Bottle It Up: (A Between the Pines Novel) Read online

  Bottle It Up

  A Between the Pines Novel

  Lisa Shelby

  Lisa Shelby Books, LLC

  Bottle It Up

  Copyright (C) 2020 Lisa Shelby Books, LLC

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters,

  businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the

  products of the author’s imagination or used in a

  fictitious manner.

  Any resemblance to actual persons,

  living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be

  reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or

  transmitted in any form by any means—electronic,

  mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without

  prior written permission of the publisher, except as

  provided by United States of America copyright law.

  Except for the original material written by the author, all

  songs, song titles, and lyrics mentioned in Bottle It Up

  are the property of the respective songwriters and

  copyright holders.

  Cover Design: Bite Me Graphic Design

  Editor: Jenny @ Editing4Indies

  Also by Lisa Shelby

  The Between the Pines Series

  (Meet The Crew from Eastlyn in this four book series of standalone contemporary romance novels.)

  We Are Tonight

  Raised On It

  Bottle It Up

  Leave the Night On – Coming Soon

  Blackbird

  Standalone second chance contemporary romance.

  The Gorgeous Duet

  A steamy, suspenseful romance about breaking the rules and following your heart.

  Gorgeous: Book One

  Gorgeous: Book Two

  The You & Me Series

  Read this three-book series of sweet and sexy standalone novels filled with love, loss, secrets, and sass.

  You & Me: Part One

  You & Me: Part Two

  More

  Something Just Like This

  Contents

  Listen While You Read

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Epilogue

  Bottle It Up Playlist

  Untitled

  Thank you!

  What To Read Next

  About the Author

  Sam Hunt and everyone involved in creating the songs that make up the, Between the Pines - Acoustic Mixtape album,

  Thank you for the inspiration, the epic road trip sing alongs and all the feels.

  Your little mixtape has been a part of the soundtrack of my life, not to mention the characters in this series.

  ~ L

  S,

  I know I don’t need to say it, but I love you so much more.

  L

  To listen along to the Bottle It Up playlist while you read follow this link:

  https://bit.ly/3fvQsIGBottleItUp

  Chapter 1

  “Well, Trespass sounds like you’re gonna have another hit on your hands. I mean, Josh West and Kyle Day in the same film? Two of Hollywood’s Sexiest Men Alive on screen together for the first time. You do know what a big deal this is to your fans around the world, don’t you?”

  “Well, I sure hope you’re right, Candy. What I do know is we had a blast filming it. I just hope the fans are ready for a whole new level of action. I’m in it, and I still can’t believe how great it looks on the big screen. And I really do hope folks will go out and see this in the theater because it’s meant to be watched on the big screen. I promise they won’t be disappointed.”

  “They may not be disappointed in the film, but if the rumors are true, I think many women out there may be disappointed to hear you’re no longer single.”

  Here we go.

  When Josh doesn’t take the bait, Candy gets to the point. “So, are the rumors true?”

  “Now, Candy. You know I don’t like to talk about my personal life.”

  “Indulge me, Josh.”

  “What is it you’d like to know?”

  There’s a buzz around the room with the anticipation that the network may be getting the scoop on Hollywood’s most eligible bachelor. The cameraman next to me zooms in on Josh’s flirty smile, ready for the shot to come back to him in his sexy worn leather jacket, black T-shirt, dark jeans, and rugged boot ensemble. Everything about him says sex on a stick. Even I can see it, and I love him like a brother. There’s no denying his sex appeal.

  “Well, your longtime friend, as you’ve called her in the past, seems to be wearing a very significant new piece of jewelry. Many would say she’s more than a friend and someone who’s actually pretty special in your life.”

  We have liftoff.

  “Well, I have lots of friends, you know that.” He winks, and one of the most respected national morning anchors blushes, no match for his charm. “But, yes, you are correct. There is someone special in my life, but that’s really all I’m comfortable sharing.”

  Mission accomplished.

  My existence has been confirmed, as well as the fact that I’m “someone special.” But nothing more.

  “And would you look at that. We’re just getting to the good stuff, and we’re out of time. Josh, it’s been great having you back here on Wake Up America.”

  “It’s always a pleasure, Candy. Thanks for having me.”

  Candy turns to the camera to sign off. “Thank you to the always endearing Josh West for being here today, and make sure you go to the theater this Friday to see Josh and Kyle Day in Trespass. Have a great day, America.”

  The room stays quiet for a silent count of three before a crew member announces, “And...we’re clear.”

  From my dark corner of the studio, I watch Josh do what he does best.

