Wicked Heart (Starcrossed #3)(83)

“Good. Because your actions have hurt two of the most amazing women I know, and if I wasn’t terrified of physical violence, I’d be kicking your ass all over this apartment right now!”

When he stops in front of Angel, she gently takes his hand. “Josh, please calm down before Liam squashes you like a bug. Also, you’re too loud. Could you grab me some painkillers?”

Josh throws Liam a final glare before heading into the bathroom. Angel rubs her temples, and when Josh returns with two Advil and a glass of water, she quickly swallows them down.

“Okay,” she says with a sigh. “So, I guess we need to figure out what to do, right? I’m not going to lie. The thought of breaking the contract gets me all kinds of excited, but we know that can’t happen. Not right now.”

Josh sits next to her and lays his arm along the back of the sofa. “So what’s the plan, then?”

“Personally,” I say as I grip my coffee cup, “I think the wise choice would be to pretend Angeliam is business as usual until the fuss from the alley pictures dies down. When the media circus packs up and goes home, we’ll work something out.”

Liam crosses his arms over his chest. “I don’t like having to wait, but I agree it’s probably for the best. I need to talk to Anthony about possible exit strategies, but he’s got his hands full right now. He’s already left six messages for me today. It seems we’ve had over two hundred interview requests since the press conference last night. This thing isn’t going away easily.”

Josh frowns. “So in the meantime, you and Elissa think you’re going to sneak around behind the scenes and sex each other up without anyone noticing?”

“Sex would be nice,” Liam says with a shrug, “but I’m not counting on it, no. I just know I’ve been away from her for six years and I’m not doing it for another damn day.”

“And you expect Angel to be okay with that?”

Liam glances over at Angel, who holds up her hands in surrender. “Hey, don’t look at me. As long as you two spare me the horny details, I don’t want to know what happens behind closed doors. Just promise me you’ll be extra careful. Everyone is going to be watching us like hawks from now on, and I already look like the clueless girlfriend. Even the slightest hint of another scandal will have the press swarming both of us like flies on roadkill.”

“I promise, we’ll be discreet.” He gives Angela warm smile. “Thanks for understanding.”

Angel stands and gives him a hug. “You’re welcome. At least one of us is getting laid. It’s been so long for me, I’ve almost forgotten what a penis looks like.”

Josh clears his throat. “May I interest you in a high-quality selection of dick pics, delivered straight to your phone? Elissa can attest to the fact that they’re quite artistic.”

Angel raises her eyebrow at me. “Do I want to know why you’ve seen pictures of Josh’s dick?”

“No,” I say with a laugh. “You really don’t.”

Liam frowns at me. “Do I want to know?”

“It was an accident, trust me. Now, maybe you and Josh can go and grab something for us all to eat. We have to head to rehearsal soon and I’d like Angel to get some rest before we go.”

“Sure.” He gives me a quick kiss. “We’ll be right back. Unless Josh decides to beat me up on the way, in which case . . . well . . . We’ll be right back.”

Josh gives him a disdainful look. “There’s a lot of traffic in New York, Quinn. Wouldn’t it be a shame if Hollywood’s leading meathead got hit by a car?”

Liam laughs, then opens the door. “Okay, tough guy. Clearly I need to buy you a bagel to purge your rage.”

“A bagel and a cookie,” Josh corrects. “And a crapload of very black, very strong coffee.”

“You drive a hard bargain. Fine. Get your keys and let’s go.”

Liam heads downstairs, and after Josh grabs his keys off the table, he turns to Angel. “Just so you know, I was joking about the dick pics. Mostly. But I am here for you if you need me. I know you’re probably hurting about this whole situation, and sometimes it’s best to get over someone by getting under someone else, you know? Rebound sex can be very cathartic.”

Angel tilts her head, a bemused smirk on her face. “Liam and I were never in a proper relationship, Josh. No rebound necessary.”

“So you say. But Magic Mike and I are available if you happen to change your mind.”

“Magic Mike?” When I snort, she smiles. “That’s . . . sweet, Josh. Thanks.”

“No problem. Anytime.”

When the door closes behind him, I shake my head. “My best friend, ladies and gentlemen.”

“You have great taste in friends,” Angel says, then yawns. “Just look at me.”

She rubs her eyes, and the apartment is engulfed in silence. I know Angel seems to be coping with the situation, but if I were her, I’d have a healthy dose of resentment over the whole thing.

“So,” I say, as I turn to her. “How do you really feel about me and Liam? Honestly.”

She shrugs and flops back onto the couch. “Honestly? It’s hard to tell. I’m still extremely drunk.”

“Do you want to hit me?”