Page 76 of No Place Like Home

Simba, noting my frustration, took a step protectively in front of me. I reached down to pet him so he’d know I was calm and he still couldn’t bite Prescott.

“You look better,” he stated. “I knew Jess would be the one to pull your head out of your ass.”

Her name coming from his mouth felt wrong. It was irrational, but I didn’t like it. It was the same irrational feeling I got whenever I was reminded that she lived with Cubbie.

If I had to guess why it bothered me, I would have said it was because Jess was my friend and I knew guys, and I didn’t want any of them to take advantage of her.

“And what’s Jess to you?” I bit back.

I regretted the words as soon as I said them, from the smirk on his face.

“She’s my niece,” he deadpanned, and I felt foolish.

“Come on, Simba. Let's go,” I said, making my way back to my house.

“Don’t hurt her!” he called out after me.

I turned around to reply that we were just friends, but he kept going.

“She’s never going to admit something’s wrong. She will never ask for help. She’s the type of girl that will keep taking life’s beatings and think that’s the price for living.”

His words…fuck. They gutted me. Because I had seen that desperation the day she screamed at me. I could taste every single thing she kept hidden.

Before I could ask what he meant by that, he was jogging back to his place.

* * *

A few days passed,and I slowly got my shit together. I went to grab my phone. Before the Jess incident, I hadn’t touched it. It was dead for a while, and then I charged that bitch up, ignoring every message, voicemail, and email because the only thing that mattered was getting a hold of Jess. Now I was ready to face the aftermath of my injury.

Two months later, I still wasn’t strong enough for that shit.

My first call was to Leo, my publicist, and I knew he would rip me a new one. I liked him. He was cool and he thought about my career, but he was ready to go on the defensive, and all I’d wanted was to crawl under a rock and die.

His type of optimism wasn’t something I wanted to hear. That and the fact that he wanted me to work shit out with Lauren. We needed a united front. I was still mad about her leaking my shit.

Jess would never.

“It’s about damn fucking time,” he said as a greeting.

“Listen, man. I just needed time, but I’m ready.”

“That’s great, because I have a list of therapists ready for you, and an exclusive interview lined up if you're up for it, but I think you’d be crazy not to take it. Remember, your narrative before gossip.”

Nothing like grabbing the bull by the horns.

He went on about things I’d missed. I agreed with most and dreaded the rest.

“And what’s the status on Lauren?”

His question caught me off-guard. I was done with Lauren.

“We’re done. She walked away, and that was that.”

“Call her. She’s been blowing up my shit, and I’m tired of handling it.”

I sighed. I could do that…later.

I was sitting on my couch when the doorbell rang. I jumped up, thinking that maybe it was Jess. Simba was right alongside me because he loved greeting guests at the door.

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