To Hell and Back (19 page)

“I’m not sure where to start, Brie.”

“How about somewhere before Madeline Young ended up with her tongue halfway down your throat? Because I’d really like to know just how you two got there.”

“Well, Madeline called earlier and begged me to run lines with her. She said she wanted to get them just right before shooting her last couple of scenes. At first I told her no, but then I figured it couldn’t hurt. You wouldn’t be around and it was just lines.”

“So you knew I’d be gone for the evening and just invited Madeline over?”

“Oh, hell no!  I told her I would meet her in the crew lounge.  Some of the sound and editing guys have been staying late every night this week.  I knew there would be other people around; I wouldn’t have agreed to be alone with her.  I would never have invited her into our space, Brie, not after everything that has happened.”

He pauses for a moment, just looking at me.  I want to drag the truth out of him immediately.  If there is really some simple explanation for all of this, I don’t want him to stop talking until I understand every last detail.  I don’t want to spend an extra second in pain. I try to give him a moment, but when he doesn’t start to speak again, I can’t stand to wait.

“Somehow she ended up there, Carson. I need you to tell me everything.”

Carson shakes his head as if it will help clear his mind and takes a deep breath before getting back to his version of events.

“After I talked to Madeline, I had a couple of hours to kill before I had to meet her at the warehouse. I ordered a pizza and put on a DVD of The Three Stooges. I was just sitting there, eating, when Madeline showed up. I didn’t even let her in. The door was unlocked and she scared the hell out of me by banging it open and stumbling inside. I told her she couldn’t be there, but she was really out of it. She had plenty to say about you and I told her I wouldn’t listen to it.”

“I meant it when I said I want to know everything, Carson. I want to know what she said, every word of it.”

“Brie, you don’t need to…”

“Carson, please.”

“Fine.  When she came in, she was drunk and slurring her words.  She asked if you were there…”

“Carson,” she slurred. “Is she here?” Madeline looked around for any sign of Brie. “Ya
know, if I was her, which – ick – I’m glad I’m not, but, if I was, I’d never leave you alone.  Doesn’t she take care of you?  I tried to get her to leave, you know.  Your daddy said to leave you alone, but he’s wrong.  I know what you need, Carson Malone. I’m the only one who can take care of you.  She’s Wal-Mart and I’m Chanel.  You deserve couture.”

“Madeline,” I growled. “Watch it. Not another word against Brielle. I love her and I will not listen to it.”

“I’ve told you to call me Maddie,” she dragged out the name as she smiled at me and stepped closer. “My friends say Maddie. You’re my friend. You could be more, but you’re being stupid.”

“Okay, Maddie, listen. Why don’t we have this talk when you’re feeling a little more in control…?”

She stepped right up to me and put her finger to my lips. I took a step back, but in the small space, she had me pretty much cornered. “I’m in control now, Car. Vroom! I want to take this Car for a very fast ride,” she giggled. “Let me show you how real women do it. Let me…”

“Madeline, it’s time to go,” I told her as I reached for my phone. I dialed the car service and asked them to send someone over. “You can’t be here and you can’t talk like this.” I stepped around her to set my phone on the table as she reached for me. In her uncoordinated state, she missed completely and stumbled forward, catching her hand on the corner of a cupboard. She held it up and I could see the small trickle of blood making its way down her palm.

“Car, baby, I’ve hurt myself. Kiss it for me?”

“The best I can do is a bandage, Madeline.”

“Maddie!
  Maddie, Maddie, Maddie,” she continued in a sing-song voice.

“Okay, I get it. 
Maddie.
  Just s
tay here while I get a Band-Aid from the bathroom.”

I should have known that leaving Madeline alone for even a second was a huge mistake, but I underestimated her ability to be manipulative and conniving even through the haze of alcohol.  When I emerged from the bathroom, Band-Aid in hand, she was standing in my bedroom.  The door was almost fully closed and I couldn’t see anything but darkness through the small opening.  I handed Maddie the small fabric strip I’d already unwrapped, but she couldn’t seem to affix it to her palm properly so I took it from her and finished the job myself. 

“Thank you, Carrrrr
,” she sang and jumped up, arms around my neck, legs around my waist.  The force of her body catapulting into mine knocked me onto the bed. In a matter of seconds, I was sitting there with Madeline still wrapped around me like a deadly boa constrictor.  I could smell the alcohol seeping from every pore of her body as she writhed against me. 
“How about that ride?”

“Maddie, no.
  This can’t happen.  You need to go home and sleep this off.  I don’t want this, and I know you know that.  I don’t think you want this, either.  I’m just a familiar face.  That doesn’t mean we have to be together.  Brielle is the woman for me.  She…”

Madeline just laughed and waved away my words as if I were a foolish child. “We both know it’s always been us, Carson. She will never understand you, never understand your life. I know this life, I know you.”

“Maddie, look.
  Brie will be back soon.  You have to…”  I got no further before Madeline’s lips were all over mine; wet, sloppy kisses surprising and repulsing me at the same time.  I put my hands on her shoulders to push her back, but I when I heard a small voice asking “why”, I froze in place.

I looked up in horror to see my angel standing in front of me, taking in this scene. My thoughts raced, she must know how wrong this is. She must understand that I would never do this, never betray her.

“You told me she was lying,” Brie whispered. “You promised there was no truth to what she said. What was last night about? Is this what the girls’ night out was really for?” She asked with a spooky sort of calm to her voice. “If you wanted me out, you only had to ask.”

