CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Marly
The sardonic curveof Jack’s mouth angled into a sharp grin and fear froze me in place.Maybe he doesn’t recognize me. Maybe he didn’t even see me. I spun, facing the other way and pulled the wig in front of my face.
Jude was right—we should have waited until we were back in the room. What the hell was I thinking? Publicly making out with a man I wasn’t even a co-star with yet? Spreading my legs for him in public with no panties on? How many actresses had I seen flash the paparazzi accidentally? And each time, I judged them—couldn’t believe how stupid they were for taking that risk.Now look who’s stupid.The whole night screamed of poor decision. I knew the moment Jude saw my ex by the way his brows pulled together and his touch on my spine went stiff.
“Marlena Taylor.” Jack’s smoother than-butter voice was quiet, but it managed to cut through the ambient noise of the club easily. “I thought that was you. The hair almost got me—threw me off for a hot second. But I’d know those freckles anywhere.”
Jude reached out a hand, an uncharacteristic smile crossing his face. “Jack,” he said. “I’m surprised to see you here.”
I was frozen. Physically frozen and unable to move like someone had shoved me into a meat locker. “Jude Fisher.” Jack’s smug smile kicked up higher at the corners. He placed a palm to his chest, introducing himself. “Good to see you again.”
“I wish I could say the same,” Jude snarled.
Jack looked to me, his eyes blazing and his mouth twisted into a calculating grin. “Marlena. Aren’t you going to say hi?”
My lips pressed into a firm line and the exhale that crept from my nose flared my nostrils.
“What do you want, Jack?” I whispered, even though I doubted anyone could hear us over the music.
He lifted a chin toward Jude, waving his phone in the air. “Oh, I’m sure your fiancé would love to see what you’re up to tonight.” Jack sneered, scrolling through his phone, he paused and held up an image he had snapped of us moments before. His grin was as slick as his hair.
There was a low growl that came from Jude and I put a hand to his chest, rolling my shoulders back and squaring off in front of Jack. “Omarknowswhere I am. This is just research for a potential part.”
“Yeah. I know all about your ‘research’ for roles, don’t I, babe?” Moving past us, he clapped Jude on the back. “Enjoy her while you’ve got her, man,” he winked. “Shereallygets into her roles.”
He barely got the words out before Jude swung his fist at Jack’s face. The cracking of knuckle on jaw was unlike any sound I’d ever heard. Jack hit the floor, without even an attempt to get up or fight back.
Jude bent over his body, fisting his maroon Prada shirt. “Shut the fuck up with these lies about Marly. We all know they’re total bullshit. Be a fucking man and stop pissing and moaning because you got dumped. If I hear from even one more person that you’re still perpetuating this bullshit, you’llneverdirect for Silhouette Studios or anywhere else I am connected again.”
He didn’t wait for Jack to respond, simply tossed him back down like he was a piece of lint from his sleeve. Taking my hand, he tugged me beyond the bar toward the back exit. “Come on,” he whispered, kissing my forehead as we shoved through the murmuring crowd.
Looking over my shoulder, I saw a crowd congregating around Jack and camera phones snapped picture after picture. “What thefuck, Jude?” I tried to wrench my hand out of his hold, but Jude held on tightly, pulling me to the back door.
“Stop it!Stop!” Pete was already waiting by the back door, his foot propping it open.
Jude spun to face me, cupping my jaw. “Marly, listen to me… we need to get out of here before someone gets a picture of us here.”
“Maybe you should have thought about that beforepunchinghim,” I hissed. “No one would have noticed if we had just slipped out!” Oh, God. This wasn’t happening. Cameras were going to be everywhere. They could check security footage or other patrons would be looking for my face in the crowd now. I squeezed my eyes shut, mirroring the squeezing shame in my chest.
Jude pulled his hands from my face and sighed. “I know, okay! I know… can we talk about this on the way?” he gestured to the door, grabbing keys from his pocket. The commotion grew louder, coming toward us. I nodded stiffly, rushing out the back door.
We were in Jude’s car, racing through the streets within seconds. Anxiety fluttered in my chest. No, fluttered was too delicate. It stampeded my chest, making it hard to breathe.
Jude sped down the streets of LA, fast enough to get away, but not so quickly that we would get pulled over. About fifteen minutes later, he pulled up to a locked gate, punched a code into the keypad and sped into his driveway. The house was massive. Almost three times the size of mine and with another push of a button, a garage door lifted. He slid in between an SUV I didn’t recognize and my own car on the right. It looked like the nerdy girl stuck at the cool kid table beside these amazing vehicles.
I got out of the car and Jude opened the side door to his home. Jude Fisher’s house. I had to give myself a mental slap to snap out of it. We entered an enormous white stone and marble kitchen; the sort of kitchen that was so pristine, I wondered if it had ever been cooked in, even once. “Jude.” My voice was hoarse and he ignored me, pulling his cell phone out.
“Yes, we’re here,” he clipped, holding a finger up to silence me. “We’re fine. How is Jack?” There was silence as I strained to hear the mumbled voice on the other end of the line. “What are the chances he’ll press charges?”
Dress shoes clacked against the marble as Jude paced back and forth around the kitchen island. “Grab Marlena’s things from our room upstairs. Rosie will meet you in the garage to bring them inside.”
He hung up and tossed his phone onto the island, dragging a hand down his face, then landed both hands on his hips. “Dammit, I never should have taken you out in public to the club. It was stupid and risky and I’m so sorry, Marlena.”
I swallowed. “I never thought Jack would be in a place like LnS. He was always so… vanilla.”
“This is my fault. I should have been more careful. It was my job to be more careful.”
