A Little Bit of Truth (Little Bits) (26 page)

“You haven’t even got the drug out of your system yet. It’s barely,” I check the clock on the wall. “Nine in the morning. You were poisoned at seven last night. Is this the healthcare express? What are you? A fucking cheeseburger?”

“I’m fit, I’m healthy and I exercise a lot. I’m a big guy, the drug that she used was just amplified because of the other medication in my system,” is he fucking kidding me?

“You were fucking unconscious! You had a fucking
seizure!” Yeah, I’m pissed. Real fucking pissed. “And they just let you go?”

He smiles like a kid on Christmas morning, “Is it wrong that I want to keep putting you in bad situations from now on just so I can see how much you really care for me?”

Wait… what? “Care for you?” I play it cool. “You’re my best friend Jacob.”

He frowns, “I think things are…”

“Ready guys?” Landon asks as he walks in with more food. “I got the full English for everyone. They don’t do breakfast pancakes here. And when I asked for maple syrup…” He shudders. “They don’t have it on their bacon or sausages. It’s like a strictly pancake thing.”

“That’s weird,” I whisper, glancing around the room for UFO’s or some sign that I’ve stepped into an alternate universe.

“Told you,” Jacob whispers and pulls me tight to his side, his arm slung around my shoulder like it’s the most normal thing in the world. “No jelly either. Well, not the kind we have in the States.”

“Yeah, that broke my heart,” Landon wipes away a nonexistent tear from beneath his eye.

I roll my eyes and pull free of Jacob’s arm. What’s gotten into him? He’s being rather affectionate. Did he honestly believe he wasn’t important to me? Or any of us for that matter. He’s one of the best people in my life. It’ll break my heart if I find out that through the entirety of our time together he’s genuinely thought that he’s been alone.

So I let him be affectionate, I let him lead me through the crowds on unsteady legs. I let him lean on me as we head to his waiting car through what seems like a thousand reporters but in reality is only about fifteen. They’re just circled so tightly around us that you can’t see past the flashes of their cameras. Fortunately Landon deals with this along with a bodyguard I’ve never met and we get into the car safely.

“I think I’m blind,” I grumble, not daring to rub my eyes due to the mascara and eyeliner that I’m wearing. Panda eyes are not an attractive look, I figured this out this morning when I woke up after sleeping with black bumblebee eyes.

“Want me to describe how handsome I am so you don’t forget?” Jacob offers and Landon barks out a laugh.

“If you weren’t ill, I’d hurt you,” I grumble, mainly to stop myself from laughing.

“Well, my hair is blonde and my eyes are blue. My dick is…”

“Dude…” Landon interrupts still laughing.

“Small,” I finish for Jacob and Landon laughs harder. Jacob pinches my nose with the knuckles of two fingers. Ouch.

“So, are you going to share that food in your arms or are you just going to tease us with the smell?” Jacob pointedly looks at the bag of food in Landon’s arms, his stomach growls. I know how he feels, I’m far too hungry to be happy.

Landon takes his own tray out and passes us the bag. A full English huh? What does that
entail?

I see, sausages, mushed tomatoes, bacon (not streaky), fried eggs, toast, mushrooms
, I have no idea what this is. “What’s this?”

“Black pudding,” Landon responds, his face perfectly normal.

I prod it with my plastic fork, “It doesn’t look like pudding.”

“It’s good, try it, it’s like sausage,” Jacob says around a mouthful of
egg.

You only live once. So I try it and it’s actually quite tasty.

“That’s pig’s blood by the way,” Landon tells me as if telling me the sun is shining (which it’s not).

“What’s pig’s blood?” I look down at my plate expecting to see a river of red gravy or something along those lines.

“Black pudding. It’s pigs blood in sausage casing.” Oh god. Oh my god. I feel sick. “Tasty right?”

“Oh my god.”

“Yeah, thanks for not getting any for me Landon,” Jacob chews on a piece of bacon, I see him trying not to laugh at my turmoil.

