Whose Bride Is She Anyway (24 page)

Let’s get ready to rumble

O
h, Jesus. Oh, God.

Noooooooooo. No, no, no.

Tara took a gulp of air, sucking in the salty breeze. Her heart clamored in her chest and her stomach rolled like the swelling waves in the ocean.

Oh, my holy hell.

Tara could literally feel August’s ears perk up without ever seeing him from his hunched position beneath the bushes.

Cringing, Tara heard the cameraman repeat himself. It was George… “Is it true that you slept with Kelsey Little’s boyfriend in high school? ”

Jesus Christ in a mini skirt. He knew about the locker room incident at Evanston High…

Tara fought the sudden swell of tears, clenching her jaw and fisting her hands, she struggled to remain calm. “No,” she answered on a shaky breath. “That’s absolutely
not
true.”

The camera zoomed in on her face, but if she turned away, she would look guilty. Tara gritted her teeth and stared at it head on, waiting.

“We also heard a rumor about a locker room incident. Wanna share?” The voice from behind the camera taunted. Which camera guy was this anyway?

Tendrils of fury gripped her intestines, ripping at her gut. Tara wasn’t going to budge no matter what they asked. “I have nothing to share,” she said calmly.

“That’s not what we hear,” George said.

Christ, was there a clause in the contract that had to do with revenge? Because if there was and she’d missed it, she was screwed. But that wasn’t what really mattered to Tara now. What really mattered was August was hearing this from someone else and not her. Who the hell was behind this camera?

“We hear you slept with Kelsey’s boyfriend and the two of you had a fight. You ended up outside of the girl’s locker room—
naked
. That’s why you’re here—for
revenge
.” The word hung in the air for what seemed like hours, clinging to the heat of the night, ugly and oppressive.

A small sob escaped Tara’s lips pressed tightly together.

Oh-my-God. They
knew
.

A growl from the bushes sent Tara stumbling forward as August thrashed his way from behind his hiding place and charged the cameraman, knocking his camera to the ground with a heavy thud and tackling him in the sand.

Tara scrambled to get her footing and pounced on August’s back, yanking at his shirt to pull him off of the unsuspecting cameraman. His hands were firmly planted around George’s throat, shaking him while George clawed at his hands. “I’ll fucking kill you, George! You leave her alone or I’ll kill you. Do you hear me?” August roared over the rush of tide and wind, his jaw clenched and his face a mask of fury.

“August! Stop it! Get off of him!” Tara yelled and tugged harder on his hands, forcing him to release George.

George rolled away and stood, backing as far from August as he could, rubbing his neck. “What the fuck is wrong with you, August?” he yelped hoarsely, rubbing his throat. “I’m just doing my job…” and then, George’s eyes narrowed, glittering in the moonlight. “And what are
you
doing in the bushes with the jury foreman? ”

August stalked after George, his face a mask of uncontained fury. “Shut up George or I’ll flatten you. I swear to God I’ll ram my fist down your throat!”

George straightened his back and made a wide circle around August to get his camera. He lugged the heavy machine back into place with a grunt. “Not before I ram this tape down yours, buddy. You’re fucked because the sound was still on, ” George retorted.

Tara gripped August’s arm to keep him from going after George again.

He pulled away from Tara roughly and swung around to face her. His mouth was compressed in a thin line and his jaw was hard. “So, Ms. Jury Foreman—is that why you’re here? To get some revenge on Kelsey? Maybe steal her groom?”

Tara wrapped her arms around her waist. What could she say? It was almost exactly the reason she was on the island. “No—August. Wait—let me explain. I…”

“You
what
, Tara? If you aren’t Kelsey’s friend from high school, which I pretty much figured out all on my own with my little pea brain, then what are you? I figured Kelsey had done something pretty bad to you, but that doesn’t give you the right to fuck with
me!
”

Tara’s legs shook and her stomach rolled with wave after wave of fear. She had to explain to him, but she didn’t know how. How did you explain away something that looked desperately obvious, only wasn’t? “If you’ll just calm down and listen to me I’ll explain. ”

His big body visibly tensed. “How do you explain screwing me to get back at Kelsey?”

Tara sobbed, skipping pride and aiming right for a direct bull’s eye on remorse. “Noooooooo, August. That wasn’t my intention. I swear to you, I never meant to get involved with you!”

He shook his head in disbelief and snorted, “Oh, yeah? And how did you plan
not
to get involved with me with your tongue down my throat?”

