Sharon was already sitting at her desk, looking over some paperwork. I knocked lightly on her door and her head shot up. She looked at me over the glasses that sat on the edge of her nose.
"What is it, Emily?"
"Can I talk to you for a minute?"
She nodded and then I hurriedly shut the door.
Before I could say anything, she began. "I'm really sorry about what Christine did. She's a great coordinator and I really can't afford to lose her right now." She shook her head. "I knew she had a bad attitude, but I never thought she would do something like that."
"It's okay. I get it. Kind of. I mean, I know why she did it and it's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. Christine's better at all of this than me." I paused and took a deep breath. "I think she's the better choice to run this event. She'll do a better job."
Sharon cocked her head, confused. "You're giving this event up to Christine? This could be a great opportunity for you."
I swallowed hard, wishing I could explain it to her but knowing I couldn't. For now, I would just do my best to tell her the truth without telling her the whole truth. I just couldn't handle the press and all of the attention the event brought right now. "It's not that I don't want the challenge. I really do, but I also want the best for Lexi, and I think Christine is the best in this situation."
She narrowed her eyes and sat back, assessing me. I felt like she was trying to read between the lines. It was like she knew there was more to my story than what I was telling.
"I'm not sure I can do that. What Christine did… it's not something I take lightly." She continued to stare at me. Maybe she was waiting for me to take it back or something. "I'm not sure how Lexi and Reed will feel about this. They specifically wanted you."
It would be hard to tell Lexi, but out of all people, she would understand. Reed, I wasn’t so sure about, yet after this morning, I really didn't care what he thought. "Lexi will understand. She's leaving town for a few days to get away from the press, but I'll tell her when she gets back."
She sat there, contemplating what I’d just said to her. "Okay. If you're sure about this, I'll give it to Christine, but I still want you involved. I still think it's a great learning opportunity for you."
"Of course. I want to be involved." And that was the truth. I still wanted to make sure this event was perfect for Reed and Lexi.
"I'm headed out to talk to the press in a few minutes. I'll tell them Christine is lead coordinator and all questions will be directed towards her from now on. Are you sure this is what you want?"
"I'm sure." I nodded.
"Well, okay, but I think you should tell Christine. Right now, I'm still so mad at that girl I could…" She pursed her lips as her voice trailed off.
"I'll tell her." I stood up and took a few steps toward the door.
On the way back to my office, I stopped by Isabel's desk. She was flipping through a magazine.
"Hey, Emily, look. Here you are." She turned the magazine toward me. It was the pictures of me from last night. "Well, it's kind of you. You can't really tell."
My racing heart began to slow down. There were no clear shots of my face. My hands or Reed's hands were in the way of the shots… every single one of them.
Isabel took the magazine back. "It would be kind of cool to have a picture with Reed Alexander, especially one with his arms around you. At least, I know I would love it. Too bad, huh?"
"Yeah, too bad."
A smile of relief spread across my face.
"WHY ARE you working so late?" Christine asked me.
I glanced over at her and shrugged.
"Are you still nervous about the reporters and paparazzi? Sharon said they scattered after she talked to them."
Yeah, but what if they were lurking outside, waiting to get a photo of me? I couldn't take that chance. After last night, I felt like I’d caught a break.
"Weren’t you wearing that coat yesterday?" Christine asked, causing my previous thought to dissolve.
I glanced back, examining the trench coat hanging on the back of my chair. "Yes."
"Here, let's switch. Give me your coat, sunglasses, and scarf. Our hair color is similar. If they’re out there, it may just throw them off for a while. I'll go out the front door and lead them down the street. You can go out back and hopefully you won't have to deal with them again.”
I sat there and contemplated her plan. I wondered if she was just being nice to me because I told her she was now the lead coordinator for the Black and White event, or maybe she really did feel bad for giving me away to the reporters last night. She had apologized to me all day, annoyingly so.
I unwrapped my scarf and handed her my jacket and sunglasses. She put them on and surprisingly, she did kind of look like me, but I always thought we looked similar. I just didn’t know it would come in handy. She could at least maybe fool the reporters for a while anyway, if there were any of them out there. She handed me her bright-red pea coat and sunglasses.
"This should all blow over by Monday. You'll be old news once something crazier happens this weekend." She gave me a wry smile.
Great. So worst case, I just had to spend the weekend holed up in my apartment?
We shut down our computers and then Christine headed toward the front door while I headed toward the back.
"Thanks," I said as we parted ways.
"Sure." She smiled.
Christine's plan worked well. I was able to get home and up to my apartment without any issues. As far as I could tell, there weren't any reporters or paparazzi lingering out in front of my apartment, but just to be safe, I had planned to stay in it for the most part, not wanting to take any risks.
IT WAS now Sunday afternoon. I thought my eyes would leap out of my head if I watched one more minute of TV, so when my phone rang, I ran to answer it, not even caring who was on the other end of the line.
It was Lexi. I wondered if she was back from her trip early. Maybe she would want to meet for some coffee. I was eager to get out for some fresh air.
"Hi, Emily."
"Hey, Lexi, how's everything going?"
