Page 63 of Game Changer

Chapter26

Buckie

Ifind Annalise at the little café she suggested at the end of Malibu Pier. She seems very laid back as she sips at her drink and smiles at me when she sees me. I want to walk right up to her and wring her scrawny neck.

“Oh, hey Buck,” she coos, her voice making me shiver.

“It’s Buckie, Annalise. And I think you know fine well this isn’t a social visit.”

She narrows her eyes, a sly smile spreading over her lips. “What do you mean Buck? Are you mad at me?”

I close my eyes and take a deep breath in. “You’re a vindictive wee bitch Annie. And you’ve fucked with the wrong person.”

“It’s Annalise. What’s wrong Buck? Has your girlfriend dumped you yet? How much have you ruined her life by now?”

“What the fuck did you do Annie?”

“I did what I had to do. You don’t get anywhere in this town without a bit of sympathy. Your girlfriend is just collateral damage.” She puts her hand on mine, smiling and staring at me with pure malice in her eyes. “I told you I could make your life hell Buck. But you didn’t listen,” she says through gritted teeth, still smiling. “And now you’re paying the price.” She digs her nails into my hand so hard it makes me yelp and jerk my hand away from her.

“You’re fucking crazy. Stay the hell away from me and Zara or I’ll have you arrested for stalking.” I stand and turn to leave.

“How can your fiancée stalk you Buck,” she singsongs, holding up her hand and flashing her atrociously large diamond ring.

“I wouldn’t fucking touch you if you were the last woman on earth, Annie. Don’t flatter yourself. You’re not my fiancée and you never will be. Be very careful of yourself. There’s a saying that fits you perfectly you know.”

“Oh yeah.”

“Yeah. Be nice to people on the way up because you’re sure to meet them on the way back down.”

She smirks at me with that nasty glint in her eye that I haven’t ever paid too much attention to before. I realise it’s always been there and that maybe she’s nasty by nature. Some people are beyond help.

“Careful Buck. You don’t know what you’ve got yourself into. No one says no to me.”

Shaking my head, I turn and leave her sitting there. As soon as I’m at the start of the pier, I pull out my phone and turn off the voice recorder. Flicking my phone to silent, I stow it back in my pocket. I jump into my Jeep and head along the coast to a sandy layby off the Pacific Coast Highway. I park the car, recline my seat and lean back, closing my eyes against the sun shimmering on the water. I can only hope I’ve done enough to win Zara back and make her realise this isn’t the life I want to lead. I feel myself drift off, thoughts of Zara’s beautiful hazel eyes, her milky skin, the taste and smell of her. I miss her so much it hurts.

* * *

Iwake at the sound of a Harley starting up right beside me. It takes me a moment to realise I’m still sitting in my car in the layby on the beach. A look at the clock tells me I’ve been here for almost two hours and as I stretch out my body, I can feel it. I’m stiff and sore. Then I remember that I put my phone on silent and I was supposed to be meeting with Shelly at my house.

“Shit,” I mutter to myself as I pull my phone out of my pocket taking it off silent. The missed calls and texts take up more than one swipe of the screen.

The one text that catches my eye first is from Zara.

Forget phoning me back. I will not be played for a fool. Leave me alone and tell that bitch to rot in hell.

What the fuck does that mean? There’s a photo attachment and as soon as I open it, I understand the message loud and clear. The photo is of me and Annalise at the very moment she put her hand on mine at the café earlier. It finally dawns on me that I was half right when I thought Annalise had been manipulating the media. But I didn’t think she was orchestrating the whole damn thing.

I take a moment to think about everything that’s gone on in the last week, and the realisation hits me like a brick to the face. The photo of me and Zara kissing at the premiere. The photo of me and Annalise at the airport. The ludicrous diamond ring Annalise was wearing. All the stories to the media. And this last photo. She did it all. But why? And who the fuck is helping her? What the fuck do I have that she hasn’t got herself? Why did she have to use me like that?

I’m running over so many scenarios in my mind when my phone rings in my hand. It’s Shelly. I answer but don’t speak.

“Buckie?”

“Yeah,” I croak out.

“Buckie, where are you?”

“Along the coast at Corral Beach.”

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