On the Outside (Caught Inside #3) Read online

  “Okay.”

  ***

  The San Diego scenery crawled by as we attempted to drive the thirteen minutes back to my apartment. Apparently Kacy wasn’t the only Californian who couldn’t drive in the rain. As soon as the first drop landed on her windshield it seemed as if San Diego screeched to a stop. Everyone was driving like a snail! As horrified as I felt to be stuck in the car surrounded by all these inexperienced drivers, I was pretty happy Kacy and I would have more time to talk. I certainly wasn’t jumping out of the car any time soon, though it would probably be quicker to walk home at this point.

  “You were saying about Sheila?” I asked, cracking my knuckles.

  “Wow, you really don’t beat around the bush, do you?”

  I shrugged. “After having my name dragged through the mud, I’ve basically lost any humility.”

  Kacy nodded. “Gotcha.” She took one deep breath and continued her story. “After shooting, Charlie immediately was cast in that show on TV. You know the one that catapulted him to the top?”

  “Yeah, kind of hard to forget that one. Everyone found out who Charlie was by that show.”

  “Exactly. That included a ton of fans—groupies. So, when Sheila realized that she wasn’t the only apple of his eye, she tried to go back to Xavier. He was, after all, becoming a big name in the business on his own.”

  “Shut up!”

  “Mmhmm. At this point Xavier was completely done with her and I guess she was so butt hurt about it that she started spreading lies about him. The fucked up part about it—”

  “You mean besides everything else that she did wrong?” I snorted.

  Kacy smirked. “I have to agree with you there. Anyway, the worst part about it all was that even though she was trying to get back together with Xavier she did so behind Charlie’s back. I guess she didn’t want to drop Charlie until she was sure Xavier would bite.”

  “What a bitch.”

  “You got that right. As horrible as it was that Charlie dated Sheila knowing she was with Xavier, he never once cheated on her himself. That doesn’t mean that she trusted him with all those women. So she did what any insecure woman would—she played the pity card. She told Charlie the reason why she left Xavier to begin with was because he threw her to the side once he started getting big and some other bullshit to make sure Charlie wouldn’t do the same thing to her and leave her.”

  “That totally explains what Charlie said to me!” I gasped.

  “Doesn’t surprise me.” She shook her head and growled. “Either way, Sheila’s insecurity was like a self-fulfilling prophecy. She became so crazy that she couldn’t stay with Charlie either. So she dumped him. Heard it broke Charlie’s heart too. I think a small part of him even blames Xavier for fucking with Sheila’s mind, but we all know he had nothing to do with it. Crazy is as crazy does.”

  “Okay, can I just say that was the most complicated story I ever heard?”

  Kacy shrugged and laughed. “Told you I’d give you the background to that rivalry, but I didn’t say it would be pretty.”

  “And how do you know all this?”

  “Wyatt.” Kacy grinned wickedly. “This business is really small and the fact that Wyatt was a family friend, well…”

  “Let me guess, did Wyatt sleep with Sheila too?”

  “Psh, no. I swear he’s as asexual as they come. He’d probably allow his cells to duplicate and split into two if he could reproduce that way.”

  “Good to know.” I pushed my bottom jaw forward and bit at my upper lip. “That certainly answered a few questions. Thanks for sharing with me.”

  Kacy tilted her head to the side. “But?”

  “Explain why you are with me and not trying to rip my head off.”

  Kacy’s face went blank before scrunching up into pure laughter. “Okay, yeah I guess I deserve that.”

  “As I deserve an explanation.”

  “Yeah you do.” Seeing as we were in gridlock, she put the car into park. Whatever she was about to tell me was probably going to be really serious. “Xavier never told any of the girls that he loved them. Not the first girl, who I honestly forgot the name of, and certainly not Sheila.” She paused for a beat and stared directly into my eyes. “When he was blaming me for ruining his life—for ruining his time on set, for attracting bad press, and more importantly, ruining things with the girl he loved—”

  I gasped out loud.

