Runaway – Ch 13

Pairing: Jared x Reader
Tags: surprises, people acting sus
WC: 2.8k

Masterlist

Y/N/N tugged nervously on her top and fiddled with the strap of her bag as she waited for some of the other crew in front of the villa. Everyone was going to share a few taxis for the half hour drive into downtown. Cece sang down to her as he burst through the front doors, another assistant Y/N/N vaguely recognised in tow. 

“You look simply fabulous, Y/N/N,” Cece crooned when he was closer by. 

“Thanks,” Y/N/N, accepted the compliment with a nod of her head. “Is this nice enough for where we’re going? I didn’t bring ‘going out’ clothes really.” Y/N/N didn’t own ‘going out’ clothes, but she wasn’t going to bore anyone with the story of her circumstances. She wasn’t particularly worried about her family finding her here, it had been nearly two months already and she hadn’t heard a word from them. But she still felt like it could cause trouble for Jared, people learning exactly how she came to work for him. 

“Oh we’re not going anywhere fancy, they don’t pay us enough for that,” the other girl, Maggie, Y/N/N remembered now, laughed. 

“You are not wrong,” Y/N/N agreed with a small giggle. “Is anyone else coming?” 

“There’s a few more people, yeah,” Maggie nodded. “Morgan said he’d try to wrangle a crowd. Apparently he’s a big fan of the bar scene.” 

“And my boyfriend is going to meet us there,” Cece threw in casually, scrolling through his phone, Y/N/N had a feeling he’d been dying to slip that into conversation though. 

“Nice,” Y/N/N smiled, rocking on her toes awkwardly. She was so bad at small talk. 

“Ugh,” Cece let out a dramatic sigh, pocketing his phone. “Quinn’s just said she’s not coming. Wants her beauty sleep before their early PT in the morning, I guess,” he rolled his eyes in irritation. Something told Y/N/N he’d wanted to show off his boyfriend to her, or vice versa. 

“Yeah, Jared said the same thing. Didn’t want to be hungover if Mike has them doing hill runs again at the crack of dawn.” 

“Boo,” Cece pouted. 

“Ooh, the two leads both ducking out of a group hang? Bet you they’re getting together,” Maggie leaned in conspiratorially, mischief flashing in her light brown eyes. 

“O.M.G. can you imagine,” Cece looked at Maggie, scandalised. “Oh, that would be so sweet,” he gushed, hand pressed to his heart. 

“I don’t think that’s what’s happening,” Y/N/N eyes them skeptically. Jared and Quinn? No, she just couldn’t imagine that. 

“Why? Do you know something?” Cece prodded in excitement. “Does Jared have some secret girlfriend back in L.A.? Or!” Cece gasped, fingers clutching the frill running down the front of his shirt parallel to the buttons, “a secret boyfriend?” he tweaked his eyebrows in Y/N/N’s direction expectantly. 

“No, that’s not what I meant,” Y/N/N laughed off Cece’s ridiculous thirst for gossip – she was becoming well practiced at that, even after only a week of working with him. “I just meant that Jared takes his workouts like, super seriously. I’m not surprised he wants to get to bed early with PT at six tomorrow,” she shrugged. Cece opened his mouth like he was about to ask more questions, but he was soon distracted by the arrival of another troupe of people and the taxis that had been called to take them all downtown. 

Y/N/N, Morgan, Cece and Maggie, and the assistant director, Joe, all piled into the same taxi, chatting amongst themselves over the music thumping through the speakers in the doors of the van. Y/N/N was happy to listen mostly, just absorbing the relaxation of the atmosphere. It was nice to finally be letting loose for a bit. 

The restaurant was situated on the top floor of one of the downtown hotels, and as they were such a large party of people they had practically the whole back room to themselves. It was easy to come and go between the bar and the buffet of food that had been set up near the large picture windows on the far wall. Through them, Y/N/N had a beautiful view of the rolling, vineyard covered hills they’d just left behind. The sunset cast a gorgeous light across the deep greens and golds of the fields and the trees. Y/N/N thought she had never seen something quite this beautiful before. 

Well. She briefly recalled Jared from earlier that day, tanned skin glowing with heat in the early afternoon light. She’d been so close she could have sworn she’d seen a bead of sweat rolling down the centre crease of his abs. Jolting herself harshly from the memory, Y/N/N shook her head and finished off the last of her iced tea. She refused to let herself dwell on that memory – that was dangerous territory. 

Wheeling around, looking for a distraction, Y/N/N spotted Morgan and Joe talking near the salsa and guacamole towards the end of the buffet, and figured that was as good a destination as any, but she was waylaid by Cece, who had other plans for her. 

