“Sure.” Nat looped her arm with Alyssa’s and they disappeared up the stairs.

“What are you keeping from her?” I asked once they were out of earshot.

“Everything.” Alec sighed. “They want another famous couple for the show.”

“Don’t they have enough? I mean they’re going to be stealing our privacy already. It’s you, me, Nat, and Alyssa.”

“And Jaymeson.”

“Pardon?” I had just taken a hug swig of water and began coughing wildly. Alec thumped me on the back.

“Oh, that’s not the worst part.” Alec smirked.

“Great.”

“He’s bringing a girl. You know, to even the odds.”

“Who’s the lucky lady?”

Alec looked down and mumbled an answer.

“Care to repeat that?”

He mumbled again.

“What the hell! Just spit it out!”

“Angelica Greene.”

“Hell no!” I yelled and threw my hands in the air. “I’m calling our manager right now. Hell will have to seriously freeze the shit over before I allow that woman back in my life!”

“She’s just… Hollywood,” Alec said, defending her.

“She’s bat shit crazy. As in, the bat that feeds on the other crazy bats and then smiles while she’s consuming their hearts!”

“Whoa, dramatic much?” Alec laughed. “What’s the deal?

So you hung out with her a bit when you were back in L.A. last year. It’s not as if you guys hooked up.”

The room began to spin as I tried to calm my breathing. Not her. Anyone but her. I couldn’t have her back in my life. She was a manipulative bitch. She was poison, and the sick part was… she was the one I had… Yeah, I couldn’t even say it or acknowledge it in my head.

“No.” I repeated again. “And I’m sorry, but why aren’t you freaking out? Jaymeson has a huge thing for both Nat and Alyssa.”

Alec shrugged. “He’s British.”

“Point taken.” Crap. “Has she been finalized for the show?”

Alec nodded.

“And the show’s been picked up already?”

“Without a pilot.”

“Impossible.”

Alec shrugged. “Apparently, thanks to your great summer here at Seaside, they have all the pictures they need. People love you, Demetri. You know that. There’s nothing the press likes more than the bad boy turning good and then falling for a local girl. And lucky us, it happened twice.”

“Yeah, lucky,” I said dryly. “When does the show start?”

“Filming starts in August. They’re going to do a few webisodes for the first two filmings, and then it’s going to air on cable.”

“Cable’s better than a huge network.”

“Dude, have you been living under a rock?” Alec laughed.

“Cable shows are huge right now. Mad Men? True Blood? White Collar? Come on.”

He put his arm around me. “We’ve been to hell and back this last year. It will be cake, and then we can take our women on a long vacation before we start our tour.”

Alec looked doubtful. It was as if he was still hiding something from me. I could see the stress etched across his face.

“Fine.”

“Fine.” He released me and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

“Besides, what’s the worst that can happen, right?” I gave him a pointed look.

He paused, the water bottle lifted mid air to his lips. His throat worked as he swallowed a few times and avoided my eyes.

“Right.”