  “—I knew I screwed up. You see, earlier I just thought you were some stereotypical actress. I know you said not to believe the rumors, but it’s hard not to, especially since you admitted that you did sleep with Aaron. I thought you were just playing my brother like you did Bennington, Aaron, and Riley.”

  Even hearing her name hurt me to no end.

  I swallowed back a lump in my throat. “So you tried your best to keep us apart because you thought you were protecting him.”

  She nodded. “Yeah. He’s always looked out for me and I just wanted to return the favor.”

  “So it had nothing to do with Riley?”

  “It did,” she admitted. “I hated to think my brother was with someone who purposely hurt family.”

  “But I didn’t do it on purpose!”

  “I know that now…” her voice trailed off and her eyes grew foggy with thought. “Since we’re being honest and everything, I have to admit I hated thinking Riley had another best friend. I grew up with her and we were like sisters, you know? I hated to think she had another BFF across the country.”

  As much as I didn’t want to be affected by her words, I couldn’t help but soften. “I was jealous of you too. Just to get that out there.”

  She let out a soft laugh. “Good to get that out in the open.”

  “Yeah…”

  “Anyway, back to my brother—hearing him say he actually loved someone was such a big deal! That was when I realized I crossed the line.”

  “Wow. This is certainly news to me.”

  “Which part?” she asked with suspicion.

  “All of it.”

  “Is it safe to assume that you guys never spoke those words to each other before?” Her waxed eyebrow arched.

  “No, we didn’t,” I whispered. Frowning, I shifted in my seat and turned to get a better look at her. “Wait a minute. If you thought I was playing him to begin with, what makes you think I’m not playing him now?”

  “Oh, I’ve known for a while,” she replied in confidence.

  “How?”

  “The fact that Xavier avoided me for a few months to be with you spoke volumes. After Sheila, he wouldn’t give any girl the time of day unless she was worth it. Not to mention the way you look at him any time he’s near you. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.”

  I stared out the window, watching random water droplets drip down. The brake lights of the cars in front of us glowed against the water, momentarily blinding me. “Where is Xavier now? Can I talk to him?”

  Kacy gulped. “He’s still pretty mad. I think you need to give him a day or two. I know he calls me stubborn, but we are family, after all.”

  “Great.” I frowned and felt a familiar pinch in my heart. “How’s Riley doing? You called her family…does she have your stubbornness?”

  “Like I said, I kind of added fuel to that fire and I’m sorry about that. Regardless, Riley was pretty hurt.”

  “But I never was interested in Aaron.”

  “Yeah, I think she knows that, and besides, she’s really happy with Blake and wouldn’t care if you and Aaron did hook up…”

  “But?”

  Kacy shook her head and held an index finger against her lips, prompting me to be silent. “The thing that hurt Riley the most was that it happened the same day she tried to get you out of your funk, right? The day she was trying to help you?”

  I winced and nodded.

  “You have to admit, timing couldn’t have been any more shitty. She helps you and you do this in return.”

  I needed to stop denying my fa
ult in everything. “I know…”

  “She felt disrespected. I know she’s over the whole Aaron thing, but she’s not over the fact that she doesn’t feel as if she can trust you.”

  My bottom lip quivered. “What are the chances that we’ll fix things?”

  “Riley is an honorary Greene. Just like Xavier, it’ll take some time.”

  “How about if I don’t want to wait? For either of them.”

  Kacy looked at me with pity. “Unfortunately, you have to. At least with Xavier. He packed up and drove up to Mistcoast this afternoon after you were booked.”

  “What?” I screeched.

  It was over. It was officially over.

  Kacy nodded her head slowly. “He always runs back home when he needs a few days to think, so don’t assume he’s completely ending things with you. He’s just pissed off right now. Give him some time to cool off. I’m sure he’ll be back. I can almost guarantee it.”

  I shut my eyes, fighting back a wall of tears. “I’m not too sure about that.”

  “If it makes you feel better, he’s not speaking to me either.”

