Uncovering You: The Complete Series (Mega Box Set)

by Edwards, Scarlett

  I love the feel of his arm on my lower back. It’s sure and steady and firm, a declaration of his possession of me. I am his woman, and anybody doubting that only has to look.

  We turn a corner, and I see his Porsche.

  “Oh shit,” I murmur.

  His sleek black car is covered in thin, circular slices of bologna. It looks like a diseased jaguar.

  “What the fuck?” James explodes. He releases me and runs forward. I hurry after him, though I’m not quite as fast reaching it in my heels.

  At that exact moment, my phone vibrates with a text.

  Summer: This… :D

  It’s accompanied by a picture of James’s Porsche, in broad daylight, covered in bologna.

  I look from my phone to his car, right in front of me. It looks even more grotesque in person.

  “Seriously,” James grunts. “What the fuck? Who would fucking do this?” He peels one slice off, and the paint goes right along with it. “FUCK!” he roars.

  I put my phone away before he can notice. I join him stripping the deli meat off the exterior.

  When we’re done, the car looks awful,

  “Can you believe it? Can you fucking believe it? Fuck!” James kicks the tire. He gestures around the whole block. “Not another car touched, except mine? Fucking asshole! There’s no way they could have done it without anybody seeing.” He takes out his phone. “I’m calling the cops.”

  “James, wait,” I say. “I know who did it.”

  “What?” he growls.

  I nod, unlock my phone, and show him Summer’s last text.

  His eyes narrow. He grips my poor phone so tight I’m afraid he might break the screen.

  “That bitch,” he mutters. “The fucking bitch! What the hell does she think she’s doing?”

  “Protecting me,” I say weakly. “She heard us arguing and left, remember? She doesn’t have the strictest morals about this sort of thing.”

  James looks at me. “She’s absolutely crazy.”

  “I know,” I agree.

  “You’re not staying with her. I won’t allow it, Celeste. Not after the way she kicked you out, definitely not after…” He sweeps a hand over his car, “…this.”

  “I’m not moving back in with you,” I shake my head. “I need my own place.”

  “I’ll get you one. Just not with her.”

  “No!” I say. “I’m not having you pay for me, either. We’ve been over this before, James.”

  “Things are different now.”

  “Which is why you have to respect my opinion more,” I stress.

  He grunts. He looks at his car. He shakes his head. “I just… I can’t believe she’d resort to such petty vandalism. It’s not even a big deal –I can afford to get the car painted –but still. What the fuck!”

  “Ohmigod,” I gasp. “James, you cannot tell her I told you!”

  He looks at me. “What do you want me to do? Pretend I don’t know it’s her?”

  “Yes!” I insist. “James, she would kill me if she found out.”

  He makes a displeased sound deep in his throat. “All the more reason for you not to live with her a day longer.”

  “Please?” I beg. “James, you can’t give me away.”

  His mouth makes a thin line.

  “I’ll think about it,” he responds.

  5.

  What was meant to be a fun night out turns into a spectacular failure.

  James’s mood is obviously sour. Mine is no better, really. I’m pissed at Summer for resorting to something like that. She completely acted on impulse. She didn’t even wait to hear what our raised voices were about.

  I suspect this latest stunt has less to do with her pretending to be a good friend and more with her still holding a grudge against James. Where does that leave me? If she’s unhappy with him, there’s no way she’s forgiven me.

  The only saving grace is that she left before hearing all I said about my cancer treatment. I can still withhold that from her.

  James and I feed off each other in the worst possible way. He’s argumentative, so I’m argumentative. Before dinner’s served, we end up snapping at each other half a dozen times and capping off the night with an argument about the tip.

  Welcome to couplehood. Please enjoy your stay.

  I want to go home but James insists there’s no way he’s leaving me alone with a lunatic. For the sake of compromise, I agree to go to his place.

  We sleep in the same bed but don’t fuck.

