Still Jaded (Jaded 2)

"Like you?"

"Maybe." His shoulders lifted in excitement. He couldn't contain the glee on his face. "I have plans. This is only my day job, and I think she likes me."

She did, huh? I wondered if he had shared this delusion with Guadalupe herself?

He leaned forward and whispered, "I got her number. She slid it over the counter to me."

I perked up. The drunk gods gave me a break. "Really?"

He flashed it to me, but I caught the numbers before he put it back in his pocket. "When they got here, she gave it to me. That stuffy guy wasn't looking. I haven't called her yet, but I'm planning on texting her tonight. Maybe we can get together after her dinner with Bryce Scout."

"She'd like that. I'm sure."

He was so giddy as he giggled, "I will." Then something changed in his demeanor, and he looked at me in shock. Ah—the professional clerk was back. He'd remembered where he worked, and I saw the fevered look leave him.

Celebrities often left it in their trail.

Now he was all business again as he straightened behind the desk. "Is there something you needed, Miss?"

I was tempted to tip my hat to him. He switched back to real life quicker than the normal fan. "I'm okay. Thanks."

As I rode the elevator back to my room, I had no plan in mind. And I had no idea what to do with Guadalupe's phone number. She would've only answered if I sent her a message from Bryce's phone, so I felt dejected as I turned on the television to a music station and grabbed the vodka from my mini-bar. As the music flowed over me, I curled into one of my patio chairs and relaxed for the first time in a long while.

Sometime during the night, I realized the music station had been turned off. Then I felt the warmth of the bed sheets and curled into them. It was the next morning when I woke to the sounds of screaming and splashing. Stupid children. When I rolled over in bed, I was disoriented for a moment. Then I remembered my stupid decision and groaned as I pressed my face into the pillow.

"Are you sober?"

My head snapped up. Then my gut sank. Oh no. Bryce was on the other bed. His elbows were braced on his knees, and he glared at me.

Not good.

But then the vomit took precedence. My gut rumbled, and I stumbled to the bathroom. I got there just in time to empty what little had been in my stomach. That was when I finally had the courage to look in the mirror. I looked hideous. My hair was everywhere. My eyes were swollen and blood shot. My face still looked like the back end of a truck. I grimaced and threw water on my face, but the cuts stung. Then I brushed my teeth, cleaned my armpits, and tried to calm my hair a little. I cleaned up as much as possible.

Bryce came to lean against the doorframe. "Mathias made the mistake of letting me use his phone. I saw you had called him. He didn't want to tell me, but he finally told me you wanted to know where Guadalupe was staying. The front desk guy was nice enough to tell me what room you were in."

"And help you get in?" I grumbled as I crossed the room and found some clean clothes. My choices were sparse. I chose another sweatshirt and jeans. As I walked to the patio, I grabbed a bottle of rum this time.

Bryce grabbed it back and then caught my wrist. He pulled me against him. "You will not be drinking yourself into a stupor. Not this time. Why didn't you tell anyone you were released from the hospital?"

I wrenched away my arm and then the bottle. "Are you kidding me? Who was I going to call? You? You're sleeping with Guadalupe, remember? And you think that I'm sleeping with Corrigan." I tipped the bottle his way. "Who I'm not sure if I'm even talking to right now. And Grace." I snorted. "Like I would call her. Not after I know she's lying to me." Then I rolled my eyes. "I'll do whatever I damn well please."

"Sheldon, be reasonable." Bryce followed me out to the patio. "What are you doing here?"

He sounded like he really didn't know. I looked at him in disgust and took a drink, though I couldn't taste it anymore. "Where else would I go? Maybe I could stay wherever you stayed last night because we both know you didn't go back to my place to sleep alone."

CHAPTER TWELVE

"Is that why you came here? Were you running away?"

I snorted. "No, Bryce. Yes. I don't know. Someone's stalking me, what a surprise, and I wanted to stalk someone else. I wanted to be in control. Look at that, my therapist would be so proud!"

