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The dinner before the ceremony is in an hour and a half, and I’m still out here in my bathing suit.
I head straight for the glass doors at the back of the hotel with my thoughts a scrambled mess. “Mom, I’ve gotta go. I’ll call you tomorrow, and we can figure something out, okay?”
Finally, I hear her voice again. “Katelynn, wait—”
I’ve already disconnected the call by the time I hit the lobby. The straps of my canvas bag dig into my shoulder, but I barely register how hard I’m clutching it.
When I check my messages, there’s no word from Damon, and the unease in my belly now blooms to worry. We were supposed to get ready for the dinner together.
“Hey, watch out!” a woman shouts, grabbing my arms just in time to stop me from colliding straight into her.
“Oh my gosh, I-I am so sorry,” I stammer.
She laughs, taking a step back to adjust the strap of her messenger bag. “No worries. I’ve been a little scatterbrained myself.”
A rectangle lanyard with an image of her face lies just above her belt. Her white-shirt-black-pants combo paired with her dirty blonde hair, slicked back in a low bun, screams reporter.
A Nikon camera case swings forward when she juts her hand out for mine.
“Heather,” she says frankly.
“Kate.” I glance around her. “Are you here for the App Awards?”
“Yup. Boss caught wind of Mr. Scandalous Vampire Boy being here tonight and threw my ass on a plane to cover his island antics… indefinitely.”
I smile at her reference to Marcus, liking the woman already.
“Anyway, could you point me in the direction of check-in?” she asks.
“Sure, it’s just around that corner.”
Heather studies me with keen eyes. “Are you alright? You seem… flustered.”
“Honestly, no. I’m not.” I give a shaky laugh. “But I’m sure it’ll buff out.”
“Ah. Tough girl, I see.”
“Yeah, something like that. Anyway, I should get going, but it was really nice meeting you.” I point to my neck as I skirt around her. “Don’t forget the garlic.”
She flashes me a smile. “Hey, don’t sweat the small stuff, ’kay?”
I stop to turn over my shoulder. “What about the big stuff?”
“The big stuff you take in stride. One minute. One hour. One day at a time.” Heather barely turns over her shoulder to wave as she heads for the desk.
I mull over those words all the way up to my and Damon’s room. They vibrate through me like a struck gong as I ready myself for the ceremony—alone.
Showering quickly, I wonder what’s so important that could be holding him up and debate whether I should call him.
“Ugh.” I squeeze my phone, frustrated that I’ve gone from knowing the right moves where it comes to Damon to now questioning myself.
Running my hand over the sparkly material of yet another gown Damon’s bought for me, I reflect on our time together.
It’s gone by as swiftly as sand in an hourglass, and no matter what we do or how we feel, the seconds slip away grain by grain.
With my hair in loose curls, dress and makeup on, I finally decide to send him a text.
Everything okay?Then I follow that up with,Started wondering if you’ve been abducted.
