More Than Famous (Famous #2) (48 page)

"I really loved
The Future of Our Past.
  You were great in it." She leaned toward me so I could hear her. “I saw it five times.”

"Oh, thank you." I wasn't really aware of much she had done, other than some girly series on one of the cable networks that I didn't watch. I felt awkward. What should I say?

"Can I come over to talk to you?" Her eyes fell to the empty seat next to me. I always had Denise book two seats so I could maintain some degree of privacy when flying commercial airlines.

I nodded, "Oh, sure."

We chatted about basic Hollywood bullshit during the flight, about upcoming films and such. Mostly, she was interested in the series and where it was going, what it was like working with Martin and Brook. Thankfully, she didn’t flirt and seemed genuine.

"I know you're probably sick of everyone asking about your chemistry with her, right? Everyone seems so interested in that," she said absently, as she munched on some fruit.

"Oh, yeah. All the time, but um... well, it's right on the screen for all to see." I shrugged. "I'm not sure why they keep after it like they do."

"You’re kidding, right? I've seen some of the interviews and photos. You two look like you're really into each other. I bet that's hard for her boyfriend to watch."

I bristled in my seat. “I suppose."

"Well, I just read online this morning that he proposed to her this weekend when he went up to see her.  Maybe now, he'll feel less threatened."

What the fuck?
I almost choked on my orange juice as my heart exploded.
What did she just say?
I swallowed and tried to hide my reaction.

"Brook is a close friend, but I'd no idea that they were talking about marriage. Where did you read it?" I tried to keep my demeanor calm and my voice level even though my heart was pumping in my chest. It was probably just the rag mags spouting off again, but my body reacted none-the-less.

"Well, I don't remember the site, but he got some fancy hotel on the ocean and supposedly they spent the night there and he proposed. I guess you can just ask her when you see her on set.  It's exciting for her."

I swallowed the pain in my throat, and tried to speak, "Were there pictures of them at the hotel?"

"I didn't see any pictures from the hotel, but there were some of them out together. They were so cute. She looked so happy."

I put my sunglasses back on so that Susan wouldn't be able to read my eyes. I struggled to control my emotions and told myself it was nothing. My stomach hurt and my skin was on fire.

Wouldn't she have called or texted me about it if it were nothing? Did his proposal make her feel things for him again?
Fuck, I was driving myself insane.

"Listen, I'm going to be in Vancouver for a couple of days. Maybe we can all get together. What's your number? I'd love to meet Brook and the rest of the cast, and maybe you can tell me the good clubs in the city?"

"Huh? Oh, sure." I proceeded to give her my number and program hers into my phone, for appearances. The last thing on my mind was socializing.

When the plane landed I couldn't get through the bloody airport fast enough. Would Brook be at her hotel, or his? I decided not to call her, but instead go straight to her hotel. Susan followed behind me in the airport and the paparazzi snapped several pictures.

"I'll have my driver give you a lift if you don't mind waiting for photos and autographs. It's constant, and sometimes it's a bother, but I try to be nice about it."

"Sure, thanks." Susan smiled as she tried to keep up with me. Her shorter legs and high heels made it difficult, but it didn’t slow me down.

Once inside the limo, I told Peter to drop Susan off first. I didn't want any witnesses to my sneaking into Brook’s hotel from the garage, but I was going to get to the bloody bottom of things and fast.

When we finally arrived at Brook's hotel, my heart was pumping madly inside my chest and I couldn't catch my breath. When Peter pulled in and I bolted up the stairs two at a time.

WHEN CADE DIDN'T
answer my text the previous night, and I still hadn't heard from him yet today, it meant he was upset. While I was anxious about him, I was also pissed. 

So what?  He just wasn't going to talk to me now? 

He knew David was in town and that there would be photos. I made sure to text him the minute I knew, so what the hell?

I wasn't going to call or text him again, damn it! In fact, I was going to ask Jennifer to go shopping later. Cade wasn't scheduled to be back until tonight, and I wasn't going to sit my ass in this hotel room waiting for him to throw me a communication crumb all day long.  In fact, maybe I'd be the one avoiding the calls when he finally came to his senses.

I'd spent the evening last night reading
A Love Like This
, feeling sorry for David, and also getting more and more uptight about Cade not returning my messages. Frankly, it sucked ass.  I felt bad about David; sorry to lose a close friend and sad to say goodbye to such a big part of my life. 

Yesterday with him had been nice, relaxing and even comforting; until he pulled out the ring.  Jesus, I didn't see that one coming.  Our relationship was always so carefree and casual.  I mean, he’d never even been jealous before Cade; not once. Come to think of it, I wasn’t either.  Not of David. 

That should’ve been a clue, but I was too young to realize.  He was the first guy who paid me any sort of attention and he was two years older.  In the five years since I'd met him, he'd been my friend more than anything else, and I’d miss him.

Maybe that would be hard for Cade to accept, but I had a life before him.  Just because he became everything the day we met, didn't mean everything before him was erased.

I threw the book down on the bed, giving up on the morning's attempt as well.  I just couldn't get into it, and I didn't like that there was even the hint that Ryan would cave to that bitch, Jane. I felt like Julia; indignant that he would fail me.

