Starbright

by Richland, Alexandra

  No matter how strong the evidence, he refused to entertain the thought that perhaps his love for her wasn’t the true cure for his demons after all.

  As the roar of Aidan’s motorcycle faded into the mid-December night, Beth closed her bedroom drapes and sat on her bed. Tonight, the studio car dropped her off at home as usual, and like every other evening, Aidan waited for her and walked her up to the apartment. Inside, they greeted Nathan and Olivia, who sat on the sofa watching television after spending most of the day packing for the big move on Sunday. Olivia finished work at noon and Nathan took the afternoon off to spend it with her.

  Struck by the memory of Aidan’s good-bye kiss, Beth lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. She looked forward to their date tomorrow at the beach. She had lived in Los Angeles for over a year and had only admired the ocean from afar. Aidan told her about a secluded spot he wanted to show her, and she couldn’t think of a better way to spend her first California beach experience.

  Filming had been especially strenuous today. With Venus Rising wrapping in less than two weeks, the cast and crew struggled to complete the final dance numbers, cramming in extra shooting time daily. Given all of her hard work, Beth anticipated the start of Christmas break.

  Connie traveled to St. Louis each year with Matthew to spend Christmas with his family, so it would just be Beth, Aidan, Olivia, and Nathan together at Nathan’s house on Christmas Day. Returning home to Clarkson had crossed Beth’s mind, but she needed to stay in L.A. in case Mr. Mertz called her in for last minute adjustments to Venus Rising—an expectation that applied to everyone working on the film.

  Although Beth wouldn’t see her parents, spending the holidays with Aidan was just as lovely. They were too close now to give each other a self-imposed separation anyway. Luckily, she was allowed to leave the city after Christmas, which meant Matthew’s New Year’s Eve show in Las Vegas was a go. She and Aidan would just have to ensure their joint trip remained discreet in order for their courtship to remain a secret from Mr. Mertz. The fewer obstacles they had to face at this stage of their relationship, the better.

  Beth felt like a new woman since her night with Aidan in Santa Barbara last weekend, and she was more than ready to vacation with him again. She loved the feel of Aidan’s hands on her in new and exciting ways and felt increasingly confident in her ability to grow intimately with him.

  Aidan’s nightmare was another story. Beth knew he suffered from them, but he said they’d gotten better. If what she witnessed in Santa Barbara was better, she hated to think what it was like for him at his worst. She was terrified during his outburst, but it wasn’t over her safety. It was over his.

  She wanted to relieve his suffering but had no idea how. All she could do was assure him repeatedly he wasn’t to blame for his mother’s murder and promise she would stay by his side. She even invited him to share the bed with her afterward to reinforce she would never abandon him. They were a team and would work through this together. It would just take time.

  Over the last week, Aidan talked to her about his nightmares if she asked about them, but he’d not once invited her to stay overnight at his house. Whether that was linked to what happened in Santa Barbara, she wasn’t sure. Professional help might be an ideal solution for him, but she knew he would never agree to see analyst. He viewed that sort of thing as the ultimate weakness.

  “Beth!”

  She sat up. “Yes?”

  Olivia appeared in the hallway. “Nathan and I wrapped some more items from the kitchen. There are only a few more things in the living room to pack, so I’d say we’re right on schedule.” She walked into the bedroom and looked around. “Seems like you’ve accomplished a lot as well.”

  Beth stood from the bed. “I’ve been packing here and there throughout the week after work. My efforts went a lot further than I thought.”

  Olivia clasped her hands together. “I’m so excited to move finally.”

  Beth smiled. “Me, too. It’ll be nice to have the extra room.”

  Olivia’s complexion adopted a rosy hue. “Beth, um, I was wondering… do you mind if I spend the night at Nathan’s?”

  Beth shook her head. “Not at all. I’ll be heading to bed soon anyway.”

  “Are you sure? I really hate leaving you alone.”

  “Yes, I’m sure.” Beth lowered her voice so Nathan wouldn’t hear her from the living room. “Besides, it would be good for you two to spend quality time together. You only saw him two days this week because of his work schedule.”

