She lifted her eyebrows and her smile was one of pure shock. “I’m going to need more than just a little while. I’ve said all I plan to say to you for a good chunk of time.”
Troy’s own anger boiled hotter. “I may have lied to you about my occupation, but that doesn’t change the fact that someone is trying to kill you. It doesn’t change the fact that I want to protect you, that I love you. So you think about that for a chunk of time.”
She met his gaze, no sign of relenting. “Or I could think about how big a fool I was to fall for a man who lied to me just like my father did, a man who was convinced I whored myself for movie roles, a man who didn’t have enough courage to be honest with me from the beginning. There’s lots to choose from.” She held the door wider. Troy closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This was—hands down—his biggest fuckup. Ever. He’d barely cleared the frame before the door slammed behind him.
* * *
Julie leaned against the door and struggled to catch her breath. Her heart pounded out of control. Deep breath in, deep breath out. In and out. She would not let this man throw her into a panic. She dug the heels of her hands into her eyes. She would not break down and sob out a broken heart. She wouldn’t. But she felt the moisture against her palms anyway as the knot in her throat got unbearably tight.
“Fuck you. Fuck you.” She didn’t know if she meant the words for Troy or herself. She hated that she’d been duped like a teenager with rampant hormones. “Well, isn’t that what you acted like?” she raged aloud as she stormed back into the bedroom. The room was a wreck. Her things half in and out of both suitcases, socks and underwear on the floor where they’d fallen out of her arms.
“Dammit. How am supposed to stay here?” The whole place reminded her of him. Smelled like him. She snatched her phone off the dresser and punched her speed dial for Cal.
“Hey, there,” Cal answered. “How’s your seclusion going? Ready to come home?”
“You have no idea. Speaking of home, if I decided to fly back, could you pick me up at the airport?”
Silence greeted her question. “Don’t you dare fucking tell me you’re flying back to L.A.”
Julie actually smiled at Cal’s tone. “Okay. I won’t. But I might if I can get a flight out.” Her chances of getting through an airport without being recognized were slim to none. Did she really want to risk it when she’d come so close to losing her life already? It wasn’t like she’d booked the flight. “So can you pick me up if I decide to come back now?”
“Oh, thank God. You scared the shit out of me. What happened? You and the Boy Scout have a fight? It was just a matter of time. I told you not to go with him.”
“Yeah, yeah, you can gloat about being right when I get home. I’m not even sure I’m leaving, but I’m going to check on flights so I know what my options are. I’ll call you right back when I’ve figured it out. I can call Fido if you can’t make it, but I need some girl time.”
“You don’t need to call Fido. And you actually don’t need to call the airlines. I’m about five hours from Massachusetts. If you can hold onto your panties, I’ll pick you up and we can have a girls’ road trip home.”
Julie’s eyes widened. “What! What do you mean you’re five hours away? How could you know I was going to need you?”
Cal laughed. “I didn’t. I was coming to surprise you for your birthday. Happy birthday, by the way. So what did the jackass do? I never liked that guy.”
Even though he’d saved her life. Twice. Stupid thing to think about. Julie’s chest constricted. “Thanks. Uh, I can’t talk about it now. We’ll talk when you get here.”
“Will I need to kick his ass?” Cal asked. “Because I would be happy to do that.”
“You can save your tough girl routine. It’s not necessary. There will be no ass kicking and if there was, I would be more than happy to do it myself.”
“Sometimes you take all the fun out of living,” Cal groused.
“Yep. That’s me. Fun killer.” She couldn’t pretend that she wasn’t about lose