Steal (Seaside Pictures)

by Rachel Van Dyken

  Ang flinched while Trevor rolled his eyes and looked heavenward like Andrew had pushed him past his limits before filming even began for them.

  “Yes.” Ang spoke in a stern tone, “Then again, who knows, Will’s probably going to steal the whole show.”

  “From what I hear, Will’s not naked near as much as you are. So, I highly doubt it.” Andrew said in a cool tone his eyes raking over her body with such raw sexuality that I wanted to punch him in the face.

  Even Ty looked uncomfortable and nothing really made the guy react.

  “It was good seeing you guys.” I said, pulling Ang closer to my chest.

  “Dinner,” Andrew blurted. “I mean if this is a reunion, shouldn’t we all… reunite?”

  I was torn between wanting to show him that he had little to no effect on us and wanting to hide Ang away from it all.

  Instead, she pushed away from me and took a step toward him, and then side stepped him completely and walked off by herself.

  I held my breath.

  She didn’t puke, just went into her trailer and shut the door.

  “Well this is fun.” Trevor blew out a long drawn out breath. “Andrew, can you try not to be an ass? Just once?”

  “No.” His jaw clenched, “Not in my nature.”

  “You’re telling me,” I said under my breath.

  “Aw, did I offend the great Will Sutherland? You know what? I call bullshit on all of this.” He licked his lips and scowled, then walked off.

  I nodded in his direction. “He always like that now?”

  “Ever since…” Ty started to say then stopped talking.

  “The band broke up?” I offered.

  “Actually,” Ty shifted on his feet and looked down at the sand, “I was going to say ever since you guys did.”

  “Me?”

  “You were best friends,” Was all Ty said before Trevor changed the subject moving into family territory and Instagram photos of his kids. It was thirty minutes later when I went in search of Ang, and found her alone in her trailer.

  Crying.

  I DIDN’T WANT him to get to me.

  But he did.

  The way he leered at me like I was naked.

  Even with Will standing right there.

  And all the shame, all the mistakes, all the touches he’d given me, things he’d whispered in my ear, the so-called brushes of his hand, kisses to my neck.

  My stomach lurched.

  It took everything in me to walk past him.

  To smell that same cologne floating off his skin.

  And all the things that came with it.

  Drugs.

  Partying.

  Waking up in his hotel sheets that night, knowing that I only had myself to blame, and that I may as well embrace that side of me since Will was gone, since he wasn’t coming back.

  The trailer door jerked open.

  He took one look at me, scooped me up into his arms, and held me on the couch, playing with my hair while his kisses dried up my tears.

  His lips moved across my cheeks, my chin, his mouth was so warm, comforting, sexy, I turned into him, inhaling his shirt while he rested his chin against my head.

  “Thank you.” I pressed my head against his naked chest. “I just… needed a minute, looking at him is one thing, hearing him speak…” I shuddered. “And then the way he was watching me.”

  “He always wanted you,” Will stated in a flat tone. “Every teenage guy on the planet wanted you… I think that’s what started it. The fact that you and I just clicked, the fact that you immediately put him in this friend zone that I only encouraged because I knew he admired you… liked you.”

  I peeked up at Will, his brown eyes focused in on me with laser like intensity. “I only wanted you.”

  He dragged another kiss across my lips, then another, until I was flat on my back on the couch, until I was moving my hands to his still wet jeans, until his movements were just as frantic as mine as we removed every last layer of clothing separating us.

  My body ached for him.

  Only him.

  It always had.

  It always would.

  He kissed the palm of my hand, his eyes never leaving mine as my body fit around his, he rolled against me, into me. With every stroke my body cried out.

  He rose above me again as a shudder of desire rippled between us, the way he filled me was explosive, like my body wasn’t sure how to react, how to deal.

  Our lips met.

  But we didn’t kiss.

  We just existed.

  And when his body melted against mine, when the very last throb of tension snapped between us, he said my name like a prayer, releasing it into the universe as if his only wish was me.

  We lay like that, skin against skin, for another few minutes before Will finally got up and then ran a hand over his face like he was contemplating something really serious.

  “What’s wrong?” I jumped to my feet and nearly collided with the coffee table when he gripped my forearms and paled just a bit. “Will?”

  “Maybe it’s because I love you, that this though never entered my mind, that it never even was a possibility but—” His throat bobbed, as if he was trying to think of how to say something. “We’ve done nothing but have wild crazy, unprotected teenage sex for the past thirty-six hours.”

  I shrugged. “So?”

  “So…” His eyes dripped with concern.

  “Oh.” I looked down, shame making me feel more exposed and naked than I’d ever felt in my entire life. Because it was Will. “I haven’t… been… I mean I’ve been tested, I’m clean if that’s what you’re getting at. In rehab, they test you for those sorts of—”

  His mouth slammed against mine, sending me against the wall as his body braced me there, hands on either side of my head. “I’m only going to say this once, so listen.”

  I gulped.

  “I wasn’t asking if you were clean, Ang. I was trying to get at the fact that if you aren’t on some sort of birth control, you could get pregnant. Do you really think I’m that insensitive that I’d accuse you or even think—” He cursed, “I’m a dick, I guess I did say all of those things about the STD and drug tests, I’m sorry I—“

  It was my turn to maul him.

