“She loves someone else.” Patrick put his arm around her.
In the dim light of the back corridor, she gazed up at the man. “I didn’t plan on it to happen. I didn’t even know who he was until tonight.”
“Who?” Her father raised his voice. “Who can you love without even knowing him?”
“Knight.” She cleared her throat. “Nash.” For the first time, she allowed herself to say his real name aloud.
“Nash Cinder?” Her father crossed his arms. “You fell in love with one of the ten best guitarists in the world, and you didn’t know who he was?”
The whole situation was insane, no one but Knight would believe her. “I met him at Los Padres, he was there for me, I was there for him and until tonight we didn’t know each other’s names. I had no idea what Patrick had planned, I thought Nash would be here by midnight, and I could explain everything to you.”
“In my entire life, I have never heard such insanity,” her father growled. “You can’t love someone you don’t know.”
“I do know him. Maybe I know him better than anyone else because of all I didn’t know.” She stood up straighter. “I have to find him and talk to him.”
“Miss Windsome.” The glass walking stick Nash used to enter the ballroom in her hands, Belinda came forward. “I believe he left the building.”
Ryane gently took the glass masterpiece away from her assistant and studied the intricate engravings.
“I think what you don’t know about Nash Cinder is a lot,” her father said.
She shrugged. “I still have to find him.”
“Ryane, I can say with no uncertain terms that I have never been more disappointed in you than I am at this moment. You have disgraced our family and Patrick.” Her father handed her a crumpled mass of papers.
She glanced at the signed documents for the Los Padres land. There was more to this transaction than she knew. Something told her he gave up a lot when he put ink to paper. “I’m going to find him.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Nash pressed the intercom button at Upton’s gate and waited.
The rain stopped about mile one on his walk leaving the Los Angeles city streets sparkling, appearing as if they were covered in a thin film of glass, appropriate since his heart and soul were shattered.
The throbbing in his leg started around mile two of his walk, but he shoved his hands in his pockets and trudged on.
At approximately the three mile mark, he surrendered, called a car service, and considered his options. He would never return to the cottage, the thought of returning to his apartment suffocated him, and in no world would he taint the miracle happening to Erik and Christine at this moment with the mess of his existence.
He had the car drop him off at the entrance to the private road to Upton’s and walked through the mud and cobblestones.
“Nashville Cinder.” Geoffrey’s voice came through the speaker. “Do you realize what time it is?”
“Something tells me I didn’t wake anyone up.” He crossed his arms. “I need to see Upton.”
After another pause, Geoffrey finally responded, “He doesn’t need any more of your therapy, thank you.”
Nash pounded his fist on top of the damn speaker. “Maybe I need some of his.”
The speaker clicked off and Nash continued to stand there gazing at Upton’s mansion. In the darkness, it looked even more ominous than normal, and only a few lights glowed through the drawn curtains in the house.
Right as he began contemplating what to do if Upton never opened the gates, they slid open.
He limped up the front path, through the overgrown plants that appeared as ghosts guarding the castle in the night and entered the amazing home.
Geoffrey was nowhere to be found and some flickering candles lit the foyer.
“I would have to question what kind of cat dragged you in.” Upton’s form appeared at the top of the sweeping double staircase. “I think one that has questionable taste in clothing.”
“Give me one night here.” Nash wiped his feet and inched toward the stairwell.
Upton leaned over the railing. “Why should I give you anything?”
“Because I’m asking.”
Upton groaned. “Why not go to your best friend? He loves having you under his thumb, go under his roof.”
“He and Christine are at the hospital having the baby.” Only a few hours ago, he would have thought he would be next in line to do the family thing.
“And Uncle Nash isn’t there. Interesting.” Upton’s tone was sarcasm mixed with longing. “What happened to your little shack in the woods?”
Nash closed his eyes. “I sold it.”
“Seems to me that you would have money to do whatever you like then. Do you really need to poach room and board off of me?” The man let out a tired laugh. “Go spend some of that money of yours and go live the highlife and get a hotel.”
No, no hotels. He didn’t want to enjoy himself, be in the public, watch other couples in love. “I just want to be left alone and crash somewhere.”
“So did the girl figure out who you were, saw a broken down rock star and sent you away?” Upton came down a few of the stairs.
He ran his hand through his wet hair. The entire time it took him to get here, all he thought about was Petals.
Upton continued down the stairs until they were face to face. “Tell me the truth and maybe I’ll let you stay.”
He stared the man right in his scarred face and made sure not to flinch or have any reaction. “She knew who I was all along.”
Upton tilted his head. “Perhaps you aren’t as stupid as I thought.”
“Don’t kid yourself, I’m even more stupid.” All the time he and Petals were together she gave him all the clues, all the signs, and he never wanted to see them, recognize she was anything but the dream girl he wanted her to be.
“Do tell.” Upton crossed his arms and leaned back on his heels.
Nash cleared his throat and primed himself to say the next words. “She got engaged tonight.” His voice broke and he shook his head.