  Olivia nodded. “All right. I promise I’ll be back bright and early tomorrow so we can have breakfast together and continue packing. Then I’ll call the moving company to confirm their arrival on Sunday.”

  They stopped by Olivia’s bedroom so she could gather her overnight things and then made their way to the living room, which was full of cardboard boxes. Beth settled on the couch across from Nathan. Although she’d greeted him upon her arrival earlier, she had yet to talk to him properly about his day.

  “How was your morning at work?”

  Lines creased Nathan’s weary face. “It was okay. When Christmas holidays approach, it’s always crazy because Luther wants to make sure everything is on schedule, or if possible, finished before the union employees break for vacation. There are quite a few film crews and actors working overnight to stay on schedule. Those twenty-hour days are tough. I know you’ve been working later than normal, but at least you get weekends off. It could be a lot worse.”

  Olivia snuggled up to her beau on the couch. “I don’t understand why Luther wouldn’t let them continue after the holidays. So what if they’re a day or two behind schedule?”

  “One day lost costs Luther thousands of dollars, and some films are behind by much more than that.” Nathan shrugged. “It’s best to try to catch up before the holiday break. That way we can all enjoy our time off knowing every project is up-to-date.”

  “And that’s why you’re the businessman, and I’m only the wardrobe girl.” Olivia placed a loud smooch on Nathan’s cheek.

  “Darling, you’re wardrobe girl extraordinaire.” He kissed her back so sensually that Beth blushed and looked away, not wanting to intrude on their moment. Seeing them so happy together made her long for Aidan’s company again.

  The couple stood from the couch. Nathan picked up Olivia’s suitcase, and Beth walked them to the foyer.

  Nathan opened the door. “Lock up when we leave, okay?”

  Beth nodded.

  He kissed her on the cheek. “Good night.”

  “I’ll see you in the morning,” Olivia said on her way out of the apartment.

  After closing the door and locking it behind them, Beth weaved around stacks of boxes and returned to the couch. The silence that engulfed the apartment was a welcome respite after such a chaotic day.

  She closed her eyes, savoring the quiet, until the shrill ring of the telephone blasted through the room. She jumped up to answer it, and in the process, collided with a large box that sat on the floor. With a wince, she picked up the receiver and rubbed the spot on her thigh where the box’s corner had poked her.

  “Hello, Sutton and Weston residence.”

  “Hey, baby.”

  Beth’s collision with the box slipped from her mind. “Aidan, what a lovely surprise!”

  “I just called to say good night.” His consideration made her heart flutter. “I’ve been trying to read, but I can’t concentrate. You’re all I can think about.”

  Beth felt her cheeks turn red, as though he stood next to her, admiring her with his usual appreciative stare. “I’m thinking of you, too.”

  “I miss you so much, little dove.”

  Beth looked around the vacant apartment. Suddenly her alone time wasn’t such a blessing. “I miss you as well.”

  “Have a wonderful sleep, and I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon, okay?”

  A smile overtook her lips. “I look forward to it. Good night.”

  “Good n
ight.”

  Beth hung up and checked the time. It was approaching nine thirty. She should’ve considered sleeping after her hectic week, but she was now wide awake.

  Taking advantage of her renewed energy, she wrapped some small items from the living room in newspaper and packed them into boxes that were not yet full. After filling two more boxes, she labeled them on the outside in pen and sealed them with tape. There wasn’t much more she could do tonight, so she poured a glass of orange juice in the kitchen and decided to retire to bed.

  As Beth closed the icebox, she heard a noise coming from the next room. She popped her head into the foyer. Her gaze landed on the front door’s jiggling doorknob.

  “Olivia?” she called. “Is that you?”

  The doorknob stopped moving.

  With a trembling hand, she set her orange juice down on the foyer table.

  “Nathan?” Her squeaky voice was overpowered by multiple loud bangs on the door.

