Breaking Stars - J. Sterling Page 0,75
I whispered as I tightened my arm around her.
“For a little while,” she said in a sleepy voice. “I don’t want to be disrespectful to your mom.”
I fell asleep with her in my arms, but when I woke up, I was alone.
It’s Time
Paige
A hard knock at the door startled me from sleep. The knocking continued, harder and harder until I heard voices coming from outside the house, the sounds drifting clearly to me through the open window. Mrs. Montgomery shouted at whoever it was, sounding like she was trying to calm them down, but it was no use. The male voices grew more agitated as she pulled the door open.
“Where is she? Paige! I know she’s in here. Paige, I see your car out front!”
Pulling the sheet up to my nose, I recognized the voice immediately as my insides shriveled up and died on the spot. Jayson was here, but how? Buster wouldn’t stop barking and growling, yapping madly as I eavesdropped from the safety of my bed.
“Excuse me, young man, but you can’t just barge into my house and start screaming like you own the place.” Mrs. Montgomery’s voice was strong and, if I wasn’t mistaken, very pissed off. “You get out of my house, and we can address whatever it is you want like adults.”
“I don’t think so, ma’am. You have something I need.”
I cringed, knowing that I was the “something” he referred to. Jayson would never let me stay. And I wasn’t ready to leave.
“Didn’t your mama teach you any manners?” Mrs. Montgomery sounded as though she was seething, and I wanted to run out there and hug her.
The sound of the screen door slamming made me jump. “What’s going on in here? Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in my mama’s house?”
Tatum.
His voice alone caused my breathing to even out, even though my heart wouldn’t stop pounding out beats like crazy. Tatum would protect me. He would keep me safe.
“Oh, this is just priceless.” Jayson’s laugh sounded sinister. “Come out, Paige. I know you’re here, and I can see now why you didn’t want to come home.”
Half-surprised that Jayson hadn’t tried to sign Tatum to his agency already—since he never missed the opportunity to represent a pretty face—I crept out of bed and quickly pulled on a sweatshirt and jeans. My hand on the bedroom doorknob, I took a deep breath to steady myself and then stepped out into the living room.
“Calm down, Jayson. I’m right here.”
Tatum rushed to my side, blocking my view of Jayson with his body before pinning me with worried eyes. “Tell me what to do. What do you want me to do?”
He sounded confused and desperate, and I wanted to take him in my arms and forget about the world. Although, that was what I’d been doing for the past three weeks. I was surprised I’d been able to stay away that long.
“There’s nothing you can do,” I said sadly.
The second Jayson arrived, my escape was all over. Everything I’d built in my time here was swept away in an instant. Out with the brave new-and-improved Paige, and in with the old scared-to-let-anyone-down Paige.
It was like being in an abusive relationship where freedom only came from being away from your abuser. Separated by a few states seemed like a good start. My soul had soared when I’d cut off ties with everyone who controlled me in LA, but it crashed to the ground in spectacular fashion as soon as Jayson’s voice broke the sanctity of the peaceful space I’d found for myself.
“I brought you a present, Paige.” Jayson eyed me. “Although I have to admit that I didn’t realize you wouldn’t need it.”
Confused, I frowned at him. Whatever Jayson referred to was completely lost on me until I heard the knock on the screen door. My cheating rat bastard of an ex-boyfriend stood outside, his face forlorn and his hair mussed in what I was sure was a calculated way.
Tatum tensed beside me, and I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. He squeezed back, but didn’t release the pressure. I couldn’t believe that Jayson had brought Colin all the way out here. It was one thing for my agent to come and play hardball, but it was downright dirty to bring Colin with him.
“You never answered my calls,” Colin said from behind the screen. “Or my texts or e-mails.”
I straightened my back and sucked in a breath. “I didn’t want to talk to you.”
Emotion tinged my words,