Page 25 of Stone Promises

I look up at the tall building on a very nice street in Midtown as the car pulls away from the curb. “Cole doesn’t need to come in with you?” I ask.

“We’re good. The building has security,” he says. Then a group of girls passing by see Chad and start screaming.

They run up to him, completely ignoring my presence. “Thad! Thad! Oh, my God. I heard you were in New York.”

“Can I get a picture, Thad? I love you!”

“Oh my God! Thad Stone! Can you sign this?” one says, shoving a piece of paper at him.

A few more people hear the screams of the girls and stop to see what’s going on. In a matter of ten seconds, a small crowd has gathered, all wanting a piece of him.

He turns to me, guilt on his face. “I’ll just be a minute,” he says, motioning to the door of the building. “I’ll meet you inside.”

The doorman lets me inside and I turn to watch Chad spend the next few minutes posing for pictures and signing autographs. He smiles at them, but it’s not authentic. It’s strained. Not like the smile I remember when we were kids. Not like how he looked at me when he saw me tonight. More people come up the sidewalk and he quickly ducks into the building, looking a bit frazzled.

“Can you take care of that?” Chad asks the doorman.

“No problem, Mr. Stone,” he says, going out to disband the crowd.

I motion to the growing crowd. “Looks like you may need Cole after all.”

“I can’t even walk from the fucking curb to a building anymore? It’s getting goddamn ridiculous.” He shakes his head in disgust. “I didn’t mean to blow you off out there. I just didn’t want anyone bothering you or taking your picture.”

“It’s perfectly fine, Chad. I understand. And I think it’s nice that you took the time to do what you did for your fans. A lot of actors would have just ignored them.”

He laughs. “A lot of actors aren’t as stupid as I am.”

“Not stupid,” I tell him. “Just kind.”

“Come on, let’s go up before anyone tries to come in after us.” He leads me to the elevator and presses the button for the penthouse.

I look at him with inquisitive eyes. “The penthouse?” I ask. “Did Ethan win the lottery or something?”

“If you call my grandparents dying and leaving us all their money winning the lottery, then yes.”

My hand comes to cover my mouth. “Oh, Chad, your Pap and Nana died? I’m so sorry.” I remember them fondly. We would often go out to their house in The Hamptons in the summer. They had a fantastic pool that had a separate pool house. We would pretend it was our house and we were a king and queen. When Julian would come, they would take turns being the prince.

“Thanks,” he says. “It’s been about six years now.”

“I wish I would have known, I’d like to have attended their funerals.”

He nods. “I’m sorry, I know you would have. My parents asked if I wanted to call you. But I couldn’t.”

“Why?”

“Pap died first,” he says, hooking his thumbs into his front pockets. “It was about a year after you stopped talking to me. My life was a mess. I couldn’t get through the day without drugs. I didn’t want you seeing me like that. I knew I had become a disappointment to you.”

“Why would you think that?” I ask, knowing it’s true but finding it surprising he’d thought it.

“Because you stopped taking my calls. You stopped emailing me. You cut me off all social media.” He shakes his head and sighs. “And because when your mom died and I didn’t come back for her funeral, Julian tore me a new one, telling me how much you hated what I’d become. It’s true, right? That you hated me?”

I take a step back and lean against the elevator wall. “I wouldn’t say I hated you. I just missed my friend, Chad. He was gone and it made me sad.”

Chad pushes himself off the wall and cages me in, his hands on either side of my face. “I’m so sorry,” he says, staring intensely into my eyes. “You’ll never know just how much. But I’m me again. I’m Chad. That other selfish prick is gone.”

The elevator doors open and he backs away, allowing me to breathe again. He helps me off with my coat when we reach the penthouse door.

When we walk through, Ethan comes over, ignoring Chad as he pulls me in for a huge hug. “Little Mallory Schaffer,” he says, releasing me to look me over. “You look wonderful. It’s so nice to see you again.”

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