Seaside Pictures

a

ith sweaty fingers, I pounded th

l I was on my haunches, breathing in and out and telling myself it wasn't a big deal. Elevators stall all the time, righ

'd l

tend to

forget

mares later that night about being stuck in a

e to Disneyland, never ridden on any of their rides, but I imagined that the Tower of

here be no w

I was fine. Knew

om my brain - and had yet to return ev

t said, "Hey, it's fine. What are the odds that out of all the elevators in the worl

what were the odds that I'd be the only survivor? Apparently, my odds were pret

e with every othe

ck via bee sting

k. Yeah, let's just say I'm not going to be going on an African

t-laced sister to marry, she'd fall for action hero Jamie Jaymeson? One of People Ma

uldn't Googl

it woul

t were next to

that my parents

n log

ted

ird warning alarm. The lights were still o

ing, and then it moved fast, too fast for my comfort

noise, then stoppe

y, I leapt mindless

ct with warm,

ehind me, the air tickling

nning on getting accosted by a seventeen-year-old paranoid freak who's idea of fun was

, the words di

cs, calculations, and logic, I'd just mana

ln Gr

of that Outlander guy, and a body that you could sharpen kniv

was still

sed my hands and tucked my lo

ered o

At this rate, I was going to end

ed by my clammy fingers and trembling body. "D

ent a movie

ving trouble having complete conversations with

to speak. It was me. I was at fault. Speaking meant attention, attention meant people would ask me about my feelings, ask why

g to feel like nobody could help. It wasn't norma

I

apped a possessive arm around his c

air and hypnotic green eyes. Red nails tapped against her chin as she tilted her head

er not to waste her energy or what

't a t

r ago I wou

ing captain, dating the quarterback, and my biggest complaint was that m

speak?" S

re at me. "Why don't you

e was Jo-Jo? And why did

h r

r around her face before she pounded the elevator b

that would be the time the

d. When had I be

jarred my attention away

s that showed both rows of teeth - a smile that by all intents and purposes should have actually looked frigh

as h

the chest with jealousy because

le to get back. No ma

came to my speech. The words formed; I could feel them rolling around my tongue, but it was impossible to blur

nked

ack into the suite? Sin

alked with him to the door. He di

oll

ymeson did publicity over the second movie in his lates

asanova settled down and gotten married to a pastor's daughter, but she was

hem and missed me completely. Jaymeson ha

tried t

here was any hope of me coming out of this, my money was on Deme

g the music video that went along

rd me, her hands on her hips. She

s I braced myself against the g

! You said you were going to

hen offere

touched her softly rounded stoma

r my phone and quick

am and try really hard to find a

y with a halo f

ifted her head. "Ye

his cell pressed against his ear as he made swe

at's tha

d but hadn't forgotten about. "Directing your

ln sn

ade his way over to me slo

urrender and shaking my head viole

like a bull until I was

still wasn't

hh

ll had that, my laugh. Not that it could convey much, but the sound was comf

ster-in-law?" Jay set

d, then held up my finger an

g for his phone before

is going to be a great mom, has

picture of Pris doing the exac

umor, and his slight British accent paired with his newly sh

." He winked then nodded once to

started

sed his large arms and leaned against the wal

together. "Oh good, becaus

t to one of them when Jaymeson wrapped an arm around me, causing me to emit

eet your

don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Lincoln Gr

ead a few ti

Jaymeson

y on my phone, making sure that the smil

i:

I are going to be on set so much. It's not healthy. You finished your GED, and you refuse to do anything bu

nds into the

n't need a

inity for every emoji on the planet, though none of them make sense with whatever she types. She just likes se

ot to gain Jaym

dn't

mped

tex

Are you out of y

t. "Pastor's daughter and all that." He hesitated, then seemed compe

roa

ally well." Jaymeson let out a brea

they don't kill e

sed m

rose as I quickly fi

I not g

was one of those smiles that

ted

istant was caught trying to sell autographed shit on eBay, and for s

can't do

undry, right?"

ry cleaners in another life."

relieved. "And she can

to NFL star Wes Michels I passed out,

a doct

e's used to being around celebrities. Hell,

is hands togethe

eat! Not g

text you

tually maneuver time, space, and matter so that I could jump

Jaymeson

d jerk

talking to

p my phone as if to say, "Yeah, text me. I'll answer and try not to run into you

because that devastating smile

s whispered in my ear, giving my

e had said abo

how that

- all because I'd