by Dee J. Adams
“Uh…” Greg scraped a hand over his jaw. “Yeah…he had a change in plans. He took a flight back tonight. He thought you’d want to stay and enjoy a last night in the city, so…”
The relief that had turned to worry now morphed into anger. “He went back to Los Angeles without me?” she screeched.
Greg’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth but no words emerged. He just clamped it shut and nodded his head.
Rage powered through the tiny veins in her temples. She needed to break something or hurt someone. Clenching her fists, she let out a guttural roar.
Seger had gone back to Los Angeles to be with Ashley. Did he think she wouldn’t realize this? Did he think she was stupid enough not to have figured it out? She’d have to teach him a lesson. One he wouldn’t forget.
* * *
Roamer gave Ashley a sloppy kiss and she sputtered awake. She opened her eyes and sat up. Early morning sun streaked through the French doors on the other side of the room. Puffy cotton ball clouds dotted the beautiful blue sky. Two squirrels played tag on the giant palm tree in the yard.
“Holy shit!” She saw it all! It may have been slightly blurry, but it was all there.
She saw her dog for the first time too. His raccoon face and light brown eyes were as sweet as she always imagined. Her heart beat so hard she thought it might rupture. She grabbed Roamer around his neck and hugged him tight, her tears silently streaming down her face.
I can see! “I can see.” She pulled back to get another look at his puppy face and he slapped more kisses on her cheek as if he understood the emotion racing through her. Although his face had clear Boxer markings, his jaw wasn’t the right shape. His body had muscle and unleashed power. He might be part Boxer but… “Oh, my God, Ro…” Ashley laughed as his tail continued to wag furiously. “You are a pit bull,” she said around a laugh and he licked her again as if to say, It’s okay. You couldn’t see me until now.
Still petting Roamer, she looked out to the back yard then at her bedroom. At the handcrafted dresser she’d bought cheap and refinished. She jumped up and faced herself in the mirror. The scar that had always seemed so enormous didn’t look as prominent as she remembered. Was that because of the way Mel talked about it or because she hadn’t seen herself in so long it just wasn’t as important? Did it matter?
“Oh, my God! I have to call everyone!” she said, reaching for the phone and swiping the tears from her cheeks. First she called her mother who, thankfully, was an early riser. Aurora told her she’d changed her plans to be with her sister and would be there by Christmas Eve. Then Ashley called her sister and Ellie. Luckily, those two were on East Coast time and she didn’t wake them. She called the doctor’s office and left a message with his service. A nurse promptly got back to her and squeezed her in that afternoon. She called—and woke up—Kelsey, the young, optimistic college grad with a sweet personality and peppy disposition who’d been helping her since she’d fired Paula. Her vision was just blurry enough to make her uncomfortable behind the wheel of her car, but hopefully this would be the last time she’d need a driver to get her someplace.
She walked around her house and took in the surroundings she’d built herself. The house she’d made a home. The murals that represented a life she’d always wanted to experience. From the kitchen window she looked out to the endless Pacific Ocean and the majesty of the gorgeous blue sea. Perfect.
Turning back, she walked through the house again. She hadn’t even decorated yet! Now, not only could she get in the Christmas spirit, but she could see it too.
From this day forward she was living life to the fullest. No more hiding or being a recluse. Scar or not, she planned to make each day the best day she could. Pure joy sang in her veins. The only thing that would make this view better was to share it with Mel.
God, she had to tell Mel! How could she not call him? She dialed his cell number, but got rolled over to voice mail after one ring. She turned on her computer and took a shot he might be staying at the Fairmont along with Seger. She found the number online and called the hotel. She asked for Mel Summers and held her breath until the operator asked her to hold as she connected the call. Ashley’s heart soared.
“Hello?”
Ashley quit breathing. The voice sounded like Paula. It couldn’t be. She couldn’t speak. Her soaring heart suddenly stalled.
“Hello,” the voice said again. “Seger, is that you?”
