DaniIt wasn't every morning that I talked to my dad; I hadn't actually spoken to his voicemail in a few weeks. This morning I'd expected my voice to be gravelly, like one of those Truth commercials with the smokers, warning kids against the perils of tobacco, instead it was just as I remembered it. Light, airy. I choked back the sobs building in my throat as memories surfaced."Who's my favorite little girl?" My dad twirled me in his arms. I tried to fight him, but I was dwarfed by his size. He'd always been such a big man, while I was barely above five four."Dad!" I laughed as he continued twirling me until I was dizzy. "I'm sixteen! Stop!""Aw..." He stopped, placing me on my feet. "You'll always be my little girl, Dani. You know that, right?"I rolled my eyes. "Dad, I know.""You're beautiful." He sighed. "And remember, I'm the only one that can say that to you. If some young boy invites you into his car using pretty words, he's only after one thing.""My flower," I said
Lincoln"Rain." I pulled into town for the second time in my life and slowly made my way toward the beach house I'd rented during filming. "Rain, rain, and more rain." It was coming down in buckets, making the dreary morning look like something out of a depressing Gothic novel.During the summer months, Seaside was a huge tourist destination for people living in Oregon. But the winter was something less to be desired.And it was October, meaning it was either overcast or raining all the damn time.The novel called for wet weather.Well, it was wet all right.I swerved out of traffic and made my way down A Street, then B, then C. Who the hell named streets after letters?Finally, I stopped at my destination and turned off the truck.My new place was a six-bedroom beach house that had fallen on hard times and been recently renovated. The owners had put in a quarter of a million in updates, and were more than thrilled that a movie star was going to be their first renter.It was
DaniDani: Do you do laundry ever?Lincoln flashed me a grin as he continued putting away our groceries. "Nope, I've never had to."Dani: You need to learn.I rolled my eyes and continued sorting his clothes, most of them workout clothes, which made me curious as to what he did. Was he a runner? I stole a peek at his jean-clad legs. I wouldn't be able to tell anyway. His arms were huge, bulging beneath his gray long-sleeve shirt."Oh, hey." He peeled the shirt from his body and tossed it in my direction. "If you're doing a load of darks, wash this one too. Someone spilled coffee on it this morning. Not that it wasn't deserved."Had I not already been a mute, the sight of his bare chest and abs would have done it. His abs were chunky; he didn't just have a six-pack, he had freaking rivets that dipped into delicious golden skin, trailing all the way down into his jeans. Holy crap! He was built, and he was still putting stuff away - not flexing, simply breathing - and someho
LincolnLinc: Tell me a joke.Dani: Wilbur must really suck at keeping you entertained.Linc: You're telling me...Dani: Am I going to have to start looking up jokes in order to entertain you at night? Also, you have to be up in four hours - correction WE have to be up in four hours. GO TO SLEEP!Linc: Did you just all caps me?Dani: My finger slipped?Linc: Finger slipped my ass. I think you just yelled at your elder.Dani: Oh please. I'm almost eighteen. You're barely twenty-two.Linc: Been visiting my IMDb page, huh?Dani: Wouldn't your ego like to know?Linc: Yes. It needs constant stroking. Quick, give me a compliment!Dani: You have a killer tattoo.Linc: Now that's just cruel, I'll have you know me and Bo go way back, even if he does look like shit.Dani: You named your tattoo?Linc: Is that not a thing? Do people not do that?Dani: Maybe people in rooms with padded walls...Linc: You say padded walls. I say fluffy.Dani: Still an asylum.A yellow smiley w
LincolnDani: Remind me again why I took this job.Linc: You didn't have a choice. Almost here?Dani: Yeah, I'm at Starbucks, will be over in a few.The text ended with a few stunned looking smiley faces, a yawn, and then the picture of the ridiculously long Starbucks line.Linc: Just let yourself in.My flip flops made a slapping noise against the hardwood floor as I paced back and forth, back and forth in my living room. Nervous energy swirled around me as I cracked first my knuckles and then my neck.The sound relaxed me more than the feeling.I cracked my left hand again then my right.Blowing air out of my cheeks, I sat on my couch and started my deep breathing. In for eight seconds, out for eight seconds, eight times.I'd tried to stop with my first-day ritual, but the one and only time I hadn't done the whole cracking, breathing, relaxing thing, one of the lights had fallen on me during filming.During a sex scene.I'd been naked.So had she.Let's just say
DaniWatching him kiss my sister had to be the most awkward thing I'd ever experienced in my entire life. I trembled with the wrongness of it. I mean, my sister.Granted, she was married.And they were acting.But the way he touched her, the way he hovered over her, protected her with his massive body, his lips caressing hers... and I wanted so selfishly to be on the other side of that kiss.No guy had ever looked at me like that.Elliot had never kissed me like he wanted to take his time. He'd been a great boyfriend until I was too much baggage for him..."Why can't you just be happy, Dani?" he shouted. "For once! There's more going on in the world other than the accident, alright? I know it sucks, I know it hurts, but for the love of God, it's been a few months! At least do SOMETHING!"I flinched at his words, at the tone of his voice. He'd never yelled at me before. I hugged myself with my arms and nodded, trying desperately to just be okay. I mean, how hard could it be?
LincolnSon of a bitch.I'd kissed her sister and nearly made her teeth bleed because I couldn't seem to get into the scene - then imagined myself kissing her, and it had been all rainbows and shit.And now? Now I get to kiss her.Well, at least I wouldn't have to act - nope that would be all Lincoln Greene.In that moment, I wanted her to talk. I needed to hear her joke about kissing me. I needed the conversation before the kiss that set me at ease. Because at least through conversation, I could maybe gain insight into her feelings. But all I had to go off was body language. And as usual, she seemed indifferent about the whole thing.I stared harder.Maybe she was sweating?I eyed her neck, hoping for a racing pulse.Instead, she jerked her head to the side and stumbled as she mouthed, "What?""Sorry." I nearly stuttered. Great. Add that to my list of epic fails for the day. "Just, um, thought I saw a mosquito bite."Smooth, Lincoln, smooth.She quickly touched her neck.
Dani"He's one of my favorites you know," Jean said, once the door to the trailer slammed shut. "Always such a gentleman, never complains. The only weird quirk that kid has is red Skittles."I wasn't sure if Jean knew that I didn't talk, and I didn't want to be rude, so I quickly wrote a little text.Dani: I don't know if Jay told you, but I can't talk.Jean read it over my shoulder. "Oh, sugar, I talk enough for the both of us." She tossed her bright purple hair over her shoulder and stared at me through the mirror, her green eyes meeting mine before turning back around and spraying something else on my face.The mist was cool against my skin - it felt good and smelled like coconut."You know why he likes the red Skittles, right?" She didn't wait for me to text her. "He likes the flavor, but it's more than that. His very first movie was with some famous actor who refused to speak directly to people lest their normalness rub off on him. I won't say his name, but I'm sure yo