  To launch myself in his arms and kiss him like I was dying.

  When I broke free he smirked. “What was that for?”

  “Trust,” I said. “It was for your trust.”

  His eyebrows shot up.

  I silenced him with another kiss then slowly slid down his body until I was achingly aware how ready he was for another round. “And I’m on the pill… it’s the only pill I take these days except ibuprofen… and even though I can’t sleep some nights I still refuse to take anything that could make me feel… loopy.” I shrugged. “But thank you… for caring. For being… responsible.”

  He groaned.

  I laughed.

  And then he was kissing me again, and I forgot all about the awkwardness, the shame, I even forgot about the fact that the last time I’d talked about pregnancy with anyone I’d been shut out.

  Abandoned.

  Left alone.

  Bleeding.

  Battered.

  Broken.

  But we’d kept it in the past.

  Where it deserved to be.

  THINGS WERE GOING too good.

  And when things went good.

  I panicked.

  As an agent, it usually meant that you were minutes from a phone call about a publicity stunt gone wrong, or an actor taking a bender, or one of your musicians trashing a hotel room.

  Ticket sales being down.

  Labels dropping musicians.

  Every single time I had this feeling.

  Something happened.

  It was the same feeling that woke me up that night and made me go search for Angelica. The place in my bed, the space she belonged in was empty. And I’d missed her even as dread washed over me.

  The same dr
ead that followed well into the night when she was in my arms, when we rode together to set.

  When we shot the cameo scene with the rest of the band.

  And had to keep redoing it because Trevor couldn’t keep a straight face half the time, and Andrew kept snorting like he was too big of a deal to do anything.

  Besides that, fans had caught wind of what was happening, and we had groupies lining the outside of the set. We had to call in extra security.

  And things only got worse as the day progressed.

  We shot two more scenes.

  Ang watched from the sidelines, flanked once again by Demetri and Alec. I’d never been so thankful for two rock stars in my entire life as I was of those guys.

  And I wanted to make sure they knew it.

  By way of making sure that every single deal from here on out they inked got them paid more than what was godly or acceptable, I’d even take out my percentage completely.

  Not that they needed it, but it was all I had in my power to give.

  Besides, Demetri had dreams of an AD2 theme park.

  I laughed at the thought.

  “What the hell’s so funny?” Andrew snapped at me.

  “Your face,” Trevor said under his breath.

  Yeah, the longer we spent together the more we reverted to our teens, and as the guys spoke of our memories together, one thing became glaringly clear.

  It was always the group.

  But Andrew and I had always been the glue.

  We finished the second scene just as another crowd surged in to watch from a few hundred feet away.

  “Security isn’t going to be able to handle this much longer.” Jay said walking up to us. “Who the hell leaked our location?”

  I turned to Andrew.

  Jay’s eyes narrowed in. “Give me a bloody break. I’m trying to make a film!”

  “I can’t help that location services are turned on.” Andrew shrugged and tucked his phone back in his pocket. An angry lion tattoo peaked out from under the torn sleeve of his white t-shirt. The guy dressed like he was either ready to go join a rock band or just killed them all and stole their tour bus full of clothes.

  I groaned into my hands.

  “Quite the photo op.” Andrew put on a pair of dark Ray-Bans. “AD2, Jamie Jaymeson, Zane Andrews, and Adrenaline all in the same space. I’d say I did all of your Instagram followers a favor, especially Will, since he doesn’t have any social media…”

  “I like my privacy,” I snapped.

  “Clearly. Since it’s almost impossible to get ahold of you.” Andrew seethed.

  What?

  “He owns his own agency. Trust me, all you have to do is lazily tell Siri what number to call.” Jay rolled his eyes. “You done with this bullshit? Because we need one more run through and then you can go eat small children and join a vampire cult.”

  Trevor snorted while Ty covered his mouth with his hand.

  Andrew glared over at Jay, smart enough not to mouth off to the A-lister who held many celebrities’ careers by the balls.

  “Yeah, sure.” Andrew finally said forcing a fake smile that made me want to punch his teeth out.

  The scene slated.

  Ang winked over at me while we all did our little impromptu chat about music, Ty tapped his drumsticks against the table, we laughed, waved at the main characters, did a few head nods as they walked by.

  And then Jay cut.

  “Thank God.” I stood.

  “Well that was fun.” Trevor shoved his drumsticks into the back of his jeans and grabbed his cell. “Now I have a wife whose birthday I just missed for this shit, so if you’ll excuse me, I’m waiting for naked pictures.”

  “Wait, she sends you naked pictures on her birthday?” Ty asked, “How does that even make sense? It’s not your birthday.”

  Trevor smirked, “So much for you to learn my man, you see she sends me pictures naked, and then I come up with creative things to do to her body depending on what she’s doing in the pictures. Think of it like… a plan of attack. And trust me, when it’s over with, she’s having the best birthday of her life.”

  Ty seemed to think about this. “That’s solid, man.”

  “Once a ladies’ man,” I said under my breath.

