Can't Take My Eyes Off You, page 17
For a moment, we’re both silent. Our faces close, our hands on each other. I could kiss him I’m so close. My head is spinning, my loins are sparking and my heart is confused as fuck.
‘When do you start filming again?’ A trick question my wit has pushed through the tequila.
‘I quit the show. I only came back for you.’ His voice is so sincere and gentle as he says it that I have to close my eyes so the tears can’t fall again.
‘You did not. You came back for the show and quit me, William.’
‘I’m serious, Berx. No more Royals. If we could just talk, I can expla—’
The bathroom door creaks open, both of us going silent.
‘Berkley?’ Bianca steps further into the bathroom, her footsteps suddenly stopping behind me. ‘There you are— oh.’ Her surprised voice. ‘Are you guys good?’
‘She’s got a touch of the tequila flu,’ Will says, a hint of laughter under his breath that I notice because my head is still resting on his shoulder.
I jab him in the ribs, earning a grunt as he grabs my hand.
‘Alex is looking for you,’ Bianca says. ‘Pretty sure he won’t hesitate to come in he—’
The door opens suddenly, cutting her off mid-word.
‘Berx?’ He says my name.
‘Shit,’ I groan.
‘What the fuck are you doing?’ His words clearly aren’t directed at me.
My back is to the bathroom, but I’m getting the vibe that Alex isn’t thrilled to see me sitting in Will’s lap. Shocker.
‘Nothing,’ Will says calmly like it’s not a big deal. ‘She got sick, and I was there. I got her in here, she fell over and here we are. I don’t want to make things worse by moving her.’
‘Well, I got it from here, pal,’ Alex bellows.
‘Pal?’ Will says with an irritated laugh.
Alex grabs my upper arm, pulling me from Will’s lap.
‘I can’t—’ I end up with my head in the toilet again, my arm in Alex’s hand above my head.
‘Will you stop?’ Will asks, his voice calm but elevated as he stands from the floor, removing Alex’s hand from my arm. ‘She’s sick; we’re fine,’ he says, once again gathering my hair as I puke things up from my childhood.
‘I said, I got it.’ Alex tries again, nearly knocking me into the toilet head first this time.
‘Stop!’ Will commands, just before someone grunts as they’re slammed against a wall. My guess would be Alex considering I still feel Will’s hand on my back.
‘You stupid fucker,’ Alex says, clearly pissed. Which kind of surprises me. We aren’t serious enough for him to want to fight for me, so what is this?
‘Bryce!’ Bianca opens the bathroom door, hollering for help.
‘Don’t!’ Will yells, his voice loud enough it makes me jump. He never yells. At least not with me around. I can tell he’s standing right behind me still, probably preventing Alex from getting in.
‘Get out!’ Alex yells.
‘If she needed you, she’d have come to you. She didn’t,’ Will says.
Alex grunts an unmistakably pissed-off laugh.
‘Hey!’ Bryce bolsters. ‘What’s going on?’
‘He’s making it worse. We were just talking, and all he wants to do is fight for her. She’s sick. Can you get him outta here?’ Will thunders.
‘Alex, maybe you should go?’ Bryce suggests.
‘Fuck that!’ Alex argues. ‘Willy can go. If anyone is taking care of her, it’s me. Berkley’s mine now, jackass.’
I’m his now? Like he owns me? I think the fuck not.
‘I am nobody’s property!’ I muster up the energy to yell. My voice echoes through the bathroom then all goes silent. ‘Will was just helping but if you’re going to fight, just get out. Both of you!’
‘I wasn’t fighting him,’ Will defends himself. ‘You’re sick. I can’t leave you in here alone with him after watching him yank you up like that…’ His voice fades as someone, probably Bryce, directs him out of the bathroom.
‘I got this, ya tool,’ Alex says, spit dripping in his tone.
My heart slows at the thought of Will disappearing again before I can talk to him. This is not the hate I’d planned.
‘Alex, why don’t you go too?’ Bianca says sternly. ‘I’ll take care of her.’
