Dear April (Sunshine & Shadow Book 2)

by Williamson, Alie

  The song started and April felt the first tear run down her face.

  It was sweet and slow, but filled with an emotion she had only ever known once; when she was with Lex. Hearing his melodic voice sent shivers down her spine and made her heart fill with an ache that could only be described as love.

  “I knew I’d never be the same. Country roads and those mud stained jeans. Playing your innocent little game, you didn’t even know we played,” Lex sung.

  Meagan grabbed April’s arm and pulled her out of her trance. “Oh my God, how lucky is that girl?” She beamed and Charlotte nodded, agreeing.

  “Pretty lucky,” April murmured. She turned her attention back to the stage and the world seemed to freeze.

  This was one of the moments Lex had described. The crowd disappeared. The song disappeared. Everything but the man on stage was blurred. Nothing else mattered.

  Their eyes locked. Lex held out one hand and it was almost as if he held a rope. April felt like she was being tugged forward. Her feet moved subconsciously and before she knew it she was nearly all the way up to the stage.

  A hand wove around her waist and pulled her aside. The world slammed back into focus.

  “Oh no, you don’t.” Cash stared down at her, not letting go.

  She was confused.

  “April, there are cameras everywhere,” Cash said.

  April looked around and spotted at least three television crews, each with their own video camera, not to mention the mass of people waving cell phones in the air, trying their hardest to snap a picture of their favorite country star.

  She felt sick with disappointment. She was so close to Lex, and yet she couldn’t go to him. Was this what life with him would be like?

  Cash slipped a card in her hand. “Here, it’s a VIP pass. Come to the trailer tonight around 10. I’ll make sure there aren’t any paparazzi.” Cash moved his grip to her arm and gave it a sharp squeeze, forcing her to tear her eyes off the stage and look at him. “For now, April, please, just go back to your friends.”

  April nodded, dejected and turned around. The song drifted to an end and the last line hit her heart.

  “And now I wish it was April every day.”

  Chapter 4

  The VIP card got her into the maze of trailers without any trouble from the security guards. However, it was not a map and April couldn’t remember where she had run to when she had found Lex’s trailer. She wandered in between RV’s and campers until she was close to giving up. Then she heard Lex’s voice.

  “Look, I don’t know why you are here.”

  A woman snarled back at him. A voice April didn’t recognize. “How do you think it makes me look, Lex, when one of my friends sends me a video of the song you sang to another girl!? You think that makes me look good?”

  “I really couldn’t care less, Vi. You knew what this was when you signed the contract. Why are you suddenly acting like I betrayed you or something?”

  Contract? That must be what Lex had written about in the email. April listened harder, being careful not to make any noise.

  “Because you did betray me, Lex! You are making me look like an idiot! When the producers hear that the song was about some other chick, they’ll have your skin.”

  “And who’s going to tell them? You?” Lex growled. April could almost swear she heard a threat in those words.

  “I’ll do whatever necessary for my career, Lex. I believe I told you that once before.”

  “Yeah, Vi, I remember. The point is, I love this girl, and my biggest regret right now is signing that damned contract.”

  “I regret it too, Lex.” Their voices were softer now, calmer.

  “Why would you regret it?”

  “You always hear about the lead actors in a movie falling in love and living happily ever after…”

  “You told me you wanted it to happen between us. But you have to understand; I’ve never felt this way before.”

  April’s heart soared and a sound came out of her throat. She covered her mouth and listened.

  “I thought you were over her.”

  “I was trying to be. I thought that if I could distract myself enough, then I could get over her. But it didn’t work.”

  Violet sighed. “You really love her, Lex?”

  “I do.”

  “And there’s nothing I can do?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Then breach the contract.”

  “I can’t do that, Vi.” Lex was angry again.

  “Why not? If she means that much to you.”

  “She means the world to me! But I’ve worked so hard for all that I have. If I breach the contract, if they find out, I’ll lose everything.”

  “So what do you want to do?

  Lex groaned; a pained sound that made April want to rush to him.

  “I want April, but I have to finish this movie. I’m just afraid she won’t wait for me. It’s a lot to ask of someone.”

  “It is. But if she loves you like you love her, she’ll wait.”

  Lex didn’t answer.

  “Look, Lex, I won’t tell the producers. If she means that much to you, then I’ll back down graciously. But so help me, if you make me look like a fool again I will bring your entire world crashing down on you, do you hear me?”

  There was something in Violet’s voice that April found unsettling.

  “I hear you.” Lex sounded dejected and completely deflated.

  “Good. I’ll see you in a few days. Don’t forget we have Jerry Sprinter Wednesday. And good job tonight. From what I heard, you sounded great.”

  April held her breath as Violet passed by the trailer she was hiding behind. As the sound of her footsteps subsided, she went to find Lex. He was sitting on the table that was set up underneath the awning of the oversized RV. He didn’t look happy at all.

  “Lex?” she said.

  Lex looked up, his eyes full of pain.

