Chapter 15 #2
“And it has to stay that way. If you’re going to get into his inner circle, you can’t tell him we’re hanging out. This,” he points between him and me, “has to stay hidden. You need to be careful no one sees you when you come to my house.”
“Then I’ll need to sneak in the back, which I can’t do if I can’t step foot on your private beach.”
“You can come in through the back. Just let me know when you’re coming over.”
I cock my head, eyeing him. “Why do you get so angry when people go behind your house?”
He rubs his hand over his jaw. “I had a break-in. They came in through the back.”
“Did they take stuff?”
He walks to the passenger side door. “Let’s get started. We’re running out of time.”
That’s strange. Why won’t he tell me about the break-in? I thought I was in a safe neighborhood, but now I’m not so sure. My bedroom is at the back of the house and on the first level. Someone could easily break in. What if they did it when I was there?
“Has that happened to any of your neighbors?” I ask as I put my seatbelt on. “Has anyone else had their house broken into?”
“I don’t know. Make sure the seat is in a good place before you start. Use the buttons on the left to adjust it.”
After adjusting the seat, I grip the wheel. “Okay, now what?”
“Put your foot on the brake.”
“Which one is the brake?”
“Seriously?” he asks, sounding panicked.
“Relax, I was kidding.”
He sighs. “This isn’t the time to kid around. Keep your foot on the brake, then put the car in drive.”
I carefully put it in drive. “Okay.”
“Now slowly take your foot off the brake and put it on the gas pedal.”
Moving my foot to the gas, I press down like I did for the brake, and we take off through the parking lot.
“Slow down!” Jackson yells.
My foot slams on the brake, and we lurch forward.
“Rumor, what the hell?”
“You said to press on the gas!”
“Not all the way down! You only press down a little. You don’t gun it.”
“You didn’t explain that.” I put it in park. “Maybe this was a bad idea.”
“You’re giving up? Already?”
“I’m not giving up. I’m just not ready to do this.”
“So you want to stay stuck in that house while your cousins go out and do what they want?”
I sigh. “Okay, what’s next?”
“Try it again but this time just barely touch the gas pedal.”
On my second try, I’m able to steadily make my way through the parking lot before gently pressing down on the brake to stop us.
“How was that?” I ask.
“Really good. You catch on fast.”
“It was your comment about my freedom. For a minute I forgot why I was doing this. Now I’m thinking about how badly I want out of Brock’s house.” I look at Jackson. “Where do I get one of those books with driving rules? I want to start studying tonight.”
“They have the manual online at the DMV website.”
“What else do I need to get a license?”
“You’ll need to fill out an application and have Brock sign it.”
“Brock? Why would he have to sign it?”
“Because you’re only seventeen. You’re a minor. A parent or guardian has to sign the application.”
“That won’t work. I don’t want him finding out about this.”
“You said he wanted you to get your license.”
“He did at first, but now he’s acting like he doesn’t want me leaving the house.”
“I’m sure he’d be good with you getting a license. It means he doesn’t have to drive you everywhere.”
“What if I ask my dad to sign it?”
His brows rise. “You know where he is?”
“He’s in rehab but I don’t know which one.” I pause. “You know about my dad, right?”
“Yeah. My dad’s in the business. I know all that celebrity shit, or I used to when I lived with my parents.”
“What did you say your dad does?”
“Director. Mostly action movies, but he’s done a few spy thrillers.”
“What about your mom?”
“She travels. Does her own thing.”
“They’re still together, right?”
“On paper, yes, but they mostly live separate lives. She was his publicist when he started out. She promoted his first few films. He won’t admit it but she’s the reason he’s a success. She got his films noticed by the right people.”
“I’m getting really tired of hearing that.”
“Hearing what?”
“That phrase — the right people. Everyone around here keeps saying that. Makes it sound like anyone not in the right people group doesn’t matter.”
“Some people would agree with that. I don’t.
But it’s true that certain people can get you what you want, especially in LA where it’s all about who you know.
The entertainment business is fucked up, which is why I got out of it.
” He motions to the wheel. “Try going forward again but this time I want you to turn around at the end and go the other way.”
“Can I go a little faster this time?”
“Yeah, but not like you did before. Don’t gun it.”
Going slow, I make my way through the parking lot, then carefully turn around and drive back to where we started.
“This isn’t that hard,” I say.
“Because nobody is here. It’s harder when you’re surrounded by other cars.”
“Let’s try it. Let’s go on the street.”
“You’re not ready. Let’s keep doing this a while, then I’ll have you try to park.”
Two hours later, I’m driving at a normal speed, making turns, and parking evenly between the lines.
“You’re a fast learner,” Jackson says as I hand him his keys.
“You’re a good teacher.” I smile at him, my eyes landing on his, unable to look away.
When this happened earlier, I got a nervous flutter in my stomach.
It’s not that he makes me nervous. He’s just so damn hot that being around him, being close to him, looking in his eyes, makes my body do strange things.
As we’re driving back, I check the time. “Shouldn’t you be at practice right now?”
“It’s not until seven. I’ll head over there after I drop you off so I can get a workout in before it starts.”
“Braden works out constantly. And he has these special protein bars made just for him. He has them shipped from Australia.”
Jackson laughs. “He thinks protein bars are going to help him win games?”
“I guess. You should see the fridge. There’s nothing in there but eggs and vegetables.”
“Ask the maid to get you stuff. Or the chef. I assume Brock has a chef?”
“Yeah. But she seems afraid of Brock. Or maybe not afraid . . . more like she’ll get in trouble if she doesn’t do exactly what he tells her. And I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t approve of having junk food in the house.”
“Then feel free to raid my kitchen. Or I’ll take you to the store sometime.” He shoots me a smile. “Maybe I’d even let you drive.”
Thinking back to his expression when I gunned it in the parking lot, I laugh. “You thought I was going to break your girlfriend.”
“Girlfriend?” he asks, confused.
“The car. You thought I was going to break it.”
“You almost did.”
“Speaking of girlfriends, I ran into yours at the bookstore today.”
“Who are you talking about? I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“Kristen. The girl who came over and left.”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” he says, pulling into his driveway. “She’s just a friend.”
“A friend who comes over unannounced and leaves clothes at your house? Sounds like more than a friend.”
“That’s all she is.” He shuts the engine off.
“Does she have a boyfriend?”
“Not that I know of.”
I hesitate, then just say it. “I overhead you talking to her on the phone and it sounded like she was angry I was there. She wouldn’t be angry if you were just friends.”
“You were spying on me?” he asks, getting angry.
“No. I just overheard you when I was walking to the bathroom.”
He shakes his head. “This is what I was worried about.”
“What?”
“You. Listening in on my conversations. Asking me all these questions.”
“I wasn’t listening in. I just heard you talking.”
He turns to me, his eyes narrowed. “I’m starting to think you showing up on my property wasn’t an accident. And the way you keep finding reasons to come over?”
“What are you trying to say?” I ask, hearing the suspicion in his voice.
“Are you doing this for him?” He turns to me. “Are you spying on me for Braden?”