That was just it. Tara was fried emotionally and physically and she’d be damned if she’d take the fall for wanting to hurt Kelsey like Kelsey had hurt her by way of toying with someone else’s life. Namely August’s. Gathering her self-esteem and some of her integrity Tara spat, “Excuse me, but as I recall you couldn’t stay away from
me.
I kept telling you to go away and you kept coming back for more!”

August nodded knowingly, crossing his arms over his chest. “It was your vixen-like plan all along, wasn’t it? How’s a guy supposed to resist you when you kept pretending to be hard to get?”

“Oh! I did not!” Tara hollered, sticking her face in his. “No matter how attracted I was to you I knew you were off limits. That wasn’t the plan, you nitwit. I planned to vote for the freakiest guy I could find to be Kelsey’s husband and while I was at all this cloak and dagger shit, I was going to convince those stubborn jurors to do the same God— damn—thing! You know what? I can’t convince you of anything and I’m sick and tired of trying. Be lieve what you want,” Tara said, defeated. “I only have one more thing to say to you, August Guthrie. If you think I’m capable of using you—anyone—to hurt someone else, then I can’t be the girl for you because you don’t know jack shit about Tara Douglas!”

So there, Sherlock Holmes
. August thought he had her all figured out, well she’d just set Mr. Know-It-All straight.

“What the hell else am I supposed to think? You came to this island to get back at Kelsey for whatever reason. I’m the perfect payback.” His face was harsh and unforgiving.

Tara sucked in her cheeks and narrowed her eyes as she confronted him with a quiet calm that belied the fury simmering deep in her belly. It wound its way toward boiling right out. “Yeah, you’re the perfect payback. So perfect I’d risk being sued, screwed, blue and tattooed just to make Kelsey squirm by stealing her potential man! Makes perfect sense for someone like me—a fucking genius—with an IQ to rival Einstein—to do something
that
obvious.”

August stared at her, his eye s hard and his mouth set in a thin line.

Ah, well now, guess you can’t beat that logic.

“Look, Tara…” August began, but she cut him off.

“No! You look. I’ve had it up to my eyeballs with Kelsey Little and this whole goddamned mess. Go to hell, August!”

Fuck all of this.

Fuck August Guthrie, Kelsey Little and Whose Bride Is She Anyway?. She wasn’t going to stick around for any more accusations. Her position on the island had motives that were far from pure, but she’d never, ever drag someone else’s heart into it.

Tara Douglas was taking her toys and going home.

And that’s just what she’d done in one big huff of pissed off and a cloud of sand. Gone back to her hut as she’d flipped George the bird and stomped past a bewildered, angry, August Guthrie. Her body trembled violently as she assumed what August must be thinking right now. Tara ran a hand over her tired eyes and squeezed her eyes shut.

August thought she’d used him to exact revenge on Kelsey.

Tara was screwed and she knew it, but she didn’t care anymore. Nothing could have hurt more than to think he didn’t believe her. She didn’t even care if the show sued her and turned her name to mud in the tabloids. All that mattered now was that he hadn’t believed her. Tara flew down the long stretch of beach and kept flying until she got to her hut, head down and heart in her cute new sandals.

Nothing could be worse than this. Nothing.

Tara jammed her key into her hut door and froze when she heard a voice over her shoulder.

“Well, well. If it isn’t our little jury foreman, ” a snide voice said.

Okay, it
could
be worse.

I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too…

“I
know
exactly
who you are, you bitch and I’m going to ruin you. How long did you think you could get away with this?” Kelsey’s smug tone made Tara’s skin crawl. She pushed her way into the hut and quickly wiped the unshed tears from her eyes as she turned to face her long-time nemesis.

Kelsey’s expression was assured, arrogant, superior and if Tara’d had the energy left, she’d of slapped it off her face.

She hovered in the hut door way, blonde as ever, cruel as ever, and shook her red-tipped finger under Tara’s nose. “It was you who gave me that rash, wasn’t it?”

Tara crossed her arms over her chest, ready to take on Kelsey because really, how much worse could it get? “No, it wasn’t me. But, I wish I’d thought of it. Nobody deserves a rash more than you. How did you get out of seclusion? I didn’t know they’d let the beast out of her cage until the wedding ceremony. ” Tara said each word, hanging on by a thread, keeping her voice as calm as she possibly could.