“Pigs blood?” I squeak, my stomach curdling like milk when mixed with orange juice. “Please tell me you’re joking!”

Landon holds his phone in front of my face, a very detailed picture on black pudding and where it comes from is on the screen. Oh god.

“Stop the car!” Three… Two… One… Door open and… hurl.

A hand rubs my back, “Fuck. I didn’t expect it to end so badly.”

“Oops,” is all Landon says. He seems to think this is hilarious. Ugh, my stomach won’t stop heaving.

“Okay?”

“I fucking hate you both.”

Nursemaid

Men are babies,
it’s official. When we reached Jacob’s hotel and checked in he immediately collapsed on his bed and started snoring. What’s worse is he dragged me down with him. I ended up suffocated for the better part of the afternoon with his hand cupping my crotch and the one over me cupping my throat.

Then when he finally woke up he vomited a few times, fell asleep again, vomited again, fell asleep again and has spent
the entire time moaning about being sick, ordering me to massage him and asking me for blowjobs.

I’ve done everything he’s asked, except from the latter. As much as I love his dick he’s ill, the last thing he needs is to
spend the last of his energy on an orgasm. Plus it’ll turn me on too and right now I’m tired and I have a sick man to look after, the last thing I need is the need to diddle myself. Gah. Since when did I become a nursemaid?

“Marie,” his whiney voice echoes into the main room.

“Yeah?” I turn the kettle off and pour myself a coffee.

“Cold.”

“Okay.”

“Come be my blanket.” Sigh. “Marie!”

“I’m coming!” And go to him I do. As soon as I get close he drapes me over his body, my head under his chin and my pelvis resting firmly against his slowly hardening length. “Go to sleep, you’ve got a temperature again.”

“Horny,” he cups my ass with his hands and grinds his hips into mine. Oh god. “Need to fuck you now.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Well, “Because you’re sick and you need your rest.”

“Boring.”

“Yep.”

He sighs and my body lowers slightly as his chest deflates, then rises as he inhales. “Horny.”

“Go to sleep.”

“Give me your pussy,” he grinds against me again and moans a little. “I’ve missed it.”

“Friends don’t fuck friends, Jake.” I snap and feel him tense beneath me.

He grabs my shoulders and flips us over so he’s on top, his angry eyes burn into mine, “I think we’re a little more than friends Marie.” His fingers trail down my side before gripping my thigh and hitching it up. He slides between my legs an
d presses his length against my magic spot. “This, is all for me.”

“Jake.”

“That sounded like it should have been a protest babe but let’s not pretend. It was definitely begging,” he glares smugly at me, still circling his hips and causing the burn to spread. “Let me inside.”

“No.” I shove at his chest.

“Marie,” he warns but I don’t listen.

“I’m not doing this again, just so you can text me from half a world away breaking it off.” I snap and shove at him again. “You missed your chance Jake. You know my rules.”

He blinks in astonishment, “You’re serious aren’t you?”

“Fuck yeah I’m serious. I wait for no man, not even you.” Well I’m kind of serious,
if he grinds a few more times and I may change my tune.

He lifts up suddenly and stops rubbing me between my legs, “So why are you here?” Why does he look so affronted?

“I’m here because you’re my best friend and I care about you,” I just won’t be your friend with benefits anymore.

“Best friend,” he scoffs. “Best friend.” He repeats it again and climbs off me to stand by the bed. “Best friend?”

“What’s so hard to accept?”

“Nothing. I guess I just thought things were different now. You did drop everything and fly half way around the world to fucking see me. So sorry for thinking that maybe…”

He’s got to be kidding. “I’d fuck you. You thought we’d go back to the way we were? Are you kidding?”

“You told me I was important to you,” he snarls, his hands clenched into fists by his sides. “Those were your words.” Ha, if only he knew.

“You are important to me. I just don’t want to ruin what we have,” I admit, forgetting about my makeup and rubbing my eyes.

