Page 38 of Drawn to You
“That’s sad,” I say, feeling sorry for the singer. It’s a well-known fact he grew up on a farm in Texas, but I’ve never heard about Riley at all. It must be a part of his life he doesn’t usually share with anyone. The fact he opens his heart to me makes me feel special, even though I have no idea why he’s doing it.
“I know, sweetheart,” he says as he gazes at me with a strange expression that makes me tense again. He then takes out a small jar of Bazooka gums from his glove compartment and offers them to me. “Want one?”
I smile and reach for one. “You keep bubble gums in your car?”
He shrugs. “I used to collect the comic strips.”
“Do you want one, too?” I ask before I remove the wrapper.
“Not now.” He puts back the candies.
While chewing the watermelon-flavored gum, I look around at the street. We’re still on Sunset Strip, but there are more glass high-rises now and less flat, brick buildings. And then we seem to be out of the commercial area completely, and shrubs and bushes line the street. I don’t see any apartments or houses around, and my heart starts to beat fast.
When Mason turns onto a street named Doheny Rd. and my heart sinks. “Where is the apartment?” I ask. “Isn’t it on Sunset?”
“Oh, did I say Sunset?” he curses and glances around as if looking for the place. “Damn. I must’ve driven past it. I thought I was going home. I’m sorry. Let’s do this. Since my house isn’t far, let me just drop off my gym stuff, and I’ll take you there on our way back.”
“S… sure,” I say, squirming in my seat. Again, I think I might’ve made a mistake agreeing to come with Mason.
I reach for my phone. I should probably text Andrew, just in case.
As soon as I hold up my phone, I see a missed call from Andrew and a text message.Where are you?
I smile, feeling safe already.
I type back a text right away.Mason is taking me to see a rental place. We’re going to his house first.
“Who’re you texting?” Mason asks.
“Andrew is asking where I am,” I say.
He pauses for a second. “What’s between you two? Are you seeing each other?”
“No!” I deny quickly. “Andrew is engaged to Melissa.”
“Melissa who?”
“Melissa Rey, the supermodel.”
“I didn’t know that.” He frowns a bit. “I haven’t heard anything about it. Are you sure?”
“N-no, but she sort of confirmed in on Facebook.”
“Nah, it means nothing,” he waves a hand dismissively. “She could be simply creating rumors.”
“Why would she do it?”
He shrugs. “To boost her fame. I don’t know. They do it all the time.”
“They? You a celebrity. Do you do it too?”
“No. I don’t need all that crap. I’m a musician. I earn my living with my talents, not low-blow trickeries. Besides, I don’t give a shit what people think of me anymore. I have to watch out for what I do or say or wear every fucking minute, otherwise, my fans will be angry? Give me a break. I’m tired of that shit.”
Wow. That explains why he isn’t as popular as before. I recall that Mason has made numerous offensive remarks about people worldwide, resulting in him being banned from a number of countries in various continents. Drunk-driving and road rage are among the minor offenses in the past years, and his drug history isn’t even a secret. A chill runs down my spine. The guy is eccentric, although friendly. Is he really helping me? What would he do to me?
I clutch my phone tightly. If anything happens, I’ll call Andrew. I say to myself silently and feel more relaxed. The street has become narrow, dark, and curvy, and I feel drowsy. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to take a nap. I didn’t sleep much last night.”
“No problem, kitty,” he says. “I’ll wake you once we get there.”
