted."

  "No, you didn't." He glanced over at me and smiled. "Friendship works, but just know that I'll be trying for more. I'm in love with you. I hate that everything had to fall apart for me to figure it out."

  His words bore through me, lighting me up in a million different ways, but I had to be careful. He could destroy my heart with nothing more than a bit of immaturity or a bad decision.

  "Tell me what happened with you and Clayton." I glanced back to the water and took a few nibbles of my hot dog. "Why did he use me to attack you?"

  "I told you what happened years ago. There's really nothing left to tell. He was jealous, and maybe he fell for you." He shrugged. "It's not hard to imagine. You're beautiful, talented and sexy as hell. Everyone is going to fall for you. We'll be taking turns beating them back."

  "We?" I smiled and turned a little to see more of him. My knee brushed by his thigh before pressing into it a little.

  He glanced down toward our connection but didn't move. "Me, Frank and Deza." He turned his attention back up to me. "I mean if you're staying with Eon."

  "And if I'm not?" I couldn't seem to get enough air in my lungs. Up that close, he was a god. His dark hair blew in the breeze, and his eyes held so many great adventures. Oh, the life we could live if I could trust him not to crush me.

  "Then it would be a great loss to all of us." He turned back toward the water. "Clayton played a dangerous game with us both, and in some ways, he won. You and I are barely speaking and the last two weeks of my life have been absolute hell."

  "Did something happen with the baby-daddy girl?" I tried to think of a better way to phrase it, to retract my statement and ask a different way, but it didn't seem to faze him in the slightest.

  "Hmmm?" He glanced over at me, finishing his first hot dog. "Oh, no. We're still not done with that mess. I was fucked up over you."

  "Oh." I glanced down at my hands. "I'm sorry."

  "You're sorry?" He chuckled, the sound friendly, light. "No, I'm sorry." He ate his second hot dog in three big bites before standing. "I like the idea of us being friends."

  "You do?" I took his hand as he offered it to me and pulled myself up. The wind blew, and I shivered. The ocean reflected the full moon, which hung
above our heads, leaving the scene before us entirely too romantic.

  "Yeah." He turned to face me and brushed his fingers down my bare arm, knocking sand off of me. "Trisha and her husband are getting a divorce, and I honestly think it's because this life is hard, but also because they weren't friends to start with."

  "Did they meet on a set?"

  "No." He reached for me again but dropped his hand before he touched me.

  I yearned to feel his hands on my skin, lost in my hair, his body pressed tightly to mine, but it was too much, too soon. "And she's devastated?"

  "Oh yeah. It sucks going through life alone." Sadness filled his eyes. "You understand some of that, I would assume, but you'll get it even more once your fame skyrockets. And it will."

  "I can't imagine how that must feel." I reached out and took his hand into mine, needing to feel connected to him in some way.

  "It sucks beyond anything I could describe with any level of accuracy." He squeezed my fingers and released me. "Thanks for coming out here with me. I have a lot of shit to think through, but knowing that you and I aren't at each other's throats is going to make it a lot easier."

  "Things to think through?" I whispered roughly as I took a step closer to him. My heart swelled in my chest and my nipples budded from his nearness, though I'd blame the cold if he brought it up. I certainly wouldn't put it past him, though his mood was serious at the moment.

  "Yeah." He licked the side of his mouth and reached up, brushing his hand down the side of my hair. "People try so fucking hard to tear down every good thing in your life when you're in the bright lights, Riley. I can't do it much longer."

  "Acting?" I felt like an idiot, but my brain wasn't working so well with him standing so close. He was the epitome of my wildest dreams.

  "Acting." He confirmed. "I wanna retire and get married. Have some kids and build a big fucking mansion in the hills where no one can find me."

  "Sounds dreamy." I smiled, picturing myself right beside him.

  He cupped my cheek and leaned in, brushing his nose against mine. "Maybe if this friendship thing works out, you'll consider playing my sugar momma?"