  Beth jumped back, her heart pounding so forcefully it felt like a bongo drum played on in her chest. The banging stopped. She retreated to the living room and waited for further disturbances, but the apartment remained quiet. With shaky confidence, she tried to convince herself it was merely someone attempting to get into the wrong apartment by mistake.

  Beth sat on the couch and tried to steady her breathing. Several minutes passed without incident before she was able to relax and walk into her room to change for bed.

  Clad in her nightgown, robe, and slippers, she headed for the bathroom. All she wanted to do was curl up with a good book and fall into a dream where Aidan held her in his arms and told her he loved her for the first time. It was then she remembered that the novel she was reading was next to the television in the living room, and she still needed to finish her orange juice.

  She took only a few steps across the living room when she heard a rattling noise at the window. It sounded like it came from outside, but that didn’t make sense. The apartment was two stories up, and the fire escape ladder was retracted.

  Beth chastised herself for acting so cowardly. Olivia had stayed at Nathan’s house on several occasions, and she had never felt this edgy before. She was an adult, perfectly capable of being on her own. To ease her concern, she crept toward the window. It was too dark outside to see anything properly, but the noise had stopped. It could have just been the wind, or perhaps a wandering cat…

  As Beth moved to pick up her novel, the rattling at the window resumed, only this time with more force and urgency. She froze.

  The telephone rang, whipping her nerves into a frenzy. A second ring couldn’t budge her, nor could a third. By the time she mustered the courage to lunge for the phone, it was too late. The ringing ceased, and a thick, eerie silence overtook the apartment.

  Instinctively, she lifted the receiver to call Aidan. As she waited for the operator, she turned toward the window again. A figure of what looked like a man wearing a dark balaclava stood on the fire escape. His masked face pressed against the window.

  Fear swirled inside her like a tornado. The receiver fell from her hand, clamoring against the telephone table as it dangled by its cord. Beth heard the muffled voice of the operator on the line, but fear trapped the scream for help in her throat. Her vision blurred. Then the room spun and closed in on her all at once.

  Aidan jumped out of his Porsche and bolted to the main entrance of the hospital. Minutes ago, he was at home reading when Nathan called with news that he and Olivia were in the emergency department with Beth. They had found her in the apartment on the floor, panicked and mumbling about a man on the fire escape.

  Nathan surmised she had blacked out and hit her head but said the doctor concluded in his physical assessment that she was all right. Nathan also insisted there were no signs of forced entry and nothing seemed missing, and after giving Aidan the name of the hospital, told him not to rush.

  Moments later, Aidan was out of his house and breaking every traffic law on his frantic drive across town.

  He barely made it through the front doors of the emergency department before the memory of his last visit to a hospital, years prior, brought him to a halt. Blinking against the fluorescent lights, he took a fortifying breath and soldiered on.

  He arrived at the nurses’ station and propped both hands on the desk, his gaze unrelenting as he focused on the sole nurse staffing the area.

  “Marie Bates’ room. Now.”

  Nathan had told him Beth was registered under her real name, as required by the hospital, but also to avoid alerting the media about what happened.

  The nurse eyed him strangely. “Are you family, sir?”

  “No, I’m not family. I’m—” Divulging the truth wouldn’t be a smart move. He sighed. “Just give me her room number.”

  “I’m sorry, sir, but you can’t—”

  “Look, lady, I wasn’t asking for permission.” His menacing voice ricocheted throughout the hallway. “Now give me her fucking room number.”

  The nurse backed away but maintained her straight posture and eye contact. “If you’re not family, you cannot see her.”

  Aidan’s anger exploded like a stick of dynamite, annihilating any patience he had left. He slammed his hands on the desk, his lips curled into a sneer. “Fine. I’ll find her myself.”

  He took off down the corridor.

  The nurse scurried after him, her heels clicking along the linoleum floor. “Sir, come back here!”

  Aidan sped up. “Beth!”

  “Sir, you must leave.” The clicking stopped. “I’m calling security!”

  “Beth!” Aidan looked into every room he passed. “Beth, where are you?”