Ashley stared at the receiver. Processed the implication. It didn’t make sense. She’d called Mel’s room. That voice definitely belonged to Paula. She’d know it anywhere. She’d been listening to it for weeks now. How could she be answering Mel’s phone in San Francisco and why did she think it was Seger on the line?
“Seger, please, say something. I love you. We can work it—”
Ashley hung up. What? I love you? Her brain shifted into high gear. It didn’t make sense. What the hell was Paula doing in Mel’s room anyway? She’d obviously gone on the trip with him.
Her stomach knotted. Paula and Mel had been together. But that didn’t make sense. Mel had never liked Paula. Or had he? Maybe he’d reacted so viscerally to her because he already knew her? Did they have a past? Or had he secretly gotten involved with her once he realized how hot she was for him? Had Mel lied to her about Paula? Why?
From the very beginning Ashley and Mel had been strictly pals. A month ago, she wouldn’t have minded if he went out with Paula. But she minded now. Not that she had any right. They were friends. Only friends… With benefits. She’d believed it in the beginning, but now… He may as well have taken a knife to her back.
Ashley ran her hands through her hair. She shouldn’t rush to judgment. She didn’t know the story and she had to give Mel the benefit of the doubt. She owed him that much. Besides, they weren’t exclusive. Just because she thought of him as belonging to her, he didn’t. If he wanted to fuck Paula he had every right. Of course, she had every right to break his nose when she saw him next. What the hell had he done?
Bingo! Maybe he’d taken her along so she could meet Seger…? That seemed crazy, but Paula had said, I love you, Seger. Not I love you, Mel.
Okay, that logic seemed a little more in line…just screwed up.
She wanted to see him so badly. Not only to clear up the Paula situation because there had to be a good explanation for it, but she just wanted to see the man. What did he look like? He’d told her he had hazel eyes, but she wanted to see them for herself. She wanted to see his nose and his eyes and his cheeks and his smile. God she wanted to see his smile more than anything.
Maybe if she Googled him. Or Seger Hughes. She might find a picture of Mel. Better yet, maybe there was a video of Seger behind the scenes on YouTube and she could see Mel with him.
As her fingers flew over the keys, a sense of power and independence filled her heart. She was back! Able to use her computer, drive her car, walk her dog and do a million other things she’d taken for granted. She had her life and even though she couldn’t really count Mel as belonging to her, she did consider him her guy. Hell, she loved him. When he came home she was going to tell him how she felt. She didn’t expect him to reciprocate; that wouldn’t be fair to him after agreeing to stay friends, but she owed it to herself to be honest in her feelings with him and about him. If he couldn’t handle the truth, then he didn’t have to see her any more. It would kill her, absolutely kill her, but better to get it over with now instead of later. Because now that she had her sight back, she wasn’t going to hold back from anything.
YouTube came up on the screen and Ashley typed in Mel Summers. A video came up almost instantly. It had almost five hundred thousand hits on it already and it was three days old.
Five hundred thousand hits for Mel? What the hell was the video? Ashley clicked on it. Mel sat in a small studio. The video was dirty. It didn’t even look as if Mel knew the camera was running.
“I’m calling this ‘Ashley Here with Me,’” he mumbled into the microphone.
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“What?” Ashley blinked and sat up straighter. Her heart thudded harder.
He played the notes she remembered from weeks ago. The song she told him would be a hit no matter what the lyrics were. Emotion filled her chest. Then he started singing.
The world was looking lonely and sad
I hit the end of the line. Things got bad
Thought I knew where my life was going
But the joke was on me, I had no way of knowing
So here I am all alone with you
There’s nowhere else I’d rather be
As long as I’ve got Ashley here with me.
Ashley felt the blood drain from her face. She knew the voice. Anyone who’d ever heard him sing knew his voice. It was Seger Hughes. But that was Mel in the video. Sure, she’d never seen him, but she’d created a picture of him. It was the man she saw now. The short stubble on his head, high cheekbones, square jaw, the scruffy face. The song continued, but she scarcely heard it. She looked at his face and listened to the sound of his voice, not the words.
