"Well I don't know how I ended up on this movie set,
It's like the casting call for Romeo and Juliet.
I never would've noticed if we'd never met,
But everybody's got somebody but me."
"How did I end up here, Savannah? Seriously." Running my annoyingly shaky fingers through my long brown hair, I glared at the corner of the room bitterly. "And can't that couple just get a room? Ugh."
"Bitter much?" Savannah rested her chin on her hand, cocking an eyebrow. "Look Nessa, you got a speaking role, which is what you've wanted for a long time now." I shrugged half-heartedly, too irritated for words. "So slap on a happy face or I'll slap one on for you." She looked at me with attitude until I cracked a smile.
"This is why you're my best friend, Savannah Jayde." I elbowed her playfully and James walked in with a blonde on his arm. I sighed. "You too, James?" I was incredibly pouty today. With good reason.
"Me too what…" The confused look on James' face dissolved to one of excitement as soon as he realized who'd spoken. "Vanessa!" He laughed with realization and came towards the table Savannah and I were sitting at. I was engulfed in a bear hug before I could do anything about it, and it wasn't long before I was unable to breathe.
"J-James. Can't. Breathe." I let out a noise I'd never heard myself make before, which just made James laugh more before he finally pulled away.
"I can't believe you're here!" James shook his head. "Man, wait till I tell Lo-…"
I knew it was coming. I knew someone would slip. I avoided the hazel eyes nervously gazing down at me, wishing I could be anywhere but here at the moment. "I'm sorry Nessa, I-"
"It's fine James. Just forget it." I shook my head.
"He doesn't know you're here.." It was like James was trying to put all the pieces together in his mind. "Wait, why ARE you here?"
"She got a role, James!" Savannah spoke for me; she knew I needed it as I regrouped myself. "A speaking role, too. She's the head assassin." Savannah smiled proudly, and James mirrored her expression.
"Wow that's great! Oh my god, can I at least excitedly run and tell Kendall and Carlos you're here?" James pleaded.
I couldn't help but laugh. "Kendall already knows, but sure. I'm gonna head to my dressing room though, 'kay?"
And I sat and waited on that couch on the couch of my dressing room. I wasn't hiding. No. No, I was not hiding from Logan. Just waiting.
When the knock sounded on my door, I jumped up, putting on that happy face Savannah was so intent on me having. This role, this movie, was going to make or break my career, and I couldn't let my past with Logan get in the way of that.
"Alright, Kendall's love interest is out. Broke her leg. So…" the director scanned across the few girls sitting there. "You." His finger landed on me. I mentally shrugged; I could definitely handle Kendall. He was the only one I kept contact with after Logan... But suddenly I realized the director was searching for my name. He had drawn out the "you" and called his assistant to him to go through the file.
"Vanessa Harrington."
"That's me," I raised an eyebrow.
"Couldn't you have told me your name?"
"But then you wouldn't have a need for an assistant now, would you?"
He actually laughed, then turned to his assistant. "She's sassy, I like her. She'll be good with Logan." I'm sorry, what? My whole body tensed.
"You mean Kendall, sir." Yes, thank you robotic assistant!
"No, no I meant Logan." The director nodded matter-of-factly and I felt any hopes for my career falling from underneath my feet, my mind going into overdrive and spiraling out of control.
"But sir, Kendall needs the girl. And Kendall's the sassy one." There you go, robot, preach!
I quickly snapped out of my frozen stance and nodded. "Your assistant is right. Kendall is the sassy one!" I think there was too much haste in my voice.
"No. We're giving Logan's girl to Kendall, and Vanessa here is going to Logan." The director nodded, never even looking up from his clipboard. "I'm going to get you a new copy of the script. Have your lines through page seven memorized by 7AM tomorrow morning. In fact, how about we set up a session for you and Logan to run lines together tonight?"
I didn't even have time to argue because he just rambled on and on and all I could do was stand there and stupidly agree with everything he was saying. And I didn't fail to hear him mumbling about how good I would look with Logan to his assistant. Damn it, damn it, damn it! How did this even happen? Damn girl just had to go and break her leg, didn't she? And I just had to be "sassy"? I could scream.
And in much less time than I'd have liked, I found myself in Logan's apartment, face to face with Logan himself.
I couldn't help the flutter my heart felt at the sight of him; love never dies, I suppose, but I sure as hell wasn't letting him know that. He was just staring at me. I anxiously looked around the living room, desperate for the night to be over already. His apartment almost looked the same, even though it was a different one than he'd lived in when we were together.
