“Although, from what I’ve heard from Marcus, he was more than a friend a few years ago.” Slater’s arrogant smirk says way more than his words ever could.
My fists clench again, but because they’re hidden by my crossed arms, Slater doesn’t notice them. I mask my anger with a weary smirk before pivoting on my heels and reentering the studio. This time, I don’t hide the fact I’m borrowing Noah’s phone. I just snatch it up, my mind focused on one thing and one thing only—seeking Jenni’s contact details.
Noah eyeballs me but doesn’t say anything when I unlock his phone and go straight into his contact details.
Bingo—now I’ve got you.
* * *
As soon as the band wraps up our recording session, I bolt to the airport. Seeing Jenni’s arm wrapped around another guy has been playing havoc with my ego the past two days, and with her still refusing to answer my calls, I’ve decided drastic action needs to be taken. Hitting decline on a phone call is easy. Telling someone to leave in person is a shit ton harder. She’ll have no choice but to talk to me.
My plan goes off without a hitch until the security guard at Jenni’s apartment refuses my entrance because I’m not on her “approved list of visitors.”
I barely make it halfway across the lobby before they stop me. “You need to be on the list,” one of the officers grumbles as he removes me from the building.
I shrug out of his hold. “I should be on the list. You need to check again.”
He gives me a look, one that reveals he has no intentions of checking for my name for the fifth time in under a minute.
“What about Christian? Do you have a Christian on her list?”
He shoves me onto the sidewalk. “Good evening, Mr. Holt.”
After closing the thick glass door of Jenni’s apartment building, he stands behind it. His wide shoulders reinforce his pose. I sneakily flip him the bird before pulling my cell out of my pocket. I dial Jenni’s home number I stole from Noah’s phone earlier this week. It rings and rings and rings, leaving me no other option. I’ll have to wait for her to walk by.
I’m sure it won’t be too long.
* * *
By the time two hours has ticked by, it's well past midnight. While scrubbing my tired eyes, I push off the wall and amble down the street. I’ll grab a few hours of shut-eye before returning bright and early tomorrow morning to recommence my watch. I’m fucking exhausted, the long hours I’ve been putting in at the studio visible on my face.
Just as I round the corner, a black Escalade pulls up to the curb at the front of Jenni’s building. Since it’s a lot bigger and bulkier than Jenni’s usual ride, I continue my brisk strides. I freeze halfway down the path when a familiar giggle sounds through my ears. I'd recognize that laugh anywhere.
When I whip back around, I witness Jenni being assisted out of the Escalade by the man she was photographed with. She’s as beautiful today as she was in their photo. Her hair is pinned away from her face, and she’s smiling about her awkward slide out of the car. After yanking down the hem of her mini dress, she heads for the entrance of her building. This is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for, but I’m so stunned at seeing her again, I can’t force my feet to move.
Just before she enters her apartment building, her head shifts my way. Even with two dozen people between us, she appears to be looking right at me. I stand straighter, looking out of place in my ripped jeans and polo shirt. Rejection maims my heart when she shakes her head a few seconds later before she dashes through the front door of her building. Her dismissal impacts my already faltering ego more than I’d care to admit.
“What the fuck did you think she was going to do, Nick? Run into your arms?” I mumble to myself as I continue walking down the street.
When I turn the corner, I hear someone calling my name, but it doesn’t impede my fast steps down the desolate alleyway. I need a stiff drink and a hot shower, because they may be the only things capable of lightening the heaviness on my chest.
My brisk pace comes to a standstill when a female voice I immediately recognize calls out, “Nick?”
When I spin around, I see Jenni standing at the end of the alley. Her pupils are wide, her brows pinched with confusion. She’s even more ravishing up close.
She steps closer to me, her blue eyes shining with moisture. “I knew it was you.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Jenni
Do you know that weird feeling you get when someone is watching you? Well, I experienced that same sensation when Christian assisted me out of his town car five minutes ago. Christian’s movie has rocketed his stardom to a new level, but it wasn’t the same creeped out feeling I get from the paparazzi who are always following him. It was so odd, I tugged on the hem of my dress to ensure my unladylike maneuver out of his car wasn’t to blame for my twisting stomach.
As we made our way to our apartment building, the flurry of camera flashes that track Christian’s every move was still there, but there was something much denser demanding my focus. Incapable of ignoring my intuition for a second longer, my eyes darted around my location. My heart beeped in my neck when I thought I spotted Nick standing on the sidewalk that curves around my building.
Believing I was hallucinating, I shook the visual from my head before continuing my escape from the paparazzi. The further I moved away from the front door, the stronger my wish to go outside became. Something was beckoning me outside.
Christian peered at me with concern when I told him I’d be right back, but before he could voice a single worry, I hightailed it out of my building and headed in the direction I thought I had seen Nick. With my body’s awareness guiding my steps, I trekked through the populated sidewalks until I took a detour down one of the side streets near my building. It was a risky move, but my risk paid dividends. Nick’s long legs were marching him down the darkened alleyway.