The video ended and Ashley stared at the screen. She’d never felt like a bigger fool. The longer she sat there, the more deeply the pain stabbed her heart. He couldn’t have hurt her worse if he tried. Her chest felt tight. Tears filled her eyes so full she couldn’t see.
She’d given her body and her heart to Seger Hughes, a man who had a reputation for sleeping with hundreds and hundreds of women. Probably thousands. He dated starlets and icons. He slept with high school seniors. He didn’t care who he fucked as long as he got off. He was an egomaniac, selfish rat bastard…and she’d fallen completely in love with him.
Seger was Mel. Mel was Seger. Paula had been in Mel’s room and she called him Seger. I love you, Seger. A whole new set of prospects made her queasy. He’d not only been sleeping with her, but with Paula too, which explained why Paula lied. Needing the job had been her cover. No wonder she’d honed in on him at the beginning. No wonder she insinuated herself into Ashley’s life when she had the chance. Mel—Seger—had protested just a little too much. She should have known.
He’d been lying to her from the very beginning. Using her. He probably thought it was hysterical that the blind girl next door didn’t know who he was. No wonder he’d never wanted to go out in public with her. The realization hit so hard, it killed her. She shut the lid on her laptop as her stomach lurched. She ran to the bathroom and threw up.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Mel’s private jet didn’t get in until early morning. Some engine part had failed the initial flight test and had to be replaced. Mel tried to keep calm. Told himself Paula wouldn’t pick up the phone and call Ashley, but his panic escalated nevertheless. He didn’t have a good feeling about this. The only good thing was being out of Paula’s trajectory. In the couple days they’d been “together” she’d created one hell of a fantasy for herself. She talked about them as if they’d been together for twenty years. It was freaky as all hell. She really needed a doctor, but Mel wasn’t about to suggest it before he had his talk with Ashley. One thing at a time and he didn’t want to piss off Paula before he had to.
Although at this point, he was probably too late. He’d bet she was spittin’ mad by now.
Though Mel had been going nonstop for almost twenty-four hours and should’ve been wiped out, his adrenaline revved. The limo pulled up to his house and Mel had never felt more at home than he did in that moment. It was Ashley who made this place home. Didn’t matter that they didn’t share the same house. This whole place belonged to them. He just prayed he was in time.
Mel got out of the limo and didn’t bother going to his place first. He rapped on Ashley’s door. It was still really early, but Roamer was known to wake up the whole house when the sun came up so maybe…
The door opened, but not all the way. Ashley filled in the body-sized opening. A couple things ran through his head at the same time. Number one, she hadn’t asked who was at the door before opening it. On the other hand, she must have known it was him because the gate had been shut and they were the only two with the code. But, number two, if she knew it was him, why didn’t she make any move to hug him? Not a good sign.
“Hi,” he said. “Hope I didn’t wake you up.”
She looked at him in the oddest way. Not making eye contact, which he was used to, but still checking him out nonetheless. “No. I was up. You’re home early. I didn’t expect you until tonight. I thought you were driving in on the bus.”
This got freakier and freakier. She knew. She had to. This was the first time she hadn’t greeted him with a warm welcome and he needed her so bad right now. Needed to hear everything was going to be all right.
“Look, I need to talk to you. I’ve wanted to tell you this for a while now, but I didn’t know how and I want you to hear it from me because—”
“Because it would be really bad if I found out you were Seger Hughes from someone else. Or from the Internet?” Her gaze drifted to his shoulder almost as if even if she could see him she couldn’t stand to look at him.
Oh fuck. His worst nightmare. Instant sweat slicked his palms. “Ashley, please hear me out. I can totally explain this.”
