Keep (Seaside Pictures 2)

I puffed out my chest. “Yes, stop picking on me.”

“Oh…crap.” Pris stumbled behind me then ran out of the room.

I took a swig of coffee. “She just now noticed I’m naked?”

“Yup.” Jay looked out toward the window. “Looks like it’s going to be a nice day today.”

“Really sunny.” I agreed.

Dani, Pris’ sister, marched into the room and tossed a pair of sweatpants at my face, nearly knocking over my coffee in the process. “PEOPLE WEAR PANTS!”

She turned, grabbed a cup of coffee from the pot, and then gave me a sweet smile.

I narrowed my eyes. “Remember the good old days when you were mute? God, I miss those.”

She stuck out her tongue while Jay’s eyes widened in horror.

“Oh, please.” I snickered. “She can take it. And just say no to pants, Dani.”

Her eyebrow arched as she turned around and went into the pantry. My palms started to sweat as she returned with both bags of jumbo marshmallows.

“Dani,” I warned.

She tore open the bags and held both over the garbage disposal. “What was that, Zane?”

“You’re pretty?”

“Hell yeah, she is,” Linc said as he sleepily wandered into the room.

“Bloody hell!” Jaymeson roared. “How do you keep getting in! I lock things!”

“Magic.” He winked. “Right Dani?”

Jay plugged his ears while Dani and I continued our stare down.

“Fine.” I sighed and pulled the pants on. “Happy?”

“I think I speak for all of us when I say yes.” She popped a mallow into her mouth.

“Hand over the goods.” I held out my hand, the one that wasn’t shaking, the one that wasn’t freaking the hell out.

With great care, she placed both of the bags in front of me and smiled sweetly. “I wouldn’t have done it.”

“Oh, please.”

“Swear.”

“Lies.”

“Murder is murder, Saint.”

“Saint! Saint! Saint!” I chanted then offered an apologetic shrug. “Sorry, just reliving the glory days.”

Linc slapped me on the back of the head. “You wouldn’t have to if you would finish your damn album.”

“What is this?” I threw my hands up into the air. “A man can’t be naked? The way God made him? I go from waking up perfectly happy, to being blackmailed into doing Jay’s next movie, and nearly witnessing the murder of my girlfriends!”

“Girlfriends?” Jay repeated in a confused tone.

“My precious.” I held up the marshmallows while he bit off a curse and walked away, giving the impression he was done dealing with my bullshit.

Linc stared me down like I was a science experiment he needed to figure out. “Zane, you need to get out.”

“I don’t need a mom.”

“You can’t even iron a shirt,” Dani pointed out. “Not that Linc can either but…”

“Hey!” he yelled, shooting her a hard stare.

“Spoiled Hollywood stars.” She heaved an exaggerated sigh. “At least Alec and Demetri know how to do laundry.”

Bringing up AD2, the dudes I had to record with in—I checked the kitchen clock—an hour, was not the way I wanted to start my day.

Because while they were super excited about the project, I was suffering from serious writer’s block.

And really just wanted to go back to bed.

Holy shit, maybe I was depressed.

I just felt…empty.

For no reason.

Well, I mean, there was a reason, but it was stupid.

Like everything else.

Linc elbowed me in the side. “It’s a small part. He needs you to play a really small part. It’ll get you out of the house.”

“I think I’d rather drink acid.”

“People take it, they don’t drink it.” Dani said, eavesdropping on our conversation.

“Seriously?” I thumbed in her direction. “She’s only eighteen, Linc! Stop teaching her shit she shouldn’t know.”

“Oh right, because out of all the Hollywood people she knows, I’m the bad influence?” His eyebrows rose while Dani coughed and pointed at me.

“PLEASE!” I yelled. “I’m the least offensive out of all of you! Alec and Demetri were drug addicts, they could have been tried for homicide!” A while ago they had come to Seaside Oregon to get away from the press. What was supposed to be a short vacation had ended up making Seaside the new Hollywood hot spot. They married local girls, became even more famous, Jaymeson followed out of pure curiosity and married the pastor’s daughter! See, another scandal! And Dani had nearly died in a car wreck leaving her a selective mute until Linc saved her or whatever. It was all bullshit.

I was the least dramatic out of all of them! I didn’t even drink!

“Thanks, man.” A deep voice sounded from the door. “Always fun when people talk about you behind your back.” Alec waltzed right past me, grabbed a coffee mug from the tree on the counter, and filled it from the pot.

“Technically, I’m in front of your back, second, is there a coffee shortage? Why is everyone here? And Linc, honest moment, how the hell do you get in the house every night?”

“It’s a mystery.” He grinned.

“Hey! You’re wearing clothes!” Demetri sauntered in a few minutes later and held up his hand for a high five. I hit it. I liked Demetri. He didn’t take life too seriously, and he was always laughing.