On the Outside (Caught Inside #3) Page 8

  The gorgeous actor leaned against the door frame grinning from ear to ear. The sunlight glowed behind him, giving him a halo effect. He looked like a gorgeous angel or a gorgeous Greek god. Did I mention he was gorgeous?

  “I was a bit saddened when you didn’t answer any of my texts to hang out with the rest of the cast.”

  Saddened? Wow, he’s so proper.

  “Thought I’d come in and check on you to make sure you hadn’t fallen off the face of the earth.” His thick Australian accent covered each word like molasses.

  I gripped the edge of the door and gulped, still flabbergasted that the Charlie Daniels was standing right on my doorstep. How did he even find out where I lived?

  Studio rented corporate apartments, idiot.

  I cleared my throat and giggled nervously. “Um, I never got any texts from you.”

  “Oh, you didn’t?” He scratched at his forehead and shrugged. “Guess that explains the silence. We’ve been wondering where you’ve been at.”

  “We?” I repeated flatly.

  “The rest of the cast. We’ve been hanging out together a few nights out of the week to get comfortable with each other.” He paused and threw me a sad smile. “Can I be honest with you?”

  I fidgeted uncomfortably. “I guess so?”

  “Honestly, we thought you just wanted nothing to do with us. We can’t blame you, really. After everything we’ve heard about your past, we’d be wary about meeting other people too.”

  And just like that, any feelings of idolization I felt were gone. Though his sincere expression told me that he probably hadn’t meant to insult me, I couldn’t help but feel there was a jab somewhere in his words.

  I cleared my throat and sighed. “Well, can you tell them that you all had the wrong number? As much as a pariah the public made me out to be, I’m not in any way, shape, or form a snob.”

  Charlie’s blinding white smile faltered. “Um, okay…sure.”

  “Good.”

  “So…can I come in?”

  Biting back a sigh, I nodded and pressed my lips together into a stressed smile. “Come right in.”

  Charlie walked in and gazed around my apartment.

  It’s probably a craphole compared to his digs.

  “This place is nice,” he commented, fingering a lamp that had crystal tassels hanging from the end of the shade. “Did you decorate it yourself?”

  “Uh, no. It’s a corporate apartment. It was already decorated when I moved in.” I shut the door, watching him in confusion. What the hell was he doing here?

  “Oh.”

  Spotting the rolled up script bulging out of his back pocket, I frowned. “What do you have there? The script?”

  Charlie once again flashed his cover page worthy smile. He reached behind him to pull it out, causing his grey shirt to rise a bit. I had to consciously tell myself to stop ogling his defined abdomen.

  Smiling knowingly, he responded, “Yeah, I figured you might be keener on getting to know each other while running through our lines than going out and partying. You seem like a pretty steadfast, hard worker.”

  The left corner of my upper lip lifted into a perplexed scowl. “Yeah, I guess.”

  “Perfect! Want to grab a cup of water and get started?”

  “A cup of water?” What am I, your maid?

  He nodded eagerly. “Trust me. Once we get started, you won’t want to stop. Your throat will be parched once I’m through with you.”

  My cheeks warmed instantly. There was no way he couldn’t hear the innuendo in his words. Surprisingly, he didn’t pause enough to gloat. Instead he motioned toward the kitchen.

  “Come on, let’s get started. It’ll be fun running lines in private.”

  I glanced hesitantly toward my fridge and shrugged. “Yeah, let me get some water then.”

  His blue eyes twinkled before shooting me a wink. “You go do that.”

  ***

  “I can’t expect you to wait for me! Don’t you see? I’m not worth the risk!” My mouth quivered as my nose prickled with the feeling of ten thousand pins.

  “You are worth it.” Charlie grabbed onto my hands and peered into my eyes. His striking blues were like an abyss I wanted to get sucked into. They were like two jewels I could almost see wars starting over.

  What the hell are you thinking?

  Suddenly feeling overwhelmed and a bit suffocated, I pulled away and laughed. “And scene.”

