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ong was too painful. But I let her talk, thinking that at the worst, she was just an over-enthusiastic reporter trying to get me to spill my guts.
She told me that she was Ellie’s best friend and that Ellie had been trying to get a message to me for months through my record label with no success. Gemma knew enough about Ellie to have me convinced she was telling the truth about two minutes into the conversation. She asked if I would be willing to fly over to the U.K. and I agreed without giving it a second thought.
“We’re going to get you checked into your hotel, then we’ll go over to the park,” Gemma says.
“Are we far from the hotel?” Zane asks, still typing away on his mobile non-stop. “I need to get some work done.”
“No, only a few more minutes,” she answers and her eyes flick to the review mirror and find mine. “Do you need to shower or change?”
“I should, but I really just want to see El.” Waiting a few more minutes after it’s been so long shouldn’t be a big deal, but it is. It’s torturous to know she’s nearby. I don’t know if I can wait any longer.
Gemma turns back to face me while we’re at a stop, her bright eyes looking over my disheveled appearance and my swollen shiner. “You can’t go like that, it’s gross. What happened to your face?” She scrunches her nose up at my battered jawline.
“I’m gross?” I ask, stunned yet slightly amused. No woman has called me gross in a very long time.
“Yes, gross. You can take a quick shower and put on something more… appropriate for the occasion.”
“Fine,” I growl angrily. I start to get mad, but then I realize how much she’s done for me, for Ellie, and I calm down. She only wants what’s best for her friend, I can manage a shower if she thinks I need one.
“I’m curious,” Gemma says.
“About what?”
“About that so-called confrontation you had with Andrew Forrester at the Warren nightclub earlier this year. You weren’t really fighting over a girl were you?”
I roll my eyes even though Gemma can’t see them from the front seat. “No, we weren’t. I went with a friend of mine to the launch party. She designed the club and I wanted to help her out by using my name to give her and the launch as much exposure as I could. That really backfired on me,” I admit, rubbing my aching jaw.
“You could say that,” Gemma giggles.
“Well how was I to know she hated being in the press? Most people love that crap! Sydney never told me who she was!” I hate having to explain myself, somewhat put out by Gemma making fun of me for my good intentions. “I also had no idea she was dating that bastard Forrester.”
“Hmmmm, I guess the media got one thing right.”
“Oh, what’s that?”
“That you and Andrew Forrester really do hate each other.”
“Yeah, we do, he’s the one who gave me this,” I say pointing at my face. Her eyes practically bulge out of her head but she thankfully doesn’t say anything. Zane glances up from his mobile at me for a quick second, then turns back to his typing.
We’re back on the road within thirty minutes of arriving at the hotel. I manage a quick shower to wash off the airplane stench and change into a nice suit, no tie. I’ve been assured that the event isn’t very formal. Zane decided to stay behind at the hotel while Gemma drives us the short distance to our destination.
Gemma is making me laugh by telling me a story about Ellie. We weave through the city streets towards Kew Gardens, which coincidentally, is right across the Thames from the Warren Hotel where Ellie and I met up last and where I’m staying again on this trip. I even booked the same room. Apparently I’m a sentimental bastard, I just never knew it until now.
I was at this Warren hotel in July for another nightclub launch since I was already in London to work on an album for a movie soundtrack. That time, I was too depressed to stay at the hotel, since I thought Ellie still hated me. I did anything I could to keep the memories from eating away at me, and staying at the Warren would have brought up a bunch of them.
“Here we are,” Gemma says as she pulls the car into the main entrance to the gardens and parks in front of a gorgeous old brick residence.
Panic floods my body and I have to keep reminding myself that this is Ellie, and Gemma has assured me that she wants me as much as I want her. Otherwise, my racing heart might actually detonate in my chest. I swallow and wipe my sweaty hands on the seat as I reach for the door handle.
“Christ!” I shout, jerking in my seat.
“What?” Gemma shrieks in surprise next to me. “What’s going on?”
“Sorry, my phone, it just buzzed in my pants. Scared the crap out of me.” I sheepishly show her my phone.
“Jesus Adam! You nearly gave me a heart attack!” Gemma slaps me in the arm as I fumble to answer the phone.
“Ellie?” I ask after hearing the voice on the other end.
