Burning Up (24 page)

Sincerely,

Jacob Roberts

H & Roberts Law

I stared at the letter in horror. Alicia was pregnant? The letter was dated back to April, and quickly, I began counting back the dates, trying desperately to convince myself that Jared couldn’t possibly be the father, but no matter how many times I did the calculations, there was still every chance that he could be. We’d been apart for so long, and I would be an idiot to believe that he couldn’t possibly have slept with her. My mind spun as I remembered that night at the club, the two of them together, her tongue in his ear. My stomach lurched, and scrambling to my feet, I ran for the en suite bathroom across the room. Grasping the toilet, I heaved and coughed dramatically. Flopping onto the floor and resting my back against the wall, I held my head in my hands. Tears were stinging my eyes, but I was determined to stay strong.

The click of the office door caught my attention.

“What the …”

Jared had clearly seen the mass of papers on the floor. Getting to my feet and with anger coursing through my body, I thrust open the bathroom door. Jared froze on the spot, standing rigidly in the center of the room and gave me a confused look.

“Layla? What the hell are you doing here? Did you do this?”

He gestured at the splayed papers. Storming over, I shoved him hard on the chest. He staggered back slightly. Fury, pain, and hurt filled me as I slapped him hard across the face.

“You asshole!”

Taking my wrists tightly in his hands, he held me close to him.

“Layla, stop. What’s going on? What are you even doing here?”

I tried to struggle free, but it was no use. He was too strong. Falling to my knees, I lost control, and sobbing, I broke down with Jared still clasping desperately to my wrists. He knelt in front of me, released my hands, and searched my face as I stared at him, shaking with anger and distress.

“Layla, please. I don’t understand what’s happened. Please, baby, talk to me. I beg you.”

Shaking my head, I sniffed and swiped at my eyes.

“You just can’t do it, can you?”

His eyebrows pinched as he continued to look at me in bewilderment.

“Honesty, Jared. You just can’t do it. First you send your damn watchdog to find me and drag me back to your house. And then, I come here and find out not only do you have a whole host of crazy bitches stalking you, but I also discover that you’re a father!”

Cupping my face in his palms, he forced me to look at him. His deep blue eyes pierced my heart.

“No, I swear to you, I am not the father of that child. You have to believe me, Layla. I can’t be. It’s impossible. I never had sex with Alicia. When you left me, I was devastated. I couldn’t even look at another woman, let alone fuck her. Please, you have to believe me. She’s sick. She’s fucking twisted and she’s desperate. I’m not the father of that child, Layla. Please, you have to believe me.”

I could hear the panic and desperation in his voice. I wanted to believe him, but I couldn’t.

“I’ve tried to prove it but every time I even suggest a DNA test, she bursts into tears and threatens me with a lawsuit for emotional distress! Her lawyer is a damn Rottweiler! He’s ruthless and she’s playing every damn card in the deck.  Swear I am not the father.”

I sniffled and shook my head. “I don’t believe you. I can’t. You lie to me all the time and I’m so caught up in your web that I can’t even fight myself free of them. I can’t do this. Is that what she wanted at the Hyatt that night? Is that what you were arguing about?”

Taking my hands in his, his eyes scanned my face. “Layla, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, I couldn’t. I was trying to protect you.”

I snatched my hands from his grasp. “No! You decided, once again, that you knew what was best for me and you were trying to protect yourself, not me! I’m done. She wants you so much? She wins. She can have you!”

Scrambling to my feet, I ran for the door. I glanced behind me as I reached the elevator, but he wasn’t following me. Good. I didn’t want Jared Garrett anywhere near me ever again!

My heart in tatters, I shuffled out of the building and stood on the sidewalk. Rain was pouring heavily and my mascara-stained cheeks were burning from the tears I’d been crying. I started walking. I had no idea where I was going or what I would do. I headed for my parents place. It was the only place I could imagine to go. I’d have to send my father for my things. I didn’t want to run the risk of seeing Jared again.

The wintry shower was a reminder of just how far I was from home, my real home. The evening was drawing in, and the darkness had already fallen. Trying to calm my nerves, I stopped a moment and held my hand to my chest. I looked around and spotted a bar on the far side of the street. Marching over, I pushed my way through the doors and breathed a sigh of relief. It was quiet, and I was grateful for it. I was desperate for some space, silence, and room to catch my breath again. Walking up to the bar, I ordered a whiskey and lime.

