Page 124 of Lovestruck at Sundown
“Sure?” He knew it wasn’t just that. I couldn’t fool him, but I had to try. This was his night to shine. Well, his co-star’s, as well. They were asked to pose for a photo together more than a few times whenever any of the authorized press members approached either of them. And again, maybe I was having a rough day, but my blood boiled whenever she leaned into him in a too comfortable and familiar way for my liking.
Arabella Rivers was painfully beautiful, and even if she pretended to be sweet when William introduced me to her, I caught a hint ofsomethingflashing in her eyes when she discreetly gave me a once-over. I didn’t want to read too much into it. I blamed it on the physical exhaustion and the emotional upheaval caused by PMS and my imminent cold. But even Zararolled her eyes when we watched William and Arabella being photographed.
Lily was busy talking to people, probably about her upcoming wedding, which had caused a lot of interest in general. I hadn’t had the chance to filter my feelings with her before discussing them with William. I wanted to know if I was crazy about feeling this way and if it was something I had to start learning how to accept.
I knew how jealous Lily was when it came to Joel, so if anyone could understand how I was feeling, it was her. And Zara wasn’t the right person to talk to about this matter. She would always be Nathan’s sister to me. We were still trying to figure out our relationship after we patched things up, but Zara was always busy with Juilliard and her very active social life. This was one of the first events she was able to attend with us this semester.
Twenty minutes later, William told me he was ready to leave, but I knew he was doing it as a kindness to me. I didn’t object. I was more than happy to leave.
We walked toward the exit after saying goodbye to a few of his friends and family, but Naomi rushed our way when she saw us. “You guys leaving?”
“We are.” I smiled.
“I think I’m heading back, too,” she said. “Can I get a ride with you guys?”
“Of course.” William offered her a forced smile. “Let’s go.” He probably wanted to talk to me on the way home and twist my arm to make me talk about what was bothering me. But I’m sure he suspected what it was. He knew me well.
Aaron stood near the door and followed us when he saw us rounding the corner to the exit. Aaron and Naomi were still pretending to date, but on formal outings like these, they “kept it professional.”
They would go out twice a month on casual dates so the media would see them. I didn’t know how long they planned to keep up with the charade. But Naomi said it was the only way to make it believable, boring, and predictable enough for the media and their audience to discard the news and move on to something or someone else.
She was the expert. And it made perfect sense. Plus, it was working. No one was talking about my “secret love affair” with my bodyguard anymore.
The SUV was parked in the motor lobby, so we had quick access to it from the venue’s main entrance. Cooper had left after dropping us off at the afterparty.
When we stepped out, there were a lot of fans and photographers standing behind metallic safety barriers. And a group of girls shouted William’s name when they saw him stepping out. They tossed a massive bouquet of red roses at us, but William and I managed to avert it since it was heading our way with unexpected force. It landed right behind me, making Naomi trip and fall on her face. The crowd gasped in unison, myself included, followed by stark silence.
Naomi groaned with pain. She was hurt, but we didn’t know what pained her. But before anyone could take their next breath, Aaron lifted Naomi from the floor and carried her back to the SUV in his arms. The photographers went wild while she allowed herself to rest her face in the crook of Aaron’s neck.
William picked up the flower bouquet from the floor, and the girls begged him to approach them for a selfie. He did, but I kept walking toward the car as per Aaron’s instructions. And one does not mess with angry Aaron. He was furious. I opened the passenger door so Aaron could help Naomi inside.
“Are you okay?” I asked Naomi as William kept interacting with his fans. “What hurts?”
She let her head fall back on the headrest. “It’s my knee,” she said through gritted teeth. “I have a bad knee.”
“Miss.” Aaron was holding the door for me. “Please get inside the vehicle at once.”
Whoa. Okay.
I did as I was told, and Aaron closed the door behind me. I knew better than to disobey him when he was this upset. He rushed to the driver’s seat and asked Naomi if he could take a look at her knee while we waited for William to return. He seemed to be trying to sneak away, but the fans wouldn’t let him go. I spotted Hawthorne observing the interactions from a distance, so knowing William was being looked after gave me peace of mind.
“It’s fine,” Naomi replied. “I’m fine.” But her voice was shaky, and it was easy to tell she was in pain but wanted to pretend otherwise.
“Show me your knee.” Aaron’s words sounded more like a command.
“I can’t pull the skirt up,” Naomi explained. “The fabric is too tight, and it hurts if I extend the knee to work around it.”
“I thought you said it was fine,” Aaron scolded. He pulled out a switchblade, grabbed the hem of the skirt, which fell a few inches above her ankles, and tore it open with a ripping sound that filled the cabin. Naomi gasped as she saw the new thigh-high uneven slit appearing on her tight pencil skirt.
“Aaron!” Naomi shouted as he put his switchblade back in his jacket pocket. “This is a twelve-hundred-dollar skirt!”
“I’ll get you another. Now, stay still.” Aaron stared at Naomi’s knee with wide eyes. It was swollen, and her skin was red from the blow. It was for sure going to bruise pretty badly. “Let’s see your hands.”
Naomi complied. Her palms were bruised, too, from theimpact of the fall. She winced when Aaron gently pressed her left wrist, which seemed slightly swollen. “I don’t think it’s broken, but we need to get you checked by a doctor. You might need to get it immobilized.”
William joined me in the back, and Hawthorne tapped the window once he closed the door behind him.
Aaron drove away in silence.
