by Olivia Evans
“You have no idea. You should see them drunk together,” Holden commented dryly as he stepped out of the car. Giving Madison a disapproving look, he shook his head. “Can you not piss the guy off until after I talk to him?”
Sticking out her tongue, Madison turned her attention to Anders and smiled. “Where’s Josie?”
Dazed by the similarities between Josie and Madison, he hooked his thumb toward the house. “She’s inside. I have no idea where, but you’re welcome to look for her.”
With a nod, Madison took off toward the house, leaving Anders and Holden in awkward silence. Wanting to say his piece before the girls came back, Holden wasted no time getting to the point.
“Listen, about last week. I didn’t…I didn’t know about Levi. I didn’t know a lot of shit.”
Anders’ shoulders relaxed. If Holden wasn’t looking for a fight, then neither was he. “Unfortunately, I know what you mean about being in the dark. No hard feelings.”
Shoving his hands deep in his pockets, Holden rocked back on his heels. “I’m not going to apologize for worrying about my sister, but it’s not my place to say who she should or shouldn’t be with. I’ve lived in this town long enough to know better than to believe the things I read. Granted, stories about you usually included pictures, but what you did before Josie isn’t my business. I wasn’t a saint before Maddie. There’s no reason I should expect that from you.” Holden paused for a moment before continuing. “Madison thinks you guys are the real deal.”
“Josie’s everything to me. I’m not going to let anyone come between us again. I pity any motherfucker stupid enough to try.”
Looking at the absolute resolution on Anders’ face, Holden couldn’t help but nod in agreement. “That’s good enough for me.”
The sound of Josie and Madison’s laughter pulled the boys’ attention to the front door. Josie stepped to Anders’ side and wrapped her arm around him. “Are you behaving?”
“Your lack of faith in me is disappointing. I always behave.”
“Bullshit,” Madison coughed, causing Josie to laugh.
“Okay, that’s enough out of you,” Holden scolded playfully. “Dealing with Josie is difficult enough. Anders doesn’t need you in the mix. Give the guy some time to build a tolerance before you two double team him.”
Madison gasped in surprise. “Are you standing up for Anders?”
“Against you two? I’d be cruel not to.” Holden looked over at Anders and nodded. “Good luck with your movie. Josie will be fine.”
“Thanks.”
Holden kissed Madison on the cheek and took Josie’s keys. “Be careful.”
Madison waved goodbye to Anders. “I’ll wait in the car.”
Josie watched Holden pull down the drive as Madison climbed into her car to wait. “Well, that was unexpected.”
“It was,” Anders agreed, turning to Josie and wrapping his arms around her. “But I don’t want to talk about that.”
“What do you want to talk about?”
“I don’t want to talk at all.” Dipping his head, he showed Josie exactly what he wanted to do. Soft lips parted and tongues moved together as Anders crushed her against him. When Anders’ phone chimed, they parted, their hearts pounding.
“Your driver?”
“Yeah.”
“I should go.”
“Yeah.”
When Anders made no move to release her, Josie smiled. “You have to let go for me to leave.”
“I know.” Still, he held her close.
“Everything’s going to be okay. We’ll get through this.”
Anders nodded and with one final kiss, he released her. “Go. I’ll call you tonight.”
“Okay. Be safe. I’ll miss you.”
Josie turned and walked to Madison’s car, climbing into the passenger seat and slamming the door shut behind her.
“Let’s roll,” Josie instructed, her eyes stinging as she fastened her seat belt.
Madison cut her eyes to Josie but didn’t comment. Driving away, neither noticed Anders standing stone still, both hands in his hair and a pained expression on his face as he watched their car disappear through the gate.
After a full day of interviews, Anders stumbled into his hotel room exhausted. Pulling off his suit jacket and removing his shoes, he did the one thing he’d wanted to do all day: call Josie. They made small talk, recounting the events of the day and enjoying the connection they felt from hearing the other’s voice.
