One Night With a Billionaire

by Jessica Clare

  She hugged him, glancing over at Snoopy. She was deliberately not looking at Kylie and Cade, and she knew that she was probably feeling like Kylie was—conflicted in her loyalties. No one wanted Daphne to destroy herself for Kylie’s happiness. Not even Kylie.

  “You okay?” Kylie murmured, running her fingers through Cade’s hair.

  He nodded against her throat, and she felt his breath against her skin. “I should call Daph’s family. Let them know she’s out of danger. They should hear about it before they see it on the news.” He straightened, pulled out his phone, and swore under his breath. “No bars.”

  Kylie gave him a gentle push. “Go find reception. I’ll wait here and hunt you down if there’s any change.”

  He gave her a grateful look, kissed her mouth, and then got up and headed down the hall toward the parking lot, Kylie guessed. The manager followed him, holding his phone in the air and trying to get reception also.

  Then it was just her and Snoopy. Carmela. Jeez. Now she was as bad as Daphne.

  Carmela looked over at Kylie. She hesitated a moment, then got up and moved to sit down next to her. “Can we talk?”

  “Of course,” Kylie said, trying to smile. She was pretty sure what this would be about.

  “So here’s the thing.” Carmela squirmed uneasily next to Kylie. She chewed on her lip for a second, and then continued. “Daph’s not my favorite person in the world. I don’t know that she’s anyone’s favorite person in the world at the moment. And I hate what she did to you. With that.” She gestured at her forehead, indicating Kylie’s bruise.

  “But?” Kylie asked, sensing this was coming.

  “But I am super uncomfortable about you and the guy being so kissy while she’s in the hospital. It feels . . . I don’t know. Disrespectful.”

  “I know,” Kylie said, sighing. She kind of felt that way, too. Like she was being a dick by being happy.

  “I mean, you couldn’t wait until the tour was done to be all happy with each other? You both knew how fragile she is. It’s not like all this,” she gestured at the hospital waiting room, “is a surprise to anyone.”

  Kylie nodded, her guilt overtaking her happiness. Was she being that unfair to Daphne? No one questioned that she was troubled. Thing was, was it fair to ask everyone else to put their happiness on hold just so the precious pop star wouldn’t be upset?

  Then again, hadn’t she signed a contract stating she’d do exactly that?

  “I just feel . . . I don’t know. Really bad for her. I feel like no one has her back at the moment.” Carmela twisted her hands. “And part of me feels like she deserves it, and part of me thinks that no one deserves this, you know?”

  “I know,” Kylie said softly. Because she was thinking the same thing.

  —

  With every ring of the phone, Cade’s stomach dropped a little lower. God, he dreaded calling Audrey and telling her the bad news. No one deserved to hear something like this over the phone. He thought of the last time he and Audrey and Daphne had been together. It had been in a hospital room then as well. Daphne had overdosed after sleeping with Cade because she thought she’d hurt Audrey and to get at the pills that Cade had been carefully hiding from her, doling out as her doctor prescribed.

  Daphne had never really liked rules, though.

  On the fourth ring, Reese picked up. “It’s early,” Reese groaned into the phone. “This better be important, man.”

  “It’s Daphne,” Cade said quietly. “Can you put Audrey on the phone? She should know that her sister attempted another overdose last night.”

  “Fuck!” Reese’s expletive was loud enough to make Cade wince. “That selfish little shit. If she only knew what Audrey—”

  A low, feminine voice murmured next to him, and then Cade heard the phone being transferred. “Hello?”

  Even through the phone, Audrey sounded in control. Indefatigable. So very different from weak, brittle Daphne. “Hey, Aud,” he murmured. “How’s the baby?”

  “The baby’s fine, Cade.”

  “And you? How are you doing?”

  “Great. Now how about you quit stalling and just spit it out? Whatever it is, I can handle it.”

  Somehow, he knew that. She could probably handle it better than her husband could. If there was ever anyone strong in a crisis, it was Audrey. “It’s Daphne. She got upset prior to her show last night and locked herself away and took a lot of pills.” There was utter silence on the other end of the line, so he continued. “We called an ambulance and her stomach was pumped, and she’s going to be fine. I just didn’t want you to worry.”

