idiot.”
“Thanks.”
“I hope she slapped you.”
Jaymeson turned his head to the left. I saw faint red marks that looked an awful lot like a handprint. The girl must have been pissed.
“And that’s when she gave you the eyes, I assume?” I leaned back in the chair and folded my arms.
“Yup.”
“Tell me you ran after her. Tell me you apologized. Tell me you did something heroic.”
“That’s just it.” Jaymeson snorted and looked down at his hands. “I’m not the hero, Alec. I’m the guy you wanna have a good time with. I just play the hero, but in reality — I’m the bad guy. I’m not the one you end up with or the one you take home to your parents. I’m the one you giggle about during bachelorette parties, or the wild fling girls think they want on summer vacation. Being the hero? I only know how to act like it — living it is a completely different scenario — one I’m not willing to attempt.”
“Why?”
He was silent, and then stood and made his way to the door, but not before quietly saying, “I don’t think I could handle it.”
“What’s it ?”
Jaymeson turned and gave me a sad smile. “Giving a part of my soul to another human in hopes that they’ll accept every piece of what makes me who I am.”
“No risk, no reward,” I said.
“I’d rather go without the reward — than risk breaking.”
With that, he walked out of the room. I wasn’t an expert in all things Jaymeson but something was wrong with him. He was never serious about relationships or girls. I’d always thought it had everything to do with him being immature and too attractive for his own good. God knows that accent didn’t help matters.
But as I had watched his face contort in pain — and the absolute look of defeat in his eyes as he spoke — I realized he had a story. I’d just been too shitty of a friend to realize it needed to be told.
Ready for more Seaside?
Fall: A Seaside Novel , Jaymeson’s story, releases Spring 2014
Chapter One
Jaymeson
Four weeks Previous
“You’re a man-whore.”
Not what I expected my manager and long time friend to say to me after I not only starred in three blockbuster hits last year, but successfully pulled off the longest summer of my life in Seaside, Oregon with boy band AD2.
I know what you’re thinking, boy band AD2? OH. MY. GOSH. Seriously, shrieks aren’t my thing, so if you’re going to go all apeshit on me, I’m out. Like seriously out. To be fair, I’m incredibly done with both of them. I couldn’t care less that Demetri Daniels, seriously stop screaming, is my half brother, or that they made my life a freaking hell of a mess this last summer.
I don’t freaking care if the world is ending and the only place that’s safe is Seaside, Oregon. I’m not going. No chance in hell.
Wait. Back up. Did my manager just call me a man-whore?
“Pardon?” I tossed my cell in my hand and laughed as another text alert went off. Seriously. The girls loved me. Really, it wasn’t their fault I have an accent. Blame England.
WNNA MEET UP? CANDY
I hit ignore and stuffed the phone back into my pocket.
“As I was saying…” Brett cleared his throat. “You’re turning into a—”
“—whore, got it.” My phone went off again. I held up my hand. “Hold that thought, Brett.” My phone blinked another message. Candy again? Nope this was from Brit. Ah, Brit. A man could get lost in those giant—
“—Jaymeson!” Brett snatched the phone from my hand and slammed it against the mahoghany desk. “People want to like you. They really do. It’s just…”
My phone beeped underneath Brett’s hand. His face turned an interesting shade of purple, and he picked up my phone and threw it into the rubbish can. Seriously? That was my fifth iPhone in three weeks!
“What the hell!” I lunged for my phone, but he moved to stand in front of the can and glared. Uh oh. His nostrils were flaring. That only happened when he was royally pissed. Last time they
“Thanks.”
“I hope she slapped you.”
Jaymeson turned his head to the left. I saw faint red marks that looked an awful lot like a handprint. The girl must have been pissed.
“And that’s when she gave you the eyes, I assume?” I leaned back in the chair and folded my arms.
“Yup.”
“Tell me you ran after her. Tell me you apologized. Tell me you did something heroic.”
“That’s just it.” Jaymeson snorted and looked down at his hands. “I’m not the hero, Alec. I’m the guy you wanna have a good time with. I just play the hero, but in reality — I’m the bad guy. I’m not the one you end up with or the one you take home to your parents. I’m the one you giggle about during bachelorette parties, or the wild fling girls think they want on summer vacation. Being the hero? I only know how to act like it — living it is a completely different scenario — one I’m not willing to attempt.”
“Why?”
He was silent, and then stood and made his way to the door, but not before quietly saying, “I don’t think I could handle it.”
“What’s it ?”
Jaymeson turned and gave me a sad smile. “Giving a part of my soul to another human in hopes that they’ll accept every piece of what makes me who I am.”
“No risk, no reward,” I said.
“I’d rather go without the reward — than risk breaking.”
With that, he walked out of the room. I wasn’t an expert in all things Jaymeson but something was wrong with him. He was never serious about relationships or girls. I’d always thought it had everything to do with him being immature and too attractive for his own good. God knows that accent didn’t help matters.
But as I had watched his face contort in pain — and the absolute look of defeat in his eyes as he spoke — I realized he had a story. I’d just been too shitty of a friend to realize it needed to be told.
Ready for more Seaside?
Fall: A Seaside Novel , Jaymeson’s story, releases Spring 2014
Chapter One
Jaymeson
Four weeks Previous
“You’re a man-whore.”
Not what I expected my manager and long time friend to say to me after I not only starred in three blockbuster hits last year, but successfully pulled off the longest summer of my life in Seaside, Oregon with boy band AD2.
I know what you’re thinking, boy band AD2? OH. MY. GOSH. Seriously, shrieks aren’t my thing, so if you’re going to go all apeshit on me, I’m out. Like seriously out. To be fair, I’m incredibly done with both of them. I couldn’t care less that Demetri Daniels, seriously stop screaming, is my half brother, or that they made my life a freaking hell of a mess this last summer.
I don’t freaking care if the world is ending and the only place that’s safe is Seaside, Oregon. I’m not going. No chance in hell.
Wait. Back up. Did my manager just call me a man-whore?
“Pardon?” I tossed my cell in my hand and laughed as another text alert went off. Seriously. The girls loved me. Really, it wasn’t their fault I have an accent. Blame England.
WNNA MEET UP? CANDY
I hit ignore and stuffed the phone back into my pocket.
“As I was saying…” Brett cleared his throat. “You’re turning into a—”
“—whore, got it.” My phone went off again. I held up my hand. “Hold that thought, Brett.” My phone blinked another message. Candy again? Nope this was from Brit. Ah, Brit. A man could get lost in those giant—
“—Jaymeson!” Brett snatched the phone from my hand and slammed it against the mahoghany desk. “People want to like you. They really do. It’s just…”
My phone beeped underneath Brett’s hand. His face turned an interesting shade of purple, and he picked up my phone and threw it into the rubbish can. Seriously? That was my fifth iPhone in three weeks!
“What the hell!” I lunged for my phone, but he moved to stand in front of the can and glared. Uh oh. His nostrils were flaring. That only happened when he was royally pissed. Last time they
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