They stared at each other.
In a sudden move, Upton pointed behind him. “Up the stairs, turn left, third door on the left and I offer free Wi-Fi. I’ll have Geoffrey bring you some brandy.”
He exhaled and held his hand out to his friend. “Thank you.”
“Get away from me. Go clean up, you’re tracking dirt on a rug that costs thousands.” Upton backed up.
Nash used the bannister for support and ascended the stairs.
“Where’s your cane?” Upton called after him.
He stopped and shook his head. “For a few minutes there, I thought I didn’t need it and left it behind.”
“You always were stupid.”
Nash shrugged. “Maybe we’ll play some tomorrow.”
“This house doesn’t hold music anymore,” Upton growled. “Plus you’ll be gone before I get up.”
“My heart doesn’t hold love anymore.” He waved to Upton and went up to the inner sanctum of the mansion.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The crowd clapped, chanting Spectre’s name during the standing ovation.
Her tablet computer clutched in her hands, Ryane watched the video, and though she had watched it countless times in the last few hours, she somehow couldn’t stop.
The audience went wild when Upton, Spectre’s drummer, took his seat behind the drums and began pounding out a beat. Phil, the band’s bassist joined the drummer.
Yes, now she knew all the band members’ names, her life had become a crash course in all things Spectre.
She held her breath as Knight, AKA Nash Cinder, came out to the stage. Though she was watching a decade old video, she swore the second the man she loved began to play the opening to the band’s mega hit, Shadow Light, the excitement from the audience vibrated through her screen.
Her focus purely on Nash, she barely noticed when Erik, their lead singer, took center stage and began to sing the roc
k ballad that made them all superstars, while perfectly timed pyrotechnics highlighted the beats of the music.
She put her hand to her chest and waited. Yes, she had heard the song many times. The original played, of course, by Spectre, and many covers done by various other bands. It was a special song, one that spoke of love, loss and of saying goodbye, and tugged at her heart, especially with what she knew now and who she knew now.
The first chorus ended and she held her breath when Nash stepped forward and went into his guitar solo.
His fingers traveled over the strings creating the intricate melody that went with the song. She had felt those fingers on her and knew what they could do, dared she say they were magic?
The man was more than gorgeous as he played, his long hair hanging down around him as he coaxed the instrument to do what he wanted. The skull ring he always wore when they were together shone in the lights. No wonder he was considered one of the best guitarists of all time.
The song continued, the band working together to create a memorable and amazing version of the song their fans adored.
The song ended, and though she knew what came next, Ryane clutched the edge of her tablet. Right as the band took their final bow, the set exploded, the screams of the crowd would forever echo in her ears and the tears streamed down her face as the four men disappeared into what seemed to be a wall of fire. “Oh.”
Now she knew that the explosion killed one of the band members, left two of them badly burnt and Nash with a permanent limp. A two second search on the Internet told her everything she needed to know about her Knight. How didn’t she see any of this before? How did she miss everything? No wonder he didn’t believe her.
“Here we are.” Patrick’s voice interrupted her and she jolted her head to find they were at the cottage.
All night she tried to find one Nash Cinder, from phone calls and going by the place he listed as his apartment to no avail. From the real estate documents she had every piece of personal information on the man she loved, the man who left her, the man who didn’t believe in her. However, she couldn’t stop searching for him, if nothing else to tell him the truth. Maybe she should have gone to the clearing first, but in truth she wasn’t sure if she was ready to look, see if Knight would always be there if she needed him as he told her before.
She put the tablet aside and stared at the small cottage on the Los Padres property that now belonged to her family’s business. It seemed like only a second ago she drove by here and pictured her and Knight making a home on this exact spot.
Out of all the time she spent thinking about the man, never once had she suspected Knight already owned the sweet little space.
Patrick put the car in park. “It doesn’t look like anyone is here.”
“You don’t have to do this.” She could barely even glance at the man who only a few hours ago was ready to ask her to marry him. A true friend, he hadn’t left her side since her father walked away from her. “Seriously.”
“You know Ryane, I saw the signs, I knew there was something off, but I thought maybe that was the way it was supposed to be. Maybe I thought we would learn to be a couple, I don’t know.” Patrick shook his head. “Then I heard how you spoke about Nash, the inflection in your voice, the way you blush when you think about him, how even with everything else imploding around you that you are determined to find him, and I know we weren’t meant to be, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care for you. I want to help.”
“One day, I hope you find a girl who truly deserves you.” For the millionth time, tears clouded her eyes. “I hope she earns it.”
“Well, be that as it may, if nothing else, I hope once we find Mr. Cinder you can get me an autograph.” He opened the car door.
Her assistants, as well as a couple of her father’s assistants, gathered around and at last she got out of the car. All still in their clothes from the ball, they appeared as if they either spent the night at an amazing party or spent the night searching for one man in a sea of millions in Los Angeles.
“Is there any news?” With Nash’s walking stick clutched to her chest, Ryane glanced over at Belinda.
