Page 69 of Puck Love

Penny steps off the elevator first and leads me to a room down a long hall where she opens the door with the keycard and gestures for me to enter theroom.

It’s a nice big suite with a sitting room, a balcony, and a Jacuzzi. I catch my reflection in the glass doors leading out onto the balcony and blanch. I hardly know the girl staring back at me. She’s pale as a sheet. One side of her face is swollen, and she’s swallowed up by an oversized Crushershoodie.

“There are tea and coffee here in your room, but I can arrange for something stronger to be brought up. You just let me know,okay?”

“Penny? Will you . . . will you wait with me?” I ask. She looks a little taken aback, but smiles and nods. “Sorry. I know you probably have work to get backto.”

“Not at all. It would be my pleasure, MissHart.”

“You can call me Stella.” I give a melancholy smile. “You probably saved my life tonight, so it’s onlyfair.”

“Stella,” she says, and turns the Keurig on. “Is there someone I can call foryou?”

Van. Call Van.“I don’t know anyone’s number. They’re all in myphone.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. The joys of technology, huh? Listen, it might be a long shot, but if a Lana Lambert calls for me, would you put herthrough?”

“Sure, let me just phone the front desk for that.” She turns and picks up the phone, speaking into the mouthpiece. I stand and stare out the doors at the snow and the mountain range beyond. It’s hard to believe that just an hour ago, I was curled up with Van, and now I’m here, as alone as I was on the day I met him. Only now, there’s no more running. It’s time for me to face the music. As soon as my manager tracks me down, thatis.

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