I could only look around the room for so long before I met his eyes, and I melted. His expression had changed, his eyes were tender, and I found myself just wanting him to love me again. But I pushed that thought aside; I was not going to let Logan ruin everything. I couldn't do that to myself.
"I miss you, Ness." No, he did not just say that, and no he did not just use the nickname only he was allowed to use. You're better than this, Vanessa.
"Let's get started, shall we?" I sat down as quickly as I could on his couch, now avoiding eye contact.
I heard him sigh, but he walked towards the couch and took a seat next to me. Too close. My brain was shouting at me as he mumbled "Alright."
I dove right into my script, giving him no warning. "But what if you don't make it back, Logan? I don't think I could live without you." Gag. Me.
"Hey, look at me." I wasn't going to look at him, I wasn't going to put myself through that, and then I felt his fingers frisk the side of my face and I was forced to look at him, into his eyes, at his dimples, his lips… "I'll always return, my love." What the hell was this?
I looked away, knowing the script called for a kiss right there, but it was no time before I felt his familiar fingertips grace my cheek again and pull my face towards his, and shit I didn't think he'd just up and kiss me right here.
But I didn't stop him when he did.
His lips were white hot on mine and I never knew kissing could feel this good. He quickly obliged when I silently urged him to slip off his leather jacket, and in the blink of an eye, his shirt was gone too. That was the only time our lips parted.
Then he was holding my hands and pushing me back onto the soft cushions of his couch, only lacing our fingers once he had my arms pinned above my head. Skin on skin, mouth on mouth, as he hovered over me I swear we sank into the comfort of the oversized couch, into our own world, a world I had dearly missed.
"L-Logan, I can't," I panted. There was that very small, tiny, part of me fighting, but any chance of me winning was tossed out the window as soon as he whispered "Shhh.." into my mouth, and shit I was a goner.
And an hour later, as I watched Logan sleep peacefully with an arm around me, tears started streaming down my face. I shoved his arm off of me and got to my feet, not bothering to be gentle; Logan could sleep through an earthquake.
As my feet stumbled through his apartment door and into the red, upscale hallway, I was blinded with tears. I fell to the floor with my hand on the wall, like that was going to stop my knees from crashing into the ground. My sobs were silent, I was suffocating.
I didn't even know I wasn't alone until someone put their hand on my shoulder. "Vanessa, Vanessa…" I looked up, half-expecting to see Logan, but it was a girl. And then I mentally scoffed, because I wasn't really capable of physically doing anything at the moment. It was the girl that was supposed to be with Logan in the movie, the girl that got to go to Kendall.
But the look of concern on her face seemed genuine. "I know we don't talk much, or really ever, but I'm so sorry." She furrowed her eyebrows. "I really, really tried to convince the director to keep me with Logan when I heard. I even made up some crap about me and Logan having some really fun ideas for our scenes, but he just wouldn't take it."
I just looked at her, realizing it was the girl that had been with James earlier. Not only that, but that I knew the girl that had been with James earlier. I felt horrible. I had just assumed it was some blonde bimbo and didn't pay any attention to her. I was such a horrible person today.
My sobbing had subsided as I listened to her and I tried to give her a grateful smile, but I think it came out as more of an ugly sneer than anything. She seemed to get my point though.
I sniffled and she grabbed my arm, pulling me up. "Do you want me to drive you home?" she questioned gently. "I don't mind."
"N-no, it's okay. Thanks." I mumbled, starting to walk away.
I heard her sigh behind me, and then she said, "I really am sorry."
I shrugged and made my way to the exit.
I straggled out onto the street, almost hoping for a car to come by and take my life. I tugged my jacket across my stomach and chest tightly, to try and suppress the feeling of my heart ripping itself out of my chest. Was I that helpless? Would I always give in to Logan any time, anywhere, no matter what? I trudged on.
Tears fiercely burned at the back of my eyes, and then came the new batch of waterworks. It didn't take me long to realize I was sobbing and convulsing because of how incredible it felt being engulfed in Logan's warmth again, to be caressed by him again, to be loved.
"I can't believe I have you here, back in my arms again…"
The whisper rang through my ears, piercing my heart a little more, and I grasped the green fence surrounding an outdoor café. A severe chill rolled through my body. Is it even cold out here? I couldn't tell. A choked sob made its way up through my stomach and barely escaped my throat, accompanied by a pleading, "Why me? Why this movie, of all movies?"