“Friends only then?” He snaps like the thought disgusts him.

“Isn’t that what you want? It’s what you told me you want.”

He kneels in front of me, a frown on his face, “I just… fuck… I just thought it would be best. My life is a nightmare, I didn’t want to
put you through that.”

“Wow, let me pretend that makes sense,” I flick him on the forehead, he rubs it absentmindedly. “Either way, whether I was fucking you or not, I’m part of your life and Jake… I have no problem with it. You’re my friend and at one point we fucked a few times. How was us fucking any different to us being just friends? There was no commitment, we were good as we were.”

A light seems to ping in his head for his eyes shine with realization, “You’re right. I guess I just didn’t want you to have to wait for me all of the time.”

“You mean a lot to me Jacob, I’d wait forever if you asked,” I whisper and run my fingers through his thick, silky locks. “Are we done arguing?”

“Only if you let me in here,” he taps against my crotch, I try not to shudder and fail miserably. His smile widens, “I know you want it.”

Throwing his hand away I stand and stomp to the door, “I have a rule Jacob. I never go back.” I don’t want to be your fuck piece. I don’t say this though as it sounds like I’m asking for more. Am I asking for more? “You broke it off. Let’s just stick to what we are.”

“Fine,” he snarls and throws the blankets off the bed. I watch him adjust his package and bite back a groan. Why do I have rules in place? Can’t I make an exception? “Friends then.” He’s not asking he’s telling. “Great. Better than nothing right?”

“Wow, try not to sound too happy about it,” my sarcasm is loud and clear. Instead of waiting for his response I storm out of the room and make sure to slam the door hard behind me.

Who does he think I am? Some kind of… oh my god. I’m a whore. Why do I suddenly feel a shame so deep it’s eating away at the pit of my stomach? He’ll never want more from me. Who wants a long term relationship with a whore? Nobody that’s who.

Do I even want a long term relationship? Do I want to dedicate myself to one man? What we were doing wasn’t any different to a normal relationship though right?

My head hurts.

I think it’s safe to say I read into this situation completely wrong. What’s worse is, the fact she only wants to be friends really fucking hurts. It hurts way more than it should. Why is she here? She must feel something. She told me that I’m important to her.

I follow her into the other room on shaky legs, I’m extremely glad she didn’t find out I discharged myself from the hospital, I didn’t want to waste another minute getting her home and ravishing her. What a joke.

When I walk into the room Marie is on the phone, I’m not sure who she’s speaking to but I can guess, “No, that’s no problem. I should be home tomorrow.” Tomorrow? “Yeah, I miss you too.” Miss who? “Haha, stop it.” Stop what? “We can meet for lunch.” Lunch? “Brilliant, about twelve. Perfect. Yeah, you too.” You too what? She hangs up.

“You’re leaving tomorrow?” I try not to sound livid, but if she thinks I’m about to let her leave for another man, she thinks wrong.

“Yeah, I’ve got shoots lined up until Christmas, and you’re okay,” she shrugs a little. “Are you coming?”

Oh, well that’s a mind fuck right there. “Do you want me to come?”

“Of course!” Her mouth drops open as if I’ve offended her.

“Okay, then, I’m coming too. I’m staying at yours.”

“There’s no space, Mason has the spare room.”

My anger rises, “Then I’ll have the fucking couch!”

She holds up her hands in surrender, “Okay, okay, no need to get snappy.”

“Good.”

“Good!” She starts laughing, why is she laughing. “You know, you’re incredibly cute when you’re grumpy. Go lie down, I’ll bring you something to eat.”

“Way to emasculate a man Marie,” Okay, so maybe I’m a little grumpy. “I need to call my agent anyway. I’ll do that in the room where I might just lie on the bed and I might be hungry while I’m there.”

“Okay darlin’,” she chuckles in a sexy southern drawl. “No problem. If I decide to cook I’ll make you some and if you happen to still be in bed talking to your agent then I’ll bring it to you on a tray. Okay?”