Breaking Her (Love is War #2) (5 page)

"I second that," Harry said with a grin.
 

I shot a glance at Anton, who had the balls to be eyeing her bountiful chest, the lech.
 
Some devil got ahold of my tongue.
 
"Do you third it, Anton?" I asked him archly.
 

"She's basically naked, but yeah, the view is
fantastic
," he said succinctly, sounding downright bitter about it.
 

I glanced down at myself, then at Farrah and Leona, who were already laying out.
 
It was skimpy for Demi, but she wasn't showing more skin than anyone else was.
 

My eyes narrowed on Anton as my preoccupied brain finally caught up to what was going on.
 

He was jealous.
 
Over Demi.
 
Uh uh.
 
Nope.
 
He was a shameless man-whore, and he was not allowed to go there.
 
Not with my too innocent, too sweet friend.
 

"Hey, beardo," I called to him, already moving away and toward the water.
 
"A word."
 

He joined me in the surf.
 
We were up to mid-calf in the water, and, mindful of the photographer that still had us in his sights, I threw my arms around Anton's neck, leaning into him.
 

He gripped my waist lightly with his big hands, very familiar with the routine.
 

I wondered if he could tell that I was glaring at him through my dark shades.
 
"You know Demi is off-limits, right?"
 

His mouth twisted like he'd just tasted something sour.
 
"What are you talking about?"
   

"My friend.
 
Demi
," I emphasized.
   

"She's my friend, too.
 
What about her?"
 

"She's too innocent for you.
 
She's not a casual girl.
 
You'd break her heart.
 
You know that, right?"
 

He lowered his shades enough to shoot me a belligerent glance.
 
"I'm well fucking aware."

"I'm not sure you are.
 
You're acting possessive about her.
 
And I saw the way you were looking at her in that bikini."
 

"I was looking at all of you like that.
 
You just didn't see it.
 
I like bikinis.
 
And skin."
 

I wasn't buying it.
 
"So we're clear?
 
No messing with Demi?"
 

"Message received.
 
I get it; you're a mama bear with your friends.
 
How about you give this speech to Mr. Hella Bruh that's pawing her over there?"
 

I glanced over at Demi and Harry.
 
Anton was exaggerating.
 
Mostly.
 
Harry was just helping her apply sunblock.
 

"You're only proving my point right now," I pointed out.
 

"Fine.
 
I'll drop it.
 
I'll try my best to stay away from our sweet Demi from here on out."
 

I studied him.
 
The way he said it made me wonder if something had already happened between them.

I glanced at Demi, who was indeed getting more and more cozy with Mr. Hella Bruh and decided against it.
 
There was no way she'd be so nonchalant around Anton if that were the case.
 

That settled, we put on a great show for the cameras, frolicking in the surf, canoodling in the sand.
 

I'm not sure when it happened, but at some point the day went from faking fun for the cameras to actively enjoying myself.
       

It was possibly around the time that we broke out the bottles of pre-maid cocktails we'd packed in lieu of a picnic lunch.
 
Who needs food when you can have liquor?
 

We chatted about nothing and everything as we pretended to lay out to tan, when in actuality we were all sun-blocked into oblivion and reapplying every quarter hour.
 
Because wrinkles.
 

"I was sure that Lacy was going to get killed off in the season finale," Farrah was saying, referring to her recurring role as a biker groupie in Anton's show.
 
She was such a hit that they kept bringing her back.
 
"But I just got the script back, and they're keeping her!
 
They're giving her a bigger role than ever in a story arc that goes into the next season!"
 

"That's amazing!"

"Congrats!"
 

"They know their audience!"

"Awesome!"
 

We all congratulated her and meant it.
 
I personally thought she was brilliant in the role.
 
She was a valley girl and an ex-cheerleader, so it was a testament to her talent that she could pull off the role of a hardened biker chick so perfectly.
 

"Eventually we'll all be on your show, Anton," Leona joked, though who knew if it
was
a joke.
 
I myself had made a few appearances, though nothing with a speaking role, mostly I'd been an extra with a lot of close-up body shots.
 
Leona had been cast in a similar way, if less times.
 

That left only Demi, but even as I had the thought, she said, "I'm actually going to be in it too.
 
My agent called me earlier.
 
That role I was up for, the rival club's daughter.
 
I got it."
 

I blinked at her.
 
How had I missed this?
 

We all rushed to congratulate her, and I felt like a dick for having no clue about such huge news.

"That sounds like a big role," Harry said, hugging her.
 
"Wow.
 
That could really turn into something, right?"
 

"She's already scheduled to have sex with me," Anton said, his tone flat and more than a touch riled.
 

We all looked at him.
 
Okay, I
glared
, and Demi blushed and looked everywhere but at him.
 

"What?" Harry asked him, wide-eyed.
 

"Our characters have a star-crossed affair.
 
She's going to be on the show quite a bit, from the sound of it.
 
They have lots of story planned for her character."
 

"You don't sound thrilled about that," Demi almost mumbled the words, not looking at him.
 

