I need a pickup. Back entrance, please.
His response comes in seconds.
Nolan
Give me 3 minutes.
The elevator doors open, and the lobby is empty, except for security, who spots me immediately. His eyes flick toward the front entrance, where I can see the paps through the glass, still camped on the sidewalk with their cameras ready. I move out of their view, knowing that if they can see me, they can still capture me.
“Miss Cross.” He nods toward the service hallway. “Through the back?”
“That would be wonderful.”
He moves quickly, and I follow him past the mailroom and through a door markedStaff Only. We pass the maintenance office and the recycling room before he looks out the window of a heavy metal door just as a slick black car pulls up. He pushes open the door, which leads to the back alley.
The second I step outside, the thick heat hits me, along with the heavy stench of garbage from the dumpsters lining the wall. Sweat prickles along my hairline immediately, and I’m grateful I pinned my hair up. I move as fast as I can, and my sandals smack against the pavement as I half run toward the car. The pearl buttons on my dress catch the sunlight, and I pray none of the photographers have figured out there’s a back exit. Nolan ushers me inside, and the door shuts behind me with a solid thunk before I can even catch my breath.
“Good evening, Miss Cross. Where are we headed?” he asks as he slides into the driver’s seat.
“The Park,” I tell him.
“I figured.”
He pulls out of the alley, and I sink into the leather, my heart still racing. The cool air from the AC feels like salvation against my damp skin.
“Saw the news. Everyone’s talking about your prince. Even your parents are talking about it,” he says.
Nolan glances at me in the rearview mirror, and I don’t bother denying anything. Nolan has been employed by my family since I was a teenager, and we’ve always given each other shit.
“Okay, isn’t there some sort of driver confidentiality thing you’re supposed to follow?” I ask.
“No.” He scoffs. “When we arrive at The Park, do you want to be dropped off in the front?”
“Yeah, that would be great,” I say.
“Walking straight into the lion’s den?” He looks at me like I’ve lost my mind, which is fair. “Do you want me to wait for you?”
I sigh. “Maybe the first hour, just in case he’s not there.”
“Will do,” he says.
The rest of the ride, I stay quiet, trying to think of what I’ll say when I see Louis. I’m full of excitement. He’s here.
As soon as the car pulls up, Nolan gets out. “Good luck, Addison.”
“Thank you,” I tell him, stepping out of the car.
I expect a handful of paparazzi, but there are twenty on the sidewalk. The Park rises into the skyline like a monument sparkling in the summer night. My name is screamed, and all I do is smile as flashes blind me. Voices overlap each other, and I can’t hear a word any of them are saying, other than my name and Louis. I wave as I walk toward the building, ignoring each question.
The magnitude of what Louis was able to accomplish hits me. He got on a plane and escaped Europe like it was nothing. Guess it pays to have people like Dyson Banks in your life.
Leaving means he was willing to risk it all forme.
Security recognizes me before I give my name. One of them escorts me to a private elevator, and nobody asks for ID or makes me sign in. Being the sister of Patterson Cross has its perks. He presses my brother’s floor, but when the door closes, I click a different one, knowing Louis is friends with Dyson Banks.
The elevator opens directly into a penthouse foyer with floors so polished that they reflect the soft light overhead. There is a waiting room with furniture opening up to a wall of windows that offers a perfect view of Central Park. This is just the waiting area for Dyson’s place.
The hallway stretches ahead of me, and I move to the front door that looks like it’s large enough for a giant to walk through. I suck in a deep breath as my pulse pounds in my ears. On the other side of this door is the love of my entire life.