Kelsey sneered at her. “Please, you really don’t think it’s not possible for me to wrap anyone on this island around my little finger, do you? I can do whatever I want, you little bitch. Bet you didn’t think I’d find out what you’ve done, did you?”

Okay, Tara was going to hedge her bets here. More than likely Kelsey knew nothing about what had just taken place on the beach, but Tara would bet she’d had a hand in setting George in motion. “I didn’t do anything to you, Kelsey. Tell me, do you really remember me from high school? I mean, it has to be hard to think with all of that silicone in your boobs and man on the brain. ”

Kelsey pushed her way into the room and strutted across the floor. “Funny. Why would I remember someone like
you
? You’re
insignificant,”
she spat.

Tara ground her teeth together. “That’s a mighty big word for someone with a grade point average the size of her proposed daily caloric intake.”

Wow, look at me, Tara Douglas, fighting back!
She shoots, she scoooores!

“What do you remember, Kelsey? ” Tara continued, “Do you remember how you humiliated me in front of the entire senior class? Or was that as insignificant to you as sleeping with nearly half of the male populatio n in said class?”

Her green eyes, once brilliant, but now lightly lined with age, narrowed. “You were as stupid then as you are now.”

Clenching her hands at her sides, Tara gathered steam. So, she
did
remember. This wasn’t exactly the moment she’d hoped for, but it was as close as she was going to get to closure after all these years. “I guess I’m not
so
stupid, Kelsey. I managed to get on the show, didn’t I? I’m kind of in charge of your destiny. Not a bad place to be in, I’d say. ”

The bitch actually snorted. “You don’t really think I care
who
you picked, do you? This is my ticket to stardom, it doesn’t matter
who
I marry and dispose of on the way. ”

Hearing Kelsey say money was her motivation out loud validated how right Tara had always been about her. She was beginning to regret that she hadn’t gone through with her plan to humiliate the living snot out of Kelsey. “Do
movie stars
have as much cellulite on their asses as you do? Could make for a very unattractive close-up.”

Oooh, me-ow, that was wickedly mean, she congratulated herself. Now it was time to tell the bitch what’s what for the final time. This might be the only time Tara would ever feel as though she was on equal footing with her nemesis.

Kelsey flipped her hair over her shoulder as two bright red spots appeared on her cheeks. “Listen you nobody, I’m going to have it all and you can’t stop me. But not before I share with the world what you’ve been doing to me. The rash was really original.”

Okay, what the hell was going on? Hadn’t Kelsey been the one to tattle to George on her? It must have been an outside source… Maybe not.

It made no sense when Tara looked at it logically. Kelsey wouldn’t risk the very bomb Tara might drop about her role in the locker room incident. She’d look petty even if she lied about what happened twelve years ago. So it was time to call Kelsey’s bluff…

Tara squared her shoulders and walked right up to her, eyeballing her with venom. “I haven’t done a single thing to you. I don’t know what you’re talking about. But you did do something to me a long time ago. I don’t suppose the nice folks in Middle America would take too kindly to their newest prime time ‘sweetheart’ being exposed for the spiteful bitch she is.”

“You wouldn’t…”

Tara laughed disdainfully, “Why wouldn’t I? Payback and all … you deserve nothing less.”

“Is that why you’re here, Tara? To get your revenge?”

She smirked at Kelsey, who now walked in the shoes Tara had finally shed. “Oh, I thought about it,” she admitted, “and then I decided it wasn’t worth it, I figured you’d screw yourself because you’re too stupid not to. Worried?”

Kelsey pursed her lips, “You’ve changed. Lost some weight, done something with that hair… Is this going to be like a bad episode of ‘when geeks attack?’.”

Tara was immediately back in high school again, remembering every insecurity she’d ever had, reliving the moment Kelsey had turned her world upside down.
A mercy fuck …
that’s what Kelsey had accused Jordon of having with her.

Her cheeks burned to this day when she remembered what happened next.

Squaring her shoulders, Tara seethed with the memory. “I’m not an overweight geek anymore. As a matter of fact I’ve heard more than one comment about
your
fat ass from the contestants.”

Kelsey reacted quickly. “At least it isn’t naked and recorded on tape,” she shot back.

Oh, what a fucking bitch.

“Have you taken a peek at some of the recent video footage of
your
ass, Kelsey? It may be covered, but that doesn’t stop the jury from cringing every time it jiggles its way onto that wide screen. They find it distracting and hard to ignore.”

