by Amy Brent
She swallowed hard, and everything inside of me wanted to wrap my arms around her. I was trying to keep a professional demeanor in front of my parents, but seeing her as shaken up as she was made it hard for me to keep my hands to myself. I slipped my leg up against hers and ran the tip of my shoe up and down her leg. She fluttered her gaze over to mine before a small smirk broke out on her cheeks.
“I guess I’m proud of him, too,” Bridget said. “On his first day, he was very professional. Way too professional, honestly. Now? He’s beating men in the face just to win me my honor back.”
My parents chuckled at her statement in her attempt to diffuse the situation, and it seemed to work. Her eyes locked onto my face, and I held her gaze just a tick longer than I would’ve liked, but my parents were so busy staring at the Hollywood superstar sitting at their kitchen table that I don’t think they noticed.
“Is it time to go home yet?” Lacey asked.
“Almost,” I said.
“Yes, we better let you guys go,” my mother said. “Bridget, where are you staying tonight?”
“I’m putting her up in the guest bedroom,” I said. “She doesn’t quite feel safe at her own home, and I don’t blame her. I’m still not sure the threat has been eliminated, so I want her close.”
“Sounds like a good idea, son,” my father said. “I was gonna offer our home if she didn’t have anywhere to go.”
“That’s very kind of you, Mr. Jeffries, thank you so much,” Bridget said.
“Please, it’s Brandon. And you’re welcome here anytime. Thomas here isn’t the only one good with a gun.”
“Dad’s a hunter,” I said.
“I’ll keep it in mind if I ever need a safe place to lay my head,” Bridget said, smiling.
We got up to say our goodbyes while Lacey jumped off the couch. She was dancing around Bridget’s legs while trying to tug us out the door, but the statement that flew from her mouth caught every single one of us off-guard.
“Is Bridget gonna stay in my room again?” she asked.
My parents stopped and stared at us as Bridget threw me a cautious look, but when a smile broke out on my mother’s face, I heard a sigh of relief peel from Bridget’s lips.
“Looks like this has happened more than once,” my mother said.
“Should I be asking you what your intentions are with my son?” my father asked playfully.
“Yes, you guys,” I said. “She’s been over a couple times already. This isn’t the only fear we’ve encountered, so it isn’t the first time my house has been a safe haven.”
“Well, if you ever need another place to stay and feel safe, our doors are always open,” my father said. “I can’t imagine how hard this type of lifestyle must be for you, and as long as we can keep you safe, we will.”
The smile that broke out across Bridget’s face was one I’ll never forget. Her eyes sparkled with tears of joy while she picked Lacey up in her arms. The knowing look my mother was giving the entire situation told me she read more into it than my father had in that very moment. I caught her eye while she silently communicated everything a son would need to know from his mother in a situation like this, and the only thing she did before she pried her gaze from mine was she nodded.
Like she was giving her approval on a woman I hadn’t realized I’d chosen just yet.
“But really, Miss Bridget, will you stay with me again?” Lacey asked.
“How about we do another sleepover when it’s not a school night,” Bridget said. “Like tomorrow night?”
“You’re staying for more than one night?” Lacey asked.
“If that’s all right with you,” Bridget said.
“Yes!” Lacey exclaimed. “Sleepover tomorrow night!”
“Come on, booger,” I said. “Let’s get you home.”
I took Lacey from Bridget’s arms, and we all said our goodbyes. Then we climbed into the back of Bridget’s car and headed back. Lacey kept snuggling up to Bridget while trying to scramble out of my arms, and all Bridget did was open herself to my daughter while she scrambled to her side. I wrapped my arm around Bridget while I wrapped mine around hers, and the only thing I could think was how natural this felt. Holding Bridget while she held my daughter just felt like something that was supposed to happen, and I could see the smirk on Bernie’s face just as he began to pull into our driveway.
“Home, sweet home,” Bernie said.
“Thanks so much, man,” I said. “Enjoy your few days off.”
“Really, Bernie,” Bridget said. “Thank you. For everything you did today.”
“You guys just stay safe, all right?” Bernie said. “Let me know when you wanna be picked up, Miss Bridget.”
“I will. I promise.”
The three of us got out of the car, unloaded the trunk, and made our way into the house. Lacey bounced behind us while we got Bridget settled into the guest bedroom, but I could see her eyes lingering down the hallway towards mine. I had a feeling I’d end up feeling her body snake under the covers beside me sometime tonight, and my cock throbbed at the idea of holding her close again.
I’d missed her, all of her, more than I’d previously realized.
“Can Bridget tuck me in?” Lacey asked.
“How about we both tuck you in?” Bridget asked.
“Will you read me a story?” Lacey asked.
“As many times as you want,” Bridget said, grinning.
