Page 45 of Can't Take My Eyes Off You

‘Real bad,’ I admit. ‘Scary bad.’

‘Oh, honey. Let’s go.’

‘I’ll pay you back whatever this costs,’ I say sheepishly as I follow her out to the front of the station.

The flash of a camera startles me, mostly because I feel like my head is filled with Jack Daniel’s.

‘I know you will; now get in before you make headlines all over the world.’

If there was ever a time I felt like a kid in trouble, this is it. I’ve known Laura since I was fifteen. She treats me like her own kid. Which means she’s not afraid to tell me off when I act like an idiot and I am absolutely certain now is one of those moments.

‘You hungover?’ she asks, her tone insinuating she’s hoping my answer is yes. Which I totally deserve so I get it.

I crawl into her SUV slowly, proving that I do indeed not feel great. ‘You’ve got no idea, so if I ask you to pull over, please don’t question it,’ I say, giving her a knowing look.

‘If you puke in my car…’ she warns sternly.

‘I won’t. I hope.’ I dig my shit out of the plastic bag in my hands – my wallet, phone, watch, hat, jacket, keys. I pile it all in my lap, ready to use the bag to barf into if I gotta. Until that moment comes, I rest my head on the headrest, my eyes closed as Laura pulls away from the cameras still outside my door.

‘Did I call you?’

‘No,’ she says. ‘You called Bryce, but he worked all night, so Bianca called me. We agreed your parents and newfound friends would be useless in this situation, so here I am. I considered coming when I got the call, then I chatted with Brian and we thought maybe a night in jail to sober up and think about things is what you needed.’ She’s proud of the decision she and her husband have made and it shows.

I’m mortified. I’m twenty-five years old, millions in the bank, living a life I shouldn’t have a single complaint about, and right now, I feel about as grown as an infant. Berkley’s dad is involved. Good fucking God. I’m sure the only reason he’s not here too is that he’s at work. But I don’t doubt he’ll have thoughts that I will hear later. Even so, I’d rather deal with Brian and Laura over my parents any day.

‘I suppose that’s fair,’ I say, my eyes still closed to block out the light of day that feels as if it’s burning my brain. After a few silent minutes, I squint open one eye and glance Laura’s way. ‘Does she know?’

Laura shakes her head. ‘You’ve got her all sorts of mad, I can say that. She won’t be happy with me for keeping this from her either.’

I snap open both eyes. ‘You’re not going to tell her?’

‘This is your problem. I’m just making sure you get home safely and alive. I do need to ask, though, what’s going on with you, Will? You wanted this: the show, the freedom, the money, the fame, all of it. Now you’re destroying yourself on camera because you’re not happy. Why not save yourself and walk away?’

‘I’m bound by contracts written partly by my parents,’ I explain.

‘Is there nothing you can do to get out?’

‘I could lose everything.’

‘You’re pretty close to that right now, honey.’

‘Trust me, I feel it. But you know my parents, a deal is a deal. If I break it, they ruin me.’

She groans in frustration as she drives. ‘I know,’ she says, shaking her head like it pisses her off. She’s not a fan of the way my family treats me, but I’ve warned her to never get involved, and so far she’s respected that. If my parents have the audacity to ruin me – and they would – they’d destroy the Kaines and enjoy every second of it.

‘Can I be honest?’ I ask, nervous to put this all out there.

Laura nods.

‘I don’t know how to live without Berkley. She’s been my best friend for over a decade. She’s the only person I trust, and when she’s not there, I’ve got nobody. I fucked this up so bad. I keep signing contracts and I know she doesn’t want me to. I’m acting like a true Adler whose only concern is what’s best for me. Like she means nothing at all, which couldn’t be further from the truth. I don’t know how to fix this.’ I look at her sadly, desperate for someone to help me.

She pulls up to the curb in front of my building, parks her car, and turns off the engine. After a moment, she gives me a slight grin. ‘You’ve got to make a choice. There are two paths in front of you right now. The show and all that comes with it: money, fame, drama, partying, and the mistakes. Or the life you’d planned with Berkley, the woman you’ve loved since you were a teenager and who, to use your own words, is your best friend and the only person you trust. She wants to be your forever, Will, but she’s lost hope. Watching you self-destruct while turning into someone she no longer knows is killing her.’

‘I don’t know why I keep doing what I’m doing. She should be forefront of my mind and I’m so intoxicated all the time she’s not.’

‘Tie a string around your finger. Tattoo her name on your forehead. If your life with Berkley is important at all, you’ll make sure she’s your number one.’

For some reason the day I ran into Berkley at CVS flashes through my head. Alex’s name was written on her arm that day. I glance down at my forearm. Maybe I won’t tattoo her name on my forehead, but if I did it on my inner left arm, I couldn’t sign a damn thing without thinking of her.

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