Adrian decided on the truth. “I’m sorry you can’t stay,” he murmured, kissing her softly. “I’d like you to, but I don’t know how Kate will react.”
“I understand.”
Adrian walked her to the door of the suite and they paused. He wrapped his arms around Libby, reluctant to let her go. “Will you come over tomorrow and help me amuse Kate?”
There was only the tiniest hesitation. “Sure.” She kissed him quickly on the lips and opened the door. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Adrian watched her walk down the hallway to her room. Had he read her wrong? Perhaps she hadn’t been hurt by his bluntness and he’d made her uncomfortable with his intensity.
It was just a fling.
He would do well to remember that.
***
Libby stood in front of the door to Adrian’s suite the next day, tapping her hand against her thigh in a nervous beat. She wasn’t sure how to behave now or what to say. The sex had been incredible and she’d fallen even more in love with him. But he’d reminded her with his bluntness that it was just a temporary romance and she’d done her best to pretend it meant the same to her.
Finally she got up the nerve to knock. Libby heard Kate’s voice and the thud of feet coming to answer. Kate flung open the door. “Hi, Libby!” She beckoned Libby to come in.
“What have we got planned for the day?” Libby asked as she walked through to the living area.
“You need to help me convince Uncle Ade we should go to Sea World,” Kate said.
Adrian looked less than impressed by Kate’s suggestion but smiled at Libby anyway.
“There are still reporters outside the hotel. I told Kate she can wait until tomorrow, and then hopefully the reporters will have gone away.”
“But Uncle Ade, that means we can do only two of the theme parks,” Kate complained.
“With your sprained wrist, you won’t be able to go on some of the rides anyway. We’ll stay in the room today and we can play games.”
“I’m tired of playing games and watching movies.”
Libby could understand both of their concerns. What could they do that would keep them both happy? “What about working on your novel?” she asked.
Kate pouted. “I’d rather go to Sea World.”
Libby smiled at her. “I know. Me too, but waiting an extra day will make it even more exciting.”
Kate gave Libby a look which said she didn’t believe her and huffed. “I’ll set up my laptop.” She headed for her bedroom.
Libby turned to Adrian, nerves in her stomach. “Morning.”
He smiled at her slowly and walked closer. Checking Kate was still in her room, he took her hand and kissed the back of it. “Morning.”
The zing traveled all the way to her toes. Adrian squeezed her hand and dropped it as Kate came back.
Libby had to focus on Kate. She set her laptop up on the table next to Kate’s, relieved she would have a chance to get some more writing done, as she was falling behind. She asked Adrian, “What are you going to do today?”
“Since you two are going to be writing I might as well get in on the act.” He indicated his guitar. “I’ve got a few tunes playing in my head.”
“Do you write your own songs?” Intrigued, Libby realized she hadn’t asked Adrian about his music.
“Mostly, but sometimes I collaborate with others.”
“Libby, I don’t know what’s going to happen next.” Kate’s voice interrupted their conversation.
Adrian turned away and Libby settled at the table next to Kate. “Where are you up to?”
As Libby and Kate debated options, Adrian settled on the couch and started playing his guitar. Every now and then he’d stop, write something down and then replay it, making adjustments as he went.
Libby listened to him strum while she helped brainstorm ideas with Kate. When Kate had decided what was happening next in her story, Libby left her to write while she checked her emails.
There were dozens, many more than usual, and the subject lines said things like “You should be ashamed,” “No longer buying your books,” “Bad role model for children.”
She clicked on the first email and read it, amazed at the hatred it contained. She clicked on another with a similar tone from a woman whose husband had had an affair. Libby’s hand covered her mouth as she read the third.
All of these people believed the lies Emily had told. They all thought Libby had stolen Adrian away from Emily and that she should be ashamed of herself. They all said they would never buy her books and would make sure none of their friends did either.
Libby had never expected this level of response, hadn’t expected anyone to believe the rubbish that had been written. She hadn’t truly believed Emily’s accusations would threaten the dream she’d been working so hard toward for the past eight years.
“Libby, what’s wrong?” Adrian’s voice brought her back to her surroundings. He watched her from the couch.
“Some emails about Emily’s article.”
He stood and walked over. Libby clicked on another one so he could read it.
His face was grim. “Do you think they read your statement?”
Libby checked the time the emails were sent. “If they got my email address through my website, they had to have seen it. It’s on the homepage.”
“What’s up?” Kate looked up from her laptop.
Libby forced a smile. “Just a couple of people who believe what Emily said in her article.”
“Well, they’re dumb as dirt.” Kate went back to her writing.
Libby grinned at Kate’s assessment. “Do you think I should respond?” she asked Adrian.
He shook his head. “It won’t help. They won’t believe anything you say.”
Libby counted the number of emails. There were twenty. Were there other people who thought the same as these women and would encourage their friends to stop buying her book? She hit the forward button and sent one through to Simone and Donna at her publishers with a question about what to do.
Her stomach was queasy. Libby wanted to give Emily a piece of her mind and tell her how her selfish actions had affected all of them.