  All the while, I’m thinking, James knows about my cancer and stayed calm. Summer heard one snippet of an argument and went ape-shit crazy.

  6.

  James drops me off at the hospital the next morning and kisses me good-bye.

  I’m really, really, really glad he agreed to let me do it on my own.

  It shows that he respects me.

  Chemo passes in a flash. The whole while, I’m daydreaming of James.

  I haven’t been this loopy over a guy since Brad in college.

  No. Not even then. Brad had those sweet, deceiving eyes. He promised me a future then bailed the first chance he got.

  James is different. He makes me feel secure. He makes me feel a happiness I didn’t know existed.

  Is that happiness going to be short-lived? Undoubtedly. But is it worth it, to experience a moment of perfection, a flicker of a life in absolute bliss?

  Yes.

  At least, it is for me.

  I feared it would not be for James, and he proved me wrong.

  Now I have a real reason to fight. Not just hang on, not just drift on life’s paddleboard and go where the tide takes me, but really fight.

  So fuck that coin spinning through the air.

  I’m going to grab it and make sure it shows heads.

  ***

  James picks me up in a black Mercedes. I open the door and look at him, but he shakes his head and says, “Don’t ask.”

  It pisses me off that Summer would do that. “Can it be fixed?” I ask anyway.”.

  “Yes.” He waits for me to buckle my seatbelt, shifts into drive, and pulls out. “Where to?” he asks.

  “Home,” I say. “I need to figure shit out with my roommate.”

  He nods and takes me there.

  ***

  I take the stairs two at a time, determined to make sure Summer never repeats something like that again.

  I told James I can do it alone. He grumbled something about “respect” but ultimately agreed.

  Halfway up the first flight, a stabbing pain pierces me in the side.

  I gasp and keel over. There are stars in my vision.

  I take deep, agonizing breaths, clinging to the railing for life. Each inhale feels like a spear cutting through my ribcage.

  Eventually it passes. Slowly, I straighten.

  The pain is gone. But for a scary moment, I thought that was it.

  Thank God James wasn’t here to see it.

  I try to convince myself it’s just an after-effect of today’s spinal tap. I was too aggressive trying to run up to my room. Careless, I over-exerted myself.

  Deep down though, I know that’s not true.

  I walk the rest of the way, carefully, and open the door to our hall.

  I’m okay. I made it up alive.

  I brace myself for the conversation I need to have with Summer and march in.

  She’s napping on the couch. My entrance wakes her. She looks at me, momentarily disoriented… then beams.

  “So?” she asks. “Did I do good or what?”

  “No, Summer!” I say. “No, you did not do good. You ruined his car! What the hell were you thinking?”

  “Umm, that I was helping you. Duh.” She stands up. “I expect more of a thank you next time.”

  “There’s not going to be a next time, Summer. You’re never allowed to pull shit like that again. Never! Not even if you think you’re looking out for me. It’s inappropriate, Summer! What the fuck do you think, we’re in middle sch
ool?”

  She frowns at me. “Geez,” she says. “You sound pissed. You sure you got enough sleep last night? Speaking of–where were you last night? You weren’t here when I arrived.”

  “I stayed with James!” I exclaim.

  Her eyes go wide. “What?”

  “With James Landon! You know, the same guy who housed me while you pulled your first crazy stunt.”

  “Hey!” She crosses her arms. “Once was enough. I don’t want to hear you bitching at me over such minor shit.”

  “It is NOT minor shit, Summer!” I argue. “Locking me out and leaving me homeless is not minor shit. Ruining somebody else’s car is not minor shit, Summer! Do you even realize the consequences of the things you do?”

  “Christ,” she mutters. “You make it seem like I do this stuff consistently.”

  “You do!” I exclaim.

  “Twice is not consistently. You’re overreacting a bit, don’t you think?”

  “No, Summer. No, I do not think! What if I go and tell James it was you who did that, huh? What would you say then?”

  She narrows her eyes. “You wouldn’t.”

  “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t.”

