Blurred Lines (Behind Closed Doors Book 2) (7 page)

“I've never...” He gasps.

“I can't believe you think I'd bullshit about something like—” Her voice catches and I suddenly realize Ashleigh is crying. “Well you did, right before you stopped me from going home with your best man and took me home yourself.”

I know I'm impersonating a fish as I stare at Sean. He appears to have turned to stone. He's even turned a concrete shade of pale grey. “I ... I...”

“I know, Sean.” She sighs again. There's no malice, or anger in her voice anymore. Just a real sadness that breaks my heart for her loss. “I gave up hoping you'd remember a long time ago and I thought I'd made it clear to you when I said I deserved better than someone who can't, or maybe won't, put me first.”

“You were talking about me?”

“I want something you can't give me.”

My heart breaks for her all over again, for both of them actually, because she'll never voice the words Sean needs to hear to make him choose her. A vicious little cycle of pain because he's married and unless he leaves his wife he can't make her happy. She'll never ask him to do that for her because she's too scared Anna will run to the nearest member of the press and my brother's a journalist, Anna knows exactly who to tell Sean has left her for Krystal Valentina. So I know that whatever Sean says is either going to end his marriage or end their friendship. I don't believe it. This is make or break for them.

“You’re right.” He looks away from me. “I can't and I never could.”

In that moment I'm sure I heard the shattering of Ashleigh's heart. When I look at Sean, he's staring out the window. He blinks a dozen times and then swallows. His Adam's apple makes a long and painfully slow motion in his throat.

“In that case, Sean.” I hear it in her voice as she breaks the horrible extended silence and I know what she is going to say before she says it. “I wish you and your family all the best in the future, but for the sake of your wife and daughter, I think it's best we don't see each other anymore.”

“What?” He turns back to look at the phone as though seeing it will change everything.

“You've made a choice. I respect that. If you love me at all, even just as a friend, you'll respect that I can't do this with you anymore. Goodbye, Sean.”

“Sparkle, wait!”

I look at the single word displayed on the handset of my cell as it fades to black; disconnected. Then I look up at Sean. As his gaze meets with mine, he says nothing. He just walks away.

#

There's a thump outside the bedroom door, followed by a crash and a curse. I scramble out of bed and gingerly run towards the door. “Wayne? Are you okay?”

“Stop!” he yells as I swing the door open. He's crouched on the floor and I wince at the pile of sticky oatmeal, orange juice, broken crockery and glass shards. “Don't come out here,” he says.

“What happened?” I ask. It's not like Wayne to be clumsy like this.

He curses. “Where's your damn brother, I'm going to be late.”

“He's gone home.” A thunderstorm of anger builds behind Wayne's eyes. “You knew they both were going back to New York last night.”

He hesitates. “So how come she's staying in LA for good?”

“What are you talking about?”

He frowns. “She didn't tell you?” He reaches for the soggy newspaper. Ashleigh and Dex are on the front page. I skim what I can of the text. Mimi has been fired from the soap opera she's starred in for years after an overdose ... I gasp. No, they must have that wrong. “It's a little unbelievable, isn't it? I was reading and walked into the door,” Wayne explains.

Whoever has written the article is claiming Mimi's replacement is her twin sister. “But she said she'd sell her soul to the devil himself before she'd let this happen.” What is she still doing here?

“Babe, I've got to go.” Wayne looks at the mess still on the floor and guilt plays with his expression.

“Go, I'm fine.” He hesitates. “Honestly, babe. I'll take it easy. I swear. I'll just clear this up, have some toast and then have a long soak in the bath.” I precariously step over the mess and broken glass.

“Promise me that's all you'll do.” Hadn't I just done that? “Precious, I don't want to leave you alone all day.”

I know what he means. It's the first time I'll be on my own all day but it's got to happen someday, right? “I'll call you if I need anything.”

Butterflies wake up in my tummy as he nods, leans forward and kisses my cheek. “I'll check on you first chance. Lock the door behind me.” I follow him to the door, close it, turn the key in the lock and for extra measure bolt it too. I walk to the window and watch the car drive away. It's a rental because ours is still with the forensic team. And after what happened to me the last time I was in it, I don't ever want it back. Shudder.

