Shatter (2 page)

I swung her hand in mine
as we made our way over to our fake bonding bonfire. The record company for my brother
’s
and my group
,
AD2
,
decided that Seaside would be the perfect backdrop for a quick reality show about
our private lives. Considering everything went to hell last year when Demetri nearly
killed himself and then decided to fall for a local girl just like I did
—
our publicist was basically salivating. Apparently every girl in America now thought
that if they went to Seaside
,
Oregon
,
they’d be discovered by some rock
star and swept away to Hollywood.

So, now we were basically feeding that lie in the best way possible. Bringing Holl
y
wood to the sleepy town of
Seaside,
Oregon in hopes to help boost our record sales when our
new
single dropped in a few weeks.

The best part of the whole reality show was that after only a few days we were so
boring
,
our producer almost cut the whole project.

Demetri didn’t drink anymore, you know
,
after that whole rehab thing. Neither of us would go within forty miles of any sort
of drug
,
including
cough syrup
, and we
nicknamed Saturdays lazy
-
whore
-
day
,
meaning none of us did anything except sit around and wat
ch old movies with junk food.

It took exactly four days into shooting for the producers to come up with a new idea.
In fact,
Ruben
, the main producer
,
sat me down and told me straigh
t up that I bored him to tears.

I laughed in his face.

“Can’t you do something exciting?”
h
e pleaded
. “
Wreck a car? Get in a fight?”

I sighed
.
I
f he
only
knew how bad my past really was, or my gi
ant secret
…
yeah
,
he’d probably sell off his own grandma in order to get that story.

Shrugging, I placed my hand on his shoulder and
s
hrugged
.
“Maybe
we just aren’t star material?”

“Right.” He snorted
. “
And I’m a horny sixteen
year old.”

“Aren’t we all?”

“Alec.”

“
Ruben
.”

Cursing, he ran his hands through his hair
. “
Fine, I’m going to script you guys.”

“I don’t act.”

“You do now. Plus
,
all you have to do is make nice with your girlfriend, be in love, do a few activities.
Trust me
.
I
t will be like a vacation.”

Two hospital trips later and I’m pretty sure vaca
tion was the wrong word to use.

The first week Demetri almost lost
an
eyebrow. It was camping week. He said he used to be a
B
oy
S
cout. Clearly
,
he
had
lied.

The second week Alyssa, Nat, and Angelica were teamed against the guys in a rowing
competition. Nat still says it wasn’t her fault that Angelica fell out of the boat
and ended up get
ting stung by a jellyfish.

Demetri offered to pee on her. Though, he said something along the lines of
,
“
I’ve been wanting to piss on you for a really long time.”

So basically we were TV gold. This was the end of
the
boys versus girls week
,
so
we were celebrating with a bonfire. More like the producers were trying to show everyone
how well we got along. Right.

I took in the scene around us. Waves crashed across the sand. Jaymeson sat next to
Angelica and gave me a look that said
,
“
She would eat her own young.”
I shook my head in warning as Jaymeson made gestures of a beheading behind her chair.

The woman was crazy.
The only reason she was on the show was because Jaymeson had ma
d
e the life
-
altering mistake
of
tak
ing
her out on a few dates. Apparently
,
she wasn’t as bad as everyone claimed. I
didn’t get how that was possible
.
T
hen again I knew things that no one else did. As did she.
Agh, the soap opera of my life.

Demetri plopped down next to
me and grinned in Ang
elica’s direction. She waved back with a smirk and then gave him the finger.
I wondered if they’d edit that out later and make her look like a saint?

“Charming
,
” I said dryly.

“That woman is the devil.”

“The devil has nothing on Ang
elica Greene.” I sigh
ed and leaned back in my chair.

“Tell me about it
.”
Demetri picked up a stick and threw it in her direction
. “
Go get it
,
girl! Go get it! That’s a good girl.”

“It’s like you
want
her to stab you in your sleep.”

Demetri cursed
. “
Whatever
,
man. I could freaking call he
r out on
n
ational
t
elevision wearing nothing but a tiara and a smile
,
and she’d still hate you more than me
. Why do you think that is anyways?
”

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair and cleared my throat a few times
.
“Y
e
a
h,
well
,
I’m not very likeable.”
My heart slammed against my chest,
Guilty, guilty, guilty.
I winced.

