Chapter 14
Chapter
Fourteen
We get to the hospital to find it under siege from reporters congregated outside the main entrance.
“Great,” Cassie mutters, “the news must’ve broken about Dad’s accident.”
Axel hardens his jaw. “Evidently.”
My throat closes. I swallow to clear it. “What do we do?” I cup my hand around my neck.
Axel thrusts out his jaw. “We go straight through them. Ignore everything they say and keep walking. Just follow my lead.”
“Should I let y’all go in alone? I can stay in the car. That way y’all can have family time.”
Axel reaches for my hand and links his fingers through mine. “You’re with me to stay.” He gives me a meaningful look.
Emotion overtakes me. Normally, I’d love to hear that.
But right now, all I can think about is how this is all going to end abruptly when he learns the truth.
Those reporters will snap photos of Axel and me.
And then it won’t be long before they discover my identity.
I guess it’s poetic justice that I’m about to get hounded by the press.
“Y’all ready for this?” Axel looks from me to Cassie.
“Let’s do it.” She hardens her eyes like she’s preparing for battle.
We stride across the parking lot. Axel holds my hand in a vise grip, our fingers clasped. I wish I had a pair of sunglasses. The instant the reporters spot us, they rush up. Several thrust microphones in our faces as bright lights from cameras flash in all directions.
Questions come at us like bullets.
“What’s the word on your dad?”
“Who’s the new woman?”
“Does this mean that you and Zoe are over?”
Stone-faced, Axel plows through them, pulling me with him.
I look straight ahead, both mortified and appalled by the situation.
Being surrounded by these story-hungry reporters makes me despise my own kind.
How could I have ever been party to this?
Maybe in some ways I’m even worse than these sharks.
At least they’re showing their faces. I did all of my dirty work under the cloak of a pen name while sitting behind a computer.
We go up to the second floor and to Randall’s room. Cassie rushes in first, with Axel next. I follow and hang back to give them space.
“Dad,” Cassie gushes, “you’re awake.” She leans over and kisses his cheek.
“Hey, honey.” His voice is gravelly and weak as he holds up his hand for her to clasp.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” she breathes.
“I’ll be fine.” He offers a faint smile.
Axel hesitates, wringing his hands.
“Come here, son,” Randall says.
Axel goes over to stand beside Cassie. “Hey, Dad.” His voice is strained like he’s choking back emotion. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” Randall reaches for Axel’s hand. “I’m so sorry,” he croaks and then coughs.
“It’s okay, Dad,” Axel says quickly. “We don’t have to talk about this right now.”
“Yes, we do.” He gulps. “I shouldn’t have blamed you for Dex’s mistakes. I should’ve been supportive of your music.” He works his jaw. “I’m proud of you, son. Can you ever forgive me?”
“Of course,” Axel says automatically. “I’m sorry for all of those things I said.” Tears stream down his face.
I’m also crying. Happy tears. It’s wonderful to see Axel’s reconciliation with his dad.
After Axel collects himself, he wipes his eyes as Cassie and Fran do the same. “Dad,” Axel says with a proud smile as he turns to me, “there’s someone I want you to meet.”
When I leave the guest room the next morning, I find Axel and Cassie in an uproar.
Ice slides down my throat. “What’s going on?” Before I went to bed last night, I combed the internet to see if any photos of Cassie, Axel, or me at the hospital had been posted. Thankfully, I didn’t see anything. I checked again before I jumped into the shower and got ready.
Nothing. So far, so good.
Cassie holds up her phone. “Jovie Chord’s at it again.” Her face is contorted with rage. “This time she’s gone too far!”
The air leaves my lungs. “What do you mean?”
“This was just released. Jovie’s claiming that her source revealed the reason Axel split from the band.”
“What?” I gasp. “That can’t be right. What does the article say?” My mind whirls. Did Harmony write something pretending to be me? A scalding fury hollows my insides.
