Page 51 of Rock Hard
Chapter Twenty-One
Self-doubt was a bitch.
Alice had no idea if she was doing the right thing, but she had to do something. She was done waiting in the wings for Rex to figure things out for himself. Brilliant, talented musician he might be, but the male was clueless when it came to seeing what was right in front of his beautiful face. Namely, her.
It was the perfect time to assume control of the situation and do what she should have done a long time ago. Now that the truth was out there, there was no reason not to. Rex knew what she was, and he had to have felt that connection flare up between them, especially considering he had been affected enough to bolt. Though, whether that was a good or a bad thing remained to be seen.
Nearly twenty-four hours had passed since then, so hopefully, Rex had worked through his initial shock and was ready to discuss things rationally. All that remained was for her to put herself out there and see what happened. Either Rex would accept the truth, or he wouldn’t. Either way, this living in limbo endedtoday.
Alice tapped the armrest with impatient fingers, willing the plane to fly faster. Thunderstorms over the southeastern region of the US had delayed her departure from Atlanta several times, but she was finally on her way back to Phoenix. With luck and a bit of help from Mother Nature, she would be able to make it to the resort in time to see the science portion of the awards. Then she would deal with Rex.
She knew from Carly’s texts that Rex had decided to stick around for the ceremonies, which was a positive sign. The fact that he was willing to put his daughter first was a huge step in the right direction.
There had been a number of texts from Rex, too, which gave her hope that he might be open to makinganotherbig step. She hadn’t looked at or answered any of them, wanting to hear what he had to say face to face.
The flight encountered a lot of turbulence along the way. Alice hoped that wasn’t a bad omen. By the time they finally landed at PHX, the combination of nerves and nausea had dampened some of her spirit, yet she remained resolute.
A multi-vehicle accident on the interstate further complicated things, so it was late afternoon by the time the car pulled up to the resort.
She ran to the conference area, her heart falling when she saw the large space nearly empty. Only staff remained, clearing the last of the tables and taking down the STEM conference banners.
She was too late. She had missed it.
Tears welled in her eyes as she turned around and walked out. Her feet carried her toward the small arboretum where she could hide behind a large, leafy bush and have herself a good little cry without attracting attention.
Alice picked a lovely spot in the back corner and sank down onto a wrought iron bench. She had tried so hard to get back in time to make things right, and she had failed. The storms, the turbulence, the accident ... maybe the universe really was trying to tell her something.
She sat there for a while, embracing the sadness and sense of self-pity. A few people walked by on their way out to the garden pavilion, but thankfully, they were too preoccupied to notice her.
Maybe that was her lot in life, she thought miserably. To remain in the shadows, a quiet, supportive presence to those who really mattered. People like Rex and Carly and Johnny, who would go on and be fine, with or without her.
Alice shook off that depressing thought. That wasn’t fair, not to her or them. Shemattered, dammit. Maybe not in all the ways she wished, but she did, and would continue to do so. Where she went from here was up to her, and if there was one thing she excelled at, it was finding a way to make things happen, even when the odds were stacked against her.
She started making a mental list. First, she had to apologize to Carly for missing the ceremonies. Then she needed to check in with Johnny and see how things were going with his charity benefit. He hadsaidshe was fired, but she didn’t believe that for a minute. It was a woefully pathetic but incredibly sweet gesture to make her feel less guilty about leaving him. Even if things did end up working out with Rex, she wasn’t going to abandon Johnny mid-tour. If necessary, she could make adjustments from anywhere with internet or satellite service until she could find and personally train a suitable replacement.
And finally, she needed to talk to Rex. Where they went next would depend on him, but she already knew whereshewanted to go.
She was just about to open a text to Carly when she heard it—the strum of an acoustic guitar. The chords were just barely audible over the soft cascade of the waterfall. Familiar chords. An accompanying harmony to a haunting melody.
It couldn’t be, could it? Yet, she knew with every fiber of her being that it was.
Rex and Carly were still here. And he was playing her song.
Alice rose from the bench and crossed the atrium, her feet carrying her out into the gardens. There, she joined the stream of others drawn by the beautiful music.
A voice joined the notes, at first soft and low, singing the words she knew by heart. Lyrics that spoke of finding the one who was everything yet had no idea. Rex had written the song years ago. It was one of her absolute favorites because it embodied everything she felt. He had somehow captured the longing, the ache, the desire she had struggled with every day since she had first met Rex Løve.
Apparently, she wasn’t alone.
The power ballad had rocketed to number one and had stayed there for months, something unheard of in the fast-changing, mercurial music industry. “She Doesn’t Know” had cemented Rex Løve into the hearts and minds of millions.
Alice followed the throng to a gazebo around which a small crowd had gathered and was growing larger by the minute. Rex was perched on a bench, Carly sitting proudly beside him as he sang.
Just as enthralled as everyone else, Alice closed her eyes and listened until the last notes faded away. No one said anything for several seconds. Then the crowd erupted into applause.
“Where do you get your inspiration?” someone called out when the noise died down.
“Life.” Rex laughed softly.