“Tell that to them.” Demetri pointed to the part of the beach that was sectioned off
for our safety while filming. Several girls stood on the other side of the barrier
with signs that were a
nything but appropriate for TV.

A camera was thrus
t in my face as I scowled in Ang
elica’s direction
again and rolled my eyes.

Nat hopped onto my lap and kissed my neck
. I watched as Ang
elica’s face tightened into a murderous rage. She pushed up from her chair and began
stomping
toward
us just as a
Frisbee
sailed by her face. She cursed and fell
onto Jaymeson
’
s lap, poor guy
. I looked up to see Demetri smirking in my direction. I jo
ined in laughter while Ang
elica, former child star,
whined at Jaym
eson and gave him bedroom eyes.

I
pitied
the guy. He rose from his seat and help
e
d her to her feet, but not before she smacked a giant kiss on his cheek and pinched
his butt. Jaymeson grinned and winked in my direction. Angelica’s eyes locked on mine
as she caress
ed
Jaymeson
’
s back
side.

I knew that lo
ok. I shivered and looked away.

Nat began massaging my shoulders from the front sitting position she was in
. I clos
ed my eyes and leaned into her.

“You seem upset
,
”
s
he
murmured
against my neck
, wr
apping her arms around my body.

I shrugged.

“Don’t.” She
tilted my chin
toward
her
and pointed her finger in my face
. “
Don’t be an ass and close me out.”

I smirked.

“And don’t smirk
.
I
t makes you look too attractive and I’m scolding you right now.” She huffed, though
her eyes darted to my lips a few times before she finally held her head high and looked
away.

“Sorry?” I offered.

“Was that a question or an apology?”

Laughing, I
lifted her into the air
and threw her over my shoulder. “Apology!”

“Alec!” She punched my back a
nd
her legs kicked in the air
. “
Put me down!”

“Nope!” I chuckled
. “
H
ey
,
everyone
,
Nat wants to go
swimming!”

“But you’re supposed to be do
ing a
bonfire
!”
Ruben
was yelling and holding up
marshmallows
and sticks
.
I snorted. I had a few ideas where he could stick both of those objects but I restrain
ed myself, just barely
,
and threw up my
one spare hand while Nat
struggled
in my arms.

“Ain’t reality
TV
if it isn’t real!” I raced
toward
the ocean with a squealing Nat in my arms.

“Alec! Seriously
!
P
ut me down! The ocean is freezing!
” Nat wiggled against m
e
. I really should have thought twice about the whole ocean idea
,
considering my
lack
of restraint at the moment.

I purposefully set
her down, slowly allowing her body to slide over mine,
loving how her eyes darkened as she swayed in front of me
. “You were saying, sweetheart?”

“Cheater.”
Her eyes narrowed.

My stomach plummeted to the ground. It felt like I had stopped breathing all together,
but I knew I still was because I hadn’t passed out yet. “Come on
.
” I shook myself out of my dark thoughts and nodded
toward
the ocean
. “
Take a swim with me.”

“Make me.” She glared.

“You know I’ll win, Nat. Come on…
be spontaneous…
take your clothes off.” I laughed as she swatted me and took off her shirt revealing
a white bikini top.

“Mm, that’s more like it.” I peeled my shirt off and crooked my finger at her. Nat’s
eyes were focused on my abs
.
H
er eyes devoured me until I was almost embarrassed that there were cameras around.
What I wouldn’t do for a f
ew seconds alone with the girl.

I wish I could say we’d been spending the last few weeks in coupled bliss
,
but with so many cameras around it had been hard to even get the girl alone long enough
to kiss her. Which of course made me a
desperate
starving man
—
it was like they were torturing me on purpose so
I really would do something crazy and freak out
.

Well
…
i
t was working.

“Lost your nerve
,
hmm?” Nat taunted.

“No.” I reached out and cupped her chin
. “
Just taking in the view.”

I pulled her against me and kissed her, just as Demetri ran by me, flipped us off,
and jumped into the ocean. Soon followed by a giggling Alyssa and Jaymeson.

Angelica stayed by the
bonfire
with her arms crossed
. Pissed. Figure
d
.
The last time I’d seen that girl smile was when
…
I stopped my thoughts and nearly choked on my tongue as Nat crooked her finger in
my direction.

Nat tugged me into the ocean
,
and we all splashed one another and laughed. If I could
have
just stay
ed
in that moment forever
,
w
ith my brother, his adorable girlfriend
,
and the love of my life
…