Chapter 23
BECCA
I skimmed the comments to my post as I packed.
Most of them were lovely. I deleted the spam suggesting I buy bitcoins, which was apparently endorsed by an actor I was pretty sure never heard of bitcoins.
Or at least, didn't put their name behind them.
Scams; they were the one thing worse than tabloid journalism.
I tossed my phone on the table and opened my underwear drawer. No need for matching, but I grabbed everything I could put my hands on. I didn't know how long I'd be gone, and I hated doing laundry.
I threw it all into my bag and some clothes on top of it and zipped my suitcase shut. I looked around my room for anything I might have missed, but couldn't see anything. No doubt I'd find a hundred things later. As long as I had a few clothes and my chargers, I'd be okay.
My phone beeped. The sender said 'Grace'.
Outside front door. Get ur ass in gear.
I snorted and replied.
Ass perfectly in gear. On my way down.
I gripped the handle of my suitcase and hauled it behind me. My phone, I slipped into my pocket and my laptop went into a bag I tucked under my arm. Grace would tell me off for thinking about working on the Gold Coast, but I still had to find work, or keep my blog going.
I locked the door behind me and dragged my case to the elevator. All the way down I remembered bringing Hawk up here, and how embarrassed I was at the state of the building. And how we'd laughed when we fell back into the elevator.
Now all I could do was sigh and wondered if he'd ever read my blog post. What would he think if he did?
I wiped a tear from my cheek, then another on the other side. I'd cried a few already. I'd probably shed a few more before my heart healed. That would take time, lots of it.
It was merciful that I wouldn't be interviewing Hawk again. If I didn't see him, I might get him out of my mind. I hoped so anyway. It was difficult when he was the first thing I thought about in the morning and the last at night.
Even after I'd washed them, I swear I smelled him on my sheets. I read the texts he'd sent and smiled at the shoe emoji. I even listened to a voice message he'd left, even though it was only a handful of words.
I sighed and stepped out of the elevator, leaving it as empty as I felt.
"Took you long enough," Grace said when I stepped out the front door.
I stuck out my tongue at her, but it was half-hearted at best.
I dragged my suitcase to the waiting taxi and let the driver heft it inside.
"Shit, Becca, you look like hell," Grace said as she slid into the seat beside me in the back of the taxi.
"Gee, thanks," I said sarcastically. I brushed my hair and put on a splash of makeup, and my clothes were neat. I didn't think I looked that bad.
"No, I mean you look miserable," Grace said.
"I don't know why," I said ironically. "I feel on top of the world."
I remembered being on top of Hawk. He'd looked up at me and—
"This trip will cheer you up, guaranteed," Grace said, her usual perky self. To the driver, she said, "You know where to go?"
"Yes, yes." He nodded so hard I thought his hat might fall off. "I can find anywhere, even without a GPS." He leaned forward and punched in the address.
I exchanged shrugs with Grace, but we both managed to hold in laughs.
"Thanks for this," I said to Grace. "I'll try my hardest not to be crappy company."
She leaned over and gave me a hug. "You could never be crappy company. You're allowed to be sad, you went through a rough time. It will get better, I swear."
She smiled so brightly I was immediately suspicious.
"You didn't book strippers for when we get there, did you?" I asked.
"No, but that's a great idea." She grinned. "You might end up running off with a hot stripper."
"I think there's more of a chance of you doing that," I said dryly.
"You think so?" She cocked her head. "Because I'd be okay with that. I could watch him work every night."
"Living the dream right there," I said with a shake of my head.
"Exactly," she agreed. "I'm starting to think I don't dream big enough."
"It's better than dreaming too big," I said sadly. I glanced out the window and watched the scenery go by.
"Um, I don't think this is the way to the airport." We were heading too far north, unless the driver was taking us a route I didn't know.
"Um, there's roadwork the other way," Grace said. "I saw it on the app. I guess he saw it too." She nodded toward the driver.
"I know when you're lying," I told her. "What's really up here?"
I couldn't think of a single reason for her to lie to me. If she was… She was the one person I could trust right now. Or, I thought she was.
She bit her lip.
"You'll see soon enough. I promise it's a good surprise. You know I wouldn't lead you astray."
"You absolutely would lead me astray," I told her. "You have many times in the past. It's one of the things I adore about you. But right now, I need some…" I rubbed my forehead. "I need some solid ground to stand on."
"Says the woman who agreed to a cross-country plane flight," Grace said.
I gave her a look and said, "You know what I mean."
"Yes," she replied. "I do know. Which is why I know this is just what you need. I promise you'll love it. If you don't, you can have all the strippers for yourself."
"That's very generous," I said, but I wasn't convinced. The closer we got to the lake, the more worried I became.
"We're not going to throw eggs at Hawk's place, are we?"
Grace clapped herself on the forehead. "Why didn't I think of that earlier?" After a moment, she added, "No, it's not that. We're not going to TP it either."
"Good." As fun as that was, I left it behind in my uni days. Although, I might make an exception for Harvey and maybe Ed.
"So, what are we doing?" I asked, knowing she wouldn't tell me.
"You'll see." She tapped the side of her nose.
"What does that even mean?" I asked.
She frowned. "I have no idea," she admitted, then laughed. "Hey, this is the place."
Hawk told me his street and number, but I'd never been here before.
"How did you know to come here?" I asked. Hawk and Grace didn't know each other. Did they?
"It will all make sense really soon," she said. "Come on, out you get." She tapped the card to pay for the taxi and got out.