Lacey got herself ready for bed and picked out a book before she jumped into her bed. Her blonde curls bounced around her face while Bridget and I sat on the corner of her bed, and we each had to read the book once before Lacey finally fell asleep. Her light snores filled the room just as I was wrapping up the last page, and I couldn’t help but stare at Bridget while she stared down at Lacey.
“I wish I could do that,” she said, whispering.
“Do what?” I asked.
“Sleep like I slept when I was a child.”
I reached my hand out for hers and wound it tightly around her fingers. The look in her eye was one of fear, but now the fear was no longer for herself. It was as if she saw herself as a threat to anyone she was around, but I abated her fears before she could try to tell me what was going on.
“You’re safe here, and Lacey isn’t in trouble because of you. So, stop that swirling mind and come here.”
I tugged her from the bed and shut Lacey’s door behind us. I held Bridget’s hand tight while we wound our way to her bedroom for the night, and we sat on the edge of it while my hand continued to hold hers.
“I don’t know what I would’ve done if you weren’t there today,” she said.
“Don’t even consider it,” I said. “You’re safe here, and nothing like that happened tonight.”
“But what if it had? What if you hadn’t been there? He would’ve just pummeled his way into my home. And I can’t defend myself against a man swinging a bat, Thomas. I don’t know what would have happened.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks, and I pulled her instantly into my body. Sobs drenched my chest while her body quivered within my grasp, and I had to swallow back tears of my own just so I could be strong for her in this very moment. This moment that required her to be vulnerable in order for her to cope with everything that had transpired.
But I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about what could have happened, too.
“You’re safe here,” I said. “I promise.”
And I held her on the edge of my guest bed while she cried herself to sleep in my arms.
Chapter 31
Bridget
We woke up the next morning and got Lacey off to school, only to come back into a shit storm. Thomas and I made our way to the studio in his car, only to be greeted with swarms of cameras and paparazzi. Thomas had to back his car out and risk hitting people just to get me around back, and we both got into the building just before the cameramen found the other entrance behind back.
“What the fuck is all that?” I asked
.
“That’s not normal, right?” Thomas asked. “I mean, they’re not supposed to swarm the studio. Just the parking lots and such, right?”
The director hopped around the corner just as we were making our way into the studio, and I could see the anger etched on his face.
“Bridget, are you okay?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “What’s going on out there?”
“Apparently, someone blabbed where we were shooting this film and the fact that you were in it. That shit was supposed to be kept secret until the festival. You knew that.”
“Of course,” I said. “It’s why I kept my mouth shut. Who the hell told someone?”
“No one else in this studio did. We all signed non-disclosure forms except you.”
“Of course, I signed one,” I said. “I always do.”
“Well, I can’t find it,” he said. “Who did you tell?”
“It’s not my fault you can’t find it,” I said. “And I’m sure my agent has a copy. Our copies have copies, hold on.”
“You can take the day off, Bridget,” the director said. “There are plenty of scenes we can film without you.”
“But I don’t want to take the day off. I’ve still got a lot to do on this set.”
“Not your call. I’m the director, and I just asked you to go home.”
“Look, it’s not like the press are bashing this,” I said. “The questions being thrown my way were good questions. They’re really excited about this movie. Plus, we’re inside filming most of the time, and they can’t actually storm the building without being arrested and thrown into prison. What’s the big deal?”
“The big deal is someone isn’t taking this seriously. Just because I don’t have a massive Hollywood A-list budget doesn’t mean the privacy of my movie should be any less compromised. Go the fuck home, Bridget.”
“I believe you should address her with a better tone than that,” Thomas said.
“Oh, really?” the director asked. “And whose idea is that?”
“Mine,” Thomas said. He stepped in front of me, and I could tell his anger was flaring. We were both on edge because of what happened yesterday, but I didn’t want to cause anymore trouble than had already been caused.
“I didn’t say anything, director, and I’ll have my agent fax you over the copy we have of the non-disclosure I signed. I’ll see you Monday.”
“I’ll see you when I tell you to come back to set,” the director said.
“If you don’t have me recording on this set by Monday morning, that voids my contract,” I said. “When you signed me on, you signed me on to film a specific number of days, not a specific number of scenes. It’s how I’m getting my money’s worth from this movie. I film Monday, or you lose your star. Take your pick.”
Before I could listen to his answer, I turned and started for the door. Who the fuck was he to accuse me of blabbing about his shitty movie when I didn’t give two fucks about it? It was a project that would look good on my resume because of how I stepped into the indie scene and loaned out my expertise to help people rise to the top from the bottom. It was to make me look better and help them with their careers.
He had no right to talk to me that way.
I had no way to control this situation. I didn’t fucking tell anyone about this bullshit, but someone was talking. I got my agent on the phone and told her what was going on, then ordered her to fax over the non-disclosure before lunch. I wasn’t in the mood for anyone’s bullshit attitudes any longer, and I could tell I’d pissed my agent off when she hung up on me without saying goodbye.
