Chapter 12
Chapter
Twelve
Axel nudges my arm. “We’re here.”
My eyes fly open as I bolt up in my seat.
I guess I dozed off, after all. I glance around to get my bearings.
We’re in the parking lot of the hospital.
Apprehension ices down my throat. “Maybe I should just hang out in the car and let you have some time alone with your family.” The moment of truth is upon me, and I have no idea what to do.
He bunches his brows. “No way. I want you there with me.”
I swallow, trying to bolster my courage.
“Okay.” I glance around again, feeling as if I’m in a fishbowl.
“Are you worried about paparazzi and reporters?” The last thing I need is for someone to snap a picture of me with Axel and post it online.
I need to be the one to tell him the truth.
If he learns about me secondhand, I don’t have a prayer of salvaging our relationship.
The edges of his eyes and mouth tighten. “It’s always a possibility.”
That’s the ugly side of fame. “I’m sorry.
” I shouldn’t be thinking of myself right now.
It would be brutal to deal with something like this and be hounded by the media.
Axel’s a good person. He doesn’t deserve to be bombarded by reporters during this stressful time.
And he didn’t deserve all of those cutting remarks I said about him.
I guess I should’ve listened to my mom. If I’d taken the high road and let go of my grudge, I wouldn’t be in this predicament.
He comes around and opens my door. As we hurry across the parking lot, he takes hold of my arm. I keep my head on a swivel, looking for any reporters that might be lurking. Thankfully, all seems clear, and we make it inside without incident.
I turn to Axel. “Do you know which room he’s in?”
“Cassie texted me the number—two-thirty-two.” When we go past the reception desk, the young twenty-something girl blushes and offers a demure smile.
Clearly, she’s starstruck. Axel doesn’t even notice.
It probably happens to him all the time.
And right now, he has more important matters on his mind.
We go up to the second floor and make our way past the nurses’ station to the room. All the while, my heart is pounding so hard that I wonder if it’ll burst out of my chest.
When we reach the door, I tug on Axel’s sleeve. “Hey, I need to use the restroom. You go on in. I’ll be there shortly.”
He hesitates like he might argue, but then nods.
“Okay, see you soon.” He squeezes my hand and offers a strained smile.
The faint lines around his bloodshot eyes are indicative of not only his lack of sleep but also his concern for his dad.
His mussed hair, rumpled clothes, and tired expression raise my sympathy, making me want to put my arms around him and hold him close until the storm passes.
“It’ll be okay,” I assure him, hoping with all my heart that it will be—for Axel, his dad, and for me. I go back to the nurses’ station and ask for directions to the restroom. I’m directed to ones outside of a waiting room on the same floor.
I come out of the stall and go to the sink.
Seeing my reflection, I wince. My hair’s sticking straight up on top.
Eek! I barely have any makeup left, and there’s a smudge of mascara beneath my right eye.
I run my hand under the faucet and use it to smooth down my hair.
Thank goodness I have on extended-wear contact lenses.
Had I been wearing glasses, Axel might just recognize me as the metal-mouth, frizzy-haired loser who had a thing for him back in the day.
My eyes are dry and itchy from lack of sleep, and my body aches.
Axel’s counting on me staying at his house while we’re here.
If my mom realized I was back in town and didn’t stop by, she’d be ticked.
However, I’ll be back next week for the benefit, so she’ll see me soon enough.
Or maybe Axel and I won’t go back to Nashville for the party this weekend. Everything’s up in the air, depending on how things go with his dad.
My purse is slung over my shoulder. I unzip it and pull out my makeup bag.
In quick, deft strokes, I wipe off the mascara smudge and reapply my makeup.
After I’m done, I take another assessment, feeling a little better about my appearance.
I probably have dragon breath, but that can’t be helped, as I don’t have any mints on me.
What should I do next? My stomach twists as I go lightheaded. Closing my eyes, I rest my hands on the counter and take a long breath. I hold air in my lungs and exhale slowly. Next, I offer a silent prayer, asking for help.
Heavenly Father, I’ve really goofed this time.
I know I’m not the best person on the planet, but I never considered myself bad.
Maybe I’ve been deluding myself. I never should’ve written those articles about Axel.
I should’ve let the past go. I feel like such a louse for deceiving Axel, and I don’t know how to fix this.
Tears press against my eyes as I squeeze them tighter.
