I pull up his number and call him.
The number you have called cannot be reached at this time. Please try again later.
I dial twice more and am greeted by the same message.
My breath becomes shorter and shallower each time.
Think positive.
This can all be explained.
He must be on a flight if it’s going straight to voicemail.
Maybe something happened and he had to head back home early.
Just as I begin to look at my messages, Kelly’s name flashes up on the screen.
“Hey,” I answer, but Kelly immediately cuts me off.
“Oh my God, I’ve been trying to get hold of you all morning. I even knocked on your door and on Alexander’s door, but there was no answer. Are you okay?” The concern in Kelly’s words does nothing to settle my breathing.
“Sorry, my phone died. I overslept and nearly missed the flight. I’m at the airport now and only just managed to get my phone back up and running.”
I let out a deep exhale, trying to slow my breathing, and reach for the Bloody Mary.
“Wait. You haven’t seen?” Her voice goes up an octave.
“Seen what?” I place the drink down and my breathing picks up again.
What am I meant to have seen?
“It’s all over social media and the news. Are you with Alex?”
I look at the TV, but a soccer match is playing on screen.
“No. I was woken up by housekeeping. He was gone. Why, what happened? Is he okay?”
Kelly falls silent. Images of the paramedics running past me in the hotel run through my mind as I pull the phone from my ear and fire up the news app, searching for Alexander Morgan. My heart is now beating so fast, it might actually qualify as a medical event.
The results load, and my heart stops cold:
Alexander Morgan Caught Kissing A GUY In London.
Alexander’s Stolen Moment With A Mystery Man.
Pop Star Alexander Morgan’s Secret Life Exposed.
“Oh my God. Oh my God.” I scroll down to see even more headlines. The faint sound of Kelly’s voice comes from the phone, and I lift the phone back to my ear.
“Are you still there?”
“I’ll call you back.”
“But—” I hang up before she has a chance to say more.
I go back to the top of the feed and click on the first article.
Alexander Morgan caught on camera locking lips with a mystery man in a London hotel. The caption is under a picture of him kissing me. The back of my head conceals my identity, but Alexander’s face and hair are instantly recognizable, making it indisputable that it’s him.