  “Because friends have each other’s’ backs! You don’t rat them out!”

  “Oh, like you had my back when you changed the locks? Real fucking cute, Summer. Thanks! I didn’t know you did it out of altruism to help me!”

  She gives a nasty sneer. “Seems like it worked out pretty good for you.”

  I want to pull my hair out, I’m so frustrated with her.

  I stab a finger in her face. “Promise,” I say. “Promise you won’t do anything like this again while we’re living together.”

  She raises her chin in defiance. “Or what?”

  “Or I’m telling James what you did. And I’m moving out. Let’s see you make rent then.”

  “Ugh!” She turns away. She grabs her jacket and throws it over her shoulders. “You can be a real fucking bitch sometimes, you know that?” she asks, jerking her arms in. “Fine, you want me to promise? Fine. I won’t do it again, mother.” She shoulders past me. “But you better be ready to deal with a very moody roommate for the next couple of weeks. And don’t you dare come to me when he dumps your ass for someone else.”

  With that, she storms out the door.

  ***

  Summer doesn’t return that night. I don’t know where she went. Frankly, I don’t care.

  Maybe James was right. Maybe I shouldn’t be living with her. She’s clearly unstable. Perhaps even bipolar.

  Jesus. I bring a hand to my forehead. This whole reuniting-with-a-high-school-best-friend thing has been an absolute disaster.

  James calls to ask me how it went. I tell him just about as well as could be expected.

  He wants to see me. I tell him no. I’m tired from chemo, exhausted, really, and I have to catch up on schoolwork.

  But when I try to do it, I can’t concentrate. My mind keeps wandering. How is it that Summer and I became such different people? We were a perfect match in high school…

  Then again, time changes everything.

  Even me and James, I think with a smile.

  ***

  Summer comes back Sunday. She’s cordial but cold.

  Maybe she’s figured it out, too. Our rooming situation is not meant to last.

  But we only have a month left on our lease. It expires at the end of term, with an option to return.

  I don’t think either of us expects that to happen.

  Monday morning, for the first time ever while we’ve shared an apartment, we go to class separately.

  She takes her car. I walk.

  I’m bundled up in a thick jacket that’s supposed to act as a wind breaker but is anything but. Fall’s here with a vengeance. I don’t want to think about how cold winter will be.

  I see some girls I’ve made friends with outside lecture hall. I join their circle and say hi. They all greet me warmly.

  The day goes by as expected. I surprise James in his office instead of heading home at the end.

  We fuck.

  That boosts my mood. Then again, a good fuck always does.

  “We need to talk about Summer,” he says after.

  “Do we?” I’m shrugging my shirt back on. “Really, do we have to?”

  “Yes,” he insists. “I worry about you living with her.”

  “I’ve started to have some reservations about that, too,” I admit.

  “Good,” he says. “I want you to come back and live with me.”

  “James, I… can’t. Not yet.”

  His eyes sear into me. “Why?”

  “I mean, I know that she and I aren’t the best fit anymore,” I hedge. “But I can’t just bail out on her. She needs my half of the rent. She can’t pay for the place on her own.”

  He grunts. “Come with me anyway. I’ll give you the money to cover your half.”

  “No, James!” I protest. “I’m not taking your money. I’m not going to treat you like Angela did!”

  He shakes his head and gives a little, disbelieving laugh. “Trust me,” he says, taking me in his arms and pecking my lips. “You are nothing like her.”

  I deepen the kiss in a hurry. I love the feel, taste, shape of his flawless lips.

  He leans back and peers into my eyes. “Come away with me,” he whispers.

  “Soon,” I say. “The lease is only until the end of the term. If you still want me then…” I give a small shrug. “Maybe I can be convinced.”

  He shakes his head. “No. That’s not what I meant. I meant, leave with me. Forget the university. Let’s get out of here. Just you and me. I’ll take a sabbatical. You take a medical leave. We’ll go somewhere you can get the best treatment. I’ll take care of you, babe. I fucking promise.”

