When Dreams Come True (The Star Series Book 1)

by Stratton, M.

  “You play dirty.” Will hugged her close.

  “Whatever works.” She leaned her head on his chest and closed her eyes.

  Beau was happy Lissa pushed Will into going, but he was torn as to what he should do. Go with Will, or stay with Lissa?

  “Beau,” Lissa called. “Please go with Will; keep him on track. Don’t worry about me. I’ll go down to the station, give my statement and someone will make sure one of the nice officers gives me a ride back to the hotel.” She looked over at the policeman standing by them who nodded. “I’ll probably beat you there. Now go.”

  Once again, Will placed both of his hands on either side of her face and made sure she was looking him in the eye. “I love you, and I hate the fact I have to leave you.”

  “I love you, too. You go do what you do so well and then we’ll be together again. Please.”

  “I’ll send Beau back for you.”

  “He doesn’t need to be crisscrossing the city over and over. I’ll be fine.”

  “You keep saying that, but I don’t buy it.”

  She gave him a small smile. “You only have to buy it for a few hours, and then we’ll be together again at the hotel.”

  “Will…” Beau said.

  “Yes, I know we need to get going. I love you, darling.”

  They were escorted away but before the crowd filled in behind them, Beau turned around and saw Lissa standing there looking so alone. He didn’t know how Will could handle leaving her there.

  As they sped through the city, Beau watched as Will sat there and tossed back a glass of whiskey. Tension filled the air as Beau let him process everything that had happened.

  “Beau,” Will started. “Here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to go through the line as fast as I can, and once I’m inside, you go back to Lissa and stay with her. I’m sure you know when the event is supposed to end, so make sure you’re back to pick me up and we’ll get her. We’re going to be quick about this.”

  “That’s what I was thinking.”

  “Good. Now keep me updated all the time. It’s the only way I’m going to be able to get through the night without having her by my side to make sure she’s safe.”

  Beau knew Lissa was going to be pissed, but between his male instincts to protect and Will’s request he go to her, there was no way he was going to stay away. He found out which station everyone involved was taken to. Since they’d hired a car Beau didn’t have to worry about parking, so he got out of the vehicle at the front and walked up the steps.

  They had Lissa alone in an office, and Beau stood there for a moment looking at her. She had her head resting against the wall and her eyes were closed. He couldn’t be sure if it was the lighting or if she was getting a bruise on the side of her cheek. His heart went out to her, and he wanted to know exactly what happened so he could prepare Will.

  When he opened the door, her eyes flew open and she gave him a small smile. “Hey, I thought you were going to stay with Will.”

  “And you were supposed to bring me coffee.” He smiled and sat down next to her.

  “Ha… it kind of ended up spilled on the floor.”

  “Want to tell me about it?”

  Lissa frowned. “It’s so weird. Part of it is like slow motion, and other parts happened so quickly.” Lissa snapped her fingers. “I had just paid for the coffees and pastries and was walking back toward the door when I started to lose my grip on the bag. As I tried to not drop it the coffee slipped and, well, I tried to save that, too. In the process, the bag and both coffees along with an armed robber and myself went down.”

  “I knew I should have gone in.”

  “Then you would have been in there and I would have been worried about you. Besides, if I didn’t end up spilling the coffee he might have gone right through the café and out the door in the street, where something worse might have happened.”

  “You have a point.”

  “I always do. Anyway, we were held at gunpoint for a while and then he let us go.”

  “Just like that?” He frowned at her.

  “Pretty much.”

  “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “Nothing.” She closed her eyes and rested her head against the wall again.

  “Have you had your head looked at?”

  “It’s fine.”

  “You know you’ve got a bruise forming.”

  “Shit.” She lightly touched her cheek.

  “So ladylike.”

  “Shut it.”

  “You’d better fess up now so I can break it to Will before he sees you.”

  “I’ll put some makeup on it before he sees me.”