“It will blow over soon enough,” Adrian said and caressed her shoulder.
“I hope so.”
Libby went back to her editing, wondering if this would be the last book she ever wrote.
***
The next day the reporters had disappeared from the hotel and Adrian kept his promise to Kate, taking her to Sea World with George. As much as Libby wanted to join them, she told Adrian she needed to work on her manuscript. The response to Emily’s accusations had made Libby remember how important her writing was to her.
Her heart still screamed that she spend every moment with Kate and Adrian while she could. The time was rapidly approaching when she would have to say goodbye and they would head back to America.
But her head scolded her severely. Adrian had made it clear their fling was temporary. Her publisher was giving her the opportunity to fulfil her dream of a being a full-time author, and she couldn’t throw it away over a man who wasn’t going to be in her life for long.
Her experience with Clint made sure her head won.
***
Adrian was weary. He’d had a great day with Kate and George at Sea World, but today he wanted nothing more than to rest. He sat at the table and booted up his laptop. He needed to make sure nothing new had surfaced from their Sea World trip.
The knock on the door signaled Libby’s arrival.
Part of him wanted to race Kate to the door. He and Kate had had fun yesterday, but something had been missing. Someone.
How had Libby become part of his life so quickly?
She would have loved Sea World, but he understood why she hadn’t come. What they had was temporary and Libby had work to do.
Adrian was googling his name as Libby walked in.
As usual she wore jeans and a top, yellow this time, and loafers.
There wasn’t anything extraordinary about the outfit, but when she smiled it zapped his whole body.
“Howdy,” he said.
“Hi. Any latest news?” she asked, nodding toward his laptop.
“I was just checking.” Adrian scanned the screen and all the blood rushed out of his head.
No.
It couldn’t be. He clicked the link and waited for the page to load.
Please, don’t let it be him.
Libby asked what was wrong, but he couldn’t answer her. The picture showed an old man, haggard skin, dirty long black hair, wearing clothes that could do with an iron.
Adrian’s stomach churned so much he thought he might vomit.
The man had aged a lot in the past twenty years, but Adrian still recognized him.
His father.
The headline read, “Rock Star Abandons Father to Poverty.”
“What is it, Uncle Ade?” Kate’s voice was right next to him and it brought him back to the real world. He put an arm around her to comfort himself.
“Give me a second to read this, kiddo.” His voice sounded strange, dull, to his ears.
Libby’s hand was on his shoulder and he met her concerned gaze and then turned back to the screen. Libby and Kate gave him the strength to read on.
The article began with how Adrian’s father had struggled to take care of Adrian and his brother after his wife had walked out on them. It said he’d worked as many shifts as he could to provide for the boys, to give Adrian singing lessons, and to take care of them by himself.
Adrian snorted to release some of the anger that was building.
The article continued. The moment Adrian had become successful, it said, he had left without looking back, cutting all ties with the man who’d struggled to bring him up as a single father. He’d even gone as far as to change his name. The boy the man had raised was called Adrian Hart – not Kent Downer.
Adrian swore. His father had destroyed the last bit of anonymity he had. Damn him.
His father went on to say he hadn’t spoken out before but when he’d read how Adrian had treated Emily, he knew he needed to say something. The apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree. He couldn’t allow Adrian to abandon his partner like Adrian’s mother had abandoned them.
Adrian stared at the screen in disbelief. Who the hell did his father think he was? Pretending he knew anything about Adrian’s life, pretending he cared, pretending he had been a good father.
Adrian didn’t want to read on. His stomach was in knots and his head pulsated with tension.
Libby rubbed his shoulders, gently reminding him he wasn’t alone.
He could do this. He let out a deep breath.
What else did the bastard have to say?
When asked who Kate was, Adrian’s father said he wasn’t sure. She could be his granddaughter, but if she was, he’d not met her. His heart was deeply saddened by the fact he didn’t know.
There was no way Kate would ever meet her grandfather. Daniel hadn’t wanted her anywhere near him and neither did Adrian. She didn’t need to be exposed to that.
“Is it true, Uncle Ade?” Kate turned to face him, her eyes concerned.
Adrian sighed. He hadn’t realized she had been reading.
“No.”
“Dad said Grandpa Hart was ill. What’s wrong with him?”
It wasn’t a conversation Adrian wanted to have now. Not while his head was still spinning at having the bastard thrust into his life again. He didn’t want to deal with this, but he had no choice.
What had driven his father to suddenly make a statement? Was it because Adrian’s photo had been splashed all over the news, exposing him as Kent? Had his father only just realized who Adrian was?
If so, it was another thing he owed Emily.
The newspapers and magazines would pay his father well for his story, no matter what the truth was. Perhaps that was all it was. A need for more money, for more booze.
“Uncle Adrian?” Kate’s voice was quiet, almost fearful.
Adrian rubbed his face with his hands before pushing his chair away from the table so he could turn and face Kate. He took hold of her hands, conscious of Libby standing behind him, a silent support.
“My father is an alcoholic,” he said.
Kate gasped.
