Hollywood Harem | S01E07 | Cold

Hollywood Harem follows the lives of Hollywood’s young elite through the ups and down of fame and family life. Led by the charismatic and outrageous Kalen Camden, the group of young celebrities face life’s hardest moments while presenting the face of perfection their fans expect and their detractors attack. They are the future of Hollywood, loving their fame and reveling in their infamy...

​Kalen sat deathly still the first hour of the ride to Las Vegas, staring through Braden at the back of his mother’s head. He though it cruel and unusual punishment to be trapped inside a moving vehicle with him for another three and a half hours when there was nothing beyond “fuck you” that he cared to say.

It almost surprised him how much nothing he felt for his former best friend; before this, there was nothing he would have imagined would have torn them apart. Yet here they were, as far away as two souls could be, with no way back. At least, not as long as Kalen breathed.

“Please,” Braden said, his voice pleading, almost broken. “Just talk to me, bro.”

Kalen never took his eyes off his mother, who sat up front bobbing her head and singing along to My Chemical Romance as they drove down route 19. Thanks, mom. I’ll have to remember this next time you need anything. He would not talk to Braden, he could not, not after the truth about he and Delilah came out and he caught him stumbling out if her room half dressed. No, fuck that fuck.

"How many times do I have to tell you, man… nothing happened. It was completely innocent. I’d never do that to you.”

Lies. You fucked her once, why should I believe you wouldn’t again? While he listened, Kalen gave no sign that he cared or even heard. What Braden had done was pure betrayal and Kalen had no intention of ever forgiving him. He just wanted to be rid of him and that made the drive to Las Vegas drag on and on.

“C’mon, say something, anything.”

Without looking at him, Kalen laughed. Braden sounded like a wounded puppy following around his angry owner. Keep it up, Brade. I might just respond with a sledgehammer to the back of the head. Asshole. He liked that mental image.

- - - -

​Carl wrung his hands nervously as he paced circles around a perfectly calm Lucky. He could not believe how relaxed she was, considering they were in deep shit if the cops found out what they had left back at the crack den. He was ready to crawl into the nearest hole and die and she was sitting back, smoking a joint and watching Tosh.0 reruns like nothing had happened.

“Seriously, Luck, what the fuck?” He finally spat, fully freaked out.

“Relax, sugah. By this time tonight, all this will be good and buried.”

“You’re kidding, right? Doddy’s fucking dead and our shit’s all over him! Once the cops get there-”

“There’ll be nothin’ to find.”

“How can you be so goddamned calm?”

The doorbell chimed. “You’re about to meet him.” Lucky smile and jumped to her feet. He rolled his eyes and followed her down the hall. “There is nothin’ this boy can’t manipulate himself out of.”

“So we’re gonna trust our futures to some rich brat of Connecticut?”

“Yea, pretty much.”

She pulled open the double doors and standing on the porch in a black t-shirt and leather pants was Drake, with and impish smile on his face.

“Lucky, darling,” he said, opening his arms wide. “You look ravishing.”

“Drake, sugah, you could charm the pants off a nun.” She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. She pulled away and nodded toward Carl. “Meet my partner in crime.”

“Lucky!”

“Calm down, baby.”

“I’ll calm down when this shit is over with.”

“Than calm down, cutie,” Drake said, sliding a finger along Carl’s tight-set jaw. “Just let moi make everything all better.” He reached back and grabbed Elijah and pulled him front and center. “Lucky, Carl, meet Elijah, my partner in crime.” Elijah smiled shyly as Drake slid his hands under his shirt. “He has the cutest little body,” he said, looking Carl in the eyes. “I bet you look rather good sans the hideous attire.”

Carl gritted his teeth as he looked down at his beat up shoes and ratty jeans. “Thanks… I, uh, think.”

“Of course, darling. Now, are we going to be invited in or shall we plot illegal activities in full view of the neighbors?” 

“Oh, I’m sorry, sugah, please come in.”

- - - -

​Braden slumped back, ready to give up. He knew there was no way of mending fences with Kalen and had to accept that fact. Even though he told everyone, even himself, that he was done trying to fix he and Kalen’s relationship, the thought that their friendship was truly over hurt him deeply.