“I think I’m going to reconsider your offer about staying at your house.”
Even though her voice gave no signs of distress, Anders’ frame stiffened. “What happened? Did someone bother you? Are you okay?”
Josie laughed, the relaxed sound of her voice doing nothing to curb his sudden rush of adrenaline. “I’m fine. Nothing’s happened. Madison just pointed out a certain benefit I failed to consider.”
Anders exhaled and raked his hand through his hair, still on edge. “Oh? What’s that?”
“I’m missing a prime opportunity to snoop through your shit.”
Anders opened and closed his mouth at a complete loss for words. With a chuckle, he fell on the bed. “Rookie mistake.”
“Ah, but the beauty of catching it so soon means I can rectify said mistake. Isn’t Maddie the best?”
“She’s something,” he mumbled, his tone petulant. “But there’s a huge flaw in this plan you two cooked up.”
“Which is?”
“I have nothing to hide.”
“So those boxes on the top shelf of your closet with dates matching the years you were in high school are just full of clothes?”
Anders groaned and covered his face. “Fuck. You wouldn’t.”
“You bet your fine ass I would.”
“You think my ass is fine?”
Josie huffed. “Not the point.”
“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
“Not a chance,” she quipped, the smile in her voice evident.
“Fine, but just remember, turnabout is fair play.”
“Please, do you think I’m going to leave anything lying around for you to find?”
“Maybe not, but I’m sure Holden has plenty of dirt on you.”
“He’d never rat me out.”
Anders nodded. Even though he had no interest in becoming best buds with Holden, he wanted to reassure Josie of his commitment to her. “Not now, but I don’t plan on going anywhere. I’ve got time.”
The line was silent for several moments before Josie sighed. “Is it crazy that I miss you already?”
“What’s not to miss?” Anders yawned. Between the flight and his stressful day, fatigue was starting to take its toll.
“You’re impossible.”
“You don’t have to miss me, you know.” His voice was no more than a whisper as his eyes slid shut. “You could come here.”
Josie’s response was just as quiet. “I know. But I think it’s better this way. For now.”
Anders hummed in agreement even though they both knew that wasn’t how he felt.
“Get some rest. We’ll talk soon.”
“Okay. I’ll call you later. Oh, and Ivy?”
“Yeah?”
“I miss you too.”
With a smile in her voice, she wished him a good night and hung up. Anders was asleep before his hand dropped beside him on the bed.
The weeks that followed passed torturously slow. He attended openings, gave dozens of interviews, and traveled around half the globe. The questions became more invasive with each passing day as the news of his humiliation of Aubrey spread. He wasn’t the only one feeling the heat. While the paparazzi weren’t as bad as they’d feared, it wasn’t a walk in the park either. They parked outside of the studio, waiting to get a glimpse of Josie and followed her every chance they got.
He worried it would be too much for her. Every time they Skyped, he expected her to say she couldn’t do it anymore, but it never happened. He mentioned her
coming to see him on more than one occasion, but like always, she refused. He knew it was because her doing so would prove they were together. In a time that should have been his happiest, he was still so angry, angry at their situation and the measures they had to take because of others.
He hated hiding their relationship. The irony was not lost on him. It didn’t matter that he was being impatient and selfish. Old habits were hard to break. His insecurities were a perfect example. Josie did her best to reassure him, but he still wondered how much longer she’d deal with all his emotional baggage.
When the press junket ended, any relief Anders felt was short-lived. The paparazzi were waiting for him when he landed in LA. He was bombarded at the airport and every moment after. Between Josie’s hectic work schedule and Anders’ preparation for his new movie filming in Atlanta, they barely managed to see each other, but when they did, they made the most of it, even if they weren’t always alone like Anders wanted. He hated sharing.
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”
“Stop being such a baby. It’s just dinner and a movie with Holden and Maddie.” Josie rolled her eyes and pushed her phone into her back pocket.