The door slams against the back wall as Alex exits with a frustrated groan. The room finally settles as I sit back down, without the cushion of Will beneath me this time. I lean against the stall wall, pulling my knees to my chest and resting my forehead on them.
‘Well,’ Bianca says with a laugh. ‘I didn’t expect all hell to break loose tonight, did you?’
I glance up. She stands just outside my stall, her arms crossed over her chest and the exact face Mom would have if she were standing here. Disappointment, pity and a hint of amusement.
‘You couldn’t have warned me he was coming?’
‘I honestly didn’t know. If Bryce did he’s kept it on the down-low.’ She says the words gently, so I know she’s not lying. We’re twins and sisters; we don’t always say things gently.
The bathroom door swings open, and Olivia bursts in. ‘Oh my God, they fought? Like fists and everything?’ she asks, glancing between Bianca and me, wide-eyed.
‘Nobody swung,’ Bianca informs her. ‘But if I had to guess, that wouldn’t be the case next time.’
‘Alex just stormed out with Gunner, so I don’t think there will be a next time tonight.’
‘He left?’ I ask. He drove me here and he just left? ‘He’s not worried at all about how him leaving might shove me right into the arms of— wait.’ I glance at Olivia. ‘Is he still here?’
‘If by he you mean Will? Yes. He said he’ll bring you home.’
‘Oh,’ Bianca swoons. ‘He’s claiming you by not asking if he can, just saying he will. Grew himself a spine while he was away, did he? How do you feel about that?’
I drop my head to my knees again. ‘I don’t know how I feel about any of this. He says he’s here for me and wants to talk, yet I can hardly think beyond trying not to be sick. What do I do?’
‘How about we go back out there? The puke parade seems to have passed,’ Bianca says, flushing the toilet. ‘We’ll get you some water or coffee and just try and relax. This doesn’t need to ruin our night. You two have been friends for a long time. You can handle one night with him.’
Handling one night with Will is the exact problem. One night turns into two. Two nights turn into us pretending we’re back together. Then, suddenly, the igloo is on fire, and as Bianca so elegantly said earlier, all hell breaks loose. But tequila thinks I can do it, so I nod my head like it’s a great idea, raise my hands and allow them to pull me off the floor to face the good prince himself.
‘Let’s just…’ Bianca looks me over, running her fingers through my hair. She pulls a bobby pin from her bag, slipping it in and adjusting it until she’s happy. Then she touches up my makeup, slathering lipstick onto my lips. She quickly checks my outfit. Then she slips me a breath mint.
‘OK,’ I say, pushing her away from me. ‘How do you have that much crap in your purse? I’m good.’ I take a few breaths as I step away from her and Liv, balancing myself with a hand on the wall, feeling real not good but steady enough to at least get to our table.
Will immediately stands as we approach, offering me his spot.
‘Hey,’ he says softly. ‘I got you water, coffee, Gatorade, crackers, Tylenol.’
I glance between him and the table of offerings.
‘What? No jewelry or gold bars?’ Liv asks, attitude slung his way.
He chuckles. ‘If she wants gold bars and jewelry, I’ll get her gold bars and jewelry,’ he says, his eyes on me.
‘Thank you?’ I slowly sit in the chair he’s offering me, trying not to jostle anything internally. How in the hell did he put all this together so fast? We’re in a bar. I get the coffee and water, but Gatorade, crackers and Tylenol? Did he ask for donations?
Wait.
There’s a drugstore across the street. He bought all this stuff for me in the last five minutes. Shit. He’s being sweet.
‘We’re up, woman,’ Bryce says to Bianca, waggling his eyebrows as he directs her to the karaoke stage.
I lean forward, resting my head in my hands. Suddenly, I feel Will’s hand on my back, gently gliding over my shirt in a circular motion. Now that the shock of him being here has faded, every nerve in my body lights up like an old power plant coming back to life after being dead for a very long time. Buzzing, sparking and electricity surge through every part of me.
After a few minutes, he leans forward, kissing the back of my shoulder; the smell of his cologne fills my head. Woodsy but sweet. He’s either still wearing the Le Labo cologne he knows I like, or he put it on just for this. I breathe him in for a moment, and I swear he knows; that’s why he’s lingering so closely.