  “Really?”

  She nodded. “Yup.”

  I couldn’t help but smile. “You’re right. That does make me feel better.”

  Chapter 35

  The talk with Kacy ended up going pretty well and though I still felt as if I were walking on eggshells around her, I had to admit our conversation elevated my spirits. I could also see myself actually liking her…one day.

  Now that shooting was also over, I had no choice but to take Kacy’s advice and wait a couple of days to contact Xavier. Luckily—or rather unluckily—it helped that I had to meet with a lawyer to negotiate a plea bargain for my misdemeanor. After a few back and forths, I succumbed to paying a pretty high fine, but at least it wasn’t jail time. Either way, it was great to finally put that eventful day behind me…almost. Once again I graced the cover of every magazine with a rather unflattering picture of myself. The wide mouth, snaggle-toothed picture certainly brought my old billboard to shame. Oddly enough, I didn’t mind it. It was rather sad to think I was actually growing used to the scrutiny, but somehow it felt like a comfortable pair of old gloves—a long lost frenemy you both loved and loathed. Despite what Robert and Monique barked in my ear, any publicity was publicity. The incident even landed me some auditions for some future action films. Yup, everything seemed to be going fine. Everything except for Xavier.

  “Xavier, please call me.”

  “Xavier, I’m sorry.”

  “Xavier, I miss you.”

  It was déjà vu all over again, only this time it hurt a bit more than the first time around with Riley.

  “It’s because you love him.” I sighed and threw my phone to the side. “So what now? Do I fight for him or forget about him?”

  I was a strong, independent woman. I didn’t need a man, especially one who hated me and wouldn’t give me the time of day. Yet, love isn’t about pride. It never is and never will be. In fact, sometimes you have to allow yourself to be vulnerable for the chance to experience something so pure and beautiful. Sometimes you have to risk being hurt—not to mention look like an idiot—for the chance to be with the one person you truly care about.

  “So why does this fucking suck?” I murmured.

  I looked outside my window and felt myself wilt. I had exactly a week before I had to move out of the corporate apartments and I had no idea where to go. Sure, I had my apartment waiting for me in New York but it didn’t feel right to leave, especially without speaking to Xavier first.

  “Okay, let’s say you do speak with Xavier, what will happen next?” I knew what I wanted to happen. I wanted him to say he forgave me. I wanted him to say he missed me and he loved me. I wanted him to ask me to stay with him in California.

  New York had nothing but bad memories and bad company left for me. California was the land of new beginnings—not to mention the home of Hollywood—and I could really see myself settling down in the Golden State. However, I wouldn’t stay in California knowing both Riley and Xavier hated me. Their hatred weighed more than that of the whole city of New York.

  I shut my eyes and said a silent prayer for some clarity. I hadn’t felt this torn up since I dropped out of college and was faced with the daunting task of figuring out how to pursue my dream of acting.

  “You survived the age of twenty; you can survive at twenty-nine. All I need is just one sign of what to do.” Groaning, I jumped onto my couch and turned on the TV. Blowing air out of my mouth, I flipped through the channels. “Boring, boring…oh wait…nah, boring.”

  I continued my perusal and for some reason or another landed on the Vacation Channel. Sinking back into the cushions, I listened to a rather perky voice describe what she made out to be the best beach town in the world.

  “The aquamarine waves coupled with soft sand makes this little town a hidden gem. Mistcoast, California, is the perfect location for sun, surf, and romance.”

  My jaw practically scraped the carpet. “Well, if that isn’t an in-your-face sign.”

  I watched the show switch between scenes of the beach, restaurants—shit, is that Kacy’s place?—and…

  “Double fucking Overhead!” I gasped, spotting Blake’s rather tacky looking store. “But where is Riley’s store? This must be an older show.”

  As the program continued I grew even more excited—and anxious. Nevertheless I felt more confident in what the next steps of my life would be.

  “Looks like I’m buying a ticket to Mistcoast, California.”

