He Wants Her Back: The Billionaire’s Leading Lady Novel by Jasmine

Midget

*…It’s one of the best things Abby.” I smiled ruefully at Mckenzie.

Adams put his arm around my shoulder and I shot him a look till he retrieved his hand and acted like he was scratching his ear.

“It doesn’t matter where we are, as long as we keep dreaming.” Rico, another lead said, Pushing himself of the table he was leaning on.

“We should keep the gossip down a bit though.” Sarah grinned.

Then we all spoke loudly to each other in the background as the music grew louder.

“Annnnnd cut! That’s it folks. Last episode for Gossip and dreams!” Lancaster yelled.

We clapped and hugged each other in excitement, this movie had been everything to me for three years, I could not picture myself not coming to this studio to be with this crew.

“Now I know miss Baker is going to have a big bash for us, but our little celebration is still on, alright?” Mckenzie yelled on stage, “and it’s at the same address, Ask Rico if you can’t fined it, he’ll be here for a while. Who needs a ride though ?” A couple of hands went up and she nodded and grabbed her bestfriend’s hand before they left for the changing room to grab their stuff.

“Lancaster really did his best to make sure your injuries didn’t show up during filming.” Adams commented as he watched him review the tapes.

“Seeing as it’s his fault.” I added. He had been avoiding looking me in the face since the office. “Thanks,” I told Adams when he helped carry my bag.

Jace drove us to the small shop that Mckenzie had rented for our party. A banner with “happy end of filming‘ hung with ribbons and balloons. Wherever my hands touched, came off with glitter.

“This is definitely Mckenzie’s work.” Jace winced wiping his seat before he took it. He shook his hand to get the exceess glitter off to no avail.

“To an end.” I raised my Boba tea, after the party hadgone underway. Our table had a large pizza with empty bottles of beer. Jace came and went as he pleased.

“and to new beginnings.” Adams added clashing my glass with his half empty bottle. “comeon, let’s dance.”

1 really can’t, my legs, rib…”

“You won’t have to do anything, just, sway to the music with me.” he nudged his head in the direction of the dance floor. “You know you want to.”

I shook my head with a smile but took his hand and let him lead me to the group of dancers.

I tried my best to keep up with Adams without looking like a fish out of water, and was grateful when the music finally slowed dowwith my arms wrapped around his waist we swayed to the music, “I’m sorry you didn’t get an invite.”

He smiled and pulled me closer. “it’s not a big deal, can’t be too hard for me to find something else. And if it is..” He shrugged, “I need a break anyway. All I ask is that you still keep me around okay? Not just

Jace. He might be charming but he doesn’t have moves like this.” He s

chicken

away from me and did the

I was giggling when he pulled me back to him. “I’ll do my best, but I can’t make any promises.”

“I’ll take it.” His blue eyes looked’darker in the lighting adding intensity to his gaze. I looked away from his

face.

The floor was now filled with couples dancing like me and Adams.

My thoughts strayed to the one man I would rather be here with.

Since I told him to leave the apartment, he had not showed up again. Not that it was unusual but I felt like

I had a hand in it, maybe I could send him a text. Apologise…

No.

This is what I wanted, Pierce out of my life.

“Myra,” Adams called softly. “I lost you there for a bit.”

“Right, uhhh… actually, I was thinking about my sister, we have plans and I should call her.”

1 spoke to her already.” Jace answered, materializing beside us. “Your sister?” He added when I looked dumbly at him. Then he gave me my phone, “It would not stop ringing.”

“Why didn’t you give me earlier?”

1 wanted to see how long it would take for both of you to get tired of dancing. Plus I handled it.”

My cell phone vibrated in my hand. “Yup, she’s here.” We all moved away from the dance floor before ! picked the call.

“Where are you? I followed that guy’s instruction to the T, unless he was pranking me or something.” Lily spitballed.

Adams nudged me and pointed to the entrance. My sister was standing there and looking around.

“I just saw you, hold on.” I said into the cell.

“Where?” Jace asked. “Her?” he asked confusion in his voice after Adams pointed her out.

He still had the confused look on his face when we stopped by her. “You’re certain she’s your sister?” he asked after I hugged her. This wasn’t the first time we heard that. Save for the hair color, we had nothing else in common. Mum used to say she looked like our great–grandmother. Not to mention, she never got her growth spurt.

