Endless Love

by Lauren Trevino

And maybe she could? The photo proved nothing.

  What do I do about it though?

  I can hardly jump on a plane and act like a crazy, jealous girlfriend.

  But if I don’t… It’ll be another two weeks before I see Caitlin again.

  Emma paced the living room and then flopped down on the couch when the highlights of the Phillies game came on.

  What to do…

  Chapter 41

  May 16th, 2016

  Cat woke up to the sound of banging on her door for the second morning in a row. She threw the covers off her and padded to the door in her shorts and tank top.

  Her mouth was dry, and she felt like she’d been hit by a bus.

  She slowly opened the door to see Melissa standing there with her suitcase.

  “I figured you wouldn’t have set an alarm,” Melissa said as she walked past her, wheeling her suitcase into the room with her.

  “What time is it?”

  “Almost six.”

  “Shit!”

  “Yeah. We have to leave in about forty minutes,” Melissa said. “I’ll pack up. Go take a shower.”

  “Thanks,” Cat said as she grabbed her phone and some clothes to get changed into.

  She closed the bathroom door behind her and put on her morning playlist to try and wake herself up while she got ready to get in the shower.

  She left her phone down on the counter, half tossing it there. Cat watched, almost in slow motion as it slid across the marble counter top.

  No, no, no!

  Cat lunged after her phone as it slid dangerously close to the edge, but she didn’t make it in time. Her phone flew off the counter, bounced off the back of the toilet and dropped down into the bowl with a loud ‘plunk.’

  “Nooooo,” Cat practically groaned. “Ugh!”

  She had the worst luck with phones. That was the third one in less than two years. Her last one fell out of her hands while she was crossing the street and was crushed by an oncoming car.

  “Everything okay in there?” Melissa called through the door.

  “Yeah!”

  Cat didn’t have time to be dealing with this. She retrieved the phone from the toilet and left it on one of the towels on the floor, but she didn’t have much hope for it.

  She got in the shower and moved her focus to getting ready and leaving the hotel in thirty minutes. She couldn’t miss this flight.

  Chapter 42

  Emma woke up with a pounding headache, finally turning off her alarm for good after snoozing it for the last half hour.

  She didn’t have any more time. She had to get ready for work after one of the worst night’s sleep that she could remember.

  Wasn’t alcohol supposed to help you sleep?

  Emma went through her morning routine at a sluggish pace and left the apartment without having time for breakfast.

  She hadn’t heard from Caitlin since Saturday night. They didn’t talk every day, but Cat would usually text if she was busy.

  Emma knew the tour was going to be hard on them but not like this. She’d been busy with work and a few gigs since Caitlin left so being apart hadn’t been as difficult as she’d imagined.

  But this... The worrying, the jumping to conclusions… It wasn’t like Emma and she kept pushing those thoughts out of her mind. There was no proof and she trusted Cat.

  That’s what she told herself all day when her mind kept going back to that photo that Melissa had posted. Surely if something happened she wouldn’t have posted the photo. That was asking for attention.

  But maybe that’s what she wants… To split us up.

  On her break, Emma found herself checking Cat’s tour schedule and comparing them with her own schedule for the next week.

  I can’t believe I’m evening looking at this. This is crazy.

  Chapter 43

  “Thanks for knocking on my door this morning,” Cat said as they arrived at their hotel in Buffalo. “I probably would have missed the flight.”

  “Well it would have been my fault if you did,” Melissa said as they waited for the receptionist to check them in. “You probably wouldn’t have had that much to drink in the middle of the day if I hadn’t been such a bad influence.”

  “Probably. But you have to celebrate milestones like that. I’m not taking anything for granted.”

  Cat listened to the receptionist tell them about the hotel and what rooms they were in. She passed them their key cards and Melissa followed Cat into the elevator.

  “This could all go away just like that,” Cat said, continuing their conversation, as she snapped her fingers.

  “I think you’re at the point where you’d have to do something really stupid to mess it up. You’ve got a solid fan base now, across a lot of demographics.”

  “I think I should talk to Jeff when we get back. I should be able to get him back on board. I know he was having fun with this.”

  Melissa nodded as they stepped out of the elevator on the tenth floor and made their way down the hall to their rooms. “He’s a keeper. Don’t let anyone try and convince you that you need to hire someone else. He did a great job before. He’ll be able to handle it even if everything is bigger this time around.”

  “I know he would,” Cat said as she pulled her key card out of her pocket. “I feel so weird not having my phone in my pocket.”