Inside my head, I was screaming “No!”  It took a moment for me to react, though, and to call out to her.  “Angel…”

But it was too late.  Madeline stood in my way and Brie ran out the door before I could stop her.  As I pushed past Madeline, she tried to hold me back, but I yanked her hands from my clothing before running out the door to try to stop Brie from running.  I
could just see her heading out the front gate of the parking lot as Madeline stumbled out the door after me.

“Carson!” she yelled. 
“Carson Malone!
  You are mine.  Do not go after that gold-digging little bitch.  I will tell your father all about your little piece of white trash.  I’ll tell him he was wrong to warn me to stay away from you.  He doesn’t see how badly you need me.”

I stepped toward her and she finally had the good sense to shut her mouth. I’d never lay my hand on a woman, ever, but I can imagine that in my jumble of emotions, not the least of which was rage, I must have looked pretty menacing. “You can tell my father anything you want, Madeline, as long as you tell him one thing from me. Tell him to go to hell.”

I heard a car at the gate and turned to see the black Lincoln from the car service pulling into the lot. Madeline opened her mouth to say something, but seemed to think better of it. When the car came to a stop outside the trailer, I didn’t even give the driver a chance to get out before I opened the door and helped Madeline into her seat. I slammed the door and walked away without another glance at the woman who ha
d just tried to ruin my life. 

“That’s it, Brie.  That’s everything that happened.  After she left, I tried to call you a thousand times.  I talked to Daisy and then I called you another hundred times after that.  Finally, when Daisy texted me to let me know where you were and that you were safe, I stopped.  I wanted to let you rest and think and get some sleep.”

“Carson, I…” The tears are pouring from my eyes and my breath catches when I try to speak. I’m so mad that Madeline would try again to come between us, but at the same time I’m angry with myself.

“Carson, I’m so sorry.” I just manage the words between sobs.

“Brie, Angel, why are you sorry?” He gets out of his chair to crouch beside mine, taking my hand and stroking it. “You’ve done nothing wrong.”

“I shouldn’t have run, Carson. I should have stayed right there beside you. I’m so very sorry.”

“Fuck, Angel, if it was me walking into that trailer, I’d have done at least what you did. Hell, any guy who would put his hands on you would be lucky to make it out of there alive. I’d like to think all I’d do is walk away and take time to process things, but, if I’m honest, it would probably get a lot uglier than that. I try not to be an asshole, Brie, but the possessiveness I feel where you’re involved is fierce. My instincts are to protect you first and ask questions later. It would have crushed me to see you in someone else’s arms, Angel, and I’ll never be able to tell you how sorry I am that you had to go through this. Forgive me?”

“You have nothing to be sorry for, either. Madeline is a conniving bitch, but we’re too strong to let her break us. I will not let her be the reason I lose the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

Carson stands and pulls me up beside him. I’m covered in tears and I’m sure my face is a swollen mess, but he doesn’t seem to notice as he kisses me deeply. I’m enjoying the moment, but I pull away when something occurs to me.

“Carson? Will she still be there when we get back? I don’t think I can stand to see her.”

“I’ll make sure you don’t have to, Angel.”

“Then let’s go home.”

Chapter Nineteen

Brielle

I really do understand that Carson didn’t do anything wrong last night, but I’m still disgusted that Madeline was ever here. I pull every last bit of bedding from the mattress and bag it up to be washed. I clean and sanitize the bathroom, the dining room, and pretty much every other surface in the place, even if I know for certain she never touched them. The cleaning frenzy does something good for my soul, gives me a chance to settle down inside my head. The seething anger that boils inside of me every time I think of Madeline needed a constructive place to go. I know that a lot of what she did stemmed from mental issues and alcoholism, but I’ve spent enough time allowing alcohol to take the blame for the bad things in my life. I’m sure that, in time, I’ll forgive her for everything, but I’m just not ready yet.

I’ve called Daisy and Sara to let them know that Carson and I are fine, and that it’s safe to return to their suite.  Tom cancelled the morning schedule since there is no actress to work with at the moment, but there are other scenes scheduled for the afternoon.  Carson and I both need to be back on set at two o’clock, giving us another two hours of freedom, even after my cleaning spree.

Carson is in the bedroom, probably reading the newest murder mystery on his Kindle. I told him I needed some quiet time to myself, and he made himself scarce when we got back. Now that I’m calmer, I’m tired of being away from him. I just spent a long, torturous night without him and I want nothing more than to be as close as possible to him now.  I silently strip away every stitch of clothing from my body and step into the bedroom.  I smile when I see that Carson has made the bed up again with fresh sheets and pillowcases.  He’s wrapped up in his novel, not noticing me until I clear my throat.  He takes one look at me and sets the Kindle aside.

“Angel, we don’t have to…” He begins to protest, but I interrupt him before he gets very far.

“We never
have
to, Carson, but I
want
to.  I want to make love to you.  I want to lie next to you, touch you, and feel you inside me.  Please?”

“If I ever said no to that, I’d have to have myself committed. Get over here.” He smiles and pats the bed next to him.

I climb in and we kiss and explore every inch of each other’s bodies before he finally begins moving inside me.  He whispers loving sentiments into my ear and it’s the softest, sweetest lovemaking of my life.  He slowly sinks into me over and over, hitting the perfect spot repeatedly as we fall over the edge together. Reality is left far beyond our door as we exist only in each other for a short, but incredible, time.

Carson

Brie and I walk hand in hand toward the warehouse the next morning.  We’re set to meet with Tom and the producers to discuss casting Madeline’s replacement.  It’s in our favor that there are so few scenes for this part, but we’re really under the gun to get someone here to start filming.