  “Honey, you don’t own enough makeup to cover that up, especially by tomorrow.” He took out his phone and texted the hotel, making sure they’d have some movie-grade makeup delivered to Will’s room for the following day so they’d be able to cover it for the press.

  Lissa sighed. “There was a young mother, and she had her son with her. He was only about two and there was no way he was going to be still and quiet. I was trying to keep him distracted and I wasn’t paying attention.”

  “Shit.”

  “Really, Beau; such language.”

  “Shut it.”

  “Really, I’m fine. I just want to give my statement and go back to the hotel where I can fall apart.”

  Beau looked over at her and could see the tears starting to fill her eyes. “Honey…”

  “No.” Her panicked eyes flashed to him. “Don’t… just don’t. I’m holding onto my control here because once I start, I may not be able to stop. Make me angry, be sarcastic, tell me to shut it, be an ass to me, but don’t be super-nice. That’ll be my undoing.”

  Nodding, he looked out into the other room where he noticed the other people waiting from the café. “Why haven’t you given your statement yet?”

  “You know that young mother? I told her to go first. She should be done soon, and then there’s an old man. I thought they should go first, not me.”

  “Why?”

  “I shouldn’t get special treatment because I’m the secret girlfriend of a famous movie star. That mother almost had her heart ripped out this afternoon worrying about what might happen to her son or her. I looked in her eyes, I could see it; she’d do whatever it took to protect her son, even at the expense of her own life. And did you know that old man goes there every afternoon? He met his wife there sixty years ago. She’s gone now, but he still goes there. The café has changed so many times over the years, but the memory remains. He can’t see so well at night, so he likes to make sure he’s home before dark, even though he’s just walking around the corner. I hope someone is going to take him home; I’m sure it’s dark out by now.”

  Mindful about what she had just said, he didn’t want to make too big a deal about what she was doing. The young mother came up to the office they were in and peeked her head in. “Thank you,” she said simply.

  Lissa stood up and walked over to her. “You are very welcome.” She cupped the little boy’s face in her hand. “Take care of him.”

  “I will. Thank you.” The mother backed out of the room and nodded at them.

  Sitting heavily back down, Lissa looked over at him. “Shouldn’t you be leaving to pick up Will?”

  He looked at the time. “No, you’re stuck with my charming companionship for a while longer.”

  “How did it go? Did he get there on time?”

  “It went fine, Lissa. Only those people close to him would know anything was wrong. I had a private word with the lady who organized the event, and she promised to make sure things moved along. It should almost be time for his speech. Do you want to listen to it?” He held his phone out.

  “No, I’ll watch it later when I can focus on him.”

  “Where’s your phone?”

  “They took it.”

  “Hold on.” Beau sent a quick text to Will. “I didn’t want h
im to panic if he texted you and hadn’t received anything back. Did they say when you’ll get it back?”

  She shrugged. “After I give my statement? They wanted to go through to see if I had any evidence on it, but it was in my pocket the whole time so there’s nothing.” Frowning, she continued. “I do hope I get it back soon. I’ve made some notes on there about the book I’m working on, and of course my calendar. Hannah’s going to kill me if I don’t stick to my schedule.”

  Beau patted her hand. “Don’t worry; I’ll make sure you’re covered. I always carry an extra one for Will, so we’ll just set you up on it and get your information from the Cloud.”

  “I hate you’ve got these extra duties because I’m traveling with Will. We’re going to have to figure something out. Either I’m going to pay you for when you help me, or Hannah’s going to have to start traveling with us, too. Or maybe someone else just for when we are moving around a lot, if he’s filming somewhere Hannah can come hang with us. Oh, I don’t know.”

  “You don’t have to figure it all out right now. It’s no bother helping you out, there is no way I would accept any money from you, and you know Will won’t stand for it. So, put that out of your head right now.”

  “Shut it.”

  They both looked up when the door opened. “Ms. Loring? We’re ready for you.”