  “Thank you,” she said, her voice flat. For a moment, she sounded just like Daphne.

  “They say she’s going to get out of the ICU in a few hours, and I’ll go in and talk to her as soon as she can have visitors. But I’m sure if you came down, they’d let you in—”

  “I’m not coming, Cade.”

  “Because of the baby? Is it not safe to fly? Let me talk to Reese and we can arrange cars so you—”

  “No,” Audrey said, her voice utterly brisk. “I mean, I’m not coming. I told Daphne that if she pulled this kind of stunt again, that I was done with her. I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep running to her side every time Daphne can’t handle real life and decides to take a bunch of pills to remind people how vulnerable she is. I’m not going to rush to her side and pat her hand and tell her everything’s fine so she can do this all over again. Last time, I swore to her that this was it, and I meant it.” Her voice wobbled, the strength leaving for a moment. “Have you called Gretchen?”

  Daphne’s older sister? “I . . . no, not yet.”

  “Good. Leave it to me. I’ll handle Gretchen.”

  “Are you sure?” This was a hell of a load for a pregnant woman to handle.

  “I’m sure,” Audrey said. “We both know she’s not good in a crisis. She’ll just blubber like a baby, say a bunch of things she doesn’t mean, and it’ll just make things worse.”

  A half smile tugged at Cade’s mouth. She had a point. Gretchen tended to speak first and think later. “Can I do anything for you, Aud? Friend to a friend?”

  She thought for a moment. “Yeah.” That quaver was back in her voice. “You can scare the living shit out of my twin so she never, ever does this again.”

  “I’ll see what I can do,” he said softly. “I promise.”

  “I know this is cruel, Cade,” Audrey said. “But . . . we just can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep doing this.” Her voice choked.

  The phone switched hands again, and then Reese spoke, his normally carefree tone gentle. “Thanks for letting us know, man. I’ll have Audrey call if she needs anything, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “You’ll keep us posted?”

  “Will do,” Cade said. Damn. Why was Daphne so determined to ruin so many lives? He knew this was incredibly hard on Audrey . . . and at the same time he envied her for cutting all ties.

  Time to cut a few of his own.

  —

  Several hours later, Daphne’s doctor allowed visitors. Kylie had gone back to her hotel room to catch a few hours of sleep after waiting up all night, but Cade wanted to stay. Someone needed to be around for Daphne, and it might as well be him.

  When they finally let him see her, he was relieved to see that they’d moved Daphne out of ICU and into a private room. She turned toward him, her smile wan, her eyes like bruises in her face. “Hey, you.”

  “Hi, Daph,” he said, pulling up a chair and sitting next to her. “How are you feeling?”

  “Like a shitstain on humanity.”

  He shook his head. “I’m sure you’re expecting a lecture, but I’m not here to give one.”

  Daphne plucked at the tape on her hand that held her IV into place. “I’m sure you’re saving that for Audrey, right?”

  “Nope. Audrey’s not coming.”

  Daphne’s veiny, claw-like hands stilled. “She’s . . . what?”

&nb
sp; “She’s not coming. She said that last time she warned you that she wasn’t going to do this again.” And he felt like an ass for delivering the painful message, but what else was there to do? “Gretchen’s not coming, either.”

  As he watched, her eyes fluttered and she gave a loud sniff, then swiped at her nose with a hand. “Well, fuck them. I mean, hey. Don’t support your sister when she’s in her hour of need. Whatever. Fuck them both. I’m sure Miss Perfect Audrey just went on and on about what a screwup I am, didn’t she?”

  “Actually, no,” Cade said. “She was very upset. She does love you, you know. And this is a stressful time for her, too. The last thing I wanted to do was to tell a pregnant woman that her sister tried to take her own life again.”

  Daphne sniffed. “At least I have you.”

  “You don’t,” Cade said. “Not after today.”

  Her eyes widened.

  “I’ll always love you as a friend, Daph. Always. But I’m moving on, and I just wanted to let you know. That, and I wanted to see if this was okay with you.” He handed her the piece of paper he’d been writing on all night. “Let me know what you think.”

  She took it and scanned the first few lines, wrinkling her nose. “‘I grew up with Daphne Petty back when she was a freckle-faced redhead who loved to take center stage. In all the years I knew her, that never changed.’” She dropped the paper. “What’s this bullshit?”