  “Do you want me to run out and get you one while you’re getting settled in?”

  “Would you mind?”

  “Not at all,” Melissa said as she swiped her card in the door across the hall from hers.

  “I mean I know I’m not this crazy famous celebrity who can’t step outside,” Cat started to say, leaning her back against her half-opened door.

  “According to Twitter there’s already at least fifty people outside the venue.”

  “Really? Already?”

  “Yep. So, you are kind of famous and you should stay here, rest up. I’ll come back with a phone. The same one?”

  “Yeah… That’d be great,” Cat said with a smile. “Thanks.”

  “No problem. I’ll drop it into you.”

  “Thanks. See you later.”

  Cat wheeled her suitcase into her room and sat down on the edge of the bed, again absently reaching for her phone that wasn’t in her pocket. She thought she felt its phantom vibrating ring a few times already today.

  She picked up the hotel phone and dialed Emma’s number. She hadn’t spoken to her since Saturday, two days ago, but there was no answer and Cat hung up.

  Cat checked her watch, thinking of the three-hour time difference.

  She’s probably busy at work.

  She had two hours until sound check. She unpacked and then took a long, relaxing bath.

  Chapter 44

  May 17th, 2016

  Emma cheered along with the rest of the crowd as Cat left the stage after her encore. She’d paid double the original price online last night to get into the sold-out gig, but she wanted to see Cat in Philadelphia.

  She surprised her parents by showing up this morning and now she was going to surprise Caitlin.

  That’s how she was framing it, more for herself than anyone else. She really didn’t think of herself as the jealous type, but she wanted to see Cat, to make sure they were good.

  Emma still hadn’t heard from her, but she knew that she had a show in Buffalo last night and she would have been traveling today.

  When Emma called Cat this morning, it went straight to voicemail, and Emma put it down to her busy schedule.

  Emma hadn’t wanted to call Melissa, but she didn’t have any other choice. She couldn’t get in touch with Cat and there was actual security and bouncers all over the place at the gig, so she couldn’t just walk backstage like she used to.

  Emma called her before the show had started and asked her if she could meet them at their hotel after the show. Melissa had given them their hotel info and Emma was on her way there now.

  She decided to walk there. It was a pleasant evenin
g, with just a light breeze, and it was only a few blocks away.

  She went into the bar when she got there and got a glass of wine. Melissa had agreed to get Cat into the bar when they got back to the hotel so that she could surprise her.

  They were traveling to New York in the morning, but Melissa promised that she’d convince her to have a drink before she went upstairs.

  Emma sat at the bar, thinking how normal her conversation with Melissa had been.

  There’s nothing going on. She would have been weird if there was or she would have made things difficult.

  I overreacted… But now that I’m here, I might as well enjoy myself and the unexpected time I’ll have with Caitlin.

  Emma glanced down at her phone that vibrated on the bar beside her. It was a text from Melissa:

  Be there in 5

  Emma smiled to herself. Definitely nothing going on.

  She brought her glass of Pinot Grigio to her lips and was surprised to feel a fluttering in her belly.

  No one needs to know why I really booked the flight out here. I just wanted to surprise my girlfriend.

  Chapter 45

  “That was a great crowd,” Melissa said as they got into the cab. She gave the driver the address of their hotel.

  “Philadelphia was always good to me,” Cat said with a smile.

  “I got some shots during your encore from behind you and the band, looking out at the audience. I can’t wait to see how they turned out. I think they were the loudest crowd yet.”

  Cat nodded, pulling her phone out of her pocket. “I think so too,” she said with a small sigh. “I need to keep a backup of all my contacts somewhere since I seem to be making a habit of breaking my phones.”

  “I’ll sort that out tomorrow. I have most of your contacts on my phone anyway, so you’ll just be missing friends and family.”

  “Thanks.”

  Cat wasn’t sure what she’d do without Melissa. She’d almost become her manager in the last few weeks.

  Maybe I should hire her as my new manager…

  Cat thought about it while she stared out the window. Melissa knew all the right people and she was doing an amazing job of keeping this mini tour running smoothly.

  I think I’ll ask her when we get back to L.A.

  She wondered how Jeff would take it, but she was pretty sure that he’d understand.

  Just as she was about to reach down for the bottle of water at her feet there was a deafening bang that made Cat’s ears ring.

  Everything seemed to happen at once: glass shattering, breaks screeching, horns blaring and a pain shooting through Cat’s left side as Melissa crashed into her.