“Darling, you must come meet Frankie! He’s just arrived, come on,” Cece looped her arm through his and dragged her toward the bar, where a tall, stylish man was leaning casually, nodding at passersby. When he caught sight of Cece and Y/N/N making a beeline for him, he turned his shining grin on the pair of them. 

“Enchanté, mademoiselle,” Frankie grabbed her hand when Cece introduced them, and gave it a light kiss. Y/N/N understood instantly how this man was dating Cece. They were an obviously well suited pair. 

“Hey, hands off,” Cece tapped lightly at their hands, breaking them apart, and wrapping his arms possessively around Frankie. “This is my man.” 

“Stop being so jealous, Charlie,” Frankie rolled his eyes, but it was well meaning. “Besides, I’m sure Y/N/N has a boyfriend too – cute little thing like her.” Y/N/N felt herself clam up at Frankie’s head to toe inspection, her fingers twitching nervously against her empty ice tea glass. 

“Oh, no, no time for that sort of thing,” Y/N/N waved away the assumption lightly. 

“That’s just because you’ve got your eye on someone already,” Cece winked, and Y/N/N’s face dropped in horror. No, no, no, she was not going there. Especially not with Cece, the biggest gossip on the whole damn set. 

“I do not!” she protested with an embarrassed laugh, but she knew it would only sound like she was trying to evade the subject – because that’s exactly what she was doing. 

“Oh?” Frankie looked between the two assistants expectantly. 

“She’s got a crush on Jared,” Cece sang quietly, and Y/N/N whipped her head around, terrified someone else was close enough to overhear them. 

“I do not, he’s just my boss,” Y/N/N objected, more firmly this time. 

“Jared Padalecki? Oh he’s handsome, you are not alone with that one,” Frankie laughed. “Lord knows I would if I could.” Y/N/N felt increasingly like the walls were closing her into some tiny cage, Frankie and Cece were like vicious lions, circling their prey, ready for Y/N/N to show any sign of weakness. Cece must have caught on to the look of alarm she was wearing, because he burst into laughter a moment later, unable to keep up the ruse. 

“I’m just teasing you, darling. I know you’re just his assistant,” Cece giggled, hiding his face in Frankie’s shoulder briefly while he composed himself. “Besides, he is a little old for you I suppose.” 

“Yeah, exactly,” Y/N/N nodded, relieved. She had been so terrified she’d been caught out. No one could know about her stupid school girl crush on Jared. She could barely admit it to herself, let alone face someone else knowing. Suddenly feeling overwhelmingly hot, Y/N/N glanced around uncomfortably. “I’m uh, just gonna go to the bathroom. Back in a minute.” 

Setting her empty glass down on the bar, Y/N/N made a hasty exit from the back room, but she didn’t stop at the bathrooms. Deciding she wanted some air, she headed to the elevator and punched the button for the lobby. Outside, the air was finally beginning to cool down as dusk settled over the city. She breathed in deeply, savouring the scent of fresh mown grass from the nearby lawn and the lingering smell of cigarettes from the ashtray by the door, willing her heart to stop racing.

A man in a sharp grey suit came through the revolving door of the hotel, lighter and smokes ready in his hand. He looked at Y/N/N curiously as he lit up, puffing smoke through his thin lips in the direction away from her. Y/N/N smiled politely back at him in thanks for the small courtesy. 

After a few more moments of companionable silence, watching cars pass by the busy street at the far end of the parking lot, Y/N/N rolled her shoulders and shook herself, trying to solidify the calm she’d managed to absorb from her time in the open air before she returned to the crowd inside. Deciding to check her phone quickly before she went back, she saw a message from Jared she hadn’t heard come in earlier. 

Jared: Having a nice time? 

Y/N/N smiled to herself, surprised at the thoughtfulness, and felt warmth cloud her chest. She hesitated for a moment, unsure how to answer, but she recognised herself beginning to overthink it and joggled her head to break herself from the freeze, typing out the next thing that came to mind. 

Y/N/N: It’s fine, how’s your quiet night in? 

Jared: Nice and relaxing 🙂 don’t let me distract you, go have fun

A little sad that she didn’t have an excuse to keep talking to Jared, Y/N/N stuck her phone back in her bag and gave the outdoors one last look around. The smoking man had gone back inside without her noticing. As she turned to go back in through the side door she’d come from, a dark grey car pulled around the corner into the parking lot. Something about the car made her pause, and Y/N/N took a moment to watch the car as it parked while she racked her brain for why the vehicle had made her pause. The driver’s door opened after a few moments, and Y/N/N knew why the car had seemed familiar. 

Jared climbed out of the driver’s seat, swinging his door closed behind him and playing catch with his keys as he strolled back across the parking lot towards the front entrance of the hotel. 