  “It’s the speech I’m going to give at your funeral. Since apparently we’re going to have it in the next year or so. I just wanted to make sure you were okay with what I had to say about you.”

  The hands clasping the paper began to shake.

  “And since this is the last time I’m going to see you before then, I just wanted to make sure that you approved,” he said softly.

  “You’re abandoning me, too?” Tears poured down her face, and her hands shook as if she had a palsy. “I don’t have anyone left!”

  “That’s because you’ve driven them all away, Daphne. Were the drugs worth it? Getting high? Partying?” His voice sounded utterly cold, even to himself, but she was listening.

  Daphne rubbed a hand over her eyes, looking childlike and very young for a moment. “I hate the drugs. You know that, right? I hate the drugs so much. I hate that I need them.” Her voice became venomous. “I hate myself, Cade. I hate everything about me.” A sob escaped her throat. “And everyone else hates me, too.”

  Poor kid. For the first time, he saw who Daphne really was. Not the teenage ingenue he’d longed for. Not the troubled innocent living her life on the stage. She was just a young woman with a massive sense of insecurity and isolation. Who didn’t know what to do with herself. Who didn’t know who to trust.

  He reached out and took her hand. Squeezed it. “You’re sick, Daphne. I say this as a friend, but you need help.”

  She gave a watery laugh. “Not more of those fucking idiots that want me to do Pilates and grow a plant and talk about my wounded feelings. Rehab’s a fucking joke. You realize that, right? You know I scored drugs from my last nurse in rehab? He was a huge fan.” Her mouth was bitter. “I can’t even get clean when I go to the place to get clean.”

  “I’m not talking about just getting clean,” Cade said. “I’m talking about who you are. The Daphne I knew growing up was magnetic. Lovely. Never cruel. The woman you are today . . . that’s not her. You call your employees names, Daph. You gave one of them a concussion. They’re all living in fear of you.” He shook his head. “It’s more than just the drugs. You need a life do-over.”

  “I would love a life do-over,” she said, and for a moment, she sounded so wistful that his heart hurt for her. “I would love to not be me anymore. I’m so tired of Daphne Petty. No one likes me, you know? They just like who I am or what I can do for them.” She squeezed his hand tighter. “I knew that, and I kept telling myself I didn’t care. You know? But I do care.” Fresh tears spilled forth. “Maybe the problem is that I care too much.”

  “Then do something about it.”

  She nodded, absently staring down at their joined hands. “You know . . . I always thought you’d be there to pick up the pieces for me. That no matter how awful I was, or how out of control I got, I could always have you to fall back on. Like a safety net.” Her mouth curled. “Safety Net Cade, there to save Daphne from herself. But . . . you’ve moved on, haven’t you? To Fat Marilyn.”

  His temper flared. He might have squeezed her hand a little hard. “That’s not her name, Daph.”

  Her eyes grew unfocused for a moment. “Right.” She grimaced. “I don’t even remember her real name. Just that she’s fat and nice and pretty, and I kind of hate her guts for having you at the moment.”

  “I love her,” Cade said simply. “She’s everything I’ve ever wanted, and she’s a wonderful person.”

  “You love her,” Daphne said, choking on tears. “She’s fat and nobody and I’m famous and thin and no one loves me.”

  He was not going to feel sorry for her. Daphne fed off of pity. “Kylie’s not thin. So what? I don’t care. She’s incredibly sexy and I love her figure. I love how lush she is and how much she adores life. Mostly, I love how giving and wonderful she is. I love how when I’m with her, she’s the most important person in the world to me, and I’m the most important to her. That’s what love is, Daphne. It’s not lashing out and then hoping they’ll stick around despite your behavior. It’s trying to be the best person you can to make the other person happy.”

  She twisted her hands. “So are you two going to get married?”

  He lifted his hand and showed her his wedding band. He had never taken it off. “Kinda already did.”

  Huge tears rolled down Daphne’s cheeks. “I really have no one left, then.”

  You don’t, he wanted to say. But he chose to be kind instead. “Go to rehab, Daphne. Get clean. Not for your label, not for your fans, not for your sisters. Not for me. For you. I’ll help you, if you want. I’ll pay for aides that will stay by your side at all times.”