“You won’t like it. Cosmos seem more your drink.”

Shaking my head a little, I wondered if I was going crazy. It
couldn’t
be. Pushing the thoughts from my mind, I told myself that I was simply overtired, and my mind was playing tricks on me. Taking my drink, I pressed it to my lips and took a large mouthful. It was awful. The sharp and burning liquid slid down my throat, and I cringed. The voice came again, behind me. This time it was closer. It was right behind me.

“I told you that you wouldn’t like it.”

I definitely didn’t imagine that! My body instantly reacted to the smooth, warm and delicious tones of his voice. My blood heated, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and my entire body became acutely aware of his presence.

I turned around slowly. My heart was racing and the rain dripped gently from my hair and over my heavily rising and falling chest. My breath caught in my lungs as my eyes landed on the beautiful man in front of me. His long dark hair was tousled as it always was and had that damp, yet sexy rock god look. His lip ring glistened in the dim light and his delicious brown eyes gazed at me with an intensity that caused my heart to skip a beat. I held my hand to my chest firmly. He sauntered over, and as his body stood inches from my own, I could feel the warmth of his breath on my face.

"Hey, super star."

My heart was in my throat as I stared into the pair of big brown eyes currently gazing back at me. My pulse was racing as adrenaline continued to surge through my body, and for a moment I wondered if I was hallucinating from grief!

Reaching out his hand, he brushed the wet and limp strands of hair from my face and smiled.

“Wow. Layla Jennings is speechless. I never thought I’d see that happen.”

I stammered and stuttered as I struggled to get my head around what was happening.

“Ollie? I … what? What are you doing here?”

I could hardly force the words from my mouth.

“Business,” he said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

I shook my head and backed away from him slightly.

“Ollie, I …”

Shoving his hands into his pockets, he shrugged. “Well, this was fun. I’ll see you around.”

He turned on his heel and moved to walk away. A bolt of fear ran through me, and I found myself suddenly reaching for him. Catching his shirt, I clasped it and pulled him back toward me. He spun around, and opening his arms, he pulled me close into a tight embrace. My head rested on his shoulder as tears streamed down my face. Ollie’s arms tightened further around me and his damp hair pressed against my forehead.

“Careful, Layla. Anyone would think you were pleased to see me.”

Pressing my palms on his chest, I pushed away from him gently and shook my head.

“I’m so mad at you right now. I’m shocked, confused, angry, and upset, but I’ve also never been so happy to see you.”

He nodded gently and glanced over at the window. The rain was getting heavier. My hair now resembled a wet mop, and my clothes were soaked through to my underwear. Squinting, Ollie gave me a half smile.

“You look like you could use a drink. I mean one you might actually be able to stomach. You’re still new at this shit, I see.”

Holding out his hand for mine, the corner of his mouth curved up.

“I won’t fucking bite it, Layla. Christ.”

I gave him a sarcastic roll of my eyes and placed my hand in his. It was surreal. Five minutes ago my whole world was falling apart, and now I was being led to a table by my ex in a bar in London. If I wasn’t utterly freezing and shivering from the cold and crying, I would have been convinced that I was dreaming! Though this still had the potential to turn into a living nightmare. I mean, Ollie was hardly in London to go sightseeing, but I was desperate to know exactly what he was there for. Life was about to get a whole lot more complicated. I’d had enough complicated to last me a lifetime. I had a million questions, and staring at Ollie, I wondered if I really wanted to know the answers.

* * * *

The bar was dimly lit and had the style of a typical English pub. It was fairly empty aside from a handful of men in sports jerseys sitting at the bar and a few older groups and couples dotted around the room. Ollie sipped his beer and cringed.

“
That
is disgusting. What the fuck is that?”

Taking the glass from him, I took a small mouthful myself. He was right; it was vile!

“Oh my god! That beer sucks.”

Clearly the Brits couldn’t do a decent beer. Resting back in his seat, Ollie stared at me expectantly. I let out a long sigh.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Shrugging, he chuckled. “I guess I’m still trying to absorb the fact that you’re here.”