"Vanessa?" I didn't move. "Vanessa….?"
I whipped around, ready to stride past my visitor, when I saw Kendall. "Kendall.." my voice sounded like a whisper, which seemed strange since it felt like I was screaming.
He had his arms wrapped tight around me before I even realized my knees were giving out. "Vanessa, Vanessa what's-… oh.." He must of remembered that I had my "meeting" with Logan tonight. "Oh Vanessa, you didn't.." Was I really that predictable? All I could do was sob. Then I heard another voice.
"Um, should we reschedule?" A girl. Surprisingly, she didn't sound annoyed or angry.
"Oh, Angela… no.." Subconsciously, something told me I should try to control the volume of my sobs, but it was so hard knowing that even Kendall had someone. Kendall. Mr. Independent. Everyone had someone. Except me.
"Seriously Kendall. It's not a big deal at all," her voice sounded sincere. "I think she really needs someone like you right now."
"Give me a sec, okay?" I had no idea whether he was talking to his lady friend, or me, but soon I felt him drag me a few feet away. "Vanessa, where's Savannah?"
"On a date." Was that actually my voice, sounding so bitter and rough?
I heard Kendall sigh. Perhaps he realized everybody had a date tonight, besides me. And Logan of course, but who's counting him? He got what he wanted. "We're gonna take a walk, okay? Let me just tell Ang bye, real quick."
Before I had a chance to respond, he grasped my hands reassuringly and put them at my sides, as if letting me know he knew I could be strong enough to stand without support. I watched through blurry eyes as Kendall murmured something to the pretty blonde waiting for him, and she smiled and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his lips, then said, "We'll do breakfast, mmkay? I don't care how early you have to be on set, text me the time and place."
Kendall kept his fingers laced through hers until she was out of his reach.
They reminded me so much of Logan and me when we were together. Well, in the beginning at least. I hoped more than anything that the same thing that happened to me wouldn't happen to Kendall, or the sincere girl.
"Come on, love." Kendall hooked his arm around mine, half supporting me, and began to walk forward.
Not a sound came out of Kendall's mouth until my tears and fully stopped. And I was grateful for it. He laced his fingers through mine. "They shouldn't have set up that date for you two."
"It wasn't a date." I shook my head.
"That's how it ended up though, isn't it?" I didn't respond, and we continued on in silence.
After a while, Kendall took a deep breath. "So what exactly did happen between you and Logan last year?"
It was my turn to breathe deeply, and it took a long moment to gather my words. "It was like Logan just stopped caring."
"I mean, I thought things seemed different, in the end, you know," Kendall said. "But I thought it was just a phase or something."
I shook my head. "He barely kissed me, barely touched me anymore.." A chill ran down my spine; I couldn't let tears take me over again. "He didn't like me being on set, either."
"That's crazy!" The expression on his face showed he truly thought so. "Vanessa, you were an extra on the show… you didn't have control over that."
"I don't think he cared." I shuddered again and Kendall pulled me closer. "I um..." I gulped. "I had a pregnancy scare at the end of it.." I whispered, barely audible. "He wanted me to quit the show, Kendall. He said "for my safety", but I knew better. So I did. I quit the show, and my relationship with him."
Kendall stopped, obviously appalled, and wrapped his arms around me. "So what are you going to do, love?"
I buried my face in his scarf. "That's what I hate, what's crazy.."
"What's that?"
"If he came to me right at this moment, realistically, and proposed we start over… I'd agree. I still love him Kendall, so much. Even though I don't think I should anymore."
Kendall was silent for a while. "I think he'd be better this time around.." he murmured.
I gazed up at him curiously. He said it almost as if he meant to only think it. But a slight change in the atmosphere in the club behind Kendall randomly caught my attention.
I peered around him into the club. There was a slow song playing. Strange. It looked like there wasn't one person alone in that room either. I sighed. "I haven't slow danced in so long.." Kendall gazed down at me. "Logan danced with me all the time when we first started dating."
Kendall stood there for a moment, still processing everything. "You any good?"
"What?"
He laughed softly. "Dancing."
I shrugged. "Pretty good, I guess."
"Then come on!" Kendall pulled me forward, past the club I had been enthralled in. He glanced back at me and noticed my confused expression. "I have a better place."