"Shouldn't we ask him to stay?" I asked. "We still need to go to the airport." By now I was totally confused.
"Don't worry, it's all good." Grace grabbed the handle of my suitcase when the driver lifted it out of the taxi.
"Where's your suitcase?" I asked. "Grace, what the hell is going on?"
"Follow me," she said.
I grumbled under my breath and started toward a modern style house which was at least as big as my entire apartment building.
She pushed open the huge front door and walked in.
"Grace," I hissed. "You can't just walk into his home."
"I just did," she said over her shoulder. "Come on."
"I—" I stopped on the threshold, then stepped inside. "Oh. My. God."
Hawk's home looked like something out of a magazine.
Not just any magazine, but the ones which showed how good your house could look if you had a crap ton of money.
Here and there was a photo on the wall, or a sock on the floor, but otherwise it looked barely lived in.
It didn't reflect him at all. It reflected a designer with impeccable taste.
From the front door, I could see all the way through to a spectacular view of the lake.
"Nice," Grace said.
"Nice?" I echoed. "It's incredible."
"There should be a room… Ah, there." Grace seemed immune to the opulence of the home. I was speechless.
I followed her into a room the size of my apartment. It held a wide bed and a view of the street, which was still incredible.
Across the bed lay a bag, the kind which held suits and dresses.
"That's for you," Grace said. "Get changed and then keep an eye on your phone."
"What? Why?" I shook my head. "We shouldn't be here."
She placed her hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. "Yes, you should. Now get changed and I'll do your makeup." When I gave her a confused and slightly stubborn look, she said, "Trust me, okay?"
My tongue darted over my lips. "I do. I will. If I'm being punked…"
"You're not, I promise." She picked up the bag and laid it across my arms. "You can change in there."
The bathroom was insanely opulent, with marble everywhere. Two sinks, a double shower and a massive bath with jets. Incredible considering I was sure this was a spare room.
I closed the door behind me and unzipped the bag.
The dress would have cost a year's wages, but it had no swing tag with the price on it.
I fingered the fabric. I swear it was silk. In my favourite colour too, the shade of red Hawk liked on me.
The zip slid down like butter. I held my breath as I stepped inside and pulled the dress up to my chest. It fit like someone knew my exact measurements.
Grace.
I looked back at the door, but it stayed shut.
I managed to work the zip up and looked at myself in the mirror.
The dress was low in the front. The sleeves were short, but sheer. The sleeves and bodice were embellished with more beads than I could count. The skirt fell to the floor, at precisely the right length to cover my feet.
"I look like a princess," I told my reflection. I admired myself for a while longer, then opened the door to let Grace in.
"Wow," she breathed. "You look beautiful." While I blushed, she pulled makeup out of her handbag and started to work on my face.
"You don't need much, just a little touch up," she said. "Here. And there. All right, you'll do." She pointed toward the mirror.
While I admired her work, she brushed my hair and left it to lie over my shoulders.
"Okay, I—"
The buzz of my phone interrupted her.
Trying to glide like a princess, I walked to my bag and pulled out my phone.
Meet me on the terrace.
That was all it said. It came from Hawk's number.
"I don't know," I said uncertainly. "I'm not sure what's going on here, but it might be a bad idea." A really bad idea.
"It's a great idea." Grace took my phone and pointed me toward the door. She gave me a shove and stepped back.
I sucked in a breath and swept out the door.
And lost my breath.
While I'd changed, someone had turned on the lights on the terrace. Hundreds and hundreds of tiny little fairy lights. Music played, but I didn't recognise the song until I stepped through the huge doors and out into the evening air.
I tilted my head. Now I recognised it. It was one of the songs that was big the year I finished high school.
One of the songs they would have played at the graduation formal.
"Hey." Hawk stepped out of the shadows. He was dressed in a tuxedo, with a bow tie the same colour as my dress. I'd never seen him look so handsome. And let's face it, hot as hell.
"I heard you didn't go to the formal," he said softly. "Thanks to some jerk. I figured it wasn't too late to fix that."
He moved toward me slowly, a corsage in hand. He held it out and looked at me questioningly.
I tried to speak, but no words came out. What did this mean? Had he forgiven me?
I swallowed deeply and nodded.
He flashed a smile and took my hand. His fingers sent fire through my entire body. He slid the corsage onto my wrist. It was the exact same colour as my dress.
How had he done all of this? Why?
"Would you care to dance?" he asked. He gave me a boyish smile that sent me back to high school, and what might have been then, had things been different.
"I'd love to." I held out my hand.
He took it in his and drew me to him. His other hand went to my hip. We swayed slowly.
"I'm sorry I was a dickhead back then," he whispered. "And I'm sorry I was an asshole the other day. I can see a ball without looking, but I have a harder time seeing an amazing woman right in front of my face. And I overreacted like a dumbass."
I looked him in the face and smiled. Tears welled in my eyes.
"You read the blog post?" I asked. My heart pounded so fast I could hardly think.
"Yeah, I did. You're right, I need to talk about it. More than that, I need to talk to you. I need to tell you how I feel. Not just today, but every day. Every single day, forever."
Tears spilled over then. He leaned in and kissed them off my cheeks.
"I love you, Becca," he said, his voice clear and firm.
"Are you sure?" I asked without thinking.
He chuckled. "I've never been so sure about anything in my life. You are my—everything."
"I love you too," I said, and let the tears flow. Happy ones this time.
"Now and forever," he said softly, and lowered his mouth to mine.