Anders dropped his head to the back of the couch and covered his eyes with his forearm. “Exactly. Your brother, who hates me, and Madison, who seems to take as much pleasure in torturing me as you do.”
“Holden doesn’t hate you. He doesn’t particularly like you, but he’ll come around.”
Anders peeked out from under his arm and cocked a brow. “And Maddie?”
“That’s just her way of letting you know she likes you. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t waste her time talking to you.” Josie waved him off with a flick of her wrist.
“Oh? Is that why you do it? Is that your way of showing me you like me?”
“Among other things.” Josie grinned.
“Why don’t you come over here and show me those other things. That sounds much more intriguing than dinner and some lame-ass movie.”
“You’re not going to see any of those other things if you don’t move your ass.” Josie crossed her arms under her breasts and pushed them together. She knew how much cleavage her top revealed and she wasn’t above using it to her advantage. As much as she tried to pretend dinner with Holden and Madison wasn’t a big deal, it was important to her.
She knew Anders would never be a guy who made an effort to befriend new people. He’d been burned to the core by the people he trusted most, and while that was nearly impossible to overcome, she wanted to show him not everyone was out to hurt him. She wanted him to see that people could like him just for him. Even if he was an asshole most of the time, it worked for him. It was part of his charm, one of the many reasons she loved him.
Anders’ eyes lingered on her chest. When he lifted his gaze to hers, he was met with the sight of her self-satisfied smirk. “You don’t fight fair.”
“I never claimed to. Now come on. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can come back and I can show you those other things.” Her suggestive tone made Anders’ muscles tighten.
“I like the sound of that.”
Holding out her hand, she wiggled her fingers at Anders. With a resigned sigh, he reached out and took her hand. Intertwining their fingers, he pushed off the couch and pulled her against him. He lifted his free hand and cupped her neck, coaxing her to tilt her face to his.
“Kiss me, Ivy.”
Josie’s eyes slid shut when their lips touched. She’d never had someone light her body on fire the way he did. He was everything to her, and she knew he felt the same way. Breathless, she wrapped her hands in his hair. “Let’s go. We can finish that later.”
Exhaling, Anders dropped his forehead to hers. “Damn right we will.”
“You wanna drive?” Josie asked, locking her front door.
Anders looked up and down the street before turning his attention back to Josie. “It’s not far, right? Can we walk?”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
Anders ground his teeth together and tightened his grip on her hand. “It’s already almost dark. We’ll see anyone coming.”
She eyed him then nodded. “Okay.”
They walked down her driveway hand in hand. Josie could feel a shift in the air; it felt weighted, charged. When Anders spoke, she knew she’d been right.
“Jesus, Ivy. Are you that worried about someone seeing us together?”
Josie slowed to a stop and turned to face Anders. “I’m not doing this with you in the middle of the street minutes before we get to my brother’s house. I know you’re frustrated. In case you’ve forgotten, I know firsthand what you’re feeling.”
“Is that why you’re doing this?” He wanted to take back the words as soon as he said them. Josie pressed her lips into a thin line. She held his gaze for a moment before shaking her head and walking down the street. If she stayed, she was going to hit him.
Anders swore under his breath and jogged to catch up. Wrapping his arms around her from behind, he lifted her off the ground and pressed his lips against her neck. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. I’m just ready to start my life with you. I’ve wasted so much time already. I want to hold your hand and not give a fuck if anyone sees.”
Josie tapped his arms and wiggled in his grasp. Reluctantly, he set her down, his eyes widening in surprise when she immediately spun around and grabbed his hands. “Then stop giving a fuck, Anders. Hold my hand. Touch me. Be with me. Stop worrying about how much you want everyone to see us. We don’t have anything to prove. Let’s just focus on each other and let the rest of the world deal with their own problems, okay?”
