Does he honestly think I’m going to dump every shattered fragment of my heart out to him here on the side of the road? I was being generous with the “write through it” advice.
He shoves the notepad and pen into my hands. “Can you sign this for her, please? She’ll never believe who I saw tonight.” He shakes his head.“TheLanna Lux.”
“It’sLee-na,” I correct, but before I take them from him, we’re being spotlighted by headlights.
I freeze as the familiar black SUV screeches to a halt beside us and my publicist hurdles out.
“Don’t answer any questions!” Antonia yells as Gustav, my main security detail, joins her on the curb. “Were any arrests made?”
The officer looks at her, his brow furrowing in confusion. “No, I was just asking about the King’s Music?—”
“Incident,”she completes. “We heard about it and were worried sick. We stopped production when she texted us that she was just down the street from it and needed a ride.” She wraps her arms around me, her dark curls tickling my face as she squeezes me unnecessarily tight. “Poor thing was scared to death. Are you okay, Lena?”
I remove her hand from where it cups my cheek. “Yeah, but I wish I hadn’t chosen to take my nightly walk so close to… all of that.”
A fire engine sounds, and there’s not a doubt in my mind it’s on its way to King’s.
“I know you love these little walks. I just wish you would have let us know you were taking your recording break,” she says pointedly.
“You forgot your jacket.” Gustav’s bald head gleams under the streetlights as he wraps my bare shoulders in the ratty sweatshirt I’ve seen him wear several times already this week.
“Thanks,” I sigh.
“We better get you back to set,” Antonia says, ushering me away with Gustav on our heels.
“Wait.” Shaking free of Antonia’s grip, I bolt back to Officer Everett.
It’s hard to see much under the dim streetlights, but I grab the notepad and scribbleRiley rocks!followed by my signature heart andLena Luxbefore Antonia’s thin fingers are wrapping around my biceps and towing me off again, an exasperated Gustav tailing us. It’s not my most clever message, but I hope it at least makes her smile as big as her dad is right now.
“Oh, and Miss Lukowski,” Officer Everett calls.
The three of us turn to face him.
“Someone may be in touch with you. You know, in case you saw anything.”
Antonia nods. “Of course. We’ll help in any way we can.”
He gives us all a once-over before loading back into his patrol car.
Gustav hustles Antonia and me into the backseat, nodding to our driver before crawling in and slamming the door.
“We’ll help by contacting our legal team,” Antonia mutters as she watches the officer pull away. She whips to face me. “Do you really expect people to believe you’re just out alone for a leisurely walk? What were you thinking?”
I sink into my seat.
“You set that place onfire,Lena.”
“How was I supposed to know that Callum lit so many candles before his show?”
She massages her temples. “You dated long enough to know his pre-show routine.”
I flatten my cheek against the cold glass of the window. “I need another drink.”
She shakes her head, yanking out her phone. I already know who she’s dialing, and it’s the last person I want to speak to.
My manager. Mymother.
CHAPTER FOUR
