Wardrobe Malfunction(44)

“Oh, yeah? And what’s that?” I ask, yawning.

“You,” he says.

And, suddenly, I’m not so sleepy anymore.

Does he even mean that the way it sounded? Or is he just fucking with me like usual?

He kisses my forehead. “Night, Pins.”

“Uh…night, West,” I say, my heart pounding.

He pulls me closer and sighs a sleepy sound.

He was joking, right?

Yeah, he was definitely joking.

I mean, he wouldn’t just say it like that if he actually meant it, right?

Right.

But, even still, I can’t sleep, and I lie there for ages, feeling confused as hell.

And, when his breathing has evened out and he’s sleeping, I trace my fingers over his cheek. “I’m serious about you, too, West,” I whisper, knowing he can’t hear me.

Because, even if he didn’t mean it, I do.

And it scares the hell out of me.





Vaughn


I step out of the shower in my trailer. In that last shoot we did, I was covered in fake blood. It’s a motherfucker to get out of your hair, so I was in there for ages, scrubbing it out.

I dry off and pull on a pair of jeans. I forgot to bring a shirt in with me.

Toweling off my hair, I wander out of the bathroom to grab a shirt.

“Hey, V.”

I freeze. Slowly, I turn around.

Piper.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I toss the towel aside, not caring where it lands.

“It’s good to see you, too, V.”

“How did you get in?”

She laughs and rolls her eyes. “It’s not exactly hard. I am Piper Watts. Not some scum off the street.”

“Opinions vary.”

Her eyes sharpen.

“Well, it wasn’t nice seeing you, so…” I gesture to the door.

Ignoring me, she steps forward. The look in her eyes is telling. “I want you back,” she says.

I laugh. “You’re insane. And I definitely don’t want you back. In fact, I don’t want you anywhere near me.”

“I made a mistake.”

“You screwed my best friend for months. Hardly a mistake. How is Cain by the way?”

“I wouldn’t know. I haven’t seen him since the show. I’ve regretted so badly what happened. I’ve wanted to come see you so many times, but I knew you were angry, and you needed to get that out of your system.”

“You mean, my drink and sex addiction. Oh, and my tendencies toward violence. You told them I hit you, for fuck’s sake, Piper.”

“I never said any of that, V. You know the press; they make shit up.” She steps forward and wraps her hands around my wrists. “I miss you.”

I yank them away and step back. “Yeah, well, I don’t miss you. I don’t even like you. I’m not sure I ever did.”

“Do you remember how good we used to be together?”

“No. I remember I used to like fucking you, but that got old fast.”

Her brows draw together. I’m surprised they can move with the amount of Botox she has done.

“You don’t mean that.”

“I really do. What are you here for, Piper? Really?”

“You, I told you.”

“No, you’re after something. But, honestly, I don’t care. There’s nothing you can do to hurt me. Now, if you don’t mind, I have things to do.” I nod in the direction of the door.

“V, listen to me; the only thing I want is you. I want you back.” She’s in my space in seconds and presses her hands to my chest.

“Yoo-hoo! It’s me! You’d better be decent…or not…”

Charly’s soft laughter tickles my ears just as I’ve caught hold of Piper’s wrist to try to get the crazy bitch off me.

But, instantly, I know how this will look to Charly.

And it’s not good. Not good at all.

She looks frozen to the spot. The hurt in her expression is so clear and evident and like a punch to the chest.

“Charly.” I shove Piper aside.

She seems to snap back to attention, her face and eyes clearing of all emotion. “I just came to drop off your clothes for tomorrow.” She drops the garment bag in her hand over the chair by the door. “Sorry to interrupt.”

And, before I can say another word, she’s gone, back out the door.

I’m going to fucking strangle Piper.

“You.” I turn on her. “Out. Now.”

She laughs, her eyes going to the door that Charly just exited, and in this moment, I can’t see one thing that I ever saw in this woman. She’s a total bitch.

She looks back at me, a twisted smile on her face. “Her? Really, V? I thought you had better taste than that.”

“Clearly not because I dated your psycho ass for six months. And, for fuck’s sake, stop calling me V! I hate it. I’ve always hated it. And not that it’s any of your fucking business, but no, I’m not dating her. Even still, she has more class in her little finger than you have in your whole body. Now, get your bony ass the fuck out of my trailer before I pick you up and throw you out myself, and then you’ll really have a story to sell to the press.”