“Can’t you take me with you?” I groaned, sitting on my best friend’s bed.
Harper and I had met when she first moved to California. Her incredible writing had brought her here, and I couldn’t have been happier.
She was the unexpected friend I didn’t realize I needed.
About a year ago, she married the man of her dreams, Walker Donovan. He was the man of most women’s dreams, but Harper got him.
Now, they were going on a vacation to celebrate their anniversary.
She laughed. “I’m not sure how Walker will feel about that.”
I shrugged, watching her throw clothes into the suitcase. “Plus, Asher would still be here when you got back. You can’t avoid him forever.”
“I can try.” I smirked at her.
Despite his reputation as a playboy, Asher Anderson had unexpectedly captured my heart. I was starting to see who the real Asher truly was.
I let down my guard and fell for him. That was until his agent claimed that being in a relationship would damage his current image.
I was devastated when he agreed. He had a successful acting career and was in high demand.
His asshole of an agent convinced him that to stay relevant, he needed to stay in the media. The media loves stories and drama.
What’s dramatic about a man in a happy relationship?
I told him he was being absurd. That’s when he informed me that we weren’t actually in a relationship.
We hadn’t even had the “being exclusive” discussion. Which was true, but I thought we were headed in that direction.
Now, it seems like we don’t even get a choice.
“You know you are going to have to talk to him, eventually.”
“Why?”
“Well, it’s either talk to him or forget about him. You don’t seem to be doing well with the second option.” She looked up at me through her eyelashes while she zipped up the suitcase.
All I could do was nod.
“Harper, are you up here?”
We both turned to the sound of Walker’s voice.
“In here,” she yelled.
“Hey, Lexi.” He gave me a quick nod, then looked at Harper. “Are you ready?”
“I am.”
While Walker took her suitcase, Harper grabbed hold of my wrists and forcefully dragged me away from her bed.
I let out a dramatic groan before complying. After saying goodbye, I decided to go to my studio.
Painting has always been my passion, and I was fortunate to turn it into a career.
My father didn’t take my career seriously. It wasn’t until I began making money that things turned around.
Money had always been the only thing that mattered to him.
Some of the most prestigious art galleries were battling for my next painting. It was an honor, and a dream come true.
Sometimes, though, I liked to paint just for myself. It was incredibly therapeutic.
Some diaries have writings; mine has paintings.
My studio wasn’t in downtown Los Angeles. It was in a new and upcoming area just outside of the city.
Despite the arrival of new businesses, it kept its old-world charm. The studio itself wasn’t very large, much to my father’s dismay.
The first time I introduced it to him came rushing back to me.
I noticed the light was on in my studio. It made me pause for a minute because I always turned off the lights and locked up before I left.
I cautiously walked in. My stomach dropped at the sight of him.
He was looking at my paintings laid out on a table. He peered at me and held one up. “Is this me?”
I felt so violated. He had no right to come in here and inspect all of my personal works.
I stared at him. “What are you doing here?”
Before he could respond, I shook my hands like I wanted to erase that question and ask a different one. “Wait, how did you even get in here?”
He smirked at me. “You didn’t answer my question.”
I walked up and snatched the painting out of his hand. “Yes. It’s you,” I answered quietly, then raised my voice. “Not that it is any of your business.”
“It’s really good, Lex.”
I looked up at the sincerity in his voice. “Thank you.”
I looked back down at the painting before tossing it back on the table. Then I leaned against it and crossed my arms. “Why are you here, Asher? Aren’t you afraid someone is going to see us?”
He held up his hands in surrender. “I deserve that. I just wanted to talk to you.”
I shook my head. “You could have called for that.”
He let out a breathy laugh. “You won’t take my calls!”
He took a step forward, and I held up a hand. “You can’t just come around when it’s convenient for you.”
He took another step forward. The way his closeness affected me was intoxicating. His confidence, his musky scent, the look of desire in his eyes.
He grabbed the hand I held up and interlaced our fingers, pulling me to him. I tried to move away, but he put an arm around my waist, locking me there.
His lips practically brushed against mine when he spoke. “I’ve missed you, Lex.”
That snapped me back to reality. He didn’t need to miss me. It was his decision that put us in this position.
I roughly pushed him off me. “Bullshit!”
“Come on, Lexi. I’m serious. Touching you is like breathing. I’ll die without you.”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Then I stomped to the door. Opening it, I stared at him.