  Beau stood up and offered his hand to her. Placing her cold one in his, she allowed him to guide her to the officer. “By the time I get across town the event should be over. Then we’ll swing back by here to pick you up.”

  “I’d rather you didn’t. Can you imagine what it would be like in here if he walked in? No, I’ll have one of the officer’s drive me back to the hotel like we planned. We should get there about the same time.”

  “As you wish.” Beau leaned in and kissed her cheek before he started to walk away.

  “Beauregard, you’re not lying to me, are you?”

  He spun around and bowed before turning again and walking out the door without saying anything.

  Beau had called ahead to the station and found out Lissa was done giving her statement and they’d keep her safe until they arrived.

  He’d filled Will in on everything he’d been able to gather from Lissa and the police about what had happened. Seeing and hearing the two of them more interested in how the situation would affect the other warmed his heart. This is what a relationship was supposed to be about. Beau had become jaded being around so many Hollywood stars and their relationships.

  As they pulled up to the station, they saw the paparazzi hanging around. They both knew it was all over the news: Will Martinsson and his mystery girlfriend who’d already been identified as Melissa Loring, who just so happened to write the book his next movie was based on. Will had been asked about it before and after the event he attended, but they were hoping to keep it from Lissa until at least the following day.

  “Go,” Will ordered. “Bring her to me.”

  Beau quickly shut the door behind him and ran up the stairs. He went back to the same office she’d been in before and there she was, with her head tipped back against the wall again and her eyes closed.

  “Come on, honey. Let’s get you back to the hotel.”

  Her eyes flashed open and looked around. “He’s not here, is he? Crap, you see all the women out there? He’ll be mobbed.”

  “He’s waiting for you in the car,” Beau said. “Let’s go see him.” When her eyes began to fill with tears, he smiled at her. “Shut it.”

  Her eyes opened large and then she tried not to smile as she took a deep breath. “Okay, I can do this.”

  Beau offered his arm to her. “Then let’s do it.”

  He noticed she was shaking and kept her head down, watching where she was walking all through the station, down the stairs, and to the car. Once the door was opened and she started to climb in, two hands grabbed her and pulled her the rest of the way. Beau quickly closed the door and opened the front so he could get in. Turning around, he saw Lissa on Will’s lap with their arms wrapped around each other. He couldn’t hear what they were talking about, and he let them have their moment alone.

  “Sir,” the driver said to him. “It looks like they are following us. What would you like for me to do?”

  Beau glanced out the rearview mirror and saw the circus behind them. “I’m sure they know where we’re going. It’s not worth getting in an accident; continue on at regular speed.” Quietly, he called the hotel and found out they were camped around the building; there was going to be no sneaking in. After a brief discussion with the driver, they decided to go through the front door. Turning around, he saw Lissa had her head buried in Will’s neck while he looked down to where their fingers were laced together. “Will…”

  Slowly, Will looked up. “Yes?”

  “We have to go in the front door.”

  Will spoke quietly to Lissa. “Darling, we’re going to have to go through the lobby.”

  “I can do that. Are you sure you don’t want to go in separately?” Her voice was so soft Beau had to strain to hear it. “I don’t want to cause any more trouble.”

  “Don’t start with that, Melissa.” Will’s voice was firm as he looked up at Beau. “We’ll go in the front, but make sure it’s a clear shot.”

  Beau nodded, turned around and finished his conversation. When they pulled up in front he was out of his door and opening Will’s in a flash, who in turn helped Lissa out. With his arm around her and her bruised cheek turned toward his chest, they walked to the front door ignoring the shouts and flashes of the cameras. Once inside, there was an elevator waiting, in which Will and Lissa would ride alone up to their suite.

  As the doors closed behind them, Beau let out a deep breath. It was over; they were alone and safe on the way to their suite. He turned toward the bar and noticed everyone looking in his direction. He knew there would be no peace for him there, so instead he rode a different elevator up to his own suite. Opening the door, he didn’t bother to turn the lights on. He stopped at the mini-bar and grabbed a couple of small bottles of scotch before continuing to the windows. Looking out over Paris at night, he absentmindedly drank as he tried to put the events of the day away and learn from his mistakes.