“We have the analytics team working on any and all possible places he may be.” Belinda gave her a hug. “There is no answer from any phone numbers connected to him.”
“Well, maybe we won’t have to look much further.” She went to the front of the cabin and knocked on the red arched door. When no one answered, she peered into one of the windows. No lights, nothing. Taking a chance, she turned the knob and to her surprise, the door opened.
Technically, Windsome Holdings wouldn’t own the property until escrow closed in a few days, but she was done with rules so she held up her hand stopping everyone from following her, and entered Knight’s cottage.
No sooner did she step inside than she felt it, felt him. He was everywhere. The air swirled with scents of leather, his clean cologne, his soap, and everything inside spoke of Knight.
With reverence, she tiptoed around, taking in the comfy couch with the afghan, perfect to cuddle up with a loved one, the little nick knacks, the magazines on the table. Little touches that said someone lived there, this was a home.
On the wall hung various pictures and artwork. A portrait of a family, a man, a woman and a young boy that was no doubt Knight. An award for a platinum record, a painting of the lake where she first met Knight. Along the fireplace mantel were more pictures of a happy family and off in one corner were several guitars on stands.
Simply standing in the cottage made the man she only knew as Knight a few hours ago and the man the world knew as Nash Cinder meld into one person. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be found.
After peeking through the rest of the cottage, she returned to her group. “I’ll be right back, I have to check one more thing.”
Once getting her bearings, she hiked through the forest, still wearing her heels. How did he walk this with his cane? This entire time she tried to relive every moment she got to spend with Knight, she missed everything, his identity, his injury, his art. All she ever saw was him.
She reached the broken fence that no doubt Nash used and gazed out over the lake, taking in the same view as the painting hanging on the wall. From way back, their two families had been connected.
Gathering all her strength, she crawled through the opening in the fence and wound her way through the trees. Her pounding heart shook her whole body, but at last, she made her way into the clearing.
She was alone, completely alone. No gorgeous man on a rock calling to her. No table, or couch or bed met her. Not even the slight remnant that two people met here and fell in love.
Her knees gave out and she collapsed to the forest floor. Off in the distance she spied the little squirrel that always seemed to be there. “Bye, little guy.” She took the bracelet of her wrist and placed it by the rock. While she could lie to herself and say maybe Nash hadn’t gotten here yet, she knew he wasn’t coming. He wasn’t going to be here and she could never return here ever again. No more fantasies.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Nash stared out the window at Upton’s at the impressive landscape. If he squinted he could see where at one time the grounds would have been magnificent with a perfectly manicured garden, a majestic swimming pool and even a maze where guests could get a little lost.
Apparently, Upton only put as much work into the land to not be cited for a fire hazard, but regardless of the overgrowth, and leaves littering the pathways, the area was still spectacular.
The land around the cottage property was more rustic, didn’t need as much pruning and attention to detail. Still, somewhere in his heart he pictured his Petals with her hands dirty in the flower gardens.
He shook his head and pounded his fist onto his leg. She never had any intention of getting her hands dirty.
His night was restless as he tossed and turned in the luxurious bedroom. Every time his eyes closed his mind replayed the scenes at the ball, at hearing her identity
, at learning the event was her engagement party. Why did she put him through such torture?
Even worse was when he finally did fall asleep, images of making love to her crept into his dreams. He woke up later than he wanted and in agony on multiple dimensions.
Once forcing himself back into the ridiculous costume he wore thinking he looked like a rock star, he didn’t know where to go, what to do, and literally stood there staring out the window like a fool.
His phone vibrated and he limped over to the nightstand. He lifted the device, wondering if now that Petals knew who was dealing with, if she would have the guts to call him, but he never left this number on any of the papers. All that was waiting for him was a text from Erik.
Baby and family are home and wanting to greet their public, namely you and Petals.
A sick sensation rising through him, he texted back. Just me.
What happened? Erik texted back.
No doubt Erik would continue to push unless he put the kibosh on the topic. IT’S JUST ME TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT AND DON’T TALK ABOUT IT. The capital letters should say everything.
He waited, and in less than a minute he received a reply.
Just get here.
No sooner had he slipped on his shoes, than there was a knock at the door.
Rather than call to come in, as fast as he could, he rushed to the door and flung it open in hopes to catch Geoffrey.
All that awaited him was a tray with a cup of coffee and a Danish, and an old-fashioned cane leaning against the wall. “Hello?”
“I thought you could use that on your way out.” Upton’s voice echoed around him. “I have a car waiting. It’s a one way trip to wherever you need to go.”
Nash got the hint, but the mere fact he got to stay for one night meant everything coming from Upton. “Then let me say thank you.”
“Then let me say it’s time for you to leave. No need to clean up. The room has to be fumigated anyway.” Upton chuckled.
Nash checked to make sure he had his wallet and drank down some of the dark roasted coffee. “Erik and Christine had their baby. I’m going to go see him or her.”
Fantasy: A Modern Romance Inspired by Cinderella (Seductively Ever After) Page 16