  Charlie took a few moments to blink and took a deep breath. “Yowzer, that scene was pretty intense.”

  I rubbed the back of my neck, which suddenly felt tense, and chuckled. “Yeah, it was. Needless to say, your American accent was quite impressive.”

  “Yeah, blame it on that series I was on for four years. It took me a while to lose the southern drawl that I obviously don’t need to play a Californian.”

  I nodded, remembering his old TV show. I had caught a few episodes of the thriller and was really impressed by his acting chops.

  How the hell did I land the part of his love interest?

  Charlie leaned back onto my couch and lifted his legs, placing his feet on top of my coffee table. I inwardly cringed, but reminded myself that I had lived in filth during my last few days in New York. I lifted my gaze and noticed the actor eyeing me curiously.

  “What?” I asked, feeling a bit self-conscious. I glanced down at my clothes to make sure I hadn’t stained them or flashed any unnecessary body parts.

  “Just wondering what your deal is,” he replied nonchalantly.

  “What do you mean?” I asked in alarm.

  “Something tells me that even if the rest of the cast did have the correct phone number, you wouldn’t have come out with us anyway.”

  Chagrined, I smiled and shrugged uncomfortably. “I just like keeping to myself.”

  “Really? From what I heard—”

  “Fuck what you heard!” I snapped angrily.

  His eyes widened in surprise. “I’m sorry…I just meant—”

  “I know what you mean,” I shot back with a sneer, allowing months’ worth of hurt and aggression to consume me. “Trust me, I’ve heard it all before, and that’s precisely why I was hesitant to get to know you all. God knows how ‘getting to know’ the cast worked for me last time.”

  And just like that, I finally realized why it was so hard to move on from Joy In and Joy Out. I was hurt. Hurt that all the ‘friends’ I made didn’t stick up for me during the infamous Bennington Scandal. I was hurt that no one stood up for me when the writers decided to kill me off. I was hurt that nobody came to my aid when I needed it most. Nobody but Riley, that is, and Lord knows how I ruined that.

  Outsider.

  That’s what I always was, right? It’s what I’ll always be. There was no point in trying to get to know people and forcing all of us to pretend to like each other.

  Charlie frowned and reached out to pat my arm. Expecting the familiar warmth I got whenever Xavier touched me, I was surprised to find nothing but a chill. “Hey, just because your other castmates were douchebags doesn’t mean we are. Besides, you definitely moved up in the acting ranks getting cast in this movie.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, you’re free from Coby Evans, aren’t you?”

  Okay, now that caught me by surprise. My initial anger quickly subsided, and I couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, thanks for the reminder. I needed to hear that.” Cocking my head to the side in curiosity, I asked, “Have a history with the jerk too?”

  “Oh yeah.” He grinned. “We’re the same age, and though we look different, we often auditioned for the same roles. Needless to say, he wasn’t really into good sportsmanship.”

  “You can say that again.”

  Charlie nodded his head slowly. “Shooting begins in a week. You think you’re ready to put aside past grievances? Trust me; they’ll only deter you from acting your best.”

  Recalling what Xavier told me earlier, I shrugged. “I think my quirks will
help me, thank you very much.”

  A slow smile spread across his cheeks.

  Seriously, does this guy ever stop smiling?

  “What?” I asked hesitantly.

  “Forget about it.” He brushed me off and jumped to his feet. “Guess I better go. A few of us are heading down to grab some drinks later. I’d invite you, but something tells me you might say no.”

  I rolled my eyes as I led him to my door. “If this is your idea of reverse psychology, sorry to say it won’t work.”

  I’ve already had my share of disobeying my gut instinct, and we all know how that worked out.

  Just as Charlie was about to respond, my cell phone went off. Frowning, I fished it out of my tight jean pockets and couldn’t help but smile when I saw who the text was from.

  Xavier: You’re right, 30 years old and I’ve certainly been missing out. Finally found myself in New York. How am I here and you’re there?