Cassie’s chest heaves up and down as she hurls out the words.
“That Seth sold the music and lyrics to a song the band was working on to Rebel Deeds.” She barks out a laugh as she turns to Axel.
“I told you it was a mistake to stand by and hope that Max would do the right thing. He sold you out,” she screeches, “blamed you for his mistake.”
Realization dawns. “Max is the one who sold the song.”
“You bet it was him,” Cassie growls. “The coward has a gambling problem. He got in over his head—owed money to the wrong people—so he sold the song. Now he’s letting Seth take the fall for his mistake.”
“I knew it wasn’t Axel,” I blurt.
Cassie blinks. “What do you mean—you knew it wasn’t Axel?”
I could probably make up some excuse to get myself off the hook right now, but I don’t want to. The time for lies is over. I square my shoulders and speak to Axel. “I’m not who you think I am.”
His features tighten. “What do you mean?”
Cassie makes a face. “Do you really think now is the best time to do this?”
“I have to. Axel deserves to know the truth.”
He makes a face. “What truth?”
“When we first met, I should’ve told you—” The words die in my throat.
“What should you have told me?” Axel studies me with wary eyes.
“I’m not really from Nashville,” I squeak.
“O—kay,” he says, “where are you from?”
“Good grief,” Cassie mumbles, “if you can’t say it, I will.” She turns to Axel. “She’s from here.”
Axel looks dubious. “Here? I don’t understand.”
“She’s my childhood friend. The same London who had a crush on you back in the day. Y’all had band together, for goodness' sake. I can’t believe you didn’t recognize her.”
Confusion washes over his face. “You’re that London?”
“I am.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
My voice breaks. “I wanted to, but I didn’t know how.”
He jams a hand through his hair. “I don’t understand. How did you end up working for Bianca? And decorating for the party?”
Cassie jumps in. “She claims it was a coincidence, but I think there’s more to the story.” She folds her arms over her chest, waiting for me to answer.
“There is. I’m Jovie Chord.”
I’m met with a stunned silence, and then Cassie screeches. “What?”
“No.” Axel shakes his head. “You can’t be.”
“I am.” Despair clutches me in a tight hold. “I’m so sorry.”
“How could you write this?” Cassie shouts, holding up her phone.
“I didn’t. My editor called yesterday and said she had some new information. She talked to Max’s girlfriend, Rachel. Rachel claimed it was Axel who sold the song to Rebel Deeds. I told my editor I didn’t believe it. I had no idea that she’d go behind my back and write a story pretending to be me.”
“I can’t believe you wrote all of that awful stuff about me.” Hurt twists Axel’s features. “I thought it was odd that you never would take me to your house, but I never expected this …”
“I’m sorry,” I croak. Tears rush to my eyes. “I thought I knew the man you were—and then I met you and everything changed.”
His eyes burn hot with anger. “Why did you come to my house in the first place?”
“I was sent out to write a story—to find out why you split from the band. Bianca owed my editor a favor. That’s why I was given the job of decorating.”
He shakes his head in disgust. “I should’ve never trusted you.”
My knees go weak as a cry rips from my throat. “I’m so sorry. I wanted to tell you the truth, but I didn’t know how. Please, give me a chance to make this right.”
“You’ve done enough,” Cassie snarls. “You need to leave.”
“Why?” Axel questions. “Why did you write all of those things? Why did you hate me so much?”
I bury my hands in my hair. “It was the dance. You stood me up. I was humiliated.”
“What?” He stares in disbelief. “You did all of that because of some dance? Way back in high school?”
“Junior high, actually.” A deep sense of shame fills me.
“I know it was stupid. I was wrong about you, and I’ll have to live with that.
” My voice falters. “For what it’s worth, I love you.
” There, I said it. Tears fill my eyes. “I always have.” A sob rises in my throat.
“I’ll go now.” I turn and flee as the dam breaks, and I completely lose it.