I have to grin. It’s one of The Count’s lines in Nighttime Whispers.
Heath must have booked one of the mega suites, since the room doors are so far apart. We pace along the corridor on a mission, breaths jagged by the time we reach our destination.
“My hands are clammy as shit,” Josh says before he knocks at the door, and I take his arm, both of us standing united as we face what’s to come.
We’ve got this.
For sure.
We’ve got this.
Like hell we have.
Our solid stance fades to nothing as soon as the door swings open and the superstar that is Heath Mason stands tall before us, tailored in a classic black suit. My legs are pure jelly as I dash past him into the solace of the hotel room, all rational thought lost behind the insane pang in my ribs.
I knew I missed him. I knew it hurt. But I had no idea just how much until his eyes lock with mine. There is a look of pure adoration on his beautiful angular face. Just like in Cannes. Just like the purity of the emotion when we left him.
“Jesus fucking Christ, guys,” he says. “You’ve come back from the fucking dead. Finally.”
He throws his arms around Josh first, crushing him tight. Josh’s demeanour shifts in an instant, holding on to our beloved client for dear life as they sway together. I watch them. I love them. Both of them. The tears prick and run down my face when I feel the force of the emotions coming to light, finally bursting free.
All speculation was pointless. Nothing but muted grey tones compared to the real-life experience of the missing puzzle piece clicking back into place.
Heath holds out an arm for me when he and Josh stop swaying.
“Come here, Ella,” he says, and his cheeks are tracked with tears that only fuel more of mine.
I race into his arms for a three way embrace, Josh gripping me tight along with Heath as the three of us rack with sobs.
Heath strokes my hair, and kisses my forehead. He looks at me as though I’m a treasured jewel from the bottom of the ocean, and he smiles at Josh like he’s life itself.
There are no words or scrabbles ofmissed you,nooh my Gods, nothing but embraces and kisses and eyes filled with unbridled joy. Heath’s mouth is every bit as magnificent as I remember. Kissing him is like wildfire, and sharing him with Josh sets my whole body alight.
We’re moving towards the bed on instinct, desperate for naked flesh on flesh when Heath breaks away enough for awhoa, whoa, stop. STOP!
His words snap through the air, cutting like a knife. The current shifts in a beat. Ocean waves coming to a halt.
Josh is breathing heavily as I look at him, his lips already puffy from frantic kisses. My eyes widen as I try to adjust myself to Heath’s command and step away from him.
We all take a moment, and the silence is loud. Way too loud.
“There are things to discuss,” Heath says, and I nod. So does Josh.
“Yeah, we know,” my boyfriend replies. “There’s a lot to talk about.”
“Too fucking right there is.” Heath takes a deep breath, then looks at me. “Firstly, how are you, Ella? I’ve been worried sick.”
I play the situation down, giving him a bright smile.
“I’ve been ok. Thanks to Josh. He’s been amazing. I mean the bulk of it’s passed now.” I hate my stupid giggle. “It’s old news. With Connor being such a douche, and me getting my confidence back, things are fine. Nobody even recognises me. Nobody. It’s all just crap online now, and I’m hardly ever mentioned. Just a ghost.”
I feel like a fraud as I try to reassure him, wiping the whole sorry mess away like it doesn’t matter, so it’s no shocker that he doesn’t buy it. I can read the line of his eyebrows, pitted. He looks just like the Count does when someone is attempting to bluff their way out of being bitten on Nighttime Whispers.
“Try again,” he says. “From the top. And don’t insult me with bullshit this time. How are you, Ella?”
Josh stands to Heath’s side so he can watch me, giving me a gentle nod to encourage me.
“It’s been absolutely fucking shit,” I say. “The whole lot of it. I didn’t move for weeks after the news hit. I was too scared to go outside, too scared to go online, too scared to do anything but sit on the sofa and cry my way through a million pizzas. I thought life was over, that my career was done, that everyone in the world would hate me for ever. And if I hadn’t had Josh…” I close my eyes. “If I hadn’t had Josh, it would have been a whole lot worse. I swear to God, I don’t know how I’d have ever handled it.”