  Cat’s heart pounded in her ears as she took in the horrific scene that surrounded her in the back of the cab.

  Melissa was slouched against her and Cat could see the blood pouring out of her head, through her hair and around her forehead.

  She winced as she tried to move. Melissa hadn’t been wearing a seat belt and she’d been flung across the back seat when a car crashed into the side of their cab.

  Cat could hear the taxi driver asking her if they were okay, but he sounded like he was a million miles away, a distance echo.

  Cat wondered if Melissa had been knocked out. She hadn’t stirred beside her.

  She lightly touched her face, brushing her straight jet-black hair away from her face. There was blood everywhere and Cat was careful not to touch any of the glass that was scattered across the back seat, covering Melissa’s lap and clothes.

  Cat seemed to be moving in slow motion, like every thought or move she wanted to make took an extraordinary amount of effort, like she was moving through quick sand.

  “Melissa?” Cat asked. “You okay?”

  Both backseat doors opened at the same, a paramedic on the left and the cab driver on Cat’s side.

  Cat felt sick suddenly. The driver was talking to her, but she couldn’t process what he was saying.

  She wanted to tell him that she was okay, but she couldn’t get her lips to move. Her brain felt foggy and her vision was narrowing. It was like she was in a dark tunnel.

  I’ll just close my eyes…

  Chapter 46

  Emma glanced down at her watch. Five minutes had turned into two hours and there was still no sign of Caitlin.

  Emma wanted to believe that there was a logical answer, a reasonable explanation, but her mind kept jumping to the worst-case scenario… That Melissa was still interested in Cat and that there was something going on between them.

  Emma finished her wine and pushed herself off the stool. She just wanted to go to bed and figure it all out in the morning.

  Cat wouldn’t do this to me… There has to be an explanation.

  Emma left the barman a tip and went to find the nearest elevator. She’d have an early night. Cat had a day off tomorrow in New York. There’d be plenty of time to talk.

  If only I could get through to her phone…

  As she crossed the lobby, Emma felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and didn’t recognize the number on the screen.

  “Hello?”

  “Emma…”

  “Caitlin… Hey… Is everything okay?”

  Emma could hear the panic in Cat’s voice. She sounded like she was crying.

  “I… We…”

  “Caitlin, breathe… What’s wrong?”

  Emma waited for Cat to tell her what was going on. She sat down on one of the couches in the lobby and ran a hand through her hair.

  Her heart was racing, and she knew that whatever Cat had to say, it was bad.

  “We were in a car accident… Melissa’s dead.”

  “What?!?”

  “I can’t…”

  “Where are you? I’ll be there in a second.”

  “Wait... You’re in Philadelphia?”

  “Yeah… It’s… I wanted to surprise you… Where are you?”

  Emma listened to Cat tell her which hospital she was in.

  “I’ll be right there. Don’t move,” Emma said as she rushed out of the lobby and jumped into one of the taxis waiting outside.

  Chapter 47

  Cat was sitting down in the waiting room with her head in her hands. She’d been checked out pretty quickly. She just had a few bruised ribs and some cuts from the glass but nothing major.

  She’d passed out in the back of the cab, from shock apparently. When she woke up she was in the back of an ambulance.

  As soon as she was cleared, Cat was searching for Melissa. She asked a passing nurse who told her that she had to go to the reception counter.

  When Cat asked for Melissa, the receptionist asked her if she was family and Cat’s heart sunk. A lump in her throat forced her to swallow and take a deep breath.

  There’s something wrong…

  Cat was told to sit down and wait. Finally, a doctor came over and sat down beside her, resting a firm hand on her shoulder.

  She studied the middle-aged man. Cat could see the pained expression on his face and the seriousness in his eyes.

  “Ms. Stone, I’m sorry to say this,” the doctor told her.

  No… No, no, no…

  “Melissa didn’t make it.”

  Cat blinked back tears while he explained what happened. She only took in the important words.

  Trauma to the head. Severe. We did our best.

  When he left her, Cat’s hands were shaking. She managed to take out her phone and dial Emma’s number.

  She checked the time again. She’d talked to Emma ten minutes ago, but it felt like hours.

  She needed to see her, for Emma to hold her.

  She just couldn’t make sense of the last few hours.

  Melissa’s gone…

  Chapter 48

  When Emma finally found the right waiting room, she almost ran through the doors, her eyes searching for Cat’s.

  They locked on to each other and Cat was standing by the time Emma had crossed the room.

  Emma wrapped he
r arms around her until she felt Cat flinch.