  New York? Reading the words made me wilt a bit, though I couldn’t blame it on homesickness. In fact, New York could kiss my ass if it wanted to. No, I guess a part of me was hoping that someday I’d be the one showing him around the big city. Knowing he was there without me stung a bit.

  “What’s he doing in New York?” I whispered.

  “Who’s in New York?” Charlie asked, leaning forward with interest.

  I shook my head and hastily placed the phone back into my pocket. “No one. Just a friend.”

  “A friend, huh?” His eyes darkened.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  Charlie took a deep breath and sighed. “Listen, I know you don’t know me well.”

  Try at all.

  “But can I give you some advice?”

  I nodded my head, unable to fight my curiosity.

  “You know Xavier?”

  How could I not?

  I nodded again, only this time I did so hesitantly. “What about him?”

  “Be careful with him. I know he seems like an awesome guy and all, but…”

  “But what?” I demanded, suddenly feeling overly protective of my friend. “You know I don’t feel comfortable talking shit behind people’s backs. Hell, I certainly know how it feels.”

  He bowed his head in apology. “I’m not trying to talk shit about anyone—I’m just trying to tell you the truth.” He paused and smiled sheepishly. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you don’t seem to be a good judge of character.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He certainly was digging himself into a larger hole each time he opened his mouth.

  “I know you think I’m a bad guy, but I’m really not.”

  “I don’t think—”

  “Just like you think Xavier is a good guy.”

  “He is a good guy,” I argued.

  He snorted and arched an eyebrow. “You say that now, but let’s see what you say in three or so months when he tosses you to the side like yesterday’s garbage.”

  “That’s a lie. For one, Xavier told me he hasn’t dated in a long time. Are you telling me he’s some sort of player?” I quickly shut my mouth. Maybe Xavier didn’t want me spreading around his business, especially not to someone who obviously had it in for him for some reason.

  Charlie lost his smile and shook his head in disappointment. “Say what you want, but I’ve seen countless girls pining for him, completely heartbroken because he wouldn’t give them the time of day.”

  “That doesn’t mean he tossed them to the side.”

  His jaw clenched. He was obviously not used to someone doubting him, let alone arguing with him. “Say what you want, but I’ve known him longer than you have. I think I have some authority to form an opinion about him. Shit, I know what I’m talking about.”

  “Agree to disagree.”

  Charlie sighed and shook his head. “You know what? Forget I said anything. I just thought I’d look out for you.”

  Before I could reply, Charlie leaned over and planted a soft kiss on my lips. Startled, I took a step back and gaped. “What was that for?”

  “We’re rehearsing, right? Gotta get these kisses down pat.” With that, he spun on his heel and walked nonchalantly down the winding path leading away from my apartment, leaving me staring after him in shock. When he was about ten feet away from me, he suddenly turned back and lifted his hand in a wave. “See you at shooting.”

  Chapter 15

  Xavier: Good news! I’m on my way home! I’ll be touching down tonight.

  I read the text over and over again, ecstatic beyond belief. After Charlie’s surprise visit, I dove further into the depths of reclusiveness, ignoring his calls and any other calls that came from unknown numbers. Though I knew I was digging myself into a gigantic hole and possibly alienating the people I’d be spending every waking moment with for the next few months, I couldn’t help but feel wary of those Hollywood types.

  You are one of those Hollywood types.

  I shrugged off the thought and picked up my phone, typing away with a smile that stretched ear to ear.

  Me: Awesome! I’ve been missing my surf instructor. When’s the next lesson?

  “Perfect combination—excited, yet coy,” I commented to myself as soon as I sent the message off.

  Almost immediately my phone chirped again.

  Xavier: I hate to tell you this, but it won’t be for another week.

  My stomach dropped. “Ugh, I hate this feeling.”

  Me: How come? I thought you were coming home?

  Xavier: I am, but my sister is coming to visit me. She’s meeting me at the airport. Haven’t seen her since she opened up her own restaurant.