Just another reason to eventually fire her.
“Hold on, let me get us through this crowd and back to the car,” Thomas said. He parted the waves and got me into the passenger seat of his car with the crowd of cameras snapping pictures left and right. I could feel my anger flaring up with every snap I heard, and that was when I realized what had really happened yesterday.
Someone knew where I lived, and that posed a risk for others to eventually figure it out as well. If it was that easy for a strange man to waltz up my driveway and get to my front door, then I needed a safer, more secure place to live.
“Thomas, do I still have you for today, even though we aren’t filming?” I asked.
“Of course, what were you thinking?” he asked.
“I think it’s time I found a new place to live,” I said.
“Still not feeling good about going back?”
“Well, if someone knows where I live and they could get to me that easily, it’s only a matter of time before other people figure it out and try to do the same. My lease is up in a month anyway, so I could call my landlord, let him know what’s going on, and start looking for another place to live.”
“That’s funny, actually. My lease is up in about a month, too. I thought about moving Lacey and me, but she really seems to enjoy where we are, so I think I’m just gonna resign my lease.”
“That sounds like a good idea, especially for someone as young as Lacey,” I said. “She needs stability, you know?”
I got my landlord on the phone and talked him through what was going on. He wasn’t happy that I wasn’t giving him sixty days’ notice, but when I told him I would be willing to pay two months’ worth of rent instead of just one for my last month to help him out without losing any money, he was more than happy to work with me. He ran me through the steps I needed to take to be out within the next month, and I told him I’d be ready for him to walk through the house in the next two weeks.
“So, where do you wanna go look for homes?” Thomas asked.
“There’s a few neighborhoods on the other side of Los Angeles that cater to high-profile celebrities. Gated communities. Houses on hills. That kind of thing. Why don’t we start there?”
I drove around with Thomas for the majority of the day, looking at some of the most beautiful home I’d ever seen. Massive staircases that wound up into multiple stories of homes and mahogany wood floors that shone in the sunlight streaming from the floor-to-ceiling windows. Massive bedrooms that all had their own en suite bathrooms with jet tubs and stone-walled walk-in showers. I gawked at every single home we walked into, but all of them just seemed too big.
I mean, I was just one person. Why did I need all of this room in a house?
“These are gorgeous,” Thomas said.
“Yeah. But they’re big. I mean, I like the idea of catering to people like myself. It makes me feel safe. But it’s just so much. I don’t share it with anyone or anything like that, so what’s the point of having seven bedrooms if I only need two, at the most?”
“Makes sense,” he said. “Aren’t there neighborhoods with smaller homes that still give you that safe feeling?”
I looked over at Thomas, and the first thing that ran through my head was his home. That was much smaller than I was used to living in, but it felt safe. However, it wasn’t the neighborhood or the part of town that made me feel that way.
It was having him there that made me feel that way.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I guess we could keep looking around.”
“Then, your chariot awaits.”
We drove around for a little while longer before we had to abandon our search and go get Lacey from school. She ran out of her school and came barreling up to my door. I got out and wrapped my arms around her before swinging her around.
“Bridget!” she said.
“Hey there, Lacey,” I said. “How was school?”
“It was awesome. We colored, and I played with Leo and Tracey, and we had snacks, and I actually slept during nap time today and—”
“Sweetheart, why don’t we get into the car and talk on the way home?” Thomas asked.
I looked around us, and I saw mothers and fathers busting out their phones to take pictures of me, so we all scrambled into the car while Lacey continued to rattle off things about her day.
“We played outside and had a bathroom break, and
I pooped in the potty like a big girl, Bridget!”
“Oh, you did, did you?” I asked. “Well, I’m very proud of you. I hear it takes kids awhile to nail that concept.”
“She’s been doing that for quite some time,” Thomas said. “She’s just showing off since you’re here.”
“Will you sleep with me tonight, Bridget? Please?”
“You don’t have to do that,” Thomas said.
“No, it’s fine,” I said. “Lacey, I’d love to have our sleepover tonight.”
“Yes!” she exclaimed.
We got back to Thomas’s house and ate dinner. He threw together an easy meal of spaghetti and meatballs with a salad, and Lacey shoveled the noodles into her mouth until she was covered in sauce. I couldn’t help but giggle at her with every slurp she took, and Thomas just shook his head while his daughter covered herself in red goop.
“Bath time for you, little girl,” he said.
“Can Bridget give me a bath?” she asked.
“Of course, I can. Come on.”
I took her hand and ran her a bath before I filled it with bubbles. She was such a good girl with getting out of her clothes and tossing them off to the side, but when she hit those bubbles, she began to splash me with water. I giggled, splashing her back, and before we knew it, we had covered the entire bathroom in suds and water.
