Page 87 of Four Dates and A Forever
“Why are you here?” she asked.
“I came to support local artists.” She didn’t mention she had a specific artist in mind.
A twinge of something bad pooled in her belly. “You aren’t the support-someone-without-a-reason kind of guy.” She narrowed her eyes. “What’s your angle?”
Axel ran his hand over his face. And Elsie realized maybe he hadn’t gotten away scot-free. Bloodshot eyes, thin stress marks bracketing his mouth and—upon closer inspection—a few new gray hairs. “I’m looking for a new gig.”
“Which means you were dropped by your current gig?” she guessed. And,bingo, she was right. His expression said it all.
“Rhett’s looking for a new drummer for his new album and tour. He and I are working out the details,” he said, and Elsie wondered, if after everything Rhett had learned about her divorce, if Axel’s statement had even an ounce of truth. And if it did, why didn’t Rhett mention it. “Why areyouhere?” he asked.
She pushed her shoulders back. “I’m here to support Rhett.” There. She’d said it out loud for everyone to hear. “And I’ve already missed enough, so shoo.”
Axel was quiet for a moment, then he looked at Rhett’s jacket, still wrapped around her and his lips curled into a smile. “So, you and him, huh? Not surprised.”
“Why do you say that?”
“He always had a thing for you. That’s why I was shocked when he hooked me up with my divorce attorney.”
Her heart stopped dead in her chest. “I don’t understand,” she said, trying to take it all in, understand what he was saying. But the pounding of the bass and beating of her heart made it difficult to put it all together in a way that made sense. “He put you in contact with your attorney?”
The smile Axel gave had that spring of hope in her chest running dry. Rhett had to know the kind of firm Harry, Waxer, and Bush was, known of their vicious nature and reputation for demolishing the opposition. And she’d been demolished. Humiliated. Run down and then run over. But she’d made it back.
Yet, if this were true, she wasn’t sure she’d survive this betrayal.
“Even did the introduction in person when he was in LA last. Isn’t that right, buddy?”
Axel was talking to someone over her shoulder. She didn’t need to turn to see that it was Rhett, she felt his energy move through her. Felt the separation forming when he didn’t reach out to touch her shoulder in solidarity.
She slowly turned to face down the man who owned her heart and prayed that she hadn’t been played, that she hadn’t made a colossal mistake in judgment once again. There he stood, frozen behind the rope that separated the family from everyone else, leaving her feeling all alone.
“Els,” he whispered, taking a step closer, but then stopping when she put up a shaking hand, begging him to keep his distance.
She’d talked about how brutal her divorce had been more than once and Rhett had never said a word.
Emotion clogged her throat, and she was certain she’d be sick.
“Els.” This time there was an urgency to his voice, genuine concern for her. Which was okay because she was concerned for herself. For her future and for how she was going to make it through the rest of her life knowing that Rhett helped stick the stake right through her heart.
Suddenly he was in front of her, tilting her head up and that’s when she realized that she hadn’t held it together. In fact, she was falling to pieces every second she stood there.
She opened her mouth to ask him if it was true, if he’d really helped Axel slaughter her in court, but a silent sob erupted.
“Shit.” Rhett pulled her into his arms. “I’ve got you.”
She let him take the weight for a moment because it was too heavy to carry all by herself, but then she realized that she’d have a lifetime to carry it alone, so she’d better get used to it. She pulled away.
He’d befriended her, gained her trust, then sweet-talked her into sharing parts of her life she’d never shared with another soul. Pieces of her heart that she’d kept hidden from the world. And the whole time he’d known.
“I can’t do this.” Elsie turned on her heel and looked for the exit, which was impossible to find surrounded by five massive Eastons. That’s when she became acutely aware that each and every Easton had heard the entire humiliating exchange. His brothers had formed a half circle around them, protecting her from prying eyes, but she’d rather have a stranger look at her than the way the Eastons were looking at her.
With pity.
She’d been the only one not in the know. Her heart gave one final beat in her chest for the man she’d fallen so foolishly in love with.
Clutching her chest, as if that would erase the ache, she looked Rhett in the eye, but the pain was so intense she doubled over. Even with her dad and Axel she’d never experienced anything so painful. It was like she’d been cut in two and the pieces of her heart couldn’t find one another.
Chapter Twenty-one
