5. Secrets Revealed
your lips, your love, your smile, your kiss
I must admit it's a part of me
you please me, complete me, believe me
Mack heard a knock on her door. She cringed and put her head under her pillow. Her door opened and she gave a loud groan.
“Mack, I have a present for you,” Liv said.
“You’re too loud,” she moaned. “It’s too early go away!”
She threw a pillow at the door, “I just got here and you’re already throwing things at me?” A deep voice said.
“Josh,” she said in a hoarse voice. Her throat burned from all the tequila.
“You’ll have to excuse her. She was involved in a drinking game last night,” Liv rolled her eyes.
Mack pulled back the covers, “I think I won. I don’t remember…I didn’t throw up did I?”
“No, I don’t think you did. Do you remember anything?” Liv asked.
She rubbed her sore forehead, “All I remember is getting free drinks, pretending Billy was my boyfriend, and someone peeing in a fountain.”
Josh laughed, “Crazy night then.”
“I’ll let you two catch up,” Liv left the room.
“Sorry if I’m being a bad host but I feel like shit,” She mumbled. She was wearing the same clothes as last night. “I need to change. She shuffled into the bathroom with baggy jeans and a Beatles t-shirt. A few minutes later she emerged. “Sorry about that.”
“No problem,” he said. “You have something on your neck.”
“What?” She was confused.
He moved her hair to get a better look, “I think you have a hickey.”
Her eyes widened and she ran to the mirror. Her eyes wandered to her neck. She emitted a scream that could break glass, “What the fuck is that?”
“Well…it’s a hickey,” Josh said. He was obviously amused.
“I knew that but where the hell did it come from?” she groaned.
Sean ran into the room, “What’s wrong?” He saw her neck. “Oh.”
Elijah shuffled into the room, “What’s all the yelling about?”
“Nothing,” she pushed through them to the kitchen.
“Oh, hi Josh,” Elijah shuffled out of the room.
“Is it always this weird here?” Josh asked.
“Yup and you haven’t even seen Billy and Dom yet,” Sean shook his head and walked into the kitchen with Josh not too far behind.
Mack’s head was on the table. Her hangover was catching up with her, “Sean, by the look on your face I can tell you know what happened so spill.”
Billy walked into the room, “Holy hell what happened to your neck?”
She groaned, “That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”
Sean laughed nervously, “Let’s just say one of your friends got a little bit friendly.”
She sighed, “Which one?”
He shrugged, “Why don’t you ask Lij?”
“Ask me what?” Elijah asked.
Mack’s eyes widened, “You not serious are you?”
“Serious as a heart attack,” Sean said.
Dom walked into the room, “Serious about what?”
“Apparently our friend Elijah over here gave Mack a hickey,” Billy said patting him on the back.
“I what!” His face turned pink.
“Well, it’s simple,” Dom began. “Both of you were sloshed last night…”
“We get it!” Mack groaned in frustration. “How the hell do I get rid of this by tomorrow?”
“You should probably ask Liv that one,” Sean said.
“I don’t even wanna know what Liv does,” she mumbled.
“I can give you a matching one on the other side. I am your boyfriend after all,” Billy said.
“That was just a show so that annoying bar tender would leave me alone,” Mack said.
“It doesn’t have to be a show,” he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
Mack changed the subject, “So, Josh how are you?”
He laughed, “I’m good”
“That’s good,” she put her hands in her pockets. “I have to go out with Liv soon. Girls day out thing.”
“No problem. How long do you think that’ll take?” He asked.
“No clue, but I’m hoping not too long,” she tapped her fingers on the table. “I’m going out for a smoke.” She took her pack and lighter from her purse and headed towards the balcony. She lit one and saw Josh step out with his own pack in hand. “So how do you like it here so far?”
He laughed, “It’s been very amusing. Just like your hair.”
“Let’s not get into that. Any up coming movies?” She asked.
“I’m going to do Black Hawk Down,” he sounded excited.
She cringed, “Yea, Orlando is doing that one also.”
“That’s right you were in the military. Maybe you could come visit or give pointers.” He said.
“I don’t think that would be a good idea. I’ve been to Somalia,” she sighed sadly. “Not a good place.”
“We’re going to film there,” He said.
She changed the subject, “So any significant others?”
He shrugged, “I had an off again on again relationship.”
“Well those suck,” She said.
“What’s going on with you and Elijah?” he asked.
“Nothing. We’re really good friends. We were both really drunk last night and we didn’t know what we were doing,” she crushed the cigarette under her foot and went inside.
Josh shook his head, “We both know that’s bull.”
She walked into the kitchen and saw Liv, “So are you ready to go?”
Mack sighed, “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
“There goes the bravest girl I have even known. I salute you,” Billy wiped a fake tear from his eye. She gave him an odd look and followed Liv to the car.
Mack cleared her throat, “So Liv, do you know how to cover hickeys?”
“Yes, why?” Liv looked sideways at her Mack sighed and pulled back her hair. “Oh my. So that’s why Sean said to not leave you two alone.”
Mack shook her head, “We were both drunk.”
Liv raised her eyebrows, “I beg to differ.”
“What’s the supposed to mean?” Mack asked.
“Never mind. I know the best little boutique!” Liv practically squealed with delight. Mack just rolled her eyes and wondered when it was going to be over.