I'd read it several times and I always found myself left with this feeling of emptiness and sadness when Julia took off for France.  Each time, I found myself wishing for an alternate plot line; like if I read it enough I could somehow will it to be different.

Couldn't Ryan see how Jane manipulated him through guilt?  And not just once; but several times? After everything Julia sacrifices for him, too. Ughhhh! My chest tightened just thinking about it. No wonder Julia leaves.

If I’d have written the series, my Ryan would have been different; no momentary lapses toward Jane, no sticking up for her or making excuses for her behavior when it was so freaking obvious that she was trying to take him from Julia.  There would be no question in Ryan's mind... ever.  Thank God Ryan redeems himself at the end of the series.

Sure, in Kahlen Aymes’ version, he knew who he couldn't live without, but was it a
choice
she made?  I shook my head.

Men!
My mind screamed.
Men are so stupid sometimes!

It should have been impossible to put his focus on anyone else, no matter how guilty he felt.  Ryan finally sees what Jane is doing, but only after Julia does something drastic; shouldn't he have always known how she felt?
Weren’t they
that connected
? Ryan should have seen she missed his friendship, not just his physical love.

They were soul mates, weren’t they?
They were everything to each other, right?
So how could he not see her pain? Love isn’t a choice, it just
is
.

I wanted Ryan to know Julia’s heart without words. My heart wanted it to be that way in the story, because that's how I really felt.  About Cade. He was my Ryan.

There were no questions in my mind, no momentary lapses, no matter what happened, no matter how much pain we had to endure... he could make me walk through hell, yet I would never waver in my love for him. 

It would always be Cade for me.  But it wasn't a choice.  It was undeniable and completely out of my control. I had to be with him and I knew it; even if he was being a stubborn jackass who wouldn't answer my texts or calls. Even if he was acting like a baby about a couple of stupid photos, when he'd just been making out with a bunch of different women this weekend!  And even if we were going to have a huge fight tonight because I was completely pissed... We’d still be together.

Okay, so how was I going to handle him tonight?  Should I show him I was mad as hell or should I treat him with kid gloves?  I understood his angst over David, but how long would it be before he realized that I was his forever? 

Goddammit!

I promised myself that after the Wendy fiasco, I wouldn't let myself believe any bullshit and completely trust him.  Did it bug the shit out of me that he was making out with those actresses yesterday? 
Hell yes
, but I was certain he loved me, so why the fuck wasn't he just as secure that I loved him?  Maybe I’d learned something from Ryan and Julia that he still had to figure out.

I pressed my lips together, feeling decidedly bitchy.

I lay back on the bed but was startled when I heard the door click as a card key passed over the electronic lock on the outside. Cade was back early.

He pushed the door open and walked quickly into the suite, looking around as he moved toward the bedroom, and throwing the keycard across the room.  He was angry; it was written all over his expression and the forceful way he moved. What was he looking for?  His face was flushed and he was breathing hard as he moved toward me then stopped a few feet away.  Cade glared down at me, but didn't say anything.

"Hey, you're back early." I sat up and stumbled for something to say to lighten his mood.  He was guarded as I rose from the bed and took a couple steps toward him. He looked tired and he hadn't shaved, and he was furious as hell.

"Sorry if you're disappointed." His voice was flat and a muscle in his jaw twitched as he clenched his teeth.  His blue eyes were full of fire.

I frowned and my hands clenched at my sides as my own anger swelled.

"Fuck you.  What's your problem?"

"Hmmph!" Cade huffed; his mouth quirked but his eyes remained hard and unchanged.  He stood still as stone.  "Fuck
me
?  Are you sure it's
me
that you're fucking?"

I couldn't believe my ears and my skin turned to liquid fire.

Did she really just say that to me?

"Well, maybe it won't be, you asshole.  I know you're probably pissed about the pictures, but I don't deserve this abuse from you, Cade."

"Oh, yeah.  I'm upset about the woman who said she loves me more than life draped all over another guy for all the bloody world to see, and looking happy as hell while she does it," he said as he walked into the bathroom and splashed water on his face and the back of his neck.  "Fucking hell!  Why would I be upset about that, Brook?"

I sighed wearily and shook my head, the anger draining out of me. "Cade, are we really doing this?  Are we fighting over some stupid pictures?  Are you even interested in talking to me, or do you just want to have a tantrum?" I asked in a softer tone.

"Fuck
you
, Brook!  I was down in L.A. fighting for
us,
and you were parading around Vancouver flaunting that little bastard in my face. Haven't I dealt with that long enough?"  The tone in his voice was hard and the volume increasing. "But no! That's not
all
, right?  You went to his hotel and he proposed!  Is that how it went? How much more do I have to endure? When's the bloody wedding?" 

My lips thinned into a tight line. 
What the fuck?
 

I hoped I wouldn't even have to tell him for the simple fact that he would flip and blow it all out of proportion, exactly like he was doing.

"Did you let him touch you?  Did he kiss you?"  I could see the pain behind his eyes, but I was mad at him for thinking that was even a remote possibility. I didn’t want to be around him when he had no faith in me.

"Why don't you just leave?  You don't know what the hell you're saying and it's obvious you aren't interested in anything I say anyway.  Just get the fuck out!"