“You little bitch…”

“A bitch yes,” Tara acknowledged, “but I’m not such a geek anymore, huh? ”

“Don’t fuck with me Tara Douglas, or I’ll make hell look like Disneyland,” Kelsey threatened. “If you think I won’t tell the producers of this rinky-dink show what you did to sabotage me, you’ve got another
think
coming. ”

Sabotage?

“Grow up. Do you really think I’d stoop to your level? I don’t know what you’re talking about. I had much bigger plans, but decided it wasn’t worth it. You’d screw up all on your own, no matter who you ended up with. You didn’t really care who you suckered into this deal because you’re a cold hearted bitch with a need for some cash. ”

Kelsey’s eyebrows rose, “August doesn’t seem to think I’m so cold. Yo u’ve seen the videotape yourself. He can’t keep his hands off me.”

Blood rushed to Tara’s ears in a wave of fury, she clamped her jaw shut for a moment, measuring her words. It wouldn’t help August to let the green-eyed monster attack Kelsey now when they had so much to lose. “Yeah, he’s really into you, ” Tara let the words roll off her tongue and drip with sarcasm. “But he’ll find out soon enough what kind of person you are.” Tara strode toward the door and opened it. “Don’t you have a wedding to prepare for? I suggest you leave before this geek
does
attack.”

Kelsey swept past her in a swirl of heavy perfume and bouncing flaxen curls. “Remember what I said. I’ll get you if you mess with me once more before this stupid show is over.” She slammed the door on her way out.

Yeah and my little dog too…

Tara sat at the edge of her bed and shook as she replayed the events of the evening. It was over. She was cooked; well done, in fact, and she didn’t have a clue how or
who
had snitched on her. Obviously, it hadn’t been Kelsey. George was sent on a mission to search and destroy. He’d asked questions about her deepest, darkest secrets while he poked her in the face with the lens of a camera and he’d found out about it from some unknown source. Tara was dizzy from the endless list of possibilities about who would tell the show about her.

Did it matter? What could she do about it anyway? Start a whole new campaign of revenge against someone else? No, Tara needed to get this over with and go home.

Pack! She had to pack and get the hell out of here.

No, wait. She couldn’t just up and leave. How was she going to do that? Swim to the mainland, for craps sake?

George would soon spill the beans about why Tara was here and Kelsey would very sweetly help him without even trying, because she was just too stupid not to realize it would also mean she herself would look like an ass.

Tara Douglas’s name would become synonymous with the words geek and revenge in the media.

Good.

Great in fact.

She’d be all over the cover of rag mags everywhere and chased after to do interviews with those Hollywood reporter shows. They’d interview Kelsey and she’d smile her pretty smile, flaxen curls bobbing enticingly as she told them about how Tara Douglas, ex-nerd, tried to ruin her reality show experience.

Oh, God.

Tara shook as she got up and dragged her suitcase from the closet, heaving it to the bed. Unzipping the front of it she began to gather her things as a way to stave off her frantic thoughts. Taking action was what she was good at. She’d “think” her way through this … rationally, calmly. It did no good. She was running through the hut now, grabbing things at random.

So, genius,
think.

What was there to think about? August was kaput. He believed she was guilty of using him for her own gain. Her heart constricted again as she remembered the look on

August’s face. It would go with Tara to her grave. That look of utter surprise, followed by disappointment and then, anger and accusation. Tara Douglas had fallen in love and managed to botch it up because she wanted to strike back at Kelsey for something she’d done over twelve years ago.

Pathetic. Tara Douglas, you are pathetic.

As a result of your pathetic-ness, you lost a man who makes your heart do the Riverdance and your panties sing an aria. A man who not only equaled your intelligence, but made your brain cells literally flutter.

Tara stopped rooting through the drawer of the dresser for a moment and let herself feel that loss, for all it was worth, so she could remind herself what real pain was in the future when she had nothing better to do than pick at her scabs for amusement.

It clawed at her heart, tore at her insides, screamed through her head.

Tara clamped her hand over her mouth to fight back a sob that ripped from her throat. It washed over her in waves of agonizing shame and despair and she had to grip the edge of the dresser for support.

She’d take it all back if she could.

All of it.

There was nothing to do now but face Henry and company, take her licks and go home. Life would eventually return to normal, she soothed herself and then, she could go

back. Back to her dull life as a chemist. Back to her apartment and her fern. Back to the life she’d created before this reality show nightmare. Back to the life she had before she was an ex-geek seeking revenge. It would all be fine. Fine, just fine.