Page 89 of No One But Us

He laughs. “I haven’t gone to bed yet,actually.”

“How’d things wind up withTommy?”

This is the point at which James realizes who I’m talking to. I can tell by the sneer on hisface.

“He’s going to listen to our demo,” Ryan says. “And by the way, I can give you a copy. You know, in case you want to ask the reporter to play it in thebackground.”

I crack up. “Please promise me that no matter how famous you get, you’ll never turn out likethat.”

Feet away from me, James’ unhappiness is shifting from a grumble to a lowroar.

“Not a problem,” he replies. “What is your mother thinking? She could do so much better than thatguy.”

“No clue. Maybe the shock of the divorce has killed braincells.”

“Not all of them,” he counters. “She still thinks you’ll end up withme.”

“I think that only further supports my theory about the braincells.”

“So I’ll see you in a week,right?”

“Yeah, I’ll probably be up nextSaturday.”

James stiffens atthat.

“Cool. Can you put your bodyguard on thephone?”

“Why do you want to talk to him?” I askwarily.

“He’s old enough to fight his own battles, don’t youthink?”

“You’re just trying to cause trouble,” I counter, “and he doesn’t want to talk to youanyway.”

James holds his hand out for the phone, and I reluctantly give it to him. There’s absolutely no way this talk will gowell.

I don’t need to hear Ryan’s end of the conversation. The look on James’ face tells meeverything.

“Yeah, I do,” James says. “And it’s none of your fucking business eitherway.”

Ryan says something else then, something worse. Something that makes James lookill.

“Then I hope you enjoy it,” James says, his voice dangerously quiet. “Because it’ll be the last thing you everdo.”

He hangs up and hands me my phonesilently.

“What did hesay?”

“Nothing,” he says, jaw set so hard I’m surprised his teeth aren’tcracking.

We make the ride home in absolute silence. I think of a hundred ways I could make the peace, and my anger stops me every time. This isn’t my problem to solve, it’s his. He’s the one refusing to let this become anything, refusing to tell his family, to meet mine. We only have a week left together, and I’m not sure we’ll even make it thatlong.

I’m not sure, at this point, why we’d eventry.

Chapter 52

ELLE

We get backto the beach with barely enough time to change into our uniforms and head to work. James is still not over the conversation with Ryan. He hasn’t smiled once all day. And I’m sure as hell not over the fact that he came in as late as he did. I don’t think he was with another girl, but he’s hiding something. I’d stake my life onit.

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