I gave him a confused look. “How did you even end up here, Ollie?”

Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on the table. “Amy. She had the address for your place in London and for the douchebag’s office. I figured if you weren’t at one, you’d be at the other. I thought I’d maybe surprise you. Shake things up a bit. But I got tired and decided to grab a beer.”

Did everyone have some kind of homing device locked on to me these days? I rolled my eyes and dropped my head into my hands.

“You realize how fucked up this is, right? It’s borderline stalking!”

Ollie threw his head back and laughed. I watched him in bewilderment. I didn’t see anything humorous about the whole situation.

“What is so funny?”

Shaking his head, he tried to calm his chuckling.

“Nothing. It’s just don’t you think that’s a little fucking rich coming from you? I mean, it seems everywhere I went in L.A. there you were. Amy and Mel’s place? The bar and the coffee shop?”

I stared at him.

“I’m not blind, Layla. I saw you in there with Kate. The windows are made of fucking glass, you know. I even watched you run off out the back. What are we, like ten? You couldn’t even have a grown up conversation with me?”

Slamming my hand on the table, I leaned in and growled at him in a low tone.

“Grown up conversation? Are you serious? I tried to talk to you in that lobby and you treated me like a used up, dirty, and cheap ex lover!”

“Well maybe, I was and still am a little fucking pissed at you! You told me you loved me, broke my heart, and then ran away to New York! Oh, and let’s not forget that all of that information was brought to me by the great power of a fucking cell phone! Besides, I’m not here for you. I hate to break it to you, Princess, but my world doesn’t revolve around you anymore. DOA got head hunted, and I’m scoping things out before we make any decisions. I just figured I might as well look you up while I was here. It’s not the fucking Layla Jennings Show, believe it or not.””

I pressed my lips together and said nothing. What could I say? Taking a deep breath, I looked across the table at him. He looked … different. He wasn’t the young, college guy I remembered. The Ollie sitting in front of me was … so much more. His eyes were full of pain, experience, and something else that I just couldn’t place. His clothes were different, too. Black jeans, converse sneakers, and a black tee. Slowly dragging my eyes down his body, I stopped as I caught sight of something new.

“You got a new tattoo?”

Glancing at his arm, Ollie nodded and took another gulp of his awful beer.

“Yeah.”

I reached out to lift his sleeve to look at it, but he caught my wrist in his hand and shook his head.

“It’s just ink.”

Letting me go, he lifted his knee and rested his foot on the edge of the chair.

“What are you doing here, Ollie?”

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a folded piece of paper and dropped it on the table in front of him.

“I thought maybe you could explain this.”

Sliding it toward me, he gestured for me to take it.

I opened it with trepidation. It was a sheet from the personalized music book I had sent him for his birthday. Biting my lip, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before handing it back to him.

“It was just a birthday gift. That’s all.”

Snatching it from my grasp, Ollie crumpled it in his palm and tossed it across the room at the fireplace that was roaring away in the corner.

“Then I guess I don’t need it or the shit that I wrote in it. One less piece of hand luggage, I guess.”

Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out the rolled up book and stood quickly.

“No!” I yelled at him.

Raising an eyebrow, he turned and sat back down, dropping the book on the table.

“But I thought it didn’t mean anything?”

I let out a long sigh. “It didn’t. I mean, I don’t know. I wanted to send you a gift on your birthday. I wanted you to know I was thinking about you, and that I still care, Ollie.”

“Thanks. I’ll file that under meaningless sentimental crap. It’s not like I haven’t heard that kind of shit before.”

I glared at him and pushed my chair away from the table. “You want to be all bitter about it, be my fucking guest, Ollie.”

He snickered and shook his head in amusement. “Wow. Look who grew some claws. I’m not bitter, Layla. I just don’t believe the shit you say anymore. It never means anything. I car, I love you … it’s all just words. This shit is getting old. Aren’t you sick of pretending already?”

I gave him a perplexed look. “What do you mean, pretending?”

He rolled his eyes. “That you’re so fucking happy here. That you don’t miss your home. Or how about the fact that you still run hot and cold for me?”

I gawked at him. I wanted to respond with a sharp comment, but I didn’t have one.

