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As my gaze wandered around the darkness, I noticed a figure looming around the dark house across the street. My first instinct was to jump to my feet and rush down the stairs.
“Is everything all right?” Leah questioned as she stood up and came to my side. I stuck out my right hand to make sure she stayed behind me, then I stared hard at whoever was across the street.
“I think we’re being watched,” I said when I noticed the figure retreat. Whomever it was no longer stood there, so I turned to Leah.
“Yeah, I know, the paps, they …”
“No this isn’t just paparazzi. Lakewood’s locals aren’t that dedicated to entertainment news. Whoever this is it might be a stalker. We’ve got to be careful.”
“Oh …”
I put my hands around her and guided her into the house, then I locked all the doors and faced her again.
Leah unwrapped herself from the blanket and handed it over to me. “Will you stay upstairs tonight?” she questioned in a shaky voice. Her solemn eyes held onto mine, and the moment made me forget to breathe.
“Leah …”
“I don’t want to be alone.” Her invitation was the sweetest, and I couldn’t say no even if my life depended on it. I took her hand, led her to the room, then made sure she was snuggled under the sheets first before I lay beside her.
We fell asleep that night with our hearts and breaths in rhythm. It was the most peaceful sleep I’ve had in a long time.
Chapter Fourteen
Leah
Wetrainedthenextmorning, and it was brutal. He kept making me throw so many kicks and punches in the air because he dodged all of them and laughed when I missed a step.
“God, when will this end?” I complained and laughed till I dropped my hands to my knees and tried to catch my breath. My chest labored hard, and I didn’t see Tommy come up behind me, but once I felt his hand lightly touch my shoulder, I grabbed his wrist, twisted it back, and snuck out of his reach.
“I did it,” I yelled once I completed the turn without falling, pumped my fist in the air, and bounced on my feet while the free tumble of laughter left my lips. “I did it … I got you tight in the hand and got out of your reach.”
He joined in the laugh and stepped towards me. “You did good, all right. Your reflexes need a little bit more work, but you’re improving.”
I did a little dance like I used to do with Danielle to celebrate, then chuckled with him before heading into the house through the back door.
By evening, I was still feeling the same rush of excitement when I decided to drive to the grocery store for a little shopping. Danielle called while I strolled the rows and tried to decide on what to buy.
“How did it go with Henry last night?” she asked first like it was all she wanted to know.
“Great, really,” I answered then dove right into the discussion with Henry Truman, and his deal for our platinum album. “He seems like he has lots of big plans, Danny, but I just don’t think they are the right plans for me.”
Let’s talk about this when I get to Lakewood Leah. For now, you just need to work on those lyrics for me. The band’s not been able to find a new vocalist, so guess what? We just keep playing and performing all our old songs in a circle.”
My chest snagged with a deep breath as she talked about the band, but even though I wished I could go back, I knew deep down it was a terrible decision. My phone was still plastered tight to my right ear while I picked fresh celery and lettuce.
I didn’t notice the person behind me trailing my every step till I got to the line to checkout. When I glanced over my shoulder briefly to see who he was, I noticed he had his head lowered, and his hoodie covered his face.
“I’ll talk later, Danny,” I said and turned to the counter again. “Right now, I’m grocery shopping. I figured I should make something nice for dinner tonight. It’s been a while since I did anything of the sort.”
“How’s my dad by the way?” she suddenly asked. If I had any liquid in my mouth right then, I would have choked so badly. I coughed instead as heat slithered through my nerves and awakened them. “He’s not giving you hell, is he? He’s always grumpy and never lets anyone in. I’m surprised you two have managed to co-exist in that cottage. Does he take the couch or do you?”
Last night neither of us had because we cuddled, and I woke up this morning feeling more refreshed than I ever had. Tommy too had been all smiles while we trained, and each time he touched, the sparks coming alive inside me multiplied.
“Leah … Are you there?”
The back of my neck and my cheeks burned, but the hat pooling in the pit of my stomach was a much worse problem. “Ah … Yes … I’m right here. Your dad takes the couch. He’s not as overbearing as I imagined he would be at first so everything’s great.”
“Don’t worry honey,” she replied. “Once I get back to Lakewood, we can both kick him out and have the cottage to ourselves.”
