Page 83 of Starstruck
There’s a brief pause, my knee bouncing as I listen to the message she left me. I knew her calling at quarter-to-four in the morning wasn’t for a good reason, but hearing the nerves in her voice as she cries splits my heart in two. I hate myself even more for leaving my phone on silent overnight as the words, “I-I need y-you,” come out in one breath.
It’s with that phrase that I’m on my feet and moving before I can even think twice. Everything I should be thinking about disappears from my mind, Lennon becoming my one and only focus.
I call her back as I pull on my black combat boots, but shedoesn’t pick up. My mind runs rampant about everything that could be wrong as I try her again.
Still nothing.
So I rush out the door of my hotel room in Cleveland, shrugging on my leather jacket as I do. The door slams shut, and I dial Kevin’s number as I head toward the elevator.
“Whoa, Bax, where’s the fire?” Levi calls from behind me, but I don’t look back.
The elevator doors open, and I turn around, pushing the button for the lobby before looking up at my two best friends, who watch me with confused looks on their faces.
“Lennon,” is all I say as the elevator doors close.
It takes its sweet-ass time going down, but I finally make it to the lobby. I rush outside, phone pressed to my ear as I push my way through the paparazzi, approaching the car that stays waiting for me.
I get inside, the driver looking at me, silently asking where I’m headed. “The airport,” I bark at the same time that Kevin answers the phone.
“Why are you going to the airport?” Kevin asks. “It’s not even ten a.m. Why are you up? What’s going on? ” His tone is worried, clearly catching the bite in mine and sensing that something’s wrong.
“It’s Lennon.”
A sigh falls from Kevin’s lips. “Baxter, you have a show tonight.”
“I need to see her,” I grit out, my frustration growing. “Is my plane ready?”
He’s silent for a moment. “It will be by the time you arrive.” I can almost hear his brows furrow on the other end. “But make it quick. Bring her back with you if you must. You only have seven hours before you need to be at the stadium. It’s your first show here—you need to be back for it.”
A growl works its way up my throat. “Fine.”
I hang up the phone.
The flight from Cleveland to Toronto is barely an hour, so it’s not even noon by the time I make it to Lennon’s apartment building. That gives me just over three hours before I have to be back at the airport to make it to Cleveland Browns Stadium for soundcheck at five.
I don’t even know if she’s here, since I still haven’t heard back from her, but I figured it’s the first place I should check. I approach the front door where her doorman, Kenny, awaits. He smirks when he sees me coming, pulling the door open for me.
“Good morning, Mr. James,” he says with a kind smile.
“Morning, Kenny,” I rasp, walking through the door. “Is she in?”
With his nod, my shoulders fall. At least she’s safe, even if she’s hurting. He buzzes me through the next set of doors, and I continue up to Lennon’s apartment on the eighth floor.
The elevator dings, letting me know I’ve reached her floor. I hurry down the hall until I come to a stop outside her door—number eight-zero-eight. I grit my teeth and bring my knuckles up, knocking firmly.
“One sec,” I hear from the other side. I grit my teeth as I listen for her footsteps.
A moment later, the door swings open, a sharp intake of breath escaping her. “Baxter?”
I take a step forward, wrapping my arms around her. She does the same to me, gripping my jacket like it’s her lifeline. We stay like that for a moment, just holding onto each other like we’ve spent four years apart rather than four weeks.
When she pulls away slightly, she looks me up and down as if to make sure I’m really here before she meets my eyes. “Y-you’rehere. You came?”
I swallow roughly, my eyes holding on hers. “You called.”
Her eyes widen slightly before she tears her gaze from mine, a pink tinge working its way to her cheeks. “I’m sorr?—”
“Don’t,”I grit out, interrupting her. “Don’t apologize, Lennon. Not to me. Not for anything.”