“Don’t deny it. I saw the way your eyes gazed at me as I backed you against that wall. The way your body trembled as mine got closer and closer. Or the way you licked your lips, begging and enticing me to kiss them. You can’t hide it, Layla. Your whole body screams that you want me, even if you try to convince yourself that you don’t.”

Turning away from him, I closed my eyes and tried to stop the thoughts that were flooding my brain. His hands on my body, his breath on my neck, and his lips on my skin … it was intoxicating.

“Tell me that this is where you want to be, Layla. Tell me you’re happy and that you never even think of me, and I’ll leave. I’ll leave you and this whole conversation behind. But if there’s even one single shred of doubt, then come and get on that plane back to L.A. with me. Come back to your life, friends, family, and your home.”

Tears began gently falling over my cheeks. “I can’t just leave.”

“Why the hell not? Are you telling me that those tears you were fucking crying when I showed up were nothing?”

I opened my mouth to speak, but quickly closed it again, deciding that I wasn’t in the mood to discuss what had happened in Jared’s office.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Whatever. Lie to
yourself
all you fucking want, but don’t sit here and try and tell me that you’re happy. I’m not a fucking idiot.”

Exhaling loudly, Ollie raked his fingers through his long black hair.

Rounding the table, he knelt in front of me, and lifting my chin, he rested his forehead against mine. His lips were so close to mine that the electricity pulsating in the air between us was almost tangible.

“Tell me to leave,” he breathed. “Tell me that I don’t make you feel that uncontrollable heat every time I’m near you. Tell me you don’t want me.”

But I couldn’t force the words to leave my lips.

“I can’t,” I whispered in response.

The tip of Ollie’s nose brushed gently against mine as his eyes scanned my own. I took in a sharp breath, and as if he read my mind, Ollie pressed his lips firmly to mine. The cool metal of his lip ring made me smile at the remembered pleasures. His hands cupped my jaw, deepening the kiss. My mouth opened instinctively, allowing his tongue to brush gently against my own. My hands slid into his hair, gripping it between my fingers as he kissed me. It was familiar, hot, and frantic, and completely took me over. I couldn’t stop. I wanted to kiss him for hours. I wanted to be tangled up with his body against mine. I wanted
him
.

“Ahem.”

The sound of a man coughing beside us caught me by surprise. Pushing Ollie away from me, I looked up to find a scowling Daniel standing over us. Ollie stood up, and grinning, he picked up his glass and sipped at his drink before excusing himself and heading for the bathroom.

Flushed, red, and caught like a deer in headlights, I looked up at Daniel.

“Daniel … I …“

Holding up his hand to silence me, he frowned. “I don’t want or need to hear it. You know why I’m here.”

I nodded. “Of course I do. I didn’t think it would take him long to track me down. Tell me, how did he do it this time?”

Daniel sighed heavily. “Does it matter? The point is he’s out of his fucking mind with worry and he’s tearing the damn house apart waiting for you to come home. He’s frantic. Please, come with me and just talk to him. He wants to explain.”

I snorted a laugh. “There’s nothing to talk about, and I don’t want to hear his fucking explanations. He had his chance.”

“But it’s not what you think. I know you think I’m on his side, but you know I would never want to see you hurt …“

“Hurt?” I interrupted. “Hurt is the understatement of the fucking year, Daniel! I’m angry, upset, confused, betrayed, humiliated, and feel like the biggest fool in the world! I left everything,
everything
to be with him, and this is what I get for it? This is the life I’m going to lead? Being followed, watched, and hounded like a poor, lost little puppy and wrapped up in lies, deceit, and Jared’s money? No!”

“Please, Layla. I can’t explain it all, but I swear that it’s just all a huge mess. Felix will do anything to get to Jared and you would be a necessary collateral damage. Do you really want him to win?”

Slamming my hand on the table, I roared so loud that the entire bar fell silent.

“I don’t give a shit about Felix and his fucking vendetta! Even if it’s not true, he kept it from me. He lied to me and once again, he decided that he knew what was best for me. I’m not coming back, Daniel. You have two choices. You can run away back to Jared and tell him what you saw here. Or, you can be my friend and give me the damn space, air, and time to get as far away from this fucked up situation as possible.”