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CHAPTER THREE

  Dani

  Lincoln offered to drive me back to the hotel once we finished packing. I'd agreed only because the only thing more terrifying than getting into his truck, was riding in a car with a stranger, whose only goal in life was to get me from point A to point B in as little as time as possible.

  The drive back wasn't as awkward as the drive there.

  Mainly because I was getting used to him, sort of. You know, if it was possible to get used to good-looking men who smiled — a lot.

  He was a smiler.

  I hadn't expected that.

  Most of the pictures I'd seen of him were shirtless-brooding-angsty — total opposites of the guy sitting next to me. The guy who packed a pig with him everywhere he went.

  A pig.

  It had been on the tip of my tongue to tell him about the pig my parents had gotten me when I was little. I'd told them it was stupid to count sheep; ergo, Patsy the Pig had arrived and helped me dream only good dreams.

  I still had her.

  It was more common ground, something I felt like we needed, since I might as well have been an alien to him.

  But the minute I'd opened my mouth to try, to really try, the only thing I could force out was a weak noise that sounded like I was trying to hum.

  Totally embarrassed — that's what I did. I hummed because I didn't want him to think I had Tourette's on top of everything else. That's exactly what he needed, someone who just blurted out random noises for no reason.

  I held my groan in until he dropped me off, making me promise to show up the next morning bright and early…

  I waved.

  And he waved back, something I wasn't used to. Typically, once people discovered I was mute, they stopped noticing me, almost like I didn't deserve the attention because I couldn't properly contribute to the conversation. It sucked. Sometimes my own sister even did it, though I knew that was on purpose.

  It was also why one of my best friends, Demetri, had come up with the whole texting thing.

  It had basically saved my life.

  Then again, he'd basically saved my life, both he and Alec, lead singers for AD2.

  It was strange, going from fan-girling over the guys to having them by my side after the accident. They would have left — should have left Seaside, but they'd wanted to put down roots, so when they weren't traveling, they lived there full-time.

  Demetri lived next door to me.

  He'd been there the first night things had gone dark.

  I still don't know why it happened, or how…

  My leg was still healing from the accident, and I'd been told I had to exercise it as much as possible.

  Walking at night was my mom's and my favorite thing to do, so I went for walks and talked to the stars and sometimes, I really believed they talked back.

  I didn't hear the car coming.

  All I saw were lights.

  And then screaming.

  So much screaming I had to cover my ears because I thought my eardrums were going to explode.

  Demetri was with me, not that he could have done anything to prevent it, just like I couldn't do anything to prevent the screaming.

  My voice was hoarse.

  Completely gone.

  On the outside, I was fine.

  The car had missed me just in time.

  But on the inside?

  I was absolutely destroyed.

  I had no idea who was driving it, just that it was a black Mercedes AMG. The plates had even been a blur. Not that it mattered since the person hadn't actually hurt me.

  I think I'd been hurt before that night, my emotions hanging by a thread, and then the car had acted like scissors, snapping the thread in half, leaving me falling into a pit of despair.

  I hit the penthouse level again and waited, praying the elevator wouldn't do the creepy thing it had before.

  A short Asian girl with dark hair ran toward the elevator. "Can you hold it please?"

  I nodded and pressed the button, but the doors wouldn't re-open. They closed with her yelling "Bitch" in my face.

  That was another thing that sucked about being mute.

  People constantly thought I was stuck up or rude.

  My own friends — friends I no longer had in my contact list — had told me I acted like a bitch.

  It had hurt.

  It still hurt. And sometimes I wondered if that was true, or maybe this was my punishment for not being thankful enough during high school.

  The elevator dipped, then soared to the top floor and opened.

  I quickly let myself into the large suite and quietly went into my room. Tomorrow we were returning to Seaside since filming would be starting.

  I shivered.

  Seaside used to be home.

  Now? It held just about every bad memory it could.

  Because, everywhere I walked, I saw my parents and every time I closed my eyes, I woke up thinking they were still alive.

  Only to realize within a few seconds that it wasn't just a bad dream — they were dead.

  I stuffed a few pillows behind me so I was sitting up in bed and grabbed my phone to check my text messages. I needed a good distraction.

  Demetri: I heard from a bird, also known as my brother, that you're the new assistant to Lincoln Greene? Tell me; is he as scary as his sister? That bitch still makes me want to slap a woman, and you know me, I'm all about love — no violence. It's in the songs…

  With a laugh, I wrote him back and sent a few emojis of smiley faces with hearts in their eyes.

  Dani: I can't imagine you slapping anyone. Wouldn't that ruin your manicure?

  Demetri: Take it back!

  He sent a picture of his angry face. The guy was seriously hot. Married, taken, and completely happy — but hot. No sane girl could ignore his crazy dimples, blond hair, and crystal blue eyes. He was like a younger version of Brad Pitt and Paul Walker's love child — it was its own hashtag.

  Dani: Sorry. You're pretty?

  Demetri: I'll take it.

  Dani: He thinks I'm stupid.

  Demetri: Impossible. Did the bastard actually say that?

  Dani: No, *I* say that.

  Demetri: Do we need to have that talk again where I make you list all my favorite things about you, little sis?

  I smiled through my tears. I'd never had brothers; I didn't count the two guys that my parents used to support down in Haiti, even though my sister often did. Demetri and Alec were as close as I'd ever gotten. I imagined they were even better than the real thing.

