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“Aria, babe. Listen …” I steal back her hand, thread my fingers with hers and give a little shake for attention as I switch mine between her and the road. “All I’m really asking for is trust. Just as I am giving you.” It’s not untrue—I still don’t know for sure if she recognizes me. I don’t know what she knows, if she knows anything.
I haven’t stopped to have her sign any NDAs other than whatever Genevie had her sign, either, and I know that people will go to insane lengths to get shit from people like me.
To get fame, even if it’s only their 30 seconds.
Whether it’s a pap with money shots that get them the big bucks on the headlines. Or a girl falling in love with a celebrity to get a baby and money from him.
I don’t feel any of that to be true with Aria. The look in her eye is pure of heart and her mannerisms scream reserved.
Well, unless you’re me and manage to piss her off.
“Fuck, I guess that’s true.” Aria ponders for a moment, the tension lessening in her shoulders. She’s still pissed at me, still concerned, but I think I finally broke down the wall.
At least maybe a little bit.
“Exactly,” I start with a grin in her direction. “You could be trying to kidnap me. Maybe these cars are here for you, not me.” I tease.
The air shifts, though, and she stiffens, her grip tightening on my hand. My eyes are on her, trying to gauge her reaction, trying my damnedest to understand her moving lips where no words come out.
I feel the force before I ever see it coming.
White smoke fills my vision as I watch the horror crossing Aria’s face. Her airbag deploys, slamming her back into the seat. The car jerks, skids, and I can feel tires lift from the ground with a terrible screech of metal on metal that deafens me. The white becomes black for a moment as my body jostles around the inside of the car-themed pinball machine. My head bounces off the headrest, smashes into the window, and begins pouring blood into my eyes.
“Rex!”Aria’s scream pierces my eardrums more than the wail of a guitar ever has. I try to reach for her as the concrete jungle outside the car spins around and around.
“Aria …” We finally connect hands as the car comes to a sudden stop with a slam that has glass raining down over her head. “Fuck, babe.” I search her with my hands and my eyes, trying to assess the injuries. “Are you hurt?”
“Oh god, your head.” She’s kneeling in the seat despite the shards embedded in the leather and in her knees and she’s reaching out for me. I swipe the blood from my eye and bump into her hands as she tries to make work of the fluid running from my head. I feel the warmth seeping where it shouldn’t be, running down my brow and dripping into my lap.
“It’ll be fine. Head wounds always bleed a shit ton.” I swipe again. “But how are you? Are you fucking ok?”
“I’m fine.” She pushes my advances to check on her and instead pushes a finger into what feels like a hole in my head. “You on the other hand …”
“No stars. At least as long as I’m not looking at you.” Aria rolls her eyes but continues her poking, which causes stars to taint my vision despite my words. “Ok, you can stop that.” She responds with a chuckle, but gasps as the doors are yanked open and hands start pulling at us from both sides of the car.
“Rex!”
God, I hope it’s Ian or Lugh.
“I’m ok, babe,” I shout back as beefy arms I recognize lift me out of the accident and set me on the pavement outside.
“You good, Rex?” Lugh is in my face, waving a finger to test for concussion. I slap the thing away when he takes too long and look around me.
“I’m fine, Lugh. But the crowd is fucking not.” He looks over his shoulder at the growing mass and curses under his breath. “Who’s with her?”
“We got it, Rex.” He ushers me up, but keeps a hand on my head, forcing my face down and away from the crowd. He tucks me so far, I’m almost in his armpit as we walk, pain shooting up my knee with each step I take until we reach the blacked-out SUV Ian had been tailing me with.
He pushes me into the back seat and slams the door closed in my face. I’m looking for her, but I don’t see her. Sirens wail in the distance, red and blue lights begin reflecting off of the surrounding buildings as the second’s tick by, and Aria isn’t stuffed into the back with me.
I look around the seat to find her securely under the arm of another security agent I don’t recognize. He walks her to the other side of the car and opens the door. I slink back so that I can’t be seen from the outside, but I’m damn near in her lap the second the door slams closed.
“Aria. Baby.” I palm her pale jaw in my hands and search her wild eyes for pain, anything that’s causing her discomfort. I know I’ll find it there if she fibs about it. “Are you ok?”
“Holy shit, Rex.” She’s got a death grip on my shirt—the favorite one I’m certain is now ruined, but I don’t care right now. She’s in my arms and she seems physically ok.
“Tell me you’re alright.” I demand again as tears begin to flood her eyes and spill over.
“Hoooooly shiiiiiiit.” She sniffs and weaves a hand between mine to wipe her nose. “I’m pretty sure I’m in shock.” She states with a watery chuckle that lacks all the humor of a normal one.