  Act.

  Thanking Candy and indulging her with a selfie, he acts like the superstar he is to the rest of the world. Deep down, I know he’s still the small-town boy from Eastlyn, Oregon, who has been my best friend since grade school.

  His fans around the world think he belongs to them, and to a certain extent, he does. But a part of him will always belong to The Crew and me. When Josh is with his friends from home, you can see him breathe a little easier, stress a little less, and get just a little bit closer to being his true self. At least as close as he’s ever gonna get.

  He’s stopped again by members of the studio crew on his way to where I’m waiting behind the cameras, shooting me a look that says he’s trying to get to me, and he’s sorry.

  His look in my direction piques the interest of others loitering around the sound stage, and I can feel several pairs of eyes and camera phones focused on me. I’ve learned to ignore the stares over the years. It’s something you have to do if you're going to spend time on the arm of Oscar-winning Josh West.

  Finally free, he reaches me. “So, how’d I do?”
he asks, even though he knows he did great.

  He always does great.

  “I don’t think you need me to tell you how you did. I would say the blush on Candy’s face made it pretty clear exactly how you did.”

  He smiles that smile of his, and I see his eyes dart to the right for just a milli-second before he pushes a stray hair behind my ear and whispers, “Thank you,” in my ear. At this exact moment, I hear the snapping of a picture being taken on more than one phone, and for the first time since this whole plan fell into place, I feel a little piece of myself slipping away.

  This sweet, sexy moment was all for the cameras.

  Nothing more.

  I’m not surprised. This is exactly what I signed up for, but now that the ball has begun to roll, it’s all feeling so real.

  I shake off the hollow feeling and look into the eyes of my best friend. His eyes say he’s sorry, and he hates that we’re doing this.

  Is he having second thoughts?

  After our fake moment has been well documented, we leave the studio with his publicist, Sibby, and his manager Jace. Once inside the black SUV waiting for us on the busy New York city street, we have a moment alone while Jace and Sibby talk on the sidewalk.

  “This is more than you signed up for, isn’t it?”

  “What?” Yes. No. I don’t know. “No, it’s fine.”

  “Emmett, I know you better than you know yourself, and the reality of all of this is hitting you a bit more than you anticipated. I know it is. I saw you flinch when you heard the snap of that picture. Listen, I know you signed a contract, Emmy, but this is you and me. If this is too much, please let me know. We aren’t in so deep that we can’t end it now.”

  His face breaks my heart. I know internally he’s warring with himself. He loves me. We’ve always been there for each other, and we always will be. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for him, and right now, he’s afraid, he’s desperate, and he needs me.

  “Nah, I’m fine, Josh. It’s just gonna take me a minute to adjust to this lifestyle. You’d think I’d be used to it after all of these years as your plus one, but I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to people taking my picture.”

  He grabs my hand. “Thank you, Emmy. Love you.” His words are filled with sincerity, and I know I’m doing the right thing.

  “Love you too, Joshy Washy.”

  The quiet of our moment ends with a rush of cold air and a flurry of activity when Sibby joins us in the back seat and Jace climbs in the front passenger seat with Reeves, the head of Josh’s security team, who hops in the driver’s seat and puts the car in motion.

  “Listen, we have a small issue and need to have an emergency team meeting.”

  “Is everything okay?” Josh asks as his hand tightens around mine.

  “Everything’s fine, but with the official addition of Emmett into your life as your special someone, we need to rally the troops and make sure we’re all on the same page.” Sibby answers him without lifting her eyes from her phone. “Emmett on your arm with the addition of a ring on her finger means a lot more work for the rest of us, Josh. We're already stretched thin, and now we have another person to worry about. As if your life wasn’t crazy enough.”

  “Sibby!” Josh interjects after her rude implication, but she cuts him off.

  “I’m not being rude. I’m just being honest.”

  “You could be a little kinder and not make her feel like an inconvenience.”

  “Emmett, you know I think you're great, right?” she asks me, finally lifting her eyes off her phone. She doesn’t fake a smile; she simply doesn’t have the time for bullshit. I get it.

  Sibby Spencer is the epitome of a no-nonsense woman who has earned the power she demands. She’s the best at what she does, and this is why she works for Josh, as well as many other high-profile celebrities. She is also alarmingly beautiful with her trademark platinum blond hair pulled into a tight chignon at the nape of her neck. Her pale complexion always highlighted with the perfect smoky eye and matte red lipstick. And her wardrobe is something dreams are made of. Her perfection and directness have always intimidated me, and today is no different.