‘You doin’ alright?’ he asks softly into my ear. ‘I can take you home whenever you’re ready.’
I turn my head on my hands, looking over at him. Why? Why must he be so fucking handsome? What is this look he’s giving me? Some mix of regret, worry and adoration. Like I’m someone he’s sincerely missed. He flashes me a panty-melting smile, and without me telling it to, my face matches his. It just responds to him however it fucking wants.
‘How dare you walk in here, looking all super-hot Clark Kent while I look like booze-flu Barbie.’
He bursts out laughing.
‘I kind of want to punch you in your pretty stupid face.’
‘There she is!’ Cole says with a laugh. ‘Want us to bring him outside? Bryce and I can hold him down, and you can kick him in the balls?’
‘Hey,’ Will protests, obviously not thrilled with this idea, as he reaches down to cup his jewels with his free hand. My eyes follow. He notices and grins. ‘Do I get a say in this?’ His voice is soft and innocently intoxicating, like when we’re alone.
‘No,’ Olivia snaps, interrupting our little moment. Little moments that continue to happen and make me want to know exactly why he’s here.
‘You get no say, and if ya fight it, maybe all three of us ladies kick you in the gonads. We will decide on your punishment based on your crime-s.’ She adds in the plural as an afterthought.
‘How about we let Berkley decide my punishment?’ Will suggests, his gaze still on me.
‘You sure you want to knock at that door?’ I ask. ‘I’m the one at this table that should hate you the most.’
‘Should?’ He picks up on it immediately.
I glare. ‘How about this: you want me to hear your stupid explanation?’
‘Yes.’
‘Sing,’ I say, grabbing the bottle of Gatorade, twisting the cap with all my might, but it doesn’t budge. He takes it from me, opening it easily before handing it back.
‘Thank you.’ I lift the drink. ‘You want to have a private conversation with me? The girl whose heart you destroyed. You have to sing.’ I point to the stage.
‘Seriously?’ he asks. ‘Me singing badly will make you feel better enough to talk?’
‘You’re a professional party boy, Adler. Don’t pretend you’ve never drunkenly done karaoke. The whole world has watched you do it. Now get your pretty ass up there and sing me something.’
He stares at me, challenging me with his big brown eyes with gold flecks that sparkle anytime he looks at me. I remember them so well. I could stare into them all day and never feel lost.
‘What’s a conversation with me worth to you?’ I ask.
With that, he flashes a confident smile and stands from his chair. ‘Alright. I’ll sing something. For you.’ He makes his way to the guy that DJs this place. They talk for a few moments then Will takes the stage.
Tables of women cheer for him, realizing who he is immediately. I wouldn’t be surprised if the stage was covered in panties when he’s done. Then the music starts, and I’m suddenly invested.
‘Oh. My. God,’ Olivia says with a swoon. ‘He’s doing a song from one of her favorite movies.’
My heart slows as I realize the same thing – a movie I’ve made him watch a hundred times, easy. A rom-com involving Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles. 10 Things I Hate About You. A classic.
Will grins my way, singing the song animatedly, reminding me he’s a reality star with zero shame, pointing to me in all the right spots. The entire room’s invested in this performance. People have their phones out to record every second. Everyone trying to glimpse who this Portland Royal is singing his heart out to.
Bianca sits next to me, watching him with the same stupid smile I probably have. ‘How drunk is he? ’Cause he seems shockingly sober for a karaoke performance like this.’
‘He’s three months sober,’ Cole says.
My head snaps from Will to Bianca to Cole. ‘What?’
Cole nods slowly. ‘I probably shouldn’t say anything more.’
My gaze moves back to Will. We’re in a bar, and he’s sober? Here I am, literally puking drunk, something I never ever do, and I find out he’s sober. Why didn’t he tell me?
He sings the words he used to say to me daily, throwing his arms out exaggeratedly in my direction. Yes, I’m ear-to-ear grinning, enjoying every single second of this as he embarrasses himself with an impromptu performance that he’s selling in a way my poor heart is tossing money at.
