Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 81401 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81401 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Barbara takes Willow with her into the kitchen, and that is when I decide that Stormy needs me. She may not realize it, but she does. Or maybe I need her because I too lost someone I loved.
zara
Five
I peer out my office window fully expecting to find the media camped outside the front of my house. The photographer that is across the street isn’t hiding very well as he stands there casually on the corner acting as if he is about to cross the street. I can really only see his side profile, but that’s enough to show that he’s trying to hide his camera on the other side of his body. I drop the blinds and leave my office.
Darian is still here, unwilling to leave me by myself in the event that Van shows up. I’m not afraid of Van and Darian knows this, but deep down I think Darian is trying to play the big brother card. The thought warms me that he wants to be protective, even if I don’t need it. I want it though. I want Van to realize how badly he’s fucked up.
It was my brother’s idea that I try to remain as normal as possible. As much as I want to sit around and mope, to eat ice cream and potato chips all day with my hair piled in a messy bun and my face devoid of moisturizer, I can’t because it makes me feel worse even though I want to crawl into a hole and disappear. The thought of doing that makes it feel like Van has won some unknown battle we were having.
He did win in a way, but he was the only one playing the game. I’ve never claimed to be perfect, but I have always been faithful to him from the time it dawned on me that I had a crush on him. No one that I have ever come across was enough to tempt me. Too bad he couldn’t say the same thing.
Darian finds me in my closet, staring at Van’s clothes. He stands in the doorway, watching me and saying nothing. He doesn’t need to.
I sigh and glance at him. The smile that plays on my lips is lackadaisical at best, but his isn’t. He tells me that he’s going to be here for me, no matter what, that he’s going to be my rock, the shoulder I need to cry on, and my best friend.
“Want me to pack his shit?” he asks with a smirk.
Shaking my head, I search for something to lounge around in.
“Wouldn’t it be funny if we put everything in black bags and set them out front?” he states with a laugh. I quickly follow suit because yes that would be hilarious and front-page news. Laura would love the publicity, although it isn’t the type that she wants.
The phone for the front gate rings and Darian rushes to go answer it. The only person I could imagine showing up would be Laura, or maybe Hayden and Freddie, the other two members of my band. I dress quickly and make my way downstairs, only to hear Darian yelling into the phone.
I jump when he slams the receiver down. “What’s going on?” I ask.
Darian faces me looking angry. “That was a reporter asking for you to come outside so they can talk to you.”
“What? How do they know?” I ask as I run back upstairs to my office to peek out of my blinds.
“The guy on the phone said they were alerted that you and Van have separated.”
I turn and look at Darian. “It’s been barely twenty-four hours,” I say as Darian’s arms come around me. “Did he do this?”
“I don’t know, Z. It doesn’t seem like Van to go to the media, but if he wants you to talk to him, maybe this is his way.”
“If he wanted me to talk to him he shouldn’t have cheated.”
“I know,” he says sighing. I step out of his arms and head toward the window with him following. We both lift a slat and peer outside. The crowd is growing, and the photographer who was across the street has now taken up a spot at my gate.
“Bastards.”
“We’re used to it,” Darian reminds me. The thing is, I don’t mind the media for the most part as long as they leave me alone when I’m at home. This is my private residence, where I need to be able to move around freely without an audience. Right now, they’re preventing that. Even if I wanted to leave, I couldn’t. There is no way I could risk someone walking through my gate when I tried to leave.
“I’m stranded.”
“No, you’re not. If we need to leave, we’ll call for the police to come help.”
I frown. “It’s stupid to bother the police because of this. I’ll call a security company and hire them for the time being.”