  “Like you can even talk!” Ty shoved me a bit. “Before Angelica Greene all I did was find you kissing groupies, groping groupies, hitting on groupies — buying drinks for groupies—”

  I waved him off, “Yeah okay, I get the point.”

  “And then dear William fell in love,” Trevor said in a high voice. “Really good to see you two found each other again.”

  “Yeah.” I smiled and looked back at her. “It’s been… great.”

  “Spare me your bullshit.” Andrew surged to his feet. “It’s been great.” He made air quotes. “Which part? The part where you guys just forget all the shit that went down between the three of us? Or how about the part where you ignore the facts about what really happened?”

  “The hell?” I charged toward him, “Shut your pathetic mouth before I have security remove you.”

  “Shit!” His voice raised. “You still don’t get it do you? You still believe it! Wow, maybe I should be the actor.”

  “Back off.” We were chest-to-chest. “Fact.” I leaned in, ready to punch the smug grin from his face. “You gave her drugs, you were a shitty influence, you’re the one who was kicked out of the band because you refused to go to rehab… you’re delirious if you think it happened any other way.”

  “Then maybe I am delirious,” he said in a stone cold voice. “Because when Ang came to my room that night, she was crying because of you!”

  I stilled.

  Trevor frowned while Ty put a hand on my chest to keep me from killing Andrew.

  “What?” I hissed.

  “She overheard you talking to some chick about kicking me out of the band and putting her in rehab… when the skank came on to you, you shoved her away and said ‘not right now.’”

  I frowned. “No—”

  “Not. Right. Now.” Andrew sneered. “As if there would be a later, more convenient time to screw her brains out. And when Ang came to your room, sober might I add, where you were at least a half a bottle of champagne in, you slept with her, you screwed her like you would some… groupie!” Andrew was full on yelling now. “So, when she came to my room, it wasn’t to get high, you piece of shit, it was because you hurt her, because she’d been hurting for a long time! And yeah, maybe I hated you — I still do — but it’s because you are the most self-righteous human being I’ve ever met in my entire life. She never destroyed your life, you destroyed hers! And the fact that you’re the one that escaped without any ramifications pisses me the hell off!”

  I stumbled back. “You’re wrong. I never touched her. I didn’t—”

  “She may not remember,” Andrew said in a low voice. “But a guy doesn’t forget when his best friend loses his mind over his own fame, over his own damn name. You were losing it, you took it too far, and when she needed help the most, I gave it to her.”

  “You gave her drugs!” I roared.

  “Because it was all I knew!” Andrew yelled right back, “Because I was pissed! Because she was crying! Because she wouldn’t stop! So I calmed her down! And when you walked in, you’d already made your decision. You were done. With both of us. Just like that. Finished. Maybe we were bad for your image, maybe we just weren’t worth it. But the worst part about this sad little tale? Is that when she had a miscarriage, when she came to me and I sent her away, it wasn’t because I didn’t care. It was because I knew exactly whose baby it was.” He paused. “Yours.”

  I HEARD THE yelling.

  Demetri grabbed my arm while Alec shielded me.

  It looked like Andrew and Will were going head-to-head.

  I rolled my eyes. “I got this, guys, it was bound to happen.”

  “Yup.” Zane said from behind me, “Should have just killed him.”

  “Hey, I w
as ready,” Alec agreed as we all slowly jogged over to the chaotic scene where Ty was trying to hold Will back.

  But something about the scene was.

  Wrong.

  Rather than looking pissed — Will looked.

  Worried.

  Andrew looked ready to rip Will’s throat from his body.

  And then I heard it.

  The words.

  “…it’s not that I didn’t care, it’s because I knew exactly whose baby it was… yours”

  I stutter-stepped.

  Demetri caught my arm.

  I shook my head over and over again while pieces of my memory fused.

  I refused to think about that time in my life especially after rehab, especially after moving on.

  Healing.

  “Think about it!” Andrew kept raising his voice higher, higher. “I had just gotten back to my room, you were out partying, I was pissed because I knew that you guys were done with my bullshit…” Andrew tugged at his hair and paced. “Do you really think I would make it worse by sleeping with her? And then the look on your face, why not make you believe it, why not just say it, drive you away just like you were driving us away. Your. Best. Friends.” Andrew spat on the ground. “You used to think you were too good for all of this… you still do. And then you walk around with this giant chip on your shoulder like the world shit on you, when it was you, who turned your back on your world.” Andrew’s eyes met mine briefly before he looked down, like he was ashamed, like he was sorry, like he didn’t know what else to say.

  And then he just walked off.

  Leaving Will standing there, chest heaving.

  I was torn between wanting to yell at Andrew, pound against his chest, and ask Will to tell him he had the story wrong.

  Beg him to say something!

  But when Will turned to me, his face was pale, so pale.

  And all I kept thinking was.

  He really did drive me into someone else’s arms — but not for the reason I thought… All these years, I’d dealt with guilt over cheating.

  When I never cheated.

  When the last guy I had slept with had been my own boyfriend who claimed to love me, claimed to fight for me, marry me — whose only plan all along.

  Had been to send me away.