When the song’s over, the crowd applauds him as he walks back over to us, his hands shyly shoved into his pockets, a goofy grin on his face and a hint of pink in his cheeks that wasn’t there before. He stops at the table, looking at me.
‘Well?’
‘That was, uh…’ I laugh to myself, unable to look away from him. ‘Pretty adorable, if I’m honest.’
I’m caving. I want to hear what he has to say. ‘You wanted to talk?’ I ask.
‘Yeah.’
‘My driver left without me, so I need a ride home.’
I can feel our friends’ heads flipping between us, following the conversation, but our eyes are only on each other.
‘I’ll drive you,’ he offers, pulling his keys from his pocket and extending a hand my way.
23
WILL
It takes her multiple tries to get the correct code into the security system, and considering I no longer know it, I can’t help besides offering to call her sister, which she refuses. Third try’s a charm and it turns out I did know it. The security code for the store is my birthday. Which has me wondering if her hating me with the venom of a thousand cobras might be a bit of an exaggeration?
‘No Williams or Willys in my room, so don’t even try it. I had to have an exorcism of you after you left, so don’t undo what cost me a hundred bucks to do, Adler,’ she says, struggling with the key in her apartment door.
‘You had your room exorcised of me?’ I laugh out loud. ‘Like I was a guy haunting you?’
She turns to me suddenly, her back against her door. ‘More like you were a demon poking my heart,’ she says like I’m a total imbecile, jabbing her finger into my chest.
When she’s satisfied that I understand, she goes back to the lock, turning the key, and opening her apartment door. I glance around her place with a relieved sigh. Everything is exactly as I saw it last and though I’ve never lived here like we’d planned so long ago, the place feels like home. A feeling I haven’t had in a very long time.
I close the door behind me, and when I turn back her way, she suddenly throws her arms around my neck, a mess of tears sliding down her cheeks.
‘Do you have any idea how worried I was?’ she asks through sobs.
I wrap my arms around her, holding her close. ‘I’m sorry,’ I say. ‘Honestly, I was a little scared you really did hate me.’
For a moment we just hold each other tightly. I breathe her in, wishing I never had to let her go again and that I never had to begin with.
‘My emotions were all over the place at the bar. I wanted to hug the hell out of you, but I needed to hate you too. What happened? Where did you go? I can barely sleep I’ve been so worried.’
‘You have? All this time you’ve made it seem like letting me go was so easy for you.’
‘Ha! Behind the scenes it was torture, like someone ripping off my fingernails. I still can’t find all the piece of my heart so I decided to miss you silently, and only on days that end in y.’ She pulls away, giving me a slight – yet hesitant – smile.
Unfortunately, I have no words because I’m finally able to look her over and she’s so much prettier than she was. Wearing a short black skirt with a slit up one side and a Blondie T-shirt tied at her waist, the strappy heels I bought her so long ago on her feet. Her hair’s now faded into a caramelly brown color that I’m quickly falling in love with.
‘First things first, happy birthday. You told me how pretty I was earlier, so it’s only fair I do the same. You’re even more gorgeous than the last time I saw you.’
She blushes, attempting – yet failing – to hide the grin sneaking up on her. ‘Thanks.’
‘The pleasure is all mine,’ I say, wandering her apartment, taking it all in. This place is completely her, yet I see memories of us everywhere. I can’t decide if that hurts or makes this all a little better.
‘How drunk are you right now?’ I ask. ‘On a scale of one to ten.’
‘Six?’ she says, dropping onto her couch, her hand resting on her head. ‘Although the headache says seven, I think it’s fading. I’m not drunk enough not to remember this or do something stupid. Just fuzzy.’
‘Alright, fuzzy works,’ I say, inhaling deeply as I walk to her, sitting next to her. ‘I’ve bee—’
‘Why would you do that, William?’
‘What part specifically are you referring to?’
‘Royals, Danika, drinking yourself nearly to death, all the flirting, and partying, and then disappearing for months. Why?’
‘Headed right into the battlefield, are we?’
‘Did you really not want me anymore?’