  Lissa had been doing a great job of not looking at Will. She’d almost lost it when she first left the café, seeing the love and fear in his eyes, and the last thing she wanted was to break down in front of everyone. She kept repeating to herself that she was almost there and counted the steps she took, so that once they were in the room she could break down. Her body, on the other hand, had different ideas. Her knees started to buckle in the elevator, but Will was right there lifting her off her feet. Her breath hitched in her chest.

  “Shhh… it’s okay. I have you,” Will whispered then kissed the top of her head.

  First one tear started to fall, and then another, until she couldn’t stop them. She kept remembering everything that had happened from the moment she stepped into the café until the moment she was safe again with Will’s hands on either side of her face, their eyes locked together, outside.

  She had no idea how or when they entered their hotel suite, or even how long she sat curled in his lap crying her eyes out. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see the mother’s eyes in her mind. It didn’t help she had a vivid imagination and kept picturing the whole scene on how it could go so tragically wrong. She could imagine the proud older gentleman who went there to remember his first meeting with his wife lying there on the floor, his last words being his wife’s name. She could see it all. The pain in her cheek from when he’d hit her, looking down the barrel of the gun aimed right at her head. Over and over, like a loop in her head: how it really happened, then what could have happened.

  Will helped her get ready for bed. She knew she’d told him everything but couldn’t be sure of what exactly was said, or how many times she repeated the same thing, or even what he’d said to her. All she knew was he
was there for her, taking care of her, until finally she fell asleep.

  “No!” Lissa screamed, sitting straight up in bed and reaching out to the fading image from her mind.

  “Darling, you’re safe.” Will’s arms came out and brought her to his warm chest.

  “Sorry,” she mumbled. “Nightmare.”

  “You’re going to have them.”

  “Sorry I woke you.”

  “You know it’s no problem. Do you need anything?”

  “I think I’m going to get up for a little bit. Why don’t you go back to sleep?” She started to pull away from him and get out of bed.

  He pulled her back and waited until she looked at him. “No, this isn’t how this is going to work. Do you understand I almost lost you this afternoon? I’m not going to go back to sleep when I can see you’re hurting. You don’t have to deal with this alone.”

  “I don’t want to burden you.”

  “Burden me? What makes you think you’re a burden to me? I love you; you’re my sun, my light, and my stars. Without you I’m in darkness. My existence is for you alone.”

  “Maybe I can’t handle the pressure of living up to that. My God, Will, I’m just a plain, ordinary woman. I prefer to sit in my cave and write.” She waved her hand around. “This is more than I ever dreamed of. I’m a dork of epic proportions, and I’m just waiting for the press to have a field day with every single time I’m on the red carpet and I either say something dorktastic or trip. And you know it’s going to happen.”

  “Are you kidding? They’re going to love you, you’ll endear them. I think it’s pretty well known I’m a big dork, too.”

  “Yes, but you’re a gorgeous movie star, and your personality and who you are shines through. You’re allowed to do whatever you want. It’s not going to be the same for me.”

  “Since when do you care what people think?” His eyes narrowed at her.

  “I always care, but I just try to keep it hidden away. Do you know why I stay away from the negative reviews? It’s not because I don’t care; it’s because I care too much. I start reading them and all I can think of is how much I suck. It doesn’t matter if only five percent of my reviews are one star and over fifty percent of them are five stars; I will focus on the negative. It will bring me down and I won’t write. Not because of the helpful negative reviews, but because of the hurtful ones. My head isn’t so far up in the clouds I don’t realize that not everyone is going to like my books. I know that. It’s the ones who feel the need to be brutal about it or me which rip my soul to pieces. It’s easier for me to believe the negative.”