Please help me know what to do. I don’t want to lose Axel—not when I’ve finally managed to get him.
Please bless his dad. Help Mr. Cox heal from his injuries.
Please help me!
I end the prayer with a quick amen and wipe the moisture from my eyes.
Next, my hands start to shake. Blood whooshes to my ears with the force of a propeller. I just need to tell Axel the truth and let the chips fall where they may.
Straightening my shoulders, I go to the door. Before I can open it, it swings towards me, nearly knocking me in the nose. Gasping, I jump back.
“Excuse me.” A woman rushes in.
My eyes widen when I realize who it is. “Cassie.”
She gets a good look at me. “London?”
Coughing out a laugh, I do a side wave. “Hey, long time no see.”
“Hey. What’re you doing here?”
I answer with the obvious. “Just using the restroom.”
Amusement flicks in her eyes. “I kinda got that. What’re you doing in the hospital? Are you visiting a family member or friend?”
“A friend.” Cassie’s dark, wavy hair is cut in a bob that comes to her ears. It suits her. Cassie’s pretty with high cheekbones, a slightly upturned nose, and striking green eyes a shade darker than Axel’s.
She looks me up and down. “You look fantastic.”
I rub a self-conscious hand over my hair. “Thanks.” High praise considering the circumstance.
“This is trippy. I was just talking about you to my brother.”
“Really?” I squeak.
She nods and looks past me. “In fact, Seth sent me in here to find his girlfriend.” She quirks an ironic grin. “Her name’s London too.”
“Oh,” is all I can think to say.
“Is anyone else in here?”
“Just me.”
“That’s odd. I talked to one of the nurses, and she said she directed the woman who came onto the floor with Seth to this restroom.”
Suddenly, I’m blazing hot and sweating. Time to face the music. My words come tumbling out. “I’m so sorry about your dad. Also, I’m sorry I didn’t respond when you reached out on Facebook. It was totally inconsiderate of me.”
She blinks. “Huh?”
“I wasn’t trying to ignore you. Life’s just … busy.”
She makes a face. “How’d you know I was upset about—” Her eyes bug. “Wait. Are you Seth’s London? The one who rode with him from Nashville?” The disbelief on her face suggests she can hardly believe the words she just spoke.
“I am.” Tension gushes from me, leaving me weak in the knees. Regardless of what happens, it feels good to get that out.
Her jaw drops. “What? H—how?” Her hands go flying as she talks faster. “But he said he didn’t remember you.” She knits her brows. “Was he messing with me?”
“No, he doesn’t realize that I’m the same London from junior high and high school.”
“What? That’s crazy!” She shakes her head. “None of this is making any sense. How did you connect with my brother?”
I take in a quick breath before plunging in.
“I work for the interior designer who’s organizing Axel’s party.
I was supposed to be stringing lights on trees, but I wandered into the music room.
I spotted the drum set and sat down to play.
Axel … Seth came in and heard me. Long story short, he asked me to perform with him at the benefit on Christmas Eve.
The two of us have been practicing, and well … we’ve gotten close.”
Her voice goes shrill. “But you didn’t think to tell him who you really are?”
“I should have, but he didn’t recognize me, which I thought was kind of funny, at first. I never expected things to evolve between us.” I spread my hands. “And now I’m not sure how to tell him.”
She narrows her eyes. “What’re you trying to pull?”
I can’t tell Cassie the rest of the story. She’ll go nuts. “Nothing. I just got caught up in the situation. Then when we got the call about your dad, I didn’t want Seth driving his old Corvette through the storm, so we took my rental car, and here we are.”
“Why do you have a rental car?” Suspicion trickles into her expression.
“My car’s in the shop.” I wish Harmony had never sent me to cover this infernal story. There was a time when I thought it would be romantic to go undercover, but this is all wrong.
Her jaw hardens. “I don’t like this.” She gives me a pointed look. “You should’ve told Seth the truth.”
“I know. You’re right. I was planning to come clean after the benefit. I never expected us to come home sooner.”
Realization dawns. “You were going to tell him the truth then because you had no other choice. You knew that when you performed with him, everyone would realize who you are. Especially since your mother is organizing the benefit.”
I shift from one foot to the other. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell him. I don’t want to hurt him.”
Flames shoot from her eyes. “Well, let me save you the trouble. I’ll go and tell him the truth right now.” She turns to stomp out, but I catch hold of her arm.