He dragged me into a very low-key club that I never would have noticed had he not brought me here. The outside was ragged looking, with chipped green paint, and a rusted metal door.
But we stepped into a beautiful room with dancing blue and purple lights, booths lining the blue walls, leading to a DJ stand on the opposite side of the room. The gray floor was smooth, and silver plate-like ornaments hung from the high ceiling, having the effect of one gigantic disco ball when the lights pranced up there.
I was in awe as I took in the sight. There seemed to be quite and amount of people, but it didn't look cramped. There was so much room. "You were right. This is better!" I murmured in Kendall's ear, making him jump. I looked at him incredulously; he hadn't been paying attention to anything since we walked in. He was on his phone.
"Sorry!" he exclaimed. "I wanted to text Angela where we were having breakfast in the morning! Come on." He grinned and grabbed my hand again, pulling me across the floor to the DJ booth. He showed his phone to the man wearing the headphones, who nodded with a small smile.
He didn't even wait for the current song to finish, he immediately cut it off and began playing a slow tune I had never heard before.
Kendall stuffed his phone in his pocket after reading a new text, looking triumphant, then gently tugged me onto the dance floor. He lightly placed his hands on my waist, prompting me to wrap my hands around his neck. I smiled, but looked down as we began rocking softly back and forth. Admittedly, as comfortable as I am, and always have been, with Kendall, it seemed awkward to gaze hopelessly into his eyes while dancing to what sounded like a pretty romantic song.
My thoughts drifted to Logan, and now that I had a clearer head, I didn't hate myself quite as much. Because behind all the tension at the end of our relationship, the confusion, the pain, I did still love him. And something about being with him just felt so right.
I pulled myself closer to Kendall, shivering slightly as his hands slid around my back, hugging me. "Thank you." I murmured. "For everything tonight."
He kissed my hair, right above my ear, and replied with, "Anytime, love."
"I'm sorry I ruined your date tonight."
"Don't worry about it, you didn't ruin anything." He shook his head against mine. "I think you and Ang would like each other.." He buried his face in my hair and we stayed like that for the rest of the song, barely rocking back and forth.
When the next song began playing, I felt Kendall smile against my hair. He squeezed me one last time, then grasped my hands from around his neck and immediately began dancing with me.
It was one of my favorite songs, and something about the moment was just so freeing. Kendall and I danced out hearts out as the lyrics floated around us. We're standing in a light that won't fade. Tomorrow's coming but this won't change… 'cause some days stay gold forever. With every spin of mine, Kendall laughed, and with every awkward move of his, I did too. By the time the song ended and we were heading to a booth to sit, our laughing seemed endless.
"Ha, alright, you sit," Kendall directed. "And I'll get us some drinks, okay?" I just nodded, still giggling to myself.
I leaned back into the soft back of the blue booth seat, closing my eyes for a moment. Kendall had truly helped me. If I hadn't considered him one of my best friends before, I definitely did now.
I inhaled deeply, and opened my eyes when I exhaled, only to gasp as soon as I did.
I blinked hard. Once. Twice. Three times.
"Logan?" Was my mouth unattractively hanging open? "Wha-"
"Kendall," a small smile set upon his face and that was all he needed to say about it. Of course Kendall contacted him. Of course.
Everything seemed too quiet. "Did they turn the music down?" I twiddled my fingers on the table nervously. I'm ready for this. Right? Am I ready? Yes. Yes. Maybe…
Logan just chuckled to himself. They did turn the music down; I could hear him too easily. "Listen, Nessa… words could never, ever tell how sorry I am," he slid his hands onto mine, holding them still. So right. "Or how much I love you."
I held my breath.
Yes, I am ready.
"I love you more than anything in my life, Ness, and I would do anything to have you back… for real have you back." His eyes bore into mine. Those beautiful, deep eyes that could see into my soul.
I grasped his hands in response.
"I want to start over, Nessa. I want to do it all over again and get it right this time, because I know we can, I can." His thumbs caressed the skin of my fingers.
"I-"
"Will you just-… will you just dance with me, Vanessa?"
My heart sputtered in response. It took everything I had to breathe normally as I took in his beautiful features decorated in the blue and purple lights of the club. A million things surged through my mind at once. But I knew the proper response. I knew what was coming.
Because he was right.
I smiled. "I'd like that."
This time we'd get it right.
I don't know if I'll ever find another you.
