Before A Perfect World: Movie Trilogy, Book Two (The Movie Trilogy) by Kimberly Stedronsky
Authors: Kimberly Stedronsky
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blame me for… for what happened … and-”
“Hey.” I smoothed her hair, lowerin g my voice. “Hey, my hormonal little firecracker. Take a deep breath.”
She narrowed her angry eyes at me.
I mocked her, sticking my lower lip out and thrusting my jaw forward.
“Stop it!” she cried, fighting back a smirk.
“Come on, let’s go get your clothes. They should still be packed. This makes, what, twice that you’ve been kicked out in the last twenty-four hours?”
She clenched her fists at her sides. “ You are not making this better!”
“We should get you a bindle, my adorable little hobo.”
“What in the fuck is a bindle?”
“You know, a stick, with the bandana tied around the end with all your worldly possessions.”
“ Fuck you, Keaton!”
I stared her down in the parking lot, unable to resist letting my gaze fall to her chest. Her breasts rose and fell with her stubborn breaths, and I fitted my hips against hers, pressing her to the car.
“What are you doing?” she demanded.
“I like you this way. Pissed off. Vulnerable. Helpless. You only have me to rely on, and it infuriates you.”
“Are you trying to make me angrier? ”
“I’m trying to make you smile.” I continued my deadpan stare until, finally, her mouth twitched in the corner. I grinned. “There you go. That wasn’t so hard. Get in,” I ordered, pressing a kiss to her forehead before opening her car door.
She stewed furiously for a few minutes as I tried to remember the way back to her parents’ house.
“ I’m going to ruin your movie,” she finally said, pressing her fingers to her temples. “Look at my life right now. I’m a mess. My parents will never stop judging me, and Matthew- God, I broke his heart, again- and-”
Well, that was fucking enough.
I hit the brakes, trying not to drive with my temper. “If you say his name again, I’m dropping your ass off at his house.”
My harsh words surprised her, I could tell.
“Keaton?” She tried for wounded, but there was no mistaking her defensiveness.
“What? Vivian, I have given you time. A shot at this movie. I drove all the way here . I stood up for you to your parents. Either you’re mine or you’re not. If I hear you talk about how much you still love him one more fucking time, I’m done.”
She pr essed her back against the seat. Finally, when she turned my way, I stiffened to see her eyes glazed with tears.
“I’m so sorry. You’re right. You’re absolutely right.”
“I’m not trying to bully you into saying I’m right . I am just making it clear where I stand, kiddo.”
She nodded, looking down at her hands. “Just let me… grab my things. I’ll be right out.”
“I’ll get your suitcase,” I countered, getting out of the car and walking around to her door.
She let us in through the garage door. Neit her of us spoke a word as I helped her gather her things.
As we settled back in the car, she turned away from me, resting her head against the back of the seat.
“The ball is on Saturday?”
H er words sounded sleepy and far-away. I reached for the back of her neck, massaging gently.
“Yes. Don’t worry. We have plenty of time to get to Sears for a gown for you.”
She chuckled softly, turning my way.
“Hey.” I moved my eyes back to the road for a moment before giving her a long, serious look. “I didn’t mean to be so hard on you.”
“Yes you did,” she corrected.
“Maybe.”
She sighed, turning to look out the window again. “Where are we going?”
“ The Hilton. Oh, and I got a text from your acting coach. He’s willing to work with you back in LA, and then on the set. I think he heard Salter’s in the movie.”
“Do you really think that… I need a lot of coaching?” she asked, and I pulled into the parking garage of the downtown Cleveland Hilton.
“ Some.”
“I’m tired.” Her soft voice sounded almost childlike as I turned off the ignition, moving to retrieve our bags.
“Come on, kiddo. A
“Hey.” I smoothed her hair, lowerin g my voice. “Hey, my hormonal little firecracker. Take a deep breath.”
She narrowed her angry eyes at me.
I mocked her, sticking my lower lip out and thrusting my jaw forward.
“Stop it!” she cried, fighting back a smirk.
“Come on, let’s go get your clothes. They should still be packed. This makes, what, twice that you’ve been kicked out in the last twenty-four hours?”
She clenched her fists at her sides. “ You are not making this better!”
“We should get you a bindle, my adorable little hobo.”
“What in the fuck is a bindle?”
“You know, a stick, with the bandana tied around the end with all your worldly possessions.”
“ Fuck you, Keaton!”
I stared her down in the parking lot, unable to resist letting my gaze fall to her chest. Her breasts rose and fell with her stubborn breaths, and I fitted my hips against hers, pressing her to the car.
“What are you doing?” she demanded.
“I like you this way. Pissed off. Vulnerable. Helpless. You only have me to rely on, and it infuriates you.”
“Are you trying to make me angrier? ”
“I’m trying to make you smile.” I continued my deadpan stare until, finally, her mouth twitched in the corner. I grinned. “There you go. That wasn’t so hard. Get in,” I ordered, pressing a kiss to her forehead before opening her car door.
She stewed furiously for a few minutes as I tried to remember the way back to her parents’ house.
“ I’m going to ruin your movie,” she finally said, pressing her fingers to her temples. “Look at my life right now. I’m a mess. My parents will never stop judging me, and Matthew- God, I broke his heart, again- and-”
Well, that was fucking enough.
I hit the brakes, trying not to drive with my temper. “If you say his name again, I’m dropping your ass off at his house.”
My harsh words surprised her, I could tell.
“Keaton?” She tried for wounded, but there was no mistaking her defensiveness.
“What? Vivian, I have given you time. A shot at this movie. I drove all the way here . I stood up for you to your parents. Either you’re mine or you’re not. If I hear you talk about how much you still love him one more fucking time, I’m done.”
She pr essed her back against the seat. Finally, when she turned my way, I stiffened to see her eyes glazed with tears.
“I’m so sorry. You’re right. You’re absolutely right.”
“I’m not trying to bully you into saying I’m right . I am just making it clear where I stand, kiddo.”
She nodded, looking down at her hands. “Just let me… grab my things. I’ll be right out.”
“I’ll get your suitcase,” I countered, getting out of the car and walking around to her door.
She let us in through the garage door. Neit her of us spoke a word as I helped her gather her things.
As we settled back in the car, she turned away from me, resting her head against the back of the seat.
“The ball is on Saturday?”
H er words sounded sleepy and far-away. I reached for the back of her neck, massaging gently.
“Yes. Don’t worry. We have plenty of time to get to Sears for a gown for you.”
She chuckled softly, turning my way.
“Hey.” I moved my eyes back to the road for a moment before giving her a long, serious look. “I didn’t mean to be so hard on you.”
“Yes you did,” she corrected.
“Maybe.”
She sighed, turning to look out the window again. “Where are we going?”
“ The Hilton. Oh, and I got a text from your acting coach. He’s willing to work with you back in LA, and then on the set. I think he heard Salter’s in the movie.”
“Do you really think that… I need a lot of coaching?” she asked, and I pulled into the parking garage of the downtown Cleveland Hilton.
“ Some.”
“I’m tired.” Her soft voice sounded almost childlike as I turned off the ignition, moving to retrieve our bags.
“Come on, kiddo. A
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