Page 6 of Midnight Sun
He can sense Finn moving in the darkness. Finally, finally stepping forward. Jamie wants to lean into his touch. He can’t wait for his release.
Jamie’s gaze follows the dark figure stepping from the shadows into the circle of light surrounding him. Something like fear twists in Jamie’s gut. The posture and the movements are all wrong. This isn’t Finn. Jamie stares in horror at the masked stranger coming at him.
Jamie wakes with a start, a scream locked in his throat. He fumbles for his phone, and as soon as the display lights up, he switches the nightstand lamp on for good measure.
It takes him several seconds to register where he is and to calm down his erratic breathing. The sheets are rumpled and sweaty around him, and Jamie cards shaky fingers through his hair.Unprofessional, he chastises himself. He can’t be such a mess while filming, he needs to get a grip. A small, wounded sound escapes his lips, and he buries his face in his hands. Alone in his bedroom, looking out over the still-dark skyline, he can admit to himself that he hasn’t had a grip on his life since he graduated from drama school and began his Hollywood career. But this isn’t the time to reconsider his life choices. The new project is just what he needs to prove his abilities as an actor. He won’t mess this up over a few pesky feelings.
Jamie rubs his eyes. Bev is staying in the largest guest room for the night, and he realizes they need to talk before she leaves. Breaking up before the filming starts is a good strategy. More publicity for the movie and more gossip about which co-star Jamie might be dating. It’s the clever thing to do, he reasons, and has nothing to do with the growing feeling of being trapped in a life he never wanted. Or more precisely, a life that he did want but had no idea how mind-numbinglyemptyit would be.
He hears light footsteps in the corridor and then the lights being switched on in the kitchen and the buzzing sound of the Italian coffee maker. Bev is an early riser. Jamie pads out on bare feet to face her.
Bev looks pretty in the soft, indirect light illuminating the kitchen. Her strawberry-blonde curls shine like a halo, and Jamie feels a pang of longing for the good times they had, not for the future they won’t share, though. She smiles at him and presses a coffee mug into his waiting hand. When Bev tries to kiss him, Jamie retreats.
“We need to talk, Beverly.”
Bev tilts her head.
“What is it?”
“We should break up.” Jamie isn’t usually this blunt, but he had an awful night and he just hopes Bev has seen this coming, too.
“What? Why?” Bev’s eyes widen in surprise and hurt. So much for her seeing this coming. But Jamie feels like he can’t back down now, so he carries on.
“Come on, Bev. We always knew this wouldn’t last. From a PR point of view, it’s a good time to end it. And we won’t be seeing each other for the next few months, anyway.”
Bev punches him. A quick upward blow that could’ve given Jamie a black eye if he hadn’t dodged backward. This way, her knuckles only brush his cheekbone. Jamie catches her wrist before she can decide that it’s a good idea to try and punch him again.
“Stop it,” Jamie hisses, incensed. “Why are you so dramatic about this? I always thought you were cleverer than this.”
“Cleverer?” Bev cries, her Southern drawl thickening. “You are an asshole, James Arden. You were never going to fly over for my birthday like you promised, were you?”
Fuck.He totally forgot about Bev’s birthday. Is it in two weeks? Three? He vaguely remembers telling Peter to order something fancy from a jeweler in London. But Bev’s right, he never planned to make the trip to the states to celebrate with her. Jamie’s anger evaporates and he feels guilty all of a sudden.
“It’s not like that, Bev. I didn’t forget your birthday,” Jamie lies. “I’ve already bought a present for you.” At least this is the truth.
“Really?” Bev’s eyes shine with tears as she presses close to him. This time Jamie lets her. “I know what we agreed upon, but I like what we have. I don’t want to lose you,” she whispers, voice choked with emotion.
“I liked what we had, too. But I need time to think.”
“What we had?” Bev’s expression shatters, and tears start to run down her face, smearing her perfect make-up.
“I’ll come for your birthday,” Jamie promises, though he isn’t sure he’ll be able to make it, if hewantsto make it. “Maybe I can stay a few extra days and we can work everything out, okay?”
“Okay.” Bev sniffs delicately and fumbles a hand mirror out of her designer bag, already at the ready on the kitchen counter. She turns away from him and begins to fix her make-up.
Jamie feels irritation bubble up in his chest again, but he swallows it down. He doesn’t have much time before he has to leave for the airport, and he doesn’t want to end his relationship with Bev in a shouting match in the lobby of his luxury apartment. Publicity or not, his father would tear his head off if he made bad headlines in the English tabloids.
“Peter,” Jamie barks, putting an end to the conversation.
“Yes, sir?”
“Have you been eavesdropping again?” Bev snaps as Peter enters the kitchen in no time.
“Bev,” Jamie says placatingly. Although Peter is on good terms with almost everyone around him, Bev took a strong dislike to him immediately.
“No, Miss Buckley. I would never listen in on your private conversations.” Peter doesn’t meet Bev’s gaze.
“Bring me Miss Buckley’s present, will you Peter?” Jamie isn’t in the mood for further quarrels.