The Broken Road - A Zac Efron Novel (18+)

Chapter 9 - Get in Line

I waited for Jessica in the sitting area of the wardrobe trailer, silently praying to myself that she hadn't realized the reason my heart had been racing was because of the way she looked at me with her perfect eyes.

She stepped out from her side of the trailer and looked...tense.  Shit I thought.  She knew.

"Ready to head back?" I asked.

"Uh..." she trailed off, staring at her phone.

"Jess?" I asked trying to get her attention.

"I'm...just..." she stammered out.

"Is everything OK?"

"Uh, yes. I'm going to ride back separately, if that's Ok.  I'm sorry. I just...I have something personal I need to take care of," She muttered out as she jumped into a waiting black SUV and shut the door behind her without saying another word.

Fuck. She definitely knew.  So, I had a little crush on her.  I didn't think it would throw her for such a loop.  I jumped in the back of another car and headed back to the hotel to try and catch up with her.

We came to a stop at the front entrance of the hotel just as she was gliding through the lobby doors.  I shut the car door behind me and called out for her, but she didn't hear me.  I ran up the steps, two at a time, arriving in the lobby just as the elevator shut and whisked her away.

I waited for the next elevator, pushing the up button several times as my impatience grew.  I finally hopped on and pressed '28'. 

Nothing happened.

Damnit.  I realized then I needed a key to access her floor.  Whatever was going on would have to wait.  I pushed the button for the 10th floor and made my way to my room.

My phone rang, and I jumped to answer it, thinking it might be Jessica.  It wasn't, but it was our friend Anna, so I figured it might be a good time to ask her some advice.

"Kendrick!" I greeted her.

"Jesus Christ!  Why does NOBODY answer their phone in a crisis?!"

"Crisis?  What crisis?  I've been on set all day, I just got back."

"Are you with Jess?  Is she ok?  Can I talk to her?"

"No....she ran off as soon as we wrapped?  What is going on?"

"The Daily Mail broke a story today.  Aaron's been having a months-long affair with her friend Megan.  There's pictures, dozens of them.  It looks like Megan might have been been the one who leaked them."

"Oh my god!  The girl from the pool party?  The best friend of 20 years?!"

"The one and only.  Fucking tramp.  Is Jess ok though?  Who am I kidding.  Of course she isn't ok.  Can you go check on her?"

"I'm already on my way," I said as I stood up from the bed in my room.  "We'll call you later."

When I got to her room, even in my worst dreams, I couldn't imagine the state I found her in.  It was gut-wrenching.  Frankly, it made me want to fly to California and kill them both.  I had been cheated on, but never with my best friend, and never in such a public manner.  What Aaron had done to her - it was unimaginable.  Unconscionable. 

After I got back from dropping her off at the airport, I called Anna and she picked up on the first ring.

"Talk to me.  How is she?"

"Awful," I sighed.  "God Anna, I've never seen the aftermath of something like this in person.  She's a wreck.  But, I just put her on a private plane back to LA.  I think her assistant is getting her from the airport."