I check the windows are locked. That's it. I know I'm secure in our apartment, but ... It's the fact that I'm alone that unnerves me. So I'll just stay here for a little while, by the window where I can see who comes and who goes from the little complex where we live.

Chapter Eight

I blink, shake myself out of the blank place my mind has been and turn to Wayne. He's hovering at the threshold of our bedroom door and rubbing a towel into his damp sun streaked hair. He's wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist and staring at me. I think he's waiting for something. “Um, sorry, what?”

“You're by the window again,” he says.

“And your point is?” What is he? The window police? Am I not allowed to stand by the window in my own apartment and watch the world go by?

He steps forward. Closer and closer until I feel uncomfortable with how close he's getting. I try not to let it show on my face but I think he knows because he stops. “Fancy a walk along the beach tonight?”

No. I don't want to walk along the beach. I don't want to think about the promise of watching our children play in the sand. The promises I don’t know if I can keep anymore. “No, I'm okay.”

“Julia—”

I try not to roll my eyes. I'm fully aware of the fact that I haven't left out apartment since I came home from the hospital six weeks ago. And I'm fully aware that all I do is stand at the window and watch the world go by. Honestly, I'm not crazy. I don't need the shrink Wayne thinks I should see. I'm quite happy and content to be at home. What's more, I'm safe.

“Don't roll your eyes at me, Julia. I'm worried.”

“I was attacked by some freak,” I remind him and he flinches. “How do I know it's not going to happen again?” He flinches again.

I seemed totally alright with it when we had this conversation before. I mean, when he told me I wasn't safe and I was fine. I keep telling myself that I've more chance of being hit by a bus than being attacked again but still... I can't seem to shift the feeling like I'm being watched all the time and I try to pull myself away from the window, really I do, but I just want to know who is watching me.

“How about...” The warm touch of his hand on my shoulder makes my insides shudder. Wayne's eyes darken but he pretends not to have noticed. “I give Ashleigh a call and we'll go around for coffee.”

I look at him. “Am I really that bad that you'll resort to asking Ashleigh for help?”

His weak smile looks more like a grimace, so I guess I have my answer. “It'll probably be good for her considering the whole Dex debacle.”

“What Dex debacle?” I haven't spoken to her in days. She's been busy reestablishing her career as Krystal Valentina. The last time we spoke he'd cancelled their night together because he was feeling under the weather and didn't want her to catch it. “What's going on?” And why does Wayne know and I don't?

“He was caught in Vegas with an unnamed blonde, three days ago.” Wayne smirks. Like somehow Dex's indiscretions let him off the hook for his. The smile has that smug I-told-you-so curve and he whispers, “I told you she was un-dateable.”

I slap his shoulder as I scold him. “That's an awful thing to say.” I grab my keys, my purse and my cell and I turn and walk out the door. Sheer determination gets me as far as the car park until I see our car. The very same one that I was attacked in. I stop. An awareness of everything creeps into my blood stream. I'm still being watched.

Screeching brakes catch my attention. I'm standing in the middle of the car park as a Bentley convertible, totally out of place in our district, spins off the street and straight towards me. Brakes screech again, the car comes to a sharp halt, and the driver blasts the horn at me.

The top is up so I can't see who's behind the wheel. My heart rate begins to gallop as the door opens. Time seems to move in slow motion as a super tall blonde with legs that go on forever climbs out of the car. She's wearing the smallest, tightest dress imaginable that leaves nothing for the imagination, and she shakes the waves of blonde curls from shielding her face and they bounce around her waist as she removes the set of dark designer shades from her heavily made up eyes. She smiles at me. “Hey, Julia! You going somewhere?”

“Ashleigh?” I know my jaw is hanging open but that can't be my best friend. She... she looks like... like Mimi.

“Oh no, darling, haven't you heard? I'm Katrina Valentina's funnier, sexier, bitchier twin sister Krystal.” She corrects me with a hint of that bitchier sarcasm the press have been all over since she took Katrina's place on the soap six weeks ago. “I've just been at a promo shoot for Sunset’s
hottest storyline, featuring yours truly of course, and I was passing. Thought maybe we could have a coffee and a chat?”