  “Oh, that’s nice…” I took a deep breath and sighed. “Well, there go your plans, Harper.”

  Just as I was wallowing in self-pity, my phone went off again.

  Xavier: Why don’t you join sis and me for dinner tomorrow night?

  I blinked in surprise. “Okay, totally was not expecting that.”

  Me: Really? Are you sure that’d be okay?

  Xavier: Why not? I invited you, didn’t I?

  Me: Won’t your sister mind?

  Xavier: Nah. I mean, she can be a bit “difficult” at times, but she’s really personable.

  I bit my lip, suddenly feeling uneasy. The same drop in my stomach reappeared and I couldn’t help but wonder if it was a sign of bad things to come. Regardless, I couldn’t fight the excitement of seeing him again.

  Me: Are you really sure it’s okay? I don’t want to impose.

  Xavier: Positive…just do me one favor?

  Okay this got weird fast. I typed quickly.

  Me: And what favor is that?

  Xavier: Try going to the beach on your own. Maybe if you’re brave enough you can paddle around by yourself.

  I blinked in surprise and stared at his text. Leave it up to my Type A instructor to turn an invitation to dinner into a lesson.

  Me: We’ll see what I can do.

  Chapter 16

  The ocean waves were loud the next morning, almost drowning out the beating of my nervous heart. Well, I wouldn’t say nervous exactly. I was anxious—anxious to the extreme. Being an extrovert, I admit I used to be a bad attention whore. I never once felt nervous when it came to meeting new people and actually loved it. However, the thought of meeting Xavier’s sister scared me beyond belief. I couldn’t explain it, but deep in the recesses of my mind, I felt as if she would play a part in whatever happened to me and Xavier. Though as of now what I had with him was nothing more than unbearable sexual attraction, meeting a crush’s family was still really frightening!

  I dragged my bright colored board to the shore and gulped as I stared out into the water. It wasn’t as calm as it had been in the past, and the thought of facing it alone scared me shitless.

  “He won’t know if I actually went in the water or not,” I mumbled to myself as I watched a nearby surfer wipeout painfully. I winced when I spotted him limping back to shore, carrying the remaining two piece
s of his broken board. “No, Harper, you can do this.”

  Yet, despite my positive affirmations, I was still frozen in place. It was as if my muscles had taken on a life of their own, preventing me from sudden death.

  “Oh my gosh, you will not die.”

  Are you sure about that?

  Thinking twice about it, I decided that for the first time in a long time I’d listen to my gut. Gripping the fiberglass board under my arms, I spun around to head back to the parking lot. “Yeah, we’ll just fib and say I went in for a while. Xavier will never know the difference.”

  Ignoring the feelings of guilt that seemed to waken in my core, I stomped my way toward the tiny sedan that I’d finally rented. Having my “chauffeur” gone for a few weeks really did put a damper on my routine. As I struggled to secure my board onto the racks, I threw another nervous glance at the ocean and sighed.

  “Why do I feel so guilty about this?” For some reason I couldn’t shake off the feeling that my actions would have some dire repercussions. It was as if I felt I was fooling Xavier and that karma would soon bite me in the ass. “No, you’re just being stupid, Harper. Just go home and rest. You’re already scared enough as it is to meet his sister. Don’t want to add an injury to the bill. Besides, if you did get injured, then you’ll lose your role in the movie. Can’t make Old Robbie mad again, can you?”

  “Hey! Are you talking to yourself?” a male voice called out above the loud howl of the wind.

  My cheeks blushed as I looked up, embarrassed to find a boy a few years younger than me scratching his head in confusion. I gripped at the collar of my wetsuit and laughed half-heartedly. “Uh, yeah. I do it when I’m thinking hard about something.”

  The boy, who was decked out in a multi-colored wetsuit, shrugged his shoulders but still gazed at me as if I were an alien. “Just thought you were talking to me, but I don’t even know you and that’d be weird.”