"It's okay." The concern in her voice was clear.
"Are you sure?"
"Um, yeah. I just wanted to call and check on you. I heard about the reporters at your office. I'm so sorry."
"Don't worry about it." I pulled back the curtains and looked down at the sidewalk. No reporters in sight. "I think I'm old news already."
"That's good." She sounded strange, different. Usually, Lexi’s voice was upbeat and joyful, or it had been so for the past couple of months, since her and Brandon had been dating.
"Hey, are you sure you're all right?" I asked.
"There is something bothering me, but I don't want to worry you or get you involved."
"It's okay. You can tell me."
She hesitated for a moment. "I haven't heard from Reed. He won't answer my calls. Have you heard from him?"
"Um, no, not since a couple days ago." Not since I left his place, angry. My heart pounded just thinking about it… or maybe it was because I was thinking of him.
She was silent for a moment and then she let out a long breath. "I've been trying to call him, but his phone goes straight to voice mail. His office said he took Friday off work, and Robbins is acting really weird. He won't tell me anything."
I could feel a worried itch begin in my stomach, leaving a dull ache.
"Can you do me a favor?" she asked after a second of silence. The dull ache turned into something more.
"Um." I hesitated. "Sure," I finally choked out, wondering where the response came from.
"Brandon and I are going to come home early because I have a feeling something isn't right with Reed… but we won't be home until late tomorrow, and I was going to see…" Her voice faded into a long silence.
"What is it, Lexi?" I asked. Deep in my gut, I feared what she was about to ask me.
"It's just… it's too much to ask of you."
My ch
est exhaled the air it was holding. "Lexi, what is it?"
"Would you—" She paused again. "Would you mind going to his place and checking on him? I'm starting to freak out a little."
I sat there for a moment, wondering how to tell her no in the most polite way. Instead, the word, "Okay," popped out of my mouth. My chest constricted. What did I just agree to? Or maybe I didn't really agree to do anything. All I said was okay.
Before I could retract anything, Lexi's voice came back on the line, much more hopeful this time. "Really? You wouldn't mind? I would be so appreciative. It would make me feel so much better."
Great. How am I supposed to say no to that now?
I couldn't lie. In the back of my mind, I was worried about him, too. Deep down, I guess I wanted to make sure he was okay as much as I wanted to ease my friend’s mind.
"I'll call you as soon as I find something out," I promised.
"Thank you, thank you!" she said before we said our good-byes.
I grabbed my purse and took the back exit, just in case there were any lingering reporters. After walking a couple of blocks over, I hailed a cab. I only knew the general vicinity of Reed's building. We had driven there at night and had pulled into the garage. I never saw the front of the building, but I did remember the streets I took to the train station the other morning.
On the way over, I fought the urge to call him. It didn't seem appropriate to just show up at his place unannounced. So, not wanting this to be any more awkward than it would be already, I pulled out my phone and dialed. Just like Lexi said, the call went straight to voice mail.
When we passed the alley I had walked down the other day, I instructed the cab driver to take a right at the next street. As we pulled up to the front of the building, I was relieved to see no reporters or paparazzi. Still, just to be safe, I put on my sunglasses and tucked my hair into the scarf around my neck. We pulled to a stop and the valet opened my door.
Once inside the lobby, I walked over to the security desk. The guy sitting there was my age, maybe even a couple years older. His nametag read Samuel.
"Hi, I'm here to see Reed Alexander."
He smiled back at me. "May I have your name, please?"
"Emily Anderson."
He smiled again and checked something on his computer. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but he doesn't have you on his guest list. I'll have to call him."
"Oh, okay." Great, a lot of good that's going to do me. His phone goes straight to voice mail.
As he tried to call him, I stood there, not sure what I would do when he told me he wouldn't answer. Now that I was here, I was eager to find out if he was okay. Actually, the desire to make sure he was okay was growing by the second.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Anderson, but he's not answering."
"Will you call Mr. Robbins?" I bit my lip. Reed had always called him Robbins. I hoped that was his last name.
Samuel sat there, hesitating for a moment, and then finally picked up the phone.
He continued to stare at me while it rang and then looked away, I guess when Robbins answered.
"I have a Ms. Emily Anderson down here. She says she's a friend of Mr. Alexander's, but I don't have her on the guest list."
My heart was beating wildly as I stood there waiting.
"I'll do that. Yes, sir. Thank you." He put the phone down and looked at me.
"Mr. Robbins cleared you to go upstairs. He asked me to add you to the guest list."
"Thank you," I said, following him toward the elevators.
When the doors slid shut, I leaned against the back wall and took in a few long, deep breaths. I had no idea what I was doing here or what I was going to say to him. I was sure Reed was going to wonder the same. The last time we saw each other was when I gave him the silent treatment and then yelled at him. That was after he gave me a place to stay, toiletries, and clothes to sleep in. How could I have been so rude? Oh yeah, I remember. He sent his security guard into my apartment without my permission.
When the elevator doors opened again, Robbins was waiting for me.
"Emily." He said my name in his deep, stern voice. I smiled at him. Things had been a little awkward the last time we saw each other, too.