  Nathan emerged from a room ahead and waved him over. “Aidan, she’s in here.”

  Aidan broke into a run and pushed past Nathan into the room. He skidded to a stop. Beth sat in bed, wearing a bloody nightgown and housecoat. Her hair was tangled; her red-rimmed eyes glowed from her pale face.

  Aidan gawked at the bloodstained gauze stuck to her forehead. Flashbacks of his mother sprawled out on the porch after the attack invaded his mind. He nearly doubled over from the resulting nausea.

  Squeezing his eyes shut, he willed the images to go away. He needed to stay strong, but the shock of Beth’s injury was an unrelenting opponent.

  Finally, fury won out over fear.

  Aidan opened his eyes and gestured hastily to Beth. “Nate, I thought you said she was okay.”

  He looked over his shoulder. Nathan was no longer in the room.

  “We heard what the nurse said to you in the hallway. I think he went to try to call off security,” Olivia said quietly. She sat at the bedside, holding Beth’s hand. Makeup and tears streaked her face. “We were allowed to stay because I said I was Beth’s sister. Hopefully he can convince them to let you stay, too.”

  Aidan scanned Beth again. Her head injury looked worse than he’d imagined, but at least she was awake and alert. He could tell by the way her face lit up upon his arrival and how she studied him so intently now. His first instinct was to pull her into his arms, but he held back. Unsure of the true extent of her condition, he didn’t want to hurt her.

  Instead, he approached her cautiously and sat on the edge of the bed. Taking her hand from Olivia, he surveyed for other injuries he might have missed at first glance. All he saw was blood. Its foul, metallic stench made it impossible for him to concentrate.

  “Aidan, please don’t be mad at Nathan.” Beth gave a weak squeeze of his hand. “I told him not to tell you about my cut because I wanted you to get here safely.”

  Aidan exhaled deeply, fighting against his anxiety, which no amount of cigarettes in the world could settle. “What happened to your head?”

  “I’m fine. I just bumped it—most likely on the edge of the telephone table when I blacked out.”

  “Don’t say you’re fine. You’re not fine.” Aidan’s nostrils flared. “There’s blood everywhere, and you have a huge bandage stuck to your forehead.”
>
  “Really, I am. The doctor said it’s a superficial cut.” Beth shrugged under his suspicious stare. “Apparently head wounds have a tendency to bleed heavily. I only needed a few stitches.”

  Aidan’s eyes widened. “Christ, Beth, stitches? You needed fucking stitches?”

  Shock over his outburst registered across her face. “Please don’t be sore at me, Aidan.”

  “Damn it, Beth, I’m not. I just—”

  At the sight of her eyes filling with tears, Aidan’s voice died in his throat. He grazed his other hand across her cheek, feeling the strain ease from his body. He wished he could heal her wound with his touch, or better yet, take back the entire night.

  Nathan entered the room. Olivia rushed to his side.

  “I was able to convince security not to take action against you,” he said.

  Aidan pinned the couple with a no-nonsense glare. “What the hell happened?”

  The cocktail of panic and grief that transformed Olivia’s face told Aidan he wasn’t going to like what he was about to hear. He tensed again as he awaited an explanation but made sure the hand that held Beth’s remained relaxed.

  “I’m not entirely certain. I… I wasn’t home.” Olivia glanced at her beau. “I was at Nathan’s. I was going to spend the night there.”

  Aidan’s first instinct was to let out a series of curses and ask them how they could’ve been so selfish, but placing the blame on them would accomplish nothing. Ultimately, it was his fault. He should’ve been there.

  He looked at Beth, his expression layered with concern. “Why didn’t you tell me you were going to be alone tonight when I called to say good night?”

  “I didn’t want to worry you.”

  Aidan gritted his teeth to prevent speaking his true thoughts—they’d only come out sounding surly, despite his good intentions. He refocused on Nathan and Olivia. They looked back apprehensively, as though they expected him to go berserk on them.

  “If you two weren’t at the apartment, then how did you know Beth was hurt?”