I can't get over it. The hair, the nails, the golden skin tone, the eyes! The sharp contrasts to the Ashleigh I know and love, who's hidden behind a veneer of plastic. What the hell happened to my best friend? “Coffee sounds like a great place to start.”

“Julia!” I turn around to see Wayne running out on to the asphalt in bare feet. He's wearing a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. His hair is still a little damp. “Precious, are you alright?” He pays no attention to Ashleigh and gathers me into his arms. “You nearly got yourself run over.”

Ashleigh burst out laughing. “Gee, Wayne, you gonna write me up for speeding?”

“Ash?” He chokes on his gasp and has to clear his throat. His eyes take a good long look, all the way down to the five inch heels, and back up. He looks at her in a way that summons my own green eyed monster and makes me want to hit him, until he says, “I thought the devil only took souls as currency but it looks like he took your IQ as well.” Ash hisses and splutters, and then narrows her eyes as she curses him to hell. But Wayne just laughs and says, “Well, I guess you didn't need the IQ after you steal someone else's life. How's your sister by the way?”

I actually don't know what happened between Ashleigh and Mimi and Ash won't explain it. I haven't really done much to get the truth from her to be honest. My head's been elsewhere for most of the last six weeks, but whenever she's visited and Wayne's been there, he pushes it. He thinks what she did to Mimi after Mimi was fired is horrible. He chooses to remind her every time he sees her. He also taken to teasing her, saying she only did it so she wouldn't have to endure the humiliation of returning to New York after Sean chose his wife and family over her. I don't correct him. Ash doesn't talk about it which is only making him more antagonistic.

“Well, this has been fun,” Ashleigh sings after Wayne mentions Sean's name. “But I really must go.”

“I thought we were going for coffee.”

“Sorry, Jules, I just remembered I've something to do for Mom.”

“One quick question, Ash.” Wayne seems to be enjoying himself by winding her up. “Do your ears burn a lot? Because I hear Mimi has made friends with Sean's wife.”

“I'm sorry, who?” she replies.

“Your best friend's wife and your sister are friends and they really only have one thing in common. You.”

Her eyes darken, her lips form a grim line and she hisses, “He is not my anything anymore. In fact, he's nothing to me and neither is she.” She swings open her car door as she continues, “They're dead to me.”

I don't know what happened. Didn't she end the friendship? I was there when she did it. What did she expect him to do? Go after her? Change his mind? Surely she knows him better than that. He was never going to choose her. He's governed by what he thinks is the right thing to do.

“Mind how you drive, Ash.” Wayne laughs. “Wouldn't want you to get a ticket.”

I slap his shoulder. “Leave her be!” She drives away. “I don't know, Wayne, you want me to go out, so I attempt to go out for coffee with Ash and you chase her away. What's wrong with you?”

He wraps his arms around my waist and draws me near. “I'm sorry, precious. Why don't we go for a walk instead? I'll buy you an ice cream from that place you love to make it up to you.”

“Fine.” I sigh. Life's too short to be mad at him over this, and it's far too short to be piggy in the middle between him and Ash. I pray that one day they'll forget this childish one-up-manship and be civilized to one another, but until then I'm going to try and stay out of it. “Just, no car alright?”

I follow him into the apartment and stand by the window. I'm not really looking at anything because my mind is spinning all of a sudden. Life's too short. I almost died and while I stay here, locked up in our apartment where I think I'm safe, I'm not living my life. The crazy man who attacked me is winning anyway.

“You ready, precious?” Wayne's voice is soft again. I hate the way he speaks to me sometimes. It's like he thinks I'm going to break.

I turn and walk away from the window and the surprise in his expression surges my confidence. “I've changed my mind.” He frowns. “Let's go to city hall.”

“What?”

“Let's get married.”

“I'm sorry, did you just say—”

“Yes.”

“But what about—”

“I don't need the flashy dress, the hundreds of guests, the posh car or the seven tier cake. All we really need to get that piece of parchment is right here.” I wave my hand between us.

Wayne swallows and then nods. “But our families are going to be pissed if we don't tell them when and where.”