Page 97 of Sky Full of Stars

He said he wasn’t going to stay at the party so I figure I should wait for him here. After changing into some sleep shorts and a t-shirt, I try calling, but no answer. I take out a book and get comfortable on the bed. A wild rock n roll party isn’t my scene, I feel better being here. But not so great knowing who else is at that party.

Should I march in there, find him, stake my claim in front of all those girls who would no doubt be throwing themselves at the band. Like Erica. God, I push my head back against the headboard. I don’t like second guessing myself or Adam. I trust him completely, but…where is he?

I feel tired, all the flights catching up with me and I have a big day tomorrow with the book signing at a huge bookstore in the centre of London, I need to be prepared for that, and getting a good night’s rest is what I should do.

Another half hour and still no message from Adam, I call one more time, then put down my book, slip into the bed and try to go to sleep.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

“What do you mean you left her there? When?”

“An hour ago,” Stone says. “I took her to the room they said you guys were at and she said she’d be okay.”

It was hard to hear so I walked into a bedroom, only to realise the bed was occupied. I saw Jordan’s smirking face, before I could see his bare ass I turned and went back out into the heaving party. I’ve been looking for Jenna since I got here but can’t find her. My phone has gotten lost somewhere between the venue and the hotel and I’m using Arch’s but he doesn’t have Jenna’s number and I don’t know it by heart. I initially went to the room but she wasn’t there. Figured she hadn’t got back from the venue, which I was pissed about, we shouldn’t have left without her, but I’d been hustled out after a fan went crazy trying to climb over the table where we were signing merchandise.

And now I’ve finally got hold of Stone, he tells me he left her at another party in the hotel an hour ago? One of the support bands was throwing that party on a lower floor.

Arch and Jordan kept holding me hostage, telling me Jenna would be here soon and it was best to stay in one place so she would find me, but too long has passed since we got here and I’m freaking out.

I push my way back through the crowd, tell Stone thanks and hang up. Arch can get his phone back tomorrow. I have to go check the room again.

“Aidan,” Erica appears before I get to the door. “Everything okay?”

“What? Yeah. Yeah, all good. I’m just heading out.”

“Already? The party is hardly started yet. Come on, the Aidan I used to know wouldn’t be leaving so early. Surely that hasn’t changed,” she smiles and leans into me, putting her hand on my arm again, the same way she did yesterday. It was familiar and foreign at the same time.

“Yeah well, that was then. I need to go, enjoy the party.”

I start to pass but she tugs on my arm. “Come on, don’t leave. We haven’t had chance to catch up and your friend didn’t seem interested enough to stick around.”

“You saw Jenna?” I ask, snapping my attention back to her.

“This isn’t really her scene. She doesn’t really fit in.”

I curse inwardly. If she has been here and left, she’s probably upset. She would have no way of knowing I lost my phone, or that I’ve been trying to get out of here and find her. Erica has no right to be making judgment calls on someone she would never stack up to.

“Come on, stay, have a drink,” Erica gives me another smile, her eyes full of desire and lust. “I’ve missed you.”

I shake my head. “Erica, this,” I moved my hand indicating between the two of us. “Isn’t going to happen again. Ever.” Her face drops the more I speak. “I’ve moved on. I’m in love with someone else.”

“Love?” she sputters.

Shit…Did I just say that? Yeah, I did. I said it.

And the woman I am in love with is off somewhere by herself wondering where I am and probably what I am getting up to. This is all such bullshit. I don’t know what is going on but this isn’t a simple case of Jenna walking into the wrong party. Some other shit is going on here. I look over her shoulder, searching the crowd and spot Bianca. She doesn’t usually hang out at these after parties but she’s here, with a drink in her hand. She is watching us and I narrow my eyes at her but don’t care enough to question her being here.

I couldn’t care less about Erica and her feelings. Even when her eyes water up, wanting what she can’t have, when she was the one who threw it away. There is no point hanging around to explain it to her. I did the only thing I know will drill it into Erica’s head. I walk away without a word.

I hurry up the stairs because the elevator is taking too long, and down the corridor to my room. I let myself inside, it is dark and for a moment I think she really has disappeared but then I see her shoes and coat, the hoody she’d been wearing earlier. I breathe out a sigh of relief and head to the bedroom. The lamp light from the sitting area allows enough light to see into the bedroom. She is in my bed. My heart drops. How long has she been here? Was she waiting for me? Shit, I should never have let them talk me into leaving the venue without her. I don’t know how she is going to feel about all this but in the past, she hasn’t dealt with anything relating to my fame that well.

I tiptoe over to the bed and slowly sit down beside her. She shifts and her eyes open, she is sleepy and beautiful, pushing her hair out of her eyes.

“Hey,” she murmurs.

“Jenna, I’m so sorry. I’ve been looking for you for ages, I lost my phone and then you weren’t at the party. How long have you been here?” She blinks and rubs her eyes which makes me feel even worse for waking her when she’s clearly tired. I brush her hair back from her forehead.

“Not sure. S’ok though, don’t worry,” she shifts onto her back and shuffles up so she is sitting back against the headboard.

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