Lily glanced away. “Thanks for giving me directions. I assume it was you.”

“You’re welcome.” He was still staring at her.

“Oh don’t look so surprised, now you see, beauty runs in my family.

“Beauty? She looks nothing like you. She’s more…chipmunk or a midget.” He deadpanned.

“SHE is standing right here.” Lily retorted with a frown, her cheeks

s were pink.

“SHE looks angry.” He countered again, “and I know exactly what will fix your face.” He lifted both hands

+25 BONUS

Mudget

to lily’s face and cupped her cheek before sliding his hands down. It was after he had taken his hands off that I realised what he had done. “There.” he smiled like a proud artist.

I groaned, “Jace…could you be a little more mature.”

“What did he do to me?”

“Nothing sweetie, it’s just glitter.”

She gasped and ran her hand on her cheek repeatedly. This will never come off

“Good you look like the type that likes glitter.”

I could feel Lily getting angry, this was a first in a long time. For my butterfly loving sister to get riled up. whoever was on the receiving end of it…

“Okayyy” I started to pull Lily away. “I’ll see you both later.”

Jace remained silent, while Adams said bye.

Lily had already started muttering in anger. By the time I had hailed a cab and got us in she was on a full rant.

“…why are you even friends with him? So rude! Uncouth goat! That’s what he is. I bet Pierce Blackwood would never put glitter all over my face, he would know how to be a gentleman. Adams wouldn’t do it either, But that that cow…”

I chose to overlook the Pierce comment and focused instead on her anger. Her cheeks were red and she was blabbing about it, which was funny because Jace was right, she is a glitter girl, why was she so upset

now?

-Why

are you so mad? I thought you loved glitter.”I could remember a dozen times where she would throw a handful in the air and spin around as it rained down on her. It was one off the reasons I would never go into Lily’s room, unless my life depended on it

“He did it without my permission!” she used to glitter bomb me without mine too, what was her point? She must have sensed my next words because she chose another defense. “This is non recyclable, it’s decorative glitter, not the type that should be on face you just don’t get it.” she crossed her hand over her chest.

“I’m sorry you got glittered, but you’re going to have to put that anger away while we’re seeing mum okay? This visit needs to be perfect.”

“Fine.” She bit out. The cab driver glanced at us through the mirror, and I turned to watch the traffic

outside.

While Lily quietly seethed, I spent the rest of the drive wondering what state we would find mum in.

déjà vu

Smell of bleach and other cleaning chemicals clung to the walls of the hospital. The ward was not as crowded as I thought it would be, seeing as today was visiting day.

Cigarette wafted from one of the room we passed. A man in a biker gear, sat opposite a younger woman, speaking to her in a hushed tone.

“Are you sure it’s today?” Lily whispered.

I opened the small brochure again. “It’s today.”

“Maybe we’re late? Or early?”

I ignored her as we approached the reception desk.

“Hi, I’m here to see a Mrs. Thompson?”

She nodded and typed a message out on her phone. “Her nurse will see you shortly.”

“Thank you.

A bright woman with a small mole on her forehead approached, smiling warmly. “Gooday, I am Genevieve, your mother’s nurse. Come, come. I show you to her room.”

An orderly passed by us, pushing a woman in a wheelchair. Her head was hanging by the side and moved when he hit a small bump.

I turned to my mother’s new nurse.

“How is mum? Off the record…what’s been going on?”

“Ahhh…nothing! We increased medication Dassul. No problem. She sleep walk sometimes. First night we find her outside but no problem again.”

“She hasn’t she hasn’t had any violent episode?”

“No, no. You worry too much. She has been waiting for you.” I let out a visible sigh of relief. Lily was

shuling too.

“thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” The door was open and mum was staring out the window like she was waiting for someone. The nurse knocked on the door.

“Mrs Thompson, your children are here.”

Mum’s face softened when she saw us. “I’ve missed you both, I was wondering when you would get here.” She frowned at my arm. “More bandanges?”

“Yeah. I had a work accident, nothing serious.”

“Sit.” She commanded us. Lily perched beside her on the bed while I settled on the visitor’s seat and watched as she drilled Lily about school.

“Lily, I feel thirsty, can you tell the nurse to show you where to get water?”