  I smile in reply, wondering where this is going when her attention turns to my fiancé. Man, that sounds so odd. No matter how many times I tell family and friends I’m engaged or pretend to be excited about the size of my ring, it still sounds so strange.

  Probably because it’s a lie.

  It should feel strange.

  “Listen, from a PR perspective, it’s more work but also a part of the job. For Jace, it means he has another person to manage into your schedule. Tabitha will have another person to style, and we’ll probably have to add a permanent hair and makeup crew just for Emmett, not to mention Reeves has another person to protect. I think the only person not affected is Paul. As your agent, the addition of Emmett shouldn’t affect his job too much, but he still needs to be informed, and we all need to be on the same page. Besides, Emmett will need to get used to team meetings interrupting her life. You know that, Josh.”

  Whoa...I feel like I’ve moved to another planet and not just another state. Eastlyn, Oregon, may only be one state up from sunny Los Angeles, California, on the map, but the two towns couldn’t be farther apart when it comes to lifestyle and pace of life. I’ve jumped on quite the roller coaster ride, and now that I’m strapped in, the wheels are turning, and we’re headed to the top of the first big dip in the ride. But I’m in. I couldn’t get off even if I wanted to.

  This ride is in motion, and I am most certainly not in control.

  Chapter 2

  “Hey, Emmy. You ready? Everyone’s here.”

  Closing my book, I hold in my sigh so Josh doesn’t notice my exasperation at stopping everything for another Josh-related meeting. Even if stopping everything means simply reading a book.

  It’s not like it’s a big inconvenience. My life here in LA is just as boring as it was in Eastlyn, even if it’s busier than it’s ever been.

  I worked from home back in Oregon, and nothing has changed now that I’m here in sunny California. I work, I read, and I have the occasional fitting for fancy clothes I’ll wear once because God forbid I be seen in the same dress twice. Except for the difference in the sizes on the tags, you would think my name was Kate, and I lived in a royal palace. It’s absolutely ridiculous, but I’ve made sure to leave an entire section in my closet that is me. Jeans, yoga pants, T-shirts, and hoodies, and of course, comfortable shoes. That’s my favorite part of the giant room bigger than my entire master bedroom at home. The comfy section.

  Besides, being fitted for one-time-use dresses, I answer questions on how I want the house decorated, and in the two short weeks since Josh confirmed he has someone special in his life, we’ve attended the New York premiere of Trespass. Thank goodness the movie had already been released internationally before I got to LA, so I didn’t have to travel the globe for the sole purpose of appearing in pictures with him. Other than the premiere, we’ve had two charity events, one celebrity birthday party, and one dinner with an award-winning director who Josh is hoping to convince to direct his passion project.

  We’re busy, and I shouldn’t be bored, but in all honesty, I’m just here as decoration. Or maybe distraction would be a better way to describe my presence.

  I basically work all day and then play dress up at night. At most of the events we’ve attended, I’m barely spoken to and nearly as invisible as his bodyguard, Reeves, who goes everywhere with Josh. Some sort of business is always being discussed when those around us don’t have their heads all the way up Josh’s ass. Now, here we are in another meeting about how we can all make Josh’s career stay on top or, better yet, skyrocket even further out into the universe, if that’s even possible.

  I’m just there for the photo op.

  “Everyone’s here? This wasn’t on the schedule, you know?”

  He shrugs. What can he say? It’s not his doing. He’s at Jace’s and Sibby’s mercy as much a
s I am.

  “Did you go and get another fiancée that you haven’t told me about?”

  “Ha. Nope. One is more than enough.” He extends his hand to help pull me off the plush white couch I have no business being near. I keep waiting for my first spill. “You never know what’s up with these last-minute meetings. Glad I have you by my side for them these days, though.”

  He waits for me to pop an Altoid in my mouth, then holds his hand out for his. I always have a tin of the mints nearby; it’s an addiction I’ve had since high school. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and guides me through his huge mansion. I hate to admit it, but I’ve gotten lost in here on more than one occasion.

  “Happy to be here, Josh.”

  “So, you’re reading another one of Mason’s books?” he asks, referring to the book series our friend Miles’s girlfriend wrote. She writes under the pen name of Eve Villanelle, which sounds more mysterious than Mason O’Brien, her real name.

  She’s become a good friend, and I thought I would be a good friend in return and check out her work. Only now, I find myself addicted to her fictional world. I can’t wait to finish so I can watch the TV series they adapted from her books. Her work is all about the feels but sexy as hell too. Between the pages is the only place I’m going to be getting any of these feelings for the next couple of years.