  “And they’ll just cave to the label,” she said gloomily.

  “Not if they work for me,” Cade said in a firm voice. He reached out and took her small hand again. “But I’m not going to set people up for failure. You have to want this for yourself. And you have to treat these people like humans. No cute names. No going behind their backs. Because I’m going to ask them to report to me every week and if they say you’re being cruel or ugly, I’ll pull the plug and leave you without support, too.”

  Her lower lip trembled. “Why are you being so mean, Cade?”

  “Because being nice and patient gets nowhere with you, Daphne.” His smile was apologetic but firm. “And I really don’t want to give a speech at your funeral.”

  She looked at the paper on her lap, and then took a deep breath. “Okay. Okay. I can do this.”

  “It’s going to be hard,” Cade warned.

  The look she gave him was scathing. “As if everything else in my life is easy? If you think that, Cade, maybe you don’t know me at all.”

  He couldn’t disagree with that. “I guess I’ll see myself out, then. Like I said, my offer stands. I’ll give you all the help you need.” Cade inclined his head at the door. “Carmela’s out there waiting to see you.”

  Daphne’s brows drew together. “Who?”

  “Your assistant? You called her Snoopy?”

  Her expression softened. “She waited out there for me? Really?”

  “Imagine that. Someone cares about you.” He gave her a smile.

  “Huh.” She ran her fingers through her messy hair and gave him a tremulous smile back. “Well, send her in.”

  —

  Back at the hotel, the tour employees had been instructed to contact label management to receive their final payment and to arrange for a flight home. The news of Daphne’s overdose was just now breaking, and employees were meeting with management in a conference room downstairs before being handed non-disclosure agreements to sig
n before receiving their last check.

  Kylie emerged from her hotel room and ran into Ginger in the hall, and Ginger filled her in. “Just thought I’d let you know,” Ginger said grumpily. “Since you don’t have a phone and all.”

  Kylie gave her a hesitant smile. “Thanks, Ginger.”

  “It’s Carol,” Ginger said, and she scowled at Kylie. “And don’t fucking thank me because I’m a decent human being and you’re not. Because of you, I have to find a new fucking job. So thanks a lot for that. Thanks for driving Daphne insane by stealing her man.” She shook her head and wheeled her suitcase down the hall, muttering to herself. “Should’ve spoke up when I had the damn chance.”

  Ouch. Shocked, Kylie watched the older woman leave. In a way, she supposed things were her fault. Indirectly, right? Sure, she had dated Cade, but they were quiet about things. It wasn’t her fault that Daphne had hit her in the head with a pot and then decided to take a bunch of pills once she heard Cade say that he didn’t want her.

  But as she headed downstairs, she saw a few other tour employees in the lobby, and they all avoided eye contact with her. One shot her the bird before turning away.

  Okay, so maybe everyone did blame her.

  Uneasy, Kylie headed down to the conference room. Several employees were waiting by the door, and Kylie recognized two backup singers and a guy from lighting. They all gave her dirty looks. She ignored them, but it was difficult. She could deal with a few irritated people—poor Cade was having to deal with Daphne and her family.

  By the time it was Kylie’s turn to go into the conference room, she was getting tired of hearing the whispering and seeing the furtive glances in her direction. She’d pretty much heard a mumbled whore here and there. She ignored it, because what else could she do? For all they knew, Kylie had stolen Daphne’s man. They didn’t know Cade and his side of the story, only Daphne’s. And Daph’s was fueled by coke. Or meth. Or oxy. Or whatever she was on this week.

  And why wouldn’t they believe Daphne? Daphne was famous and beautiful and rich. Kylie was fat and broke and did makeup for a living.

  She signed the clipboard in the waiting area, and then went through the doors into the conference room. She’d just get her check, talk to Cade, and get out of town and put this whole thing behind her. Maybe once everything had blown over, they could pick up where they were again, see how they felt after a few months had passed. Right now, though, it was starting to feel like a mistake. Like she was reaching too high. And she knew that was her self-confidence speaking, but it was hard not to be down on yourself when a pop star was in the hospital because of you and all the employees were calling you whore under their breath.