"I just don't think the show is a good fit for you," he said brutally.

For that, we were
all
glaring at him.
 
"What the hell?" I asked him.
 

"You can get typecast, doing a show like this," he tried to explain.
 
"I just don't think it fits your image.
 
You should be trying for more family friendly stuff.
 
Like one of those princess live-action flicks.
 
Something like that."
 

"That's why it's called acting," Demi said to her feet, her face red.
 
"I should be able to do both."
 

Anton was not letting up.
 
He was in a hell of a mood.
 
"This is a
cable
show.
 
Did you know they're already talking about having you do a topless scene?
 
With
me
.
 
A topless sex scene in front of the world.
 
That what you were going for?"
 

Demi, looking more miserable by the second, responded with a forlorn, "Topless?
 
Oh no.
 
My parents are going to kill me."
 

"I told you not to audition," he continued relentlessly.
 
"This is
not
a good fit for you.
 
Mark my words."
 

"Knock it the hell off," I told him.
 
"She's an actress and the path she takes is her business."
 
We had a pretty aggressive stare down, but eventually he broke the gaze.
 
"Now quit being an ass and congratulate her."
 

"Congratulations," Anton looked very pointedly at Demi, who still wouldn't look at him.
 
"In a few weeks, I'm going to be playing with your naked tits in front of an audience.
 
Hope you're okay with that."
 
He got up and stormed away.
 

"What the ever-loving
fuck
?" I asked anyone that might know what Anton's problem was.
   

"Asshole," Leona breathed, shrugging off her quiet but clingy pilot boyfriend to go put her arm around Demi.
 
"You okay, sweetie?"
 

Demi nodded, but she was chewing on her lip.
 
"I think he thinks I'm intruding on his territory.
 
It's his show, he's the lead in it, and I don't think he wants me being a part of it."
 

That was it.
 
I got up and went after him.
 

His long stride had covered a lot of distance fast, but he'd stopped as soon as he hit the nearest bar, which was about a foot away once you hit the street, so it wasn't hard to catch or find him.
 

I took the barstool next to him, glancing around.
 
We were getting some stares.
 
It was a quick walk from the beach, but no one else in the place was wearing swimsuits.
 
Also, they may have recognized Anton.
 

Whatever.
   

"That was so out of line," I told him quietly after the bartender left our earshot.
 
"Were you trying to make her feel like shit?"

He sighed heavily.
 
"No, but I think she'll feel like worse shit if her perfect family sees her topless in her first big role.
 
And topless is just the edge of it.
 
They've got a scene written of her . . . servicing me in a bathroom.
 
It's not what I want for her.
 
Is that what
you
want for her?
 
Her biggest role to date and the world gets to see her topless and on her knees?"
 

Jesus.
 
It did make me feel overprotective, but . . . "That's beside the point.
 
Regardless of how you feel about that particular subject, do you think you're handling this in a good way?
 
She's out there looking like she might cry because she thinks you don't want to work with her.
 
You need to go apologize, and you need to make it stick."
 

He cursed, long and fluid.
 
He finished his beer with one long swig, standing up.
 
"Fine.
 
Fine.
 
You're right.
 
I'm an asshole.
 
I'll go apologize."
 

He settled his tab and we left.
 

When we got back to the group, he quietly asked Demi to take a walk with him.
 

Farrah and Mitch went swimming, and Leona's pilot and Harry went to grab a beer together.
   

It was just me and Leona sitting side by side, watching the water when she said, "It's so peaceful, isn't it?
 
The ocean, I mean."

Peaceful?
 
I did not find the ocean peaceful.
 
I found it troubling.
 
I didn't see the calm waves or the beautiful water, I only saw the chaos underneath, the dangers lurking in the depths.
 
Riptides, strong currents, high tides.
 
Sharks.
 
Other things that bite and/or sting you.
 

Today on Scarlett looking at the world with fear and pessimism: Oceans.

It also didn't help that it reminded me of a certain bastard's eyes.

But all I said was, "It certainly gives the world perspective."
   

Which was true, and yet another thing about the ocean that I hated.
 
If you stared at it for too long, it made you think.
 
Reflect on your life.
 
Your choices.
 
Your state of well-being.
 

My current state was clearly not well.
 

My foul mood, uneven temper, and damn near steady drunk.
 
Is that who I was becoming?
 
Fucking Glenda?
 
Was I really letting myself turn into someone I despised?
 
Pitied?
 
And for him?
 

Not fucking likely.
   

"Did you know about Demi getting that part?" I asked Leona.
 

"Yeah.
 
It's so awesome, isn't it?"
 

"It is, but I had no clue she even auditioned.
 
I'm such a shit friend."

"Stop that right now," she said sternly.
 
"You are a good friend.
 
The best kind of friend.
 
You found out a few hours later, so what?
 
Who was the first one to get on Anton about being an ass to her?
 
Who was the one that got him to come back and apologize?"
 

"That's just because I'm good at being the bitch."