Chapter 37

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Adam

Listen to Believer

by Imagine Dragons

I didn’t sleep that night.

I couldn’t get a hold of Landon, but refused to panic. The rational part of my brain told me that kiss was a set up. She’d already warned me the producer wanted a love triangle to play out like the viral video, and Clayton was one of the guys involved. I knew actresses kissed others and it was a job. So was a hot sex scene played before the camera. All of those thoughts tried to soothe my inner beast but everything I felt about Landon was too uncivilized.

Inside, I was barely holding on to my control.

I owned her. Landon was mine to touch and kiss, and knowing another guy had his mouth on hers made me roar like a wounded predator. My blood ran hot and my cells fired with the need to get my ass to that upstate camp, rip her away, and chain her to my bed until she remembered nothing except the way I made her come. Hell, in the state I was right now, I’d fuck her right in front of her castmates to stake my claim. Violence simmered to the surface. This was the part I’d never be table to tame; the part that Landon had always not only accepted, but embraced.

I had twenty-four hours before I boarded a plane. If I couldn’t make contact this morning, I’d lose my shit and go and find her.

How could I have fallen in love with Landon the same time my career was taking off? I’d dreamed of this my whole life and now it was as if I was in a constant war with myself. I kept imagining us in LA together but I was being a selfish prick. It was even worse because I knew in my gut this reality show was a mistake. Working at Red was a great opportunity for money and contacts, but Landon was beyond that, also. There was more for her—it literally seeped from her pores. She had ambition and arrogance. She had talent and grit and passion. She was a ball of fire who needed the right man to keep her flame hot, yet control her enough to release those hidden demons. Her writing was fucking incredible. She just didn’t want to believe it.

I’d read every single of her Wattpad stories. She had thousands of fans and readers begging for another installment. Hell, with her platform, Landon may be able to have an edge over all the new writers coming up with nothing. If she took all that ambition and put it into her stories, what could she accomplish?

And damned if I didn’t know she wanted it. I also know she was scared.

Because if she failed at writing, she’d be gutted. It was kind of like my song writing. It was so important and necessary, like breathing, that I’d grabbed this opportunity even if it wasn’t perfectly for me. Landon had grabbed Dumped as an alternate way of becoming famous. But it wasn’t what she really wanted. She wanted to be recognized and read for the stuff of her heart.

Just like I needed to be recognized for my songs, not my voice.

We were the same, yet different. But there was no way I could convince her. She had to walk the path on her own and make her choices. I fucking hated feeling so damn helpless when I recognized Dumped would never make Landon happy.

Would our distance make us stronger or weaker? What if shit like this kept happening while we were apart? Me photographed with random strangers like that girl yesterday. Her videotaped with her castmates in sexual situations. Gossip and trash entertainment sites whipping up drama for click bait while we became victims.

Could we possibly survive? Was LA worth it?

The questions forced me out of bed. I got up and tugged on shorts, a t-shirt, and baseball cap, then headed out for decent coffee. I tried calling Landon but it went straight to voice mail. I hung up without leaving a message.

The café a few blocks down was known for their coffee and bagels, so I ordered both while I waited.

“Hey, Adam, right?”

I turned at the masculine voice. The guy staring at me was familiar. Slicked back hair, jacked muscles, and dark eyes that held a hint of coldness. My brain tried to click on where we’d met but came up blank. “Yeah? Sorry, man, do I know you?”

He grinned, flashing straight white teeth. Dressed in chinos, a silky shirt, and loafers with no socks, he gave off entitled vibes. “Kind of. We met once—Max is a friend of mine. We did some hard partying that night at Rage club. I’m Gio.”

The image of us pounding shots together was blurry, but clicked. “Oh, yeah. Sorry, I was wasted that night. How are you?”

“Good. Not as good as you, though.” A smirk rested on his lips. “You still fighting Max over that smoke show?”

Immediately, my politeness cooled. “No fighting needed.”

His laugh grated on my nerves. “Sure, guess you won, then. Well, congrats on that and your Unison gig. Heard you’re going on tour.”

“Yeah, thanks.” I immediately dismissed him as my order was called. I grabbed my stuff and nodded. “See you around.”

“Sure. Tell Max I’m available if he has any other fun gigs he wants to pay me for. Hell, tell him next time I’ll do it for free.”

Gio turned in dismissal but I’d already frozen up. His words hit me like a bash of bricks, making my head spin and my gut lurch. Slowly, I turned.

“What did you say?”

He shot me another shit eating grin. “Nothing, man. See ya.”

Gio stepped up to order but I cut in front and blocked him. “What did you say?” I repeated between gritted teeth. He must’ve sensed the violence emanating, my gaze narrowed on his face as I trembled, ready to punch it out of him.

“Dude, calm down. It was nothing.”

“What’s nothing?”

He studied me, probably realizing I was ready to snap. “No biggie. Just a little thing at Red. Wanted a bit of an edge to get his girlfriend back so I gave her a tiny scare. He wanted to step in and save the day. You know how Max hates to lose.”

The cashier called out “Next!” in an irritated voice.

Gio went to the register to order.

And everything went black as I realized the truth that I’d already known.

Max had paid him to attack Landon.

Half of me wanted to beat the shit out of Gio right now and get it done. But that would only complicate things. I wasn’t about to let this asshole win by suing me and screwing up my gig with Unison or going viral again.

I’d deal with him later in my own time, in my own way.

But right now?

I needed to tell Landon.

"Gio!" I shouted.

He spun back around, obviously pissy, and I snapped his picture. Gio blinked.

"You ever come near her again, I promise I'll kill you."

Then I walked away.