*
Josh sighed. They were in the middle of a TV movie that he had already seen. Hell, he almost got picked for a part in The Patriot. He walked towards the kitchen and saw Mack’s bedroom door open. His shifted feet it wouldn’t hurt just to take a little peak. He silently opened the door and walked in. He never really got a chance to look around. She had a collage of pictures on her walls. Most of them were of her with the guys or pictures she had taken, but there was one that stood out. It was a picture from a few years ago of Elijah, himself, and Mack all smiling widely at the camera. He also saw a picture of what seemed to be Kelly Osbourne with Elijah and Mack. He turned to see her closet light on.
“Curiosity killed the cat,” he told himself.
He decided to take a chance. He opened the door to see mostly shoes and clothes that she never wore. He saw a huge, brown moving box on the floor that didn’t have anything written on it. He opened the box and his mouth dropped in awe. It was all of her army things. He took out her green and brown camouflage colored uniform. It had a patch that said ‘Ranger Evers.’ He opened a small box to find a purple heart.
“You only get a purple heart if you’re injured,” he muttered.
He came across a picture of Mack and her friends in uniform. She looked so happy, so at ease. What happened? He picked up the next item that simply said: In memory of Joel Burns, Alan Mitchell, and Dan Peters. A newspaper clipping caught his eye. Disaster In Somalia. There was a picture of a crashed black hawk helicopter. Some of her friends’ belongings were also in the box. Last letters and photos included. He looked back at the photos of Mack with her army friends.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” He turned around to see Mack. She never looked so mad.
“I’m sorry. I was just…”
She cut him off, “I don’t care what you think you were doing but these are real life personal things. Don’t use my life for some stupid movie!”
“Mack,” He pleaded.
“Get out,” her voice was soft but strong.
“What?” He questioned.
“Get out! Go away! You’ll never understand!” She was yelling at the top of her lungs. The burning sensation returned to her eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered as he closed the door behind him.
She walked over and locked her door. Her lip began to tremble. All the memories were flooding back. She shook her head in an attempt to stop them. She dropped to her knees and let out a heart-wrenching sob. She cried for her friends, their families, and for herself. She couldn’t stop. Once the floodgates opened there was a flood. She curled under her covers in a ball and wept.
*
“She’s been in there for hours,” Sean said. “We need to go soon. Someone needs to talk to her.” They all looked at each other
“I’m out,” Josh shook his head.
Billy sighed; “Maybe I should take up the best friend duty” He walked to her door and knocked. “Mack, it’s Billy can I please come in?” She mumbled a go away from under the covers. “I promise that if you talk to me you’ll feel better.”
There was a shuffling of sheets and a click at the door. He opened the door and closed it behind him. He sat on her bed, “What happened?”
Her eyes began to tear up again. She told him everything. She told him of her military life and the events that happened. She shared what happened with Josh and her friends’ funerals. She cried on his shoulder as he rubbed her back.
“Oh Mack, I’m so sorry.” She pulled back from the embrace and looked into his bright eyes. “Mack, I have something to tell you.”
“What?” she looked concerned.
He took a deep breath, “Ever since the first day I saw you and even talked to you I knew that I fancied you. I know that you probably don’t feel the same way, but Mack I really care about you. When I see you like this makes my heart break. I don’t know if I love you yet but I know that I’m defiantly capable. You seem so perfect.”
He caressed her cheek. His next move surprised her both. He softly placed his lips on hers. It wasn’t like their kiss at the bar. It was sweet and sincere. Before she could respond he slowly pulled back while Mack’s eyes were still closed. “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have done that. I have to go, but come by the set later and feel better,” he left the room and left out a sigh of relief while Mack let out a sigh in confusion.
The house seemed very quiet, but not a good type of quiet. It was one of those silences that you just wanted to end. She drummed her fingers on her knee and sighed. She had no idea what to do and she needed to talk to someone. She picked up the phone next to her bed and dialed the familiar number. There was two rings before it was answered, “Vig, I need to talk to someone. Can you meet me at the café in five minutes?” She hung up, grabbed her jacket, and headed out the door.
“What did you want to talk about?” he asked.
She took a sip of her cup, “Josh got into my army box and I yelled at him.”
“You have an army box?” He raised an eyebrow.
She nodded, “It has all of my army stuff in there and…” her hands were shaking so severely that her cup was vibrating. “I have really personal things in there. Most of it is bad memories that I want to forget. Pictures, last letters…” she voice became distant.
“What else happened?” He questioned.
“I yelled at him and told him my life wasn’t a movie and he’ll never understand. He said he was sorry and left my room. I cried for hours,” she sighed.
“Something tells me that’s not what you wanted to talk to me about,” he put down his cup.
She sighed once again, “You know me too well Vig. Billy came into my room and we talked. I told him everything…” she paused.
“But something else happened,” he stated.
“Yes…he kissed me.”
“What?” he said rather loudly. People were looking at them. He cleared his throat and lowered his voice. “What?”
“You heard me,” she mumbled. “And now I’m really confused.”
“That’s to be expected. Did you feel anything?” She looked confused. “When he kissed you did you feel anything?”
“There was something there. I just don’t know what,” she looked at her lap.
“You need to find out what this feeling is before you hurt him. Spend more time with him and see if you have any chemistry. Listen to this,” he pointed to his heart. “Not this.” He then tapped his temple.
“Thanks Vig, you’re the best,” she hugged him.
“So I’ve been told,” he laughed. “Now go on down to the set and spend some time with the guys.” She waved and walked out the door. He then sat back down with a heavy sigh. “This is really turning into a soap opera.”