“What’s to explain? You lied to me. You took advantage of the fact that I couldn’t see and you played me like one of your fucking guitars. Congratulations. Maybe you should start acting now. Oh, wait, you don’t need to since your new song has gone viral on YouTube. Congratulations. Another hit on your hands. Guess you’re going to be really busy. Bye.” She tried to shut the door, but Mel shoved his foot next to the frame and stopped her.
This was going to be every inch the uphill battle he feared. “Would you just give me a minute to explain?” He hurried on before she could stop him. “I told you when I bought the place I didn’t know the property had been split. The day I got here was the day I found out about you, okay? And, yes, I didn’t want a neighbor. I wanted my privacy. I wanted to get away from the world. That’s why I bought the place. That’s why I used my real name. The only lie I told you was my job, Ashley. Everything else I told you was the truth.”
She snorted. “Right. Just your job. That’s not a big lie…considering you’re one of the most famous singers in the world. Seger Hughes! Don’t even get me started on Paula.” She held up her hands in the sign of a cross. “‘I don’t like her, get her away from me.’ That was a great acting job too. I really thought you didn’t like her. But clearly that isn’t the case since she’s madly in love with you.”
As every second ticked by, Mel lost more ground. “I don’t like her. I never did,” he shot back. “She’s obsessed with me. I didn’t want to take her on this trip, okay? She blackmailed me.”
“Blackmailed you?” she asked. Then she nodded. “Of course. She knew who you were from the beginning. That’s why she was here early and stayed late every day. She was hoping for a Seger sighting. How sweet.” Her fake smile turned into a straight line. “Save it for someone who cares.” She tried to shut the door again, but he wouldn’t let her.
“Dammit, Ashley, give me a minute.”
“You’ve had your minute.” She looked right in his eyes and for the second time he thought she was really seeing him, but she glanced away.
“Listen to me!” he shouted. “You were the first person to treat me like a regular guy. The first person who didn’t want anything from me. I could be myself around you. I didn’t have to put on an act or be the rock star. I was just me. Mel.”
“Mel.” She said the name like it was a joke.
“That’s my given name. I was born Mel Summers. I never lied about that.” He paused…waited for her to say something. He had to put it all on the line. It was now or never. “Look…I didn’t know I was going to like you…and I really didn’t fucking know I was going to fall in love with you.” Shit. Not the way he’d wanted to say those words to her, but this whole deal was turning into a giant clusterfuck.
A long silence settled between them. “Oh, nice. Perfect,”
she finally said. “You seriously think you can tell me that and I’ll believe you?” She spoke so softly he barely heard her.
“You know me better than anyone,” he said. “You’re my best friend.” She made a sound and he cut her off. “It’s true. I told you things I’ve never told a soul. You supported me when no one else would. You made me believe I could do something everyone else said I couldn’t. You inspired me, Ash.”
“Oh, right. The song. Ashley Here with Me. I only really heard the title. You’ll have to forgive me for blanking out on the lyrics. I was too busy throwing up to hear them.”
He deserved it, but he wouldn’t quit. “Ashley, please, let me come in so we can talk. I want…I need to explain this to you.”
She shook her head, looked past him toward the palm trees. “There is nothing you can say that’s going to change my mind. You lied to me. You’ve been lying to me for weeks. You made me believe…” Tears filled her eyes and broke Mel’s heart.
“Ash, please,” he whispered. “You have to believe me.” He’d never felt this kind of soul-destroying pain. As often as he’d fucked up his life, it had never been this bad. She was his future, his every dream. He didn’t give a flying fuck about his success if he didn’t have her to share it with. He had no idea what to say to make her believe him so he said what was in his heart. “I need you. I love you, Ash.”
She watched him for a few seconds, her face void of any emotion. “My friends call me Ash. You’re not my friend.” She closed the door, leaving his heart and soul to shatter into a million unfixable pieces. She’d told him once that she’d never close the door on him. That she’d always be there for him. Now, when he needed her most, she shut him out.