  Dani: No, weak moment. Sorry.

  Demetri: Tell you what, when you get into town tomorrow I'll take you out for ice cream, and we can throw taffy at Alec when he's rehearsing.

  Dani: One of my favorite things in the world!

  Demetri: Mine too. Also, fair warning, he's been getting basically no sleep since the baby was born so, if he snaps at you, it's not you, it's him.

  Dani: K

  Demetri: You swear he was nice to you?

  Dani: Who?

  Demetri: Don't play dumb. You know who. Lincoln freaking let me take off my top Greene.

  Dani: Crap, do you think I should have played harder to get?

  Demetri: WTH?!

  Dani: Kidding. Joke. Ha ha?

  Demetri: Dude would be lucky to still be breathing. Don't scare me like that. I'm getting old. I have a weak heart.

  Dani: Aren't you twenty-two?

  Demetri: Hold on, let me get my magnifying glass so I can see this tiny, tiny typing.

  Dani: Go to bed.

  Demetri: Only if you go to bed and promise me you'll try this summer.

  Dani: Try?

  Demetri: To have fun like a normal teenager. I'm not suggesting drugs and alcohol or all night orgies. Maybe go see a movie, remember what those are? Swim naked in the ocean but don't tell your sister I encouraged said behavior. Just live, Dani.

  Dani: It's late.

  Demetri: Don't it's late me! Just say yes, Demetri.

>   I smiled and texted back a thumbs up with a girl sleeping.

  Dani: Yes, Demetri.

  Demetri: Good girl.

  Dani: Good boy.

  Demetri: Hilarious.

  Dani: Say hi to Lyss for me.

  Demetri: Will do.

  I set my phone on the nightstand then stood up and paced my room. Maybe he was right. I needed to do something fun this summer. After all, I was only going to be seventeen for another month. And then I'd be an adult.

  Without any clue about my future or what I even wanted to do.

  Every time I thought about moving away from Seaside, I started getting all panicky, yet staying there did the same thing.

  It was as if no matter what I did — the anxiety would still be there.

  Shaking my morose thoughts, I stripped off every inch of clothing and crawled into bed… another fun quirk. If I wore clothes to bed, I ended up sweating so much I had to change.

  It was the nightmares.

  The therapist had said to make sure my room was always chilled. And she'd thought that maybe my clothes brought on a panic attack because of the restriction, which caused me to sweat.

  So I started sleeping without clothes.

  And, thank God, it had actually worked.

  Over on the nightstand, my phone buzzed again. I smiled, ready to text back to Demetri that he needed to get some sleep since he had to record tomorrow. But it wasn't Demetri. My finger froze over the little keyboard as I quickly collapsed onto my bed and read the text.

  Linc: Tell me something funny.

  Dani: Was that in the job description? Entertaining you?

  Linc: It is now.

  Dani: Are you that bored?

  Linc: Try insomnia, and Wilbur went to bed hours ago so…

  I snorted and sent him ten pig emojis.

  Dani: And he normally does that job?

  Linc: Hell yes, he does. Clearly, you underestimate our relationship.

  Linc texted back a farmer emoji.

  Dani: I have no jokes, but I can send you a picture of Demetri Daniels getting lit on fire. Would that help?

  Linc: You do realize I was the one filming it, right? The one from the pre-production cast party?

  Dani: Nope. Also. Still funny, regardless of who took it or how many times you've seen it.

  Linc: Watching it right now. You think his arm hair grew back?

  Dani: Last time I asked him, there was a lot of inappropriate language and middle finger flashing.

  Linc: Still sensitive I take it.

  Dani: He's afraid of birds, what do you think?

  I giggled as I sent over Demetri's least favorite emoji of a crow circling over and over again.

  Linc: You're kidding.

  Dani: I hid one under his pillow thinking it would be funny and cement our friendship. He had to hide it in my house because every time he woke up, he cursed, thinking it was real.

  Linc: Why not hide it outside his room?

  Dani: Because he could feel it. His words not mine.

  Linc: Ha ha, thanks for the ammo.

  Dani: Yeah, well, I don't have jokes, but at least I can throw my best friend under the bus.

  Linc: How did he earn that coveted title?

  I swallowed the emotion in my throat and wondered if I should answer truthfully or just joke it off.

  Dani: Easy. He understands my obsession with Sour Patch Kids.

  Linc: So if I was to go to Costco and buy you a year's supply…

  Dani: DON'T KID!

  Linc: A two-year supply?

  Dani: Demetri who?

  Linc: I feel like I accomplished world domination just now.

  Dani: Um, you're welcome?

  Linc: I think I'll fall asleep with a smile on my face now… thanks for answering. One more thing…

  Dani: ?

  Linc: How old are you?

  Dani: Had I filled out a normal job application, like a normal person, you would know that.

  Linc: Does that mean I need to make up a bogus application just to find out? Or will you take pity on me and just say it?

  I don't know why I was embarrassed about my age. Maybe it was because he felt so much older. Not that he was. Without losing my nerve, I quickly typed back.

  Dani: Seventeen, turning eighteen in one month.

  He didn't respond right away.

  I frowned at the screen. What? Had I acted younger?

  Linc: Thank you.

  Dani: Sure.

  Linc: Get some sleep, your boss is a real ass. Don't want him riding you tomorrow morning because you show up late.

  My face heated.

  Dani: Good night.