"You don't have to be flippant."

"Flippant? Is that your new word?" I guzzled some more. I loved being drunk; it made the rest of the world disappear.

"Sheldon. We have serious problems—"

"You're telling me?!" I laughed, outraged. "Someone trashed my place, Bryce. Officer Sheila showed up at the hospital and told me about it. I'm thinking it's someone who's obsessed with you because this all started after you got to town. We know you've got the crazy fans, not me. No one knows who I am anymore except through you or Corrigan. I'm a nobody. I'm trying to be a nobody, and you won't let me. You all keep bringing me into your drama!"

Bryce was silent for a moment and then chuckled. "Someone trashed your place? Are you sure it's not from the party?"

"Officer Sheila told me what damage was done. They destroyed everything. It might not have happened if you'd been there."

"You're blaming me?"

I glared at him. "I don't know. Maybe. Where'd you sleep last night?"

"You tell me about Corrigan first," he shot back.

"Really? We're playing this game?" Again.

"We really are."

I let out an exaggerated sigh and went back into the room. I didn't know where to go so I sat on the edge of the bed. Bryce followed me and waited. I felt his presence loom over me. He wanted answers I didn't want to give. I wiped at an annoying tear and started, "I know you think Corrigan and I had sex, but we didn't."

Bryce waited a moment. "But…"

"But…we almost did." A part of me cared and a part of me didn't care. I didn't know my insides well enough to discern which part cared more. So I figured I'd explain it all, or the parts that made sense to me at least. "He left Spain because his mom had cancer. That was fine and dandy, but I missed him. I missed him a lot, more than I should have. For a long time I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me, why would I miss Corrigan so much when I had you? Then I realized it was because I didn't have you. You played soccer. You were always playing soccer. I got it. I get it now. It's what you do, but I wasn't ready for it." Not then, not after what had happened.

I waited a moment for his reaction, but I didn't hold my breath. "I realized that I needed a friend, and since we all know I suck at making those, I was having serious clinging issues with Corrigan. When he left, we both know I went crazy. You told me to go home so I did. I felt a little better when I got back, but I didn't go straight to him or anything. I wasn't sure what I was going to do if I did, so I didn't do anything. It wasn't until a few months ago when I saw him again."

"That's when it happened?"

I nodded. I'd become numb again. "Yeah. I'd been missing you both so much and I was drunk. Corrigan heard from someone that I was back and came over without telling me. Things got…heated, but we stopped before anything serious could happen. I didn't see his penis, if that makes you feel better."

"I have a great girlfriend. That's such comforting news to share."

I shot back, "Well, I wasn't your girlfriend at that time. It'd been a few months, and I hadn't heard from you. Remember? You called the next week and acted like nothing happened. I took my cue from you, Bryce, and figured I didn't need to say anything. Are we even together now?"

He groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "Why are things so weird between you two?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe because something almost happened? Normal people would feel guilty, right? Maybe Corrigan's always had a thing for me? I don't know. I don't really care right now." Someone trashed my place. "Where'd you stay last night? A deal's a deal."

Bryce froze and then jerked forward. "I…"

I closed

my eyes. I already knew. "Who was it?"

"I didn't cheat on you, but thanks for the vote of confidence." Bryce jerked up from the other bed and started to pace the room. "I left the hospital, and I meant to go find Corrigan. I thought it'd be much more work to get the truth from you so I was going to beat it out of him instead. I was halfway there when I got a call. Savannah saw me on the news and threw a fit."

"Your spoiled twelve year old sister threw a fit at four in the morning? What convenient timing."

"It's the truth." He glared at me. "You can call my mom if you don't believe me."

I batted his phone away. "You and I both know I would never call your mother." Not willingly, anyway.

"Then you're going to have to believe me."

"Like hell." I stood and started to get dressed.

"Where are you going?"

I grabbed my purse. "There's a restaurant here. I need to eat."

Bryce caught my arm. He pulled me back and touched my face. "You need to get your dressings looked after. What did the doctor say?"