Page 89 of Return to Me Always

As I walked, I thought about what had just happened which kept me from dwelling on my own gloom. With a gasp, I realized I was retracing the exact steps Iwouldhave taken that night from the pub to the hotel if Malcolm hadn't grabbed me. The sense of déjà vu haunted me.

I stared down at the sidewalk, my emotions tearing me apart, and the tears threatened once again. Damn it, how much could a person possibly cry?

Not paying attention to where I was going, I nearly bumped into someone on the sidewalk, but he swerved at the last minute, avoiding a collision. I looked up, trying to pay attention to where I was, and the hotel appeared right in front of me, quite a few people waiting outside.

Several flashes went off, blinding me.

"Kat! How are you feeling?"

"Kat! Where's Tyler?"

Shit! Not this again!

Squinting against the brightness, I tried to work my way through the sudden crowd of people.

"Talk to us, Kat!"

"How did it feel to leave flowers behind the pub?"

What? They knew about that already?

The flashes grew closer while panic shot through me. How the hell could I get past this barrier and into the hotel?

A glaring burst of light right next to me. Someone's elbow jabbed my side. Another awful flash.

"Please, please, just let me by," I begged, my voice strangled. Oh, God. I choked down the tears.

"Kat, look this way!"

"Over here, Kat!"

As I tried to walk to the doors, they surrounded me, trapping me. My heart thudded against my ribs like a caged animal, and I thought I might faint.

"Kat, tell us about the flowers!"

"Kat! Where's Tyler?"

Someone in the street laid on the horn, distracting everyone. I glanced around, confused.

"Ryder! Get in!" a voice shouted.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

My heart leapt, my breath coming in spurts, while my stunned brain tried to process what was happening.

"Come on! Get in!"

Tyler!It was Tyler!

He honked another time, and I ran toward the noise, the paparazzi not quick enough to swarm me again.

"Hurry!"

I found his car and jumped in, adrenaline pumping in my veins.

"Buckle up, lass," he said.

Too stunned to say anything, I reached for the seat belt as he took off, flashes fading behind us.

---