They had been friends since forever; they grew up as brothers and loved and fought and, once hormones kicked in, something dirtier. But no matter what happened between them, they were always best friends. And yea, he knew it was wrong to keep his night with Delilah a secret he only did it because, once Kalen and Delilah found each other again, knowing about them would only have hurt. If Kalen wanted him gone for that, he could walk away knowing he deserved his hate. But not because of a misunderstanding. No, he would not let his oldest friendship die for no good reason.

“Nothing happened, Kay.” He knew Kalen did not care but he could not stop saying it, even as he was losing hope of making things right again. Wasted breath, he though glumly. There’s no getting’ through to him. He sighed, defeated, and dropped his head. After everything…

He glanced up at Kalen, saw the coldness in his gaze as it shot past him and though back to better times, before life got so complicated and the two of them were inseparable; back when they were the soul mates so many had said they were. Fuck it…

“Alright, Kay, I know you’re not gonna say anything and probably won’t even hear what I’m sayin’ but I’ve gotta tell you… I’m sorry I slept with Delilah. I am. And I, I know that that’s not why you hate me but its still true. I just wish you’d believe me that nothing happened between us after that that you weren’t there for. I swear what you saw was totally innoncent and-”

“Just stop.”

Braden’s eyes widened at the sound of Kalen’s voice. He raised his head, mouth agape. Kalen was staring at him now and  when Braden saw his expression, his heart sake even lower. Kalen’s normally bright blue eyes were clouded over and filled with such hate he would have crawled under a blanket if he had one.

“You lied to me once about the two of you,” Kalen said, his voice calm and measured.  “Its one thing for you to fuck her when I’m there but to go at it when I’m… But that I was willing to let go of because you two were supposed to be… But when I saw you coming out of her room with an excuse as lousy as spilled vodka… No way am I buyin’ that shit.” 

“Nothing happened. We both keep trying to-”

“Don’t. Talk. About. Her. Don’t think about her.” Braden heard his voice begin to break and he wanted so much to comfort him and felt even lower when he realized that there was nothing he could do or say. They were not friends anymore. “You… I trusted you. And you know what? Yea, I can’t fucking believe you’d fuck her and I may have forgiven you but damn it, it fucking killed me. But because you’re my Braden I forced myself to push it down so deep I thought I’d never feel that shit again. But when I saw you… I realized there was no way I’d trust you ever again.”

“I… I’m sorry.”

“I know.”

- - - -

Lucky arched her back as Carl slammed into her from behind. He wrapped his fingers in her long, flowing hair and tugged, pulled a squeal from her hoarse throat. She wiggled against him as he slid in and out, working her inch by inch, her body tingling as he her pushed to the edge.

She gripped the sheets as he drove deeper, harder. She threw her head back and screamed before falling to the bed, her gaze set on a naked Drake who sat in the corner stroking his excited flesh.

“Wonderful show, darlings. Really one of the best. But Carl, dear, next time could you-”

“C’mon, dude,” Carl said, stomping over to him. “We put on a goddamned show for ya so now you gotta do your part.” He grabbed Drake by the shoulders and pulled him to his feet.

“Oh, my sweet,” Drake’s eyes ran down Carl’s smooth body, “supersized friend.” He flicked his eyes back up. “While you and the lovely Lucky were fornicating like the dirty angel you are, I had your little situation taken care of.”

“Oh,” Carl said, stepping back. “But how?”

“It was arranged before I rang the doorbell, my magnumed-member friend. Your secret is buried as deeply as the body.”

“Um, th, thank you.”

 “But I should warn you,” Drake continued, pushing past Carl and sashaying to Lucky. “You still have no idea how… what was his name again?”

“Doddy.”

“Ah, yea, what an interesting name. Anyway, you have no idea how the young drug dealer died. Considering the state you found him in, I doubt it was natural causes.”

“I was hoping you could help with that.”

“I will see what I can do.”

- TO BE CONTINUED -

<- That Awkward Moment

​What Happens in Vegas ->