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And I did. I told them everything, from my cravings to the blackmail to the meetings Leonie had been accompanying me on.
“Shit, Smith. Why did you not tell us? We have your back. Do you not know this by now?”
“I don’t know what the fuck’s been going on with me. But everyone was so happy with our new situation and I just didn’t want to spoil the vibe. I thought I could handle it. Leonie worked out what was going on with me. Apparently she had a family member with addictions. She’s helped me and I’m already feeling better. The human meetings work, so I’m doing both. That and I’m back under the clinic.”
Jayden shook his head. “I can’t believe this.” He walked over and embraced me in a killer hug. Did he not realize how fricking stacked he was? “Man, you always have me. Okay? Never keep this shit a secret again. You got me?”
“Yes. I got you. I’m gonna try my best not to let my addictions win, but obviously I have a problem and I need to keep on top of it.”
Flynn scratched his head. “While we’re on the subject of confessions. While I was in New York, I got a text from Rose. She was there with her husband. You know they have the brownstone there?”
“What did she want?”
“She’d heard I was in New York and said it would be nice to say hi. I was going to Tiffany’s, so I met her in a coffee shop near there. I was only there around thirty minutes. It was nice. We’ve both moved on. She’s happy, and she was pleased for us all. Wished us all the best. She’s five months pregnant now, though her bump is so tiny you’d hardly know.”
“What did Serena say?”
“I didn’t tell her. But the thing is, and I didn’t think of it until I got home. How did she know I was in New York? She spoke about the competition and yet I was entered under another name. It’s weird and it’s bugging me. I wish I’d thought about it at the time.”
“Gabby turned up out of the blue to try to rekindle our romance.” Jayden interrupted. “She said she’d seen our relationship in the press and wanted to see if there was any chance of us getting back together before it was too late.”
“This can’t be a coincidence. Our exes turning up all of a sudden.” I said.
“Right at the time Leonie returned.” Carter announced.
We sat in silence mulling over our thoughts and then my cell rang.
Leonie.
“Hello?”
“Your crazy ass girlfriend just accused me of some shit. I have no idea what she was ranting about. Apparently I’ve been trying to ruin her life. She knows about your addiction. She also saw my friends and went postal before high tailing it out of the bar. If she comes home, you need to find out what she’s got going on in that psycho head of hers.”
“Something’s going on. We were just talking about other coincidences. We think we’re being set up…”
“Well I sure as shit am not taking the blame for it. You’d better not think I had anything to do with it, Smith Henderson. Not with how I’ve been there for you lately. Now I need you to be there for me. Find her and give her the facts—straight.”
“I will. Thanks, Leonie. For everything. I’ll be in touch.”
Ending the call, I looked at the eager faces of the others. “It’s not Leonie. She called to say Serena knew about my problems and she went crazy when she saw Leonie’s friends. Do you think the turning has had some ill effects?”
Flynn sighed. “Call Leonie back and ask who the friends were. Put her on speaker.”
I did.
“It was Carter’s co-stars Catalina and Maya, Cynthia Delaware, and a woman I hadn’t met before who used to live here, Gabby Marrantz.”
We called Serena’s cell again and again with no response.
We asked if she was at the Dream.
We toured the area looking for her, but she wasn’t anywhere to be found.
“She can’t stay angry forever. Leave her tonight and we’ll start looking for her again in the morning. Maybe she caught a flight to New York, back to her old stomping ground?” Flynn said.
“And her dad.” Added Carter.
“First thing tomorrow we call Vern.” Jayden sighed. “See if he’s heard from her.”