  Chapter 36

  Well, the trip to Mistcoast wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. Besides having to ride in a rather small plane that was a bit too susceptible to turbulence—damn drops!—the closest airport was about an hour or so away and required me to drive yet another rental car to reach the small town.

  It was 7:08 p.m. by the time I rolled into the sleepy beach town. To my pleasant surprise it was even prettier than the TV show made it out to be. I began to wonder why I'd kept putting off visiting.

  I gripped the steering wheel and leaned forward, peering out the front windshield. “Wow…”

  The sun was dancing on the horizon, casting a pinkish lavender glow against the beautiful buildings. Everything seemed so serene and relaxed. I didn’t realize it until that moment that I desperately craved relaxation.

  I followed the main road toward the strip and nearly skidded to a stop.

  Riley.

  I’d only seen pictures of Riley’s store through text messages, but seeing it in person made me realize those tiny pixels clearly didn’t do it any justice. The store was completely Riley’s style, lit up with a flashing neon pink sign and geometric borders. The front window was decked out with a ton of her clothing stretching the whole length of the store! The real kicker was the huge photo of her captioned:

  Riley—the Spring Line Now Available.

  Despite the rift between us I couldn’t help but feel my heart swell with pride.

  “She did it…she really did it.” A tear rolled down my cheek. “Wait to go, Riles.”

  Somehow amidst the inner anguish of seeing Riley’s store but knowing I couldn’t go inside along with passing by Kacy’s restaurant I successfully made it to my hotel, which was conveniently at the edge of the beach. One would think after months’ practically living, breathing, and bleeding the beach I’d be sick of it, but I guess the beautiful scenery is something I didn’t want to say goodbye to.

  All the more reason for you to relocate to California.

  I lugged my luggage to the front desk, this time minus the squeaking wheels. Having finally received my paycheck from the movie, I decided to splurge and buy a few nice things. If you don’t treat yourself nicely, who will?

  “Welcome to Mistcoast Hotel, are you checking in?” A beautiful woman with waist length hair greeted me. She looked like a mermaid fresh out of water. I had to blink twice to make sure she was real.

  Guess it’
s a Mistcoast thing to be absolutely gorgeous.

  I cleared my throat. “Erm, yes. Margot Harpsinger.”

  The woman nodded, busying herself on the computer, which gave me ample time to gather my thoughts.

  So I’m here. Now what? Xavier still won’t talk to me. Then again, I did beat his sister up. Can I really blame him for needing some time to think? Okay, get on track, Harper. You have to figure out what to do…and I think I know…

  “Um, excuse me?”

  The woman peeked up from behind her cat eye glasses. “Yes? Is there anything I can help you with?”

  “Do you…Is…” I took a deep breath and shook my head, trying to compose myself. “This is a small town, right?”

  She blinked in confusion. “Yes, Ma’am.”

  Ugh, did she really just call me ‘ma’am’?

  “And you guys all practically know each other?” I prodded, eyeing the woman, who looked to be around my age.

  She straightened herself and looked at me curiously. “Yes?” She forced a smile and shook her head. “Besides the tourists, all of us basically grew up here together. We’ve gone to the same schools all our lives.”

  I tapped my fingers against the mahogany desk excitedly. “So do you know Xavier Greene?”

  I swear the woman visibly swooned. Cheeks reddening, she nodded. “Xavier? Who doesn’t?”

  Okay, maybe it was a bad idea to ask.

  She fanned herself—let me repeat, fanned herself—and grinned. “He was just one year ahead of me and all the girls loved him.”

  “I bet they did,” I replied glumly.

  To my relief her exuberance changed to a scowl. “Of course he never had time for any of us. He was all about the grades, the work…oh, it’s a good thing, of course, to have such a level head at that young of an age, but he never gave any of us the time of day. Kinda sucked, if I were being honest.”

  I couldn’t help but let a tiny smile peek through. The woman must have noticed and cocked her head to the side.

  “Is there a reason why you’re asking about him?” She arched an eyebrow.