Anders nodded and started walking again, not trusting himself to not say something stupid. He cut his eyes to the side when Josie laughed. Hesitantly, one side of Anders’ mouth lifted when he saw a smile stretched across her face, her cheeks pulled high.
“What’s funny?”
“You are.”
“Me? Why? What did I do?”
Josie giggled and tried to pull her hand free. Anders shook his head, his smile growing as he gripped her hand tighter.
“You’re such a baby when you don’t get your way. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Lowering her voice, she tried to mimic his tone. “‘I want what I want when I want it, damn it.’”
“Oh”―Anders chuckled, his eyes narrowing―“you’re gonna pay for that.”
Josie squealed and pulled her hand free. She made it a few steps before she was airborne. She felt weightless as she found herself flung over his shoulder. “Put me down!”
“Nope.”
“Put me down or I’m going to give you a wedgie.” To prove her point, Josie reached down and tugged on the top of his boxers.
“I’d do as she says or you’re going to be walking funny the rest of the night.”
Anders’ head snapped up at the sound of Madison’s voice. “Seriously?” he asked, his eyes wide.
Madison shrugged. “It’s what I’d do to Holden.”
Josie flew through the air again as Anders flipped her back over his shoulder and set her on her feet. “What the hell?” she gasped, laughing as she tried to right herself.
“As much as you two are alike, I’ll be damned if I’m taking that chance.”
Josie laughed and popped up on her toes, kissing his lips. “Wise decision.”
“You’re such a shit,” Anders teased. Wrapping his arm around her neck, he pulled her into his side and walked them up the stairs to meet a grinning Madison.
“I hope you guys are hungry. Holden grilled steaks. We can eat out back. I even set up the projector so we can watch the movie outside too.”
“That sounds awesome. We’re starving.”
“Of course we’re starving.” Anders pinned Josie’s arms to her sides and looked at Madison over the top of Josie’s head. “After the last time she tried to cook, I decided starvation would be less painful.”
“Hey!” Josie tried to break f
ree, but he held her tight.
Madison rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Oh man, you have so much to learn. Josie help me grab some stuff from the kitchen. I’ll help you plot something good to get him back later.”
Holden walked out of the kitchen and handed Anders one of the two beers in his hands. “You’d be safer out back with me.” Without another word, he moved to the back of the house and out the door with Anders following close behind.
While their conversation wasn’t as strained as before, it was far from comfortable. They made small talk while Josie and Madison set the table. After a few drinks, the tension eased and by the time they finished dinner, the atmosphere was relaxed.
“Are you guys ready to watch the movie?” Madison asked with a mischievous grin as she grabbed a bottle of wine and moved to one of the oversized chairs on the lawn.
“What are you up to?” Josie asked with narrowed eyes. Without answering, Madison pressed play and the movie started.
It only took a few seconds for Anders to throw his head back and groan. “No fucking way. You can’t be serious.”
Josie’s eyes widened when she looked at the screen, then she doubled over with laughter. “Oh my God. Where did you find this?”
“Not telling,” Madison sang. She scooted over, making room for Holden to slide into the chair with her. He tried to hide his own laughter but failed.
“Fucking hell.” Anders fell into the other chair and pulled Josie onto his lap. “You’re going to owe me so fucking much for sitting through this,” he whispered in her ear. “And I’m cashing in as soon as we leave here.” He dug his fingers into her hips and pulled her against him. His expectations were clear. Lucky for him, Josie was more than willing to comply.
For the next seventy minutes Anders tried not to gouge his eyes out as he watched a much younger version of himself on the screen. It was one of his first movies. It was also his worst. If he had the resources, he’d acquire every copy in circulation just to burn them.
Excusing himself from the group once the movie ended, Anders made his way to the bathroom. He splashed his face with water and dried his hands before pulling a folded piece of paper from his pocket. Turning it over in his hands, he blew out a heavy breath and unlocked the door. There was a reason he’d been so complacent all evening; he needed a favor.