  “James…” my eyes fill with tears. My voice hitches. “You’re not… you can’t really mean that.”

  “Why not?” he asks. He holds me tighter. “I don’t take any of this lightly. I don’t take you lightly. You make me feel… you make me feel hopeful again, Celeste. Before I met you, I only felt… hollow. The divorce, the celebrity, the way people looked at me… it was all meaningless. I became jaded. Things were too easy. Nothing worth fighting for. Nothing worth making an effort for.

  “But now, with you? All that’s changed. Hey…” He tilts my chin up. “Are you crying?”

  I swipe at my stupid eyes. “Happy tears,” I hiccup.

  He wraps his arms around me. “I love you,” he whispers in my ear. “I never thought I would love again. You changed that. I can’t be without you, Celeste. I need you.” He hugs me tighter. “You can’t say no because you feel the same way about me.”

  “James…” I push him away gently. I look up at him. “You’re right, James. I do love you. But we can’t just drop everything and go! I mean, a few weeks ago we weren’t even talking. What if you change your mind about me? What if I make you…” I swallow. “Bored? I’ve seen you in lecture. You thrive off attention. You say you were jaded, but you love their adoration. You need to be the center of attention.”

  “Celeste.” He says my name solemnly. “The only person’s attention I need is yours.”

  I melt right on the spot.

  “I will be your safety, Celeste. You will be the only one for me. I don’t want to spend any time apart. So let’s do it.” He looks around his office. “Fuck this place. I don’t need it. It’ll be waiting here for us when we get back.”

  “If we go…” I whisper. “How can you be sure we’ll be back? Odds are…” tears fill my eyes again. “…It’ll be just you.”

  “No,” he growls. He holds me tighter. “Don’t say that, Celeste. Never say that. If I take you away, I’m coming back with you. That I promise.”

  I shake my head and look down. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

  “I can keep it.”

  “But it’s not up to you!” I rip away. I’m suddenly angry. Angry
at the tears, angry at my body, angry at the fucking cancer. I’m angry at James for even making the offer.

  “It’s not up to you, okay? It’s up to no one! The doctors will feed me the drugs. Will they be effective? Who the fuck knows? I don’t. You sure as hell don’t, James! You’re not a god. So don’t—“ I stagger, then catch myself. “—don’t make promises you can’t keep!”

  I feel light-headed. My heart rate’s amped up. I over-exerted myself again, and I…I…

  For a second, everything goes black.

  When I open eyes, I’m looking up at James from the floor. His face is a mask of concern.

  “What happened?” I mutter.

  “You fell,” he says. “You need a paramedic. I’m calling an ambulance.”

  “No!” I grab his shirt. “No, James. Don’t. I’m fine. It’s not –not anything with my cancer.” I push myself up. My butt hurts where I hit the ground. “It’s food. I’m not getting enough. I can hardly eat anything on these drugs. My blood sugar… no carbs…” I trail off.

  James hesitates but then helps me to my feet. “Steady?” he asks.

  “Yes,” I promise.

  He lets me go. “All the more reason you should leave with me,” he says.

  I look at him. He stares right back. His conviction is unmistakable.

  Do I dare tell him that for a few scary minutes last night, I couldn’t read the words of my book when I was studying? That I saw them there, but my brain could not attach meaning to them?

  Do I give him false hope with the lie of omission? Am I so cowardly that I cannot tell him about my rapidly deteriorating health?

  I need to sit down. My mind’s spinning with possibilities.

  “Do you really… want me to go with you?” I ask, walking to a chair.

  “Yes.”

  “Even with everything you know? Given what could happen to me? What probably will happen to me?”

  “It will not,” James growls. “But yes. Even with that.”

  “We’ve not even been dating five days,” I whisper.

  “Does it matter? We’ve known each other much longer.”

  “And you’ll really…” I take a deep breath and say the words I promised myself I would never ask of another person. “You’ll really take care of me?”