Scornfully Yours (Torn Series) (22 page)

I still had an hour and half or so before the planned barbeque downstairs. I didn’t want to be idle anyway and ponder much about Carter because that a no-go zone for now. Lindsey and Brody went for a walk and Trista went to go with some other folks to go hiking. Amber was still stuck in her room. When we checked on her earlier, she was sleeping on the bed. The table where she snorted her cocaine earlier was wiped clean. I mean, looking at it—you wouldn’t have guessed she was snorting lines on that thing. By not doing much about her addiction, I feel like an enabler. But since Trista or Lindsey weren’t even doing anything and her parents weren’t planning on an intervention, what’s there to do? It was such a sticky situation.

All by my lonesome, I figured I should get my priorities straight. And the number one priority is to start studying my movie script. I badly wanted to call Bass but I couldn’t find my phone anywhere and I didn’t have his number memorized so calling him was impossible.

So, I decided to enjoy the bedroom porch and the view and start reading through the ’Blasphemous’ script. I know I basically had months to go through it but I wanted to make sure I nailed the part right. This film would be my debut and wasn’t going to do it half-ass. I wanted to embody Angela and her feelings towards Logan and her Greek husband, Spiros.

After reading fifty pages, my cheeks were flushed. Wow, Martin’s aiming for this film to be a heck of a rollercoaster of raw sex and a mind-bending whirlwind of emotions. The first kiss alone between Angela and Logan the first night they meet is scorching. SCORCHING to the point where I could see me and Bass kissing like our lives depended on it. Gosh, that kiss will be explosive.

Okay, I get that Bass and I will be nude during the love making scenes but the thought of it now…makes me break out in a sweat. If I felt like this already just thinking about it, how am I going to feel when Bass and I are naked.  I guess Martin was right and why he chose to cast me as the lead. The chemistry between us would definitely be electrifying.

I closed the script and decided that I would read it later. Provoking thoughts of Bass and me in that heated sexual ordeal was too much to take in daylight. Out of options, I retreated to the massive bed, inviting me to sleep.

A nap would do me wonders.

“Hey aren’t you that chick?” The girl asked as she snapped her fingers, trying to remember where she saw me.

“Don’t think so,” I mumbled as I forked the ribs and placed them on my plate.

The girl still pondered, “Yup got it! You were in like in the Celebrity Gossip magazine, right? I think you were with
Bass Cole!
OMG! O.M.G! Yeah!
Yeah!
That was you! You guys were coming out of the club together! Shit, you’re dating Bass Cole! Can I take a picture?” She handed me her phone while I stared at it horrified.

Are you kidding me? I don’t understand why she’s freaking out like this. The decently composed girl turned shrieking monster made me want to hide somewhere.

“Wow, you’re really pretty!” She kept on going. I was beyond relieved when Lindsey joined us.

My friend butted in, but not to help me. “I know right? Give me your phone. I’ll take the picture!” Lindsey offered and the ranting girl happily obliged.

What the hell? This was stupid. I’m not Bass’s girlfriend!

“But I’m not his girlfriend!” I interjected but they both didn’t seem to care.

“Give me a pretty smile, Emma! One, two, three say cottage cheese!” I wanted to murder Lindsey right then and there.

Once the annoying girl left with her stupid picture, I wanted to sock my friend. Lindsey put her hands up. “Listen—I know that was stupid and I had a lot of fun teasing you, but honey, you have to start getting used to stuff like that. In seven months’ time this little bubble you live in will no longer exist.”

She was right but I didn’t want to point that out to her. Instead, I asked about Amber and Trista. The two heavy revelations from the best friends still shocked me to the core.

“Amber is hard-headed. There’s no way around her. Trista, on the other hand, seems to be hopeless. She’s in love with that Harry guy and doesn’t want to leave him.”

Hell.

It was how I felt. It was like watching Trista and Amber spiral downwards and there was nothing I could do but watch it as they struggled to stay afloat. With Amber, the situation was a bit complex for me to tackle alone. But with Trista, that’s like a sleeping volcano. It could erupt anytime without indication. Trista was unyielding and even though she’s a sweet pea, she’s standing ground with her declaration of undying love to Harry. Harry… what a prick! Screwing two women at the same time and cousins to boot! Every guy’s wet dream but every woman’s nightmare.

We were all having barbeque and enjoying the placid view of the beautiful lake before us. There were bonfires, music and tons of drunken folks singing and dancing.

Lindsey and I found a place to eat and chat without the loud crazy cackling of other people. Lindsey and I stopped stuffing ourselves with ribs when we saw Cece come out of a darkened corner with Cooper. Doing God knows what.  My eyes immediately darted to Lindsey.

I think anger/pain/hatred/jealousy were all etched on her pretty face. “Linds?”

“I’m fucking speechless right now. Does Cece have to get a taste of every guy that I’m with? I don’t get her. And as for Cooper, he can go fuck himself and stuff his sausage in Cece’s contaminated pussy.”

“Sorry—I know you liked Coop.” Lindsey did. She wouldn’t have slept with him if she didn’t. Now I’m wondering what’s going on inside that pretty head of hers.

