Nothing To Prove

23 I Was Right About You

Ashton

"Зайчик... pick up. I want to talk to you." The silence on the other end of the phone left me insane. "At least let me know where you are. I'm worried."

"Still no answer?" Luka swirled the ice cubes in his tea.

"Cara, what about you?" I asked. She shook her head and I sighed. "Has she done this before?"

"What, disappear after being lied to?" She titled her head.

"Everything good?" Vlad leaned on the bar counter, reminding me there was a crowd of customers sitting by olive trees to be served. A fireplace and string lights flickered in the black and white patio. The guitarist played soft tunes. 

"I think I need to go look for her." I tossed the washcloth and tore through my hair.

My phone rang on the graphite and I threw myself at it, picking up.

"Hey, Ash..." Her timid voice spoke.

"Baby, where are you?"

"I'm okay, I'm just... I'm with friends."

"What friends?" I looked at Cara and Luka.

"You know, those Malibu girls. I'm at Erika's. They invited me over to collaborate."

"Collaborate? On what?"

"I don't know yet, they're going to show me. I think it's... videos and pictures, but... kind of different. I'll see. Um, I'll call you later. They're waiting."

"What do you mean different?"

"Coming!" She yelled, then whispered to me. "I have to go."

"Erika. Who's Erika?" I asked Luka and Cara as the call went dead.

"Four gin and tonic, please." A business man with three of his friends joined the bar top.

"I'm going through Sam's follow list..." Luka scrolled with determined focus. "Erika...Erika... Erika Kat? Google... Erika Kat... uh... are you sure that's the same Erika?"

"Oh, the webcam girl?" The man in a suit whistled and laughed. "I love that chick."

The gin bottle slipped from my hand and crushed on tiled floor. Everyone in the lounge turned their head. I glared at the guy as his dumb smile slowly faded.

"What'd you just say?"

~

"Ashton, wait up!" Luka chased me down the parking lot, Cara not so far behind.

I slumped in my car and hit the gas on reverse, wheels screeching on pavement. Sam's phone went straight to voicemail again. I sped out of the driveway past the startled valet attendant onto the main road.

"If you do anything, we're through, Samantha. You fucking hear me?" I braked under red light traffic and groaned. Jerked into the right lane while some dickhead honked. "I'm on my way to Venice. If you don't pick up and tell me exactly where you are... We had one argument. Why are you doing this? For money? Are you fucking kidding? You can't be that desperate."

No answer. Nothing.

With one hand on the wheel, I Googled Erika Kat and clicked on the first video. A trailer of some kind. She was clearly the lead while her two friends acted as servants. The blonde wore a mouth gag with her hands and feet tied on bed. The redhead modeled her feet like it was some fetish.

Two hundred thousand fans. A bunch of horny ass men waving cash emojis. Showering them with love and compliments. Pictures of them holding shopping bags and jewelry. Laughing like three best friends. Smoking weed. Of course. This is exactly what Sam would fall for.

I shook my head. This. After everything we'd been through. The bullshit at Joshua Tree with Luka and Cara being harassed. With Stacy kicking her out. Locking her in the closet. She still put herself in that toxic crowd and for what? For what?

The sun was setting over the beach town. Dark orange skies behind silhouettes of palm trees. I drove for an hour from one street to another, staring inside the house windows like a moron. A stalker. What if something happened to her?

Two hours passed. The sand along the edge of the ocean had become pitch black. My t-shirt was too thin for a windy walk, but I didn't know what else to do. She was somewhere here.

Erika's website had a pending post to go live soon. I was cold and hot with dread. What the hell would I find? Did I want to know? How pathetic was I to wait instead of going home?

Why would she do this to me.

Did she not care?

So all along, I'd just been a prop for her social media plans. All along, she'd been the uncovered version of another Stacy. Just needed a chance to come out. I'd been a fucking fool. The first night we met, I doubted her innocent doe eyes. I warned myself of her insecurities. I said no guy would be able to put up with it.

Why the fuck did I think I'd be different? I chuckled. This wasn't her fault. It was mine.

"Hiiii, we're baaack!" Erika's voice stopped me in my tracks. Her red lips stretched into a sly grin, bloodshot eyes hooded. "And we have a very special guest with us tonight."

"Come here! Come, don't be shy... come!" The other girls whispered and giggled off camera.

Sam was dragged and stumbled into the shot. Wearing bunny ears and a skimpy white baby doll. Her eyes were as wide as ever. Face red. Struck frozen on camera for a moment.

"Oh my God." She ducked and the girls laughed, pulling her up. "No, no, no, I can't do this, I don't want to. Please, I changed my mind. Please, just let me go."

"Our bunny is scared, isn't she the cutest?" Erika cupped her mouth, leaning closer. "Don't worry, it's a part of her act. Why don't we show her some love and encouragement?"

"Awww, look at the money they're throwing at you! They love you!" The blonde tugged on Sam's arm who was refusing to lift her head. "Sammie, look! You just got a fifty dollar tip!"

Comments from men were flooding in. Sexy. Gorgeous. Love it. Show more, honey.

My stomach churned. Eyes burned. I tried to stop the feelings from surfacing, but their giggly voices didn't help. It was a nightmare, but still, maybe Sam would end it. Maybe she'd realize what a big mistake this has been, that I was watching, that this was fucking killing me.

"Our little, little bunny⁠—"

I flung my phone into the street. A car ran over it. I gritted down a scream.

Fuck this shit.

I walked into a nearby bar, drowned a couple of shots until things became a little more numb.

"Hey, Art. Can you come pick me up?" I called Art with a stranger's phone and he came an hour later with Vlad. Told them what happened. They were shocked. Mostly quiet.

When they tried to rationalize, I shut them up. I didn't want to hear excuses. Sam chose to go there. Chose to ignore me. Chose to put on that lingerie knowing how I'd feel about it. That answered all my questions.

Luka knocked on Vlad's door the next morning. I was lying out on the couch with a migraine.

"I don't want to hear it, Luka. Go home," I said, arm pressed over my eyes.

"Well, uh, I thought you might want to know. Sam was in the hospital last night..."

~A/N~
:( What do you guys think? Should Ashton really end things with Sam?