"Thank you for letting me up," I said, stepping into the foyer. "I'm here to check on Reed. Lexi is worried about him."
"I assumed that was the reason. Lexi's been calling non-stop, but Mr. Alexander instructed me not to say anything to her. He doesn't want to worry her."
Worry her? "Is everything okay?"
He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Not really. I've seen him like this a couple times, but it's been a while."
"Where is he?" Fear crept up my spine. From the look on Robbins's face, he must have been in pretty bad shape.
"In his room." Robbins pointed behind me. Turning around, I saw the hallway he was pointing toward. "He's not going to like that you're here."
"Are you going to get into trouble for letting me in?" I wasn’t sure of the relationship between Reed and Robbins, but I knew the consequences if one of Jake’s men disobeyed him. I didn’t want to be responsible or have anything to do with Robbins getting in trouble.
"He told me to leave him alone and asked me not to tell Lexi anything when she called, but he didn't say anything about you." I wondered why he trusted me enough to let me up here; he barely knew me.
I turned in the direction Robbins had pointed, finding myself in a long hallway. All of the doors were open, except for a single door that was closed at the end of the hall. When I approached it, I stood there for a minute or so before I finally got the courage to knock lightly. I waited… and waited.
The longer I stood there, the more I felt like I was going to be sick and the more I wondered what I was doing there. Of course I wanted to know he was okay and I wanted to do this for Lexi, but it just felt strange standing outside his bedroom door. What if someone else was in there? I’m sure Robbins would’ve warned me about that, right? What if he wasn’t dressed? Or if he was in the shower?
There was no sound from behind the door so I knocked again, this time a little harder. Still nothing. Suddenly, it became clear he wasn't coming to the door and he wasn't going to invite me in. If I wanted to see that he was okay, I was going to have to just go in on my own. Turning the knob gently, I braced myself, not sure of what I was about to see.
What I saw was nothing as I expected. The room was empty. The bed was perfectly made, covered in decorative pillows, just like the guest bed I’d stayed in a few nights ago. The rest of the room was immaculate, too. A large walnut dresser sat on the wall next to me. It was empty on top except a small stack of books, almost like they were there for decoration, not for actually reading. The atmosphere in the room gave me an eerie feeling. It was if nothing personal of his were in here. No clothes. No pictures. Nothing but furniture. The most shocking thing was that the room was freezing. I shivered, crossing my arms over my chest.
I wondered if Robbins had been wrong. Maybe Reed wasn't even here.
My eyes drifted across the room and I finally saw the reason for the coldness. The sliding glass door to the balcony was open, white curtains whirling around as the cold air blew through.
"Reed?" I called his name, taking a few steps farther into the bedroom. There was no answer, so I took a couple more steps, this time closer to the open balcony doors. Reed couldn't have been in here long with how cold it was.
"Reed, it's Emily. I just came over to make sure you were okay." I felt like an idiot standing there talking to an empty room. Now, more than ever, I felt awkward for being here, standing in his bedroom no less.
The room was eerily quiet. There was no response. I realized it just wasn't the cold that was making my body shiver uncontrollably—something didn't feel right. Robbins said he was in here, but I couldn’t imagine someone wanting to stay in this room with how cold it was in here.
I made it across the large room to the balcony doors, and my mouth dropped open. I gasped.
There
Reed was, curled up on a long couch, wearing jeans and a white T-shirt. Nothing else. It had to have been forty-five degrees outside.
Running over to him, I dropped to my knees beside the couch and gave him light shake. His skin was freezing. How long had he been like this? Why had Robbins not checked on him?
"Reed, can you hear me?" I glanced around, seeing a half-empty bottle of scotch on the table in front of him. Had he been out here all night?
"Reed, it's Emily. Reed, wake up." I spoke a little louder this time.
There was still no response. I shook him again. Still nothing. I shook him harder and he finally moaned.
"Jesus, Reed. What are you doing out here?"
He didn't respond but moaned louder. At least I knew he was alive. I tried to pull him up, but it was clear he was too heavy for me to move on my own. I ran back out into the hallway and called for Robbins. There must have been terror in my voice because he came flying around the corner.
"I need help," I told him, running back to Reed with Robbins following closely after me.
He didn't say a word or panic when he saw Reed passed out on the couch outside. It made me wonder if he’d seen him this bad before.
"We need to get him warm. Can you help me bring him in the bathroom?"
He nodded and then, in one effortless movement, pulled Reed up into a sitting position before bringing him up to standing. I situated myself the best I could on the other side of him, brought his right arm around my shoulder, and placed both of my hands on his chest, trying to hold him steady, yet Robbins was doing most of the work.
As we carried him toward the bathroom, soft moans came out of him and his head bobbed from side to side. Eventually, it fell down toward his chest. Every few seconds, I would glance up and see his eyes flutter open, but then he would close them again.
We placed him in the bathtub. Robbins held him up while I turned on the warm water and began to fill up the tub. Turning back around, I helped Robbins take off his shirt and pants, leaving only his boxers, and lower him into the tub. Much to my surprise, he didn't wake when the warm water began to pool up around him.
The Hardest Part Page 9