“I just lost my appetite. Want to drink with me doll? I know you haven’t touched much alcohol lately, but I’m asking you to drink with me? I want to just forget what I just saw.”  Crap, my friend is hella hurt.

Men, hate them and yet we can’t live without them.

I stood up and pulled my friend out of her seat. Before we started commiserating in our drunken misery, I had to give her a big I-love-you-no-matter-what kind of hug.

“Come on let’s look for a bottle of Hennessy and Patron. It’s time to break this party!” My hurt friend said with proper determination.

I didn’t doubt it.

Lindsey Mason had one purpose and that was to show Cooper Haze a big fuck you.

“Maybe our girlfriends are our soulmates and guys are just people to have fun with.”

-
Candace Bushnell

We’d been drinking for about two hours straight now and I must say none of us were coherent. Once the alcohol hit Lindsey’s bloodstream, she was unstoppable. She danced and made out with Brody, for Cooper to see, what else?

“Get your tight ass up here, Emma!” Lindsey and Trista (who decided to come out of hiding) tried to gather me up with them.

I was about to get on top of the mahogany bar and join Lindsey dance
Coyote Ugly
style when Carter pulled me back.

This better be good…

“Don’t you dare get your drunken ass up there, Emma!” He bellowed but something flashed below me and my eyes went straight to his pocket.

Carter was wearing white surfer shorts and I could easily see my phone screen flash in his pocket.

Bass Cole Calling…
it said.

I lunged towards him and dug inside his pocket. “Give me that!” I ordered but Carter was too strong for me and he pulled my hand out before I had the chance to even brush against my phone.

Fuck! How many times has Bass called? How many times has he sent messages? And they all went unanswered.

“Didn’t I make myself clear that you don’t get to have it back until we hit Santa Barbara again?”

Since Carter was a major Jerk (yes, with a capital J), I threw him my two middle fingers. “F.U.C.K.  YOU! Why don’t you go stick this up you idiotic ass and spin on it?”

Whoops! Too harsh? My bad.

With that parting, I joined the girls on the bar just when
Womanizer
came on the speakers. Ha ha ha! Can you say the song was perfect for all three of us gals?

Superstar
 
Where you from, how's it going? 
I know you 
Gotta clue, what you’re doing 
You can play brand new to all the other chicks out here 
But I know what you are, what you are, baby

Trista and I bumped our butts together as we continued on. Guys gathered around the table taking videos and hollering. Lindsey was getting all hyped up.

Look at you
 
Gettin' more than just re-up 
Baby, you 
Got all the puppets with their strings up 
Fakin' like a good one, but I call 'em like I see 'em 
I know what you are, what you are, baby

Carter on the other hand, his simmering anger
could be felt somewhere in the room, but I didn’t have it in me to look for him. His abhorrent antics was getting to me and I didn’t know if I could stand being close to him and not kill him.

Womanizer
 
Woman-Womanizer 
You're a womanizer 
Oh Womanizer 
Oh You're a Womanizer Baby 
You, You You Are 
You, You You Are 
Womanizer, Womanizer, Womanizer

Each time Lindsey uttered the word
womanizer
, she pointed to a man—any man. Ha! Girlfriend was on a roll. Guess Cooper Haze was now history, huh?

I sang and danced with my gals until I couldn’t do it any longer. Out of breath, I jumped down off the bar and hunted myself some bottled water. I took one from the sprawling amount of iced beverage next to the bar we danced on and walked out of the house needing
distance from the riotous commotion that Lindsey evoked. At the same time, I couldn’t stand the swirling thoughts of the men in my life.

Once outside, I walked towards the backyard and beyond and welcomed the fresh change of scenery before me.  The moon was high and my entire skin was blanketed in sweat. The earthy smell of pine and crisp air cleared my jumbled brain.

Lindsey was hurt. I got that and I did feel for her. But at the same time, if I was Cooper or Brody, how would I feel if the woman I was after couldn’t make up her damn mind? Well, I guess that didn’t take long because Cece made that decision easier for her. I just hoped that Lindsey would be okay.

Occupied, I strolled at a leisured pace until I hit the stream. I strode towards it and leaned against a pine tree as I stared at the flowing water and the calming sound it produced. The trickling sound made me feel at peace.

Who would’ve thought a month ago I would be in this position? Life certainly has its way of surprising you when you least expected it, especially when you’re down and out.

No matter what happened with Bass, if we became involved or not, I will forever be grateful to him.
Not only
did he open a lot of doors for me and
not only
did he make it an easy transition for me, he made me realize a lot of things. He made me see that life is about following what your gut tells you to do and not what others expect you to–his ‘half and half’ speech.

Bass was a passionate man. He spoke with conviction and truth. He was straightforward and didn’t hesitate when he wanted something. I wanted to be like that. I
hoped
to become that. In a sense, I admired him. I admired his passion and his authenticity. He was the real thing. What was exemplary about his personality was that he didn’t let all the fames and fortunes in the world get to his handsome head. Bass was a grounded man.

Even with all that, I couldn’t bring myself to be with Bass.
Yes
, things were running in the fast lane—even faster than the German Autobahn—and it startles me that things unfolded as quickly as they did. But
even
if I could get over with that fact about things going too fast with Bass, it wouldn’t eradicate what I felt for Carter.