CHAPTER 20 ALEXIS
It's spectacular. The whole entire thing, and most especially the man beside me.
It’s getting real as I look around at all the rooftop patio has to offer.
Gorgeous potted palm trees and plants make it look lush up here, and the white travertine tiles make it look like we’re on a patio leading out to the beach—which we are, only it’s three stories down.
The railing is made of glass to give us an unobstructed view of the beach below, and white rattan furniture with khaki-colored cushions is both neutral and beachy.
“Well, we have forty-eight hours to turn this into wedding central,” Danny says as he looks around. “And it looks like it’s already in pretty good shape to me.”
He slips his arms around me, and we embrace as we stare out over the romantic view. The beach is right below us, but the water is a good hundred fifty feet or so away. Still, the gentle crash of the waves against the shore is both mesmerizing and tranquil.
The thought that we only have forty-eight hours should be a little daunting, but I know we can get it done between the two of us and our supporting crew. All we need is each other, really. The rest will fall into place.
Danny’s phone starts to ring, breaking into the peaceful quiet up here, and he slides it out of his pocket to see who’s calling.
I glance at the screen and see Anna Banana, and I giggle at how he has his sister labeled on his phone.
“Hey,” he answers.
I can hear her voice through the line since I’m standing right beside Danny.
“TMZ is reporting Alexis as missing.”
“Fuck,” Danny mutters, and my heart starts to race.
It was one thing when it was just my dad and Brooks looking for us and Gregory could divert attention to help keep us off the radar. It was almost a bit of a game to duck and dodge him.
But now I’ll have the entire world out looking for me, which will make it a hell of a lot harder to stay hidden.
Unless we just stay here out of sight.
I hate having to hide, but it’s what I chose when I chose this career. I was aware of that, and for the longest time, I thought I would never trade my success for anything.
And yet here I am, ready to give it all up just to walk hand-in-hand with Danny into a restaurant like everybody else in the world would be able to do.
The thought makes me realize something.
It’s not my life I want to run away from.
It’s the life my father has created for me. It’s my father. It’s Brooks. It’s what they want—all the shit I don’t want for myself. It’s what I don’t just want to run away from. It’s what I did run away from.
But now it feels like it’s only a matter of time before we’re caught.
It is only a matter of time before I have to return home, but I’d love to stay off the radar while I’m here.
Even the glass balcony here feels revealing.
People can just look up from the beach and see there’s a wedding going on. They can zoom in on their phones to catch a glimpse of the bride and figure out where Alexis Bodega is located.
I slip inside to remain undetected.
I want to be me on my wedding day.
But now I feel like I need yet another disguise.
I head down the stairs to the family room and collapse on the couch.
Danny’s voice interrupts me less than a minute later. “Hey, you okay?”
“Not really. How are we going to stay hidden, Danny?”
His lips tip up. “We’re not. I have an idea.”
“What idea?”
“What if you post to your socials letting everyone know where you are?”
My brows draw together. “We’re trying to stay off the radar.”
“I know. But what if you get on the radar for a minute and let people know you’re fine? They’ll stop looking, and we can keep our plans as they are.” He looks really proud of his idea.
And honestly…it’s not half bad.
I nod a little. “Can I log into my Instagram on your phone?”
“Absolutely.” He hands it over, and I’m thankful I ignored all those messages about two-factor authentication.
After I log in, I glance around the room. There’s a blank wall behind the couch on the other side, so I move over there. I flip the phone to the camera, select video, and start recording myself.
“Merry Christmas,” I begin with confidence, and it’s only now I realize that we’re barreling down on Christmas very quickly here.
“I heard you’re out looking for me, but the good news is I’m not missing!
I’m right here getting ready for the Christmas Eve special in Los Angeles.
Come join me at eight PM Pacific time on NBC for some holiday magic.
See you then!” I wave goodbye at the camera and cut the video.
I throw a filter on it, select Los Angeles as my location, and post without giving it too much thought, and only afterward, I wonder what my fans will think about that video.
They think everything I do is a puzzle meant for them. Sometimes I’m really just posting that I’m fine and not missing, and I want them to watch the Christmas Eve special. I hand Danny his phone back.
And then I cross my fingers that it works and stops the paparazzi and the public in general from looking for me.
But I’m Alexis Bodega, and I just ran out on a well-publicized wedding.
I should know better by now.
“Oh fuck,” Danny murmurs as he looks at something on his phone.
I glance over at him, and his eyes are wide when he looks up to meet my eyes.
“What?” I ask.
“Remember how I said my dad would get in touch with me before he said anything to the media?”
My brows draw together as my chest tightens.
“I was wrong.”