“When we were young, he didn’t take very good care of your dad and me, so we ran away. George’s dad and mum cared for us until we grew up.”
“What did he do?” Kate asked.
How could he explain the sadness, the neglect, the fear, to someone who had always been surrounded by support and love? “He forgot to feed us when he was drunk,” he began.
“Did he hit you?”
Trust Kate to come straight to the point. “Why do you ask?”
“Charlie’s dad gets drunk and hits his mum,” Kate said, naming a child from her school.
Adrian deliberated for a moment. She needed to know the truth. “Yes, he did hit us.”
Kate’s expression turned sorrowful. “Then you were lucky Hank and Marla were so nice.” She hugged her uncle.
Adrian held on to her tightly. He had been lucky, but it wasn’t so simple.
“You need to tell the reporters he’s lying. Then they’ll go away.”
Adrian smiled at her view of the world. The reporters wouldn’t go away, they’d swarm around for more information, wanting to drag out every sordid detail about his past.
She didn’t need to know. “I don’t want to bring Hank and Marla into this.” George’s parents had saved them but Adrian still didn’t know what Hank had said to his father. He wasn’t sure if they could get into trouble for not reporting the case to social services. He sighed. Perhaps it was time he found out.
“They won’t mind.”
She was right. They wouldn’t mind confronting the media, exposing Adrian’s father. Since he was twelve, Hank and Marla had been his parents and had protected him. But in this, he wanted to protect them.
“I’ll talk to George.”
“I’ll get my notebook and we can make a list of what is right. Then George can write up a statement.” Kate strode away into her room.
Adrian watched her go. She was determined to see things right. His heart swelled with love. He would do whatever he could to protect her from the worst people in this world.
It was the one thing Susan and he agreed on. Kate’s welfare came first.
Susan.
He swore.
“What’s wrong?” Libby’s hands tightened on his shoulders.
Adrian turned to her. “Susan knew nothing of my childhood. She’ll see what my father says as proof I’m neglectful.” He drummed his fingers over the table. “And if I tell the truth she’ll question my parenting skills and whether I could succumb to alcohol.” Would this be the final straw? Would Susan sue for custody of Kate?
Kate came back into the room before Libby could respond.
“I’ll write down all his comments and you can tell me what the truth is,” Kate said as she sat down with her notebook and started her list.
He couldn’t do this now. He had to talk with George, work out what he was going to say, get past his gut reaction, which was to hide until it all went away. “I’ll do it tonight after the concert,” he said, checking the time. “Tonight I want you both to stay inside. Neither of you needs to face the press outside. They’ll be back after this.”
“But Uncle Ade, we were fixin’ to go to the movies,” Kate protested.
He hated saying no. Hated the fact she hadn’t been able to do all the things they’d planned. She deserved better. “Not tonight. Order one of the movies through the hotel.”
He’d promised Susan Kate wouldn’t be harassed by the media. He didn’t want to lose Kate, but maybe he was being selfish. Susan would be able to give her a more stable home environment.
Adrian’s phone rang. “That’ll be George. Will you be all right?” The concern was clear on his face.
Kate was poutin
g, but she nodded.
He stood and turned to Libby. She opened her arms and he stepped into them, drawing strength from her calm support.
“We’ll work it out,” Libby whispered.
Adrian closed his eyes briefly before he stepped back. She knew the right thing to say.
Forcing a smile on his face he looked at Kate and said, “See you later.”
“Bye, Uncle Ade.”
Libby squeezed his hand.
He needed to go but he wanted to stay here with them.
This was his safe place.
Maybe Libby was right. They would work it out.
Together.
Chapter 17
Adrian walked to the door slowly, his shoulders hunched up defensively. Libby wanted to run after him and tell him everything would be fine, but she couldn’t guarantee it.
She wanted to call Adrian’s father and tell him what a monster he was, tell him to leave Adrian alone and withdraw his comments.
It wouldn’t help, though. What was done was done, and if he retracted his statement there would be speculation as to whether Adrian had paid for his silence. There was nothing she could do for Adrian.
Next to her Kate sniffed.
Libby turned and saw Kate’s watery eyes. She pulled Kate into a hug. It would have been a shock to find out her grandfather was an alcoholic who beat his children. “How are you feeling?” Libby asked.
Kate stepped back. “I know Grandpa is lying but I’m angry he’s made Uncle Ade so sad. Uncle Ade’s nothing like his father says.” She sighed.
Libby was sure there was more to it. “Is there anything else worrying you?”
That made Kate look up. She bit her lip. “Aunt Susan won’t like it.”
It was what Adrian had said as well. Did this woman know nothing about Adrian? “Does it matter what your aunt thinks, if you know it’s not true?”
“Yes,” Kate said. “I overheard Uncle Ade talking to George. He thinks she’s waiting for a reason to take me from him.” Her eyes showed her misery. “I don’t want to live with Aunt Susan. I like living with Uncle Ade.”
Of course she did. Adrian was a fantastic father figure. Libby gave her a hug. “There are ways of proving that what Emily and your grandpa are saying isn’t true. Your Aunt Susan won’t have a reason then.”
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