“Those are just words. Prove it.”
He moved closer to me and firmly gripped the back of my neck. Before I could respond, he swiftly turned my head to the side.
“I will prove it. And I will have you in my bed again, Lexi Johnson,” he whispered in my ear.
When he walked out, I closed the door and locked it immediately. I was so turned on by his cockiness, and I hated it. Leaning against the door, I laid my head back.
That man was going to be the death of me. It was so hard to say no to him, almost impossible. But I knew my worth.
If he wanted me, he’d have to show me. I wasn’t going to give him my heart again, just for him to crush it.
I didn’t think it was going to be easy getting Lexi back. Not that I completely had her to begin with. I had the chance, but I messed up.
My career brought us together and tore us apart. For most of my life, my dream was to pursue acting. Against my better judgment, Jenkins, my ex-agent, convinced me that the path to achieving this was by becoming the most eligible bachelor in the country.
However, it was mostly just a facade. There was a time when I dated regularly, so it wasn’t completely false. When I finally met someone I actually wanted to be with, I let my selfishness ruin it.
I thought it was impossible to have both a successful career and a family at the same time. I know now how wrong I was. I don’t blame Lexi for hating me.
In her mind, I chose my career and left her behind. However, that’s not the entire story. That was only half of it.
The other half had to do with Lexi’s jackass of a father. Harvey Johnson was a very powerful and smart man. Having co-founded Johnson and Hackman Law Firm, he established a wide network of connections.
Despite his questionable clients, he still managed to succeed. There’s no chance of anyone saying he worked as a lawyer for the mob. Well, definitely not out loud.
In his own screwed up way, he did have love for his daughter. He did want her to succeed. So when stories kept coming out about me and Lexi being seen together, I got an unexpected visit.
“Mr. Anderson. I don’t believe we’ve met.”
Sitting at a table in my favorite coffee shop, I looked up to see an intimidating-looking man. Despite his youthful appearance, his eyes betrayed his true age.
His expensive suit suggested wealth, and his confident posture suggested power. Although I am quite tall, I felt uncomfortable with how this man towered over me while I was seated.
I was going to stand up and even things out a bit, but he stopped me with a wave.
“Please, standing isn’t necessary.”
He pulled out a chair and sat across from me. That’s when I realized who he was.
Harvey Johnson. Lexi and her father had similar features. We had never actually met, but I knew it was him once I got a better look.
“I have to say, I am a big fan.”
I cocked an eyebrow at him, then leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms.
“Are you?”
He laughed, but not because he thought I was funny. It sounded sadistic and cruel.
“No. My daughter seems to be, though.”
The fact that this man didn’t introduce himself showed his arrogance. I mean, yes, I did know who he was, but still. It would have been polite.
That’s when I realized Harvey Johnson was anything but polite.
“I want you to stop seeing her.”
“Is that what Lexi wants?”
He shook his head and rolled his eyes.
“Alexandra doesn’t know what she wants.”
I shifted in my seat, uncomfortable about where this conversation was going.
“Listen, sir…”
He leaned forward, setting his elbows on the table.
“No. I need you to listen, boy. You will stop seeing my daughter.”
Anger was simmering just beneath the surface.
“I’m not going to do that.”
He gave me an evil grin that sent chills throughout my body.
“Oh, yes, you are. If you don’t, I’m going to ruin your career.”
I huffed.
“I doubt that.”
“Fine,” he countered back, “Then I’ll ruin Alexandra’s career.”
He must have mistaken my shocked silence as acceptance because he stood up like the conversation was over. This time, I stood too.
“Again, I’m not going to do that.”
He stopped buttoning his suit coat and looked up.
“Excuse me?”
“Either way, she gets hurt. I won’t hurt her.”
“That may be true, but in one scenario, she at least has her career.”
What a bastard.
“I’ll give you two weeks. If I’m not convinced by the end of the two weeks that you have broken it off, I’ll start pulling her sponsors for her gallery pieces.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“You would do this to your own daughter?”
“That is ultimately up to you,” he yelled back as he started to walk away.
“Two weeks, Mr. Anderson.”
I stood there in shock. What the fuck just happened?
I shook off the memory. I had to prove to Lexi how much I needed her. I wasn’t lying before. I felt like I couldn’t breathe without her.
Fuck my ex-agent, and fuck her father. I just hope I didn’t ruin this past the point of being able to fix it.