Y/N/N didn’t remember anything that happened the rest of the evening at the restaurant. After she’d hidden in the quince bushes flanking the side entrance to the hotel, fixedly watching Jared make his way towards the front, her thoughts had no longer been in her control. Everything was a spiral of: Huh? What? Why? She knew it probably wasn’t any of her business, but she couldn’t stop fixating on why Jared would feel the need to lie to her. 

What had he been doing at that hotel last night? He hadn’t come in to join the rest of the cast and crew, so what other reason had he had to be there? 

Not my business. Not my business. Y/N/N repeated to herself, she was in her own world the whole journey through the breakfast line and on her way to her usual seat by the fountain. Plenty of people changed up where they sat every day, but Y/N/N liked finding bits of consistency in her day. Looking around, she noticed Cece and Maggie a few tables away, talking animatedly over their green juices. She pulled her own towards her, then changed tactics and went for her coffee first, savouring the sweet, milky wake up call to her exhausted system. Laying awake agonising over her Jared sighting hadn’t done her any favours in the lucidity department. 

That became incredibly apparent when Y/N/N jerked in her seat at the sight of a dainty hand with blush pink nails snapping loudly in front of her face. 

“Hello-o, Jared girl?” Quinn was waving her hand in front of Y/N/N frantically, a look of frustration apparent on her face. “Wow, you respond better to that than your own name; noted,” Quinn gave her a withering look and Y/N/N set her coffee down, adopting a suitably contrite expression before turning towards the actress. 

“I’m so sorry, Miss Bradley. Not quite awake yet,” Y/N/N explained with a half hearted shrug. 

“How nice for you.” Quinn’s tone didn’t sound like she thought it was nice at all. Y/N/N grimaced and tried again. 

“How can I help?” 

“Where’s Jared?” the actress asked impatiently, arms crossing over her bare midriff. She was still in her exercise gear from their morning session, Y/N/N surmised. 

“Well if he’s not with you then I assume he’s in his room getting cleaned up after training…” Y/N/N trailed off, checking her watch and realising with a start that it was already nine thirty. It had been over two hours since training had ended – Jared could have gone anywhere in that time span. 

“Why don’t you go find out, hm?” Quinn sneered. “I’ll be in the stable, bring him along when you manage to scavenge him up.” 

Y/N/N jumped out of her seat immediately, stress a much better energiser than even her coffee had been. Only sparing a moment’s thought for her abandoned breakfast, she rushed back inside and through the entrance hall towards the bedrooms, the key to Jared’s room already in her hand in her haste. 

“Jared?” Y/N/N knocked loudly, much less politely than she typically aimed for, but she could berate herself for the lack of manners later. “Jared, open up if you’re in here!” She had her key in the door when it swung out from beneath her grasp, and a shaggy looking Jared stood in the doorway, hair damp and exercise tank askew. 

“Where have you been?” Y/N/N demanded, and Jared’s brow rose. 

“Uh, dying on a vineyard hill,” he offered, unsure what answer she was looking for. 

“Did you blow Quinn off for something? Because she’s looking for you and she’s not in a very cheery mood if you know what I mean,” she huffed, breaths evening out a little now that she at least had a concrete location for her boss.

“Oh shit! What time is it?” Jared looked down at his watch and realised he wasn’t wearing one. 

“When you make plans with her, you have to tell me. Please,” Y/N/N wondered if dropping to her knees would make her supplication any more impactful, then quickly drew a curtain over that train of thought. “She thinks I’m the worst PA in the world when I don’t know exactly where you are at all times.” 

With horror, Y/N/N realised that the muscles in her face were beginning to tremble – a surefire sign that she was on the brink of tears. Jared noticed, his years of acting coming in handy for reading subtle facial cues. 

“Hey, it’s okay, I’m right here!” Jared stopped a laugh bubbling through, not wanting to make Y/N/N feel like he wasn’t taking her seriously. “I promise I’ll tell you in detail every second of my non-scheduled time from now on.” 

“Jeez, when you say it like that I sound like such a bitch,” Y/N/N huffed. Her eyes shot wide when she realised she’d sworn at her boss, and she tried to apologize but she couldn’t force any more sounds out of her throat. 

“No, no, you’re right, you should have a little more oversight of my whereabouts and schedule and stuff. That’s how everyone in the business expects it to work, and clearly I have problems managing to show up for my own plans on time if I’m left to my own devices,” Jared chuckled, mildly embarrassed. He scratched at his neck with an apologetic smile, and Y/N/N let out a sigh of relief. 

“Okay, well, Quinn is expecting me to bring you down to the stables now. How long do you need to get ready?”

“Just let me throw on something else and we can head down. But,” Jared smiled excitedly and pulled the door to his room wider, indicating he wanted Y/N/N to step inside, “before we do I have a little surprise for you.”