  “April.” He closed the gap between them in two strides. Enveloping her in his arms, he buried his face in her hair and inhaled. She could feel his body shaking, sending vibrations through hers.

  “I was listening.”

  He froze. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Did you mean what you said about me?”

  “Every word. You are everything to me. These past few months have been hell.”

  April nodded and laid her cheek against his chest. She believed him. “For me, too.”

  Lex led April inside. The interior of the colossal rig was just as impressive as the outside. Large leather sofas lined one wall, mirrored by an oversized dining table made of dark wood. It looked more like an apartment than an RV. They sat opposite each other at the table and Lex gestured towards a bowl of pretzels.

  “Eat,” he said, firmly. “You’ve lost weight since I last saw you.”

  April grimaced. She didn’t like that he noticed.

  “Tell me about the movie,” April said.

  Lex shrugged. “It’s everything they said it would be.”

  “You don’t sound very excited.”

  He groaned. “It’s everything they promised, but it’s not everything I expected, I guess.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You know when you plan something for a long time, how it sort of builds up in your mind to this unbelievable, amazing thing?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I thought doing the movie would make me happy, and maybe at one time it would have. But now it feels like there’s something missing. It’s felt that way for a while.”

  “Since when?”

  “Since I left the ranch. There’s been something missing since then, and it’s making me miserable, even when I’m doing something that used to make me so happy, like performing, or acting.”

  “It’s my fault? I’m the reason you’re miserable?”

  “No, not at all! Please don’t think that!” Lex gripped April’s hand and stared into her eyes. “It’s not your fault. You’re the only thing that kept my h
ead above water. Thinking of you was the only thing that made me smile. I don’t know what’s missing.”

  April rubbed her thumb in circles on the back of his hand.

  “Ever since I left the ranch, I can’t pretend my life is perfect, because it isn’t.”

  “You said that in your email.”

  “You read them?” Lex looked at her with wonder on his face.

  April nodded. “I tried not to. Thinking about you made me sad.”

  “I don’t think I can make you realize what it did to me to have to leave without saying goodbye. It was stupid. I should have told you about Violet the first second I felt something for you, but I was scared.”

  “Scared of what? Me?”

  He shook his head. “I was scared you wouldn’t forgive me. That you wouldn’t understand and…that you’d hate me.”

  “I could never hate you.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “I know you are. And I can’t pretend to be okay with it, because you’re right; I don’t understand. But I’ll try, for you. I’ll try for us, because I don’t want to lose you again.” April went to sit beside Lex and laid her head on his shoulder. He kissed her forehead.

  “Can I ask you something?” she said.

  “Of course you can.”

  “Do you believe Violet, when she said she would back down?”

  He nodded. “I do.”

  April didn’t answer.

  “You don’t?”

  “I…I don’t even know her.”

  “Do you think she’s telling the truth?”

  She looked down. “…I think she likes you.”

  “She does. We’re friends.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “She’s my friend, April. Maybe at one time, she wanted to be more but she’s not gonna push it. I’m not gonna let her do anything to mess up what we have, either.”

  “But, I still think…”

  “Enough, April. She doesn’t have feelings for me, okay? Please just drop it.”

  “Okay, okay.” April held up her hands.

  “Can we just have a good night, just us? No Violet talk, yeah?”

  She kissed him on the cheek. “Deal.”

  The evening seemed to pass in a second and before April knew it, it was midnight. She had promised her friends to catch up with them at the hotel after having drinks with her friend. Luckily they hadn’t caught on to her lie. She was actually surprised none of them had asked her about Lex’s song. She just hoped she wouldn’t have to divulge too many details about her evening. She was a terrible liar.

  April and Lex kissed goodbye inside the RV, not willing to risk being caught. The entire ride back to the hotel in the cab, April replayed the kiss over and over in her mind. His lips were softer than anything she had ever felt before. She never thought she could need someone as much as she needed Lex. He was her missing piece, the element that gave her the spark that everyone searches for. She couldn’t lose him again. Especially to Violet and her manipulative words. She didn’t know what she would do. But she had to do something.

  Chapter 5

  April’s friends didn’t ask her any questions when she met them in the hotel bar. By then they were so drunk they probably thought she had been there the entire time. Just in case they got curious in the morning, April planned to feign annoyance, saying she didn’t want to tell the story for a fourth time. They wouldn’t know she was lying with the amount of alcohol they were consuming.

  Her dreams that night were filled with bright green eyes, dimples and beautiful songs that made her heart swell and her skin tingle. She awoke to darkness, desire swirling inside her, and found herself reaching subconsciously for Lex. Disappointed when she found the bed empty, she rolled over and closed her eyes, sinking once more into a restless slumber full of Lex.

  Meagan woke her in the morning when she rushed to the bathroom. The sounds of her retching sent April’s stomach turning, so she quickly and quietly pulled on her jeans and left the room, grabbing her phone from the desk. She knocked on the neighboring room and a tired, hung-over Charlotte opened it.

  “Ugh, it’s so early.”

  April checked her phone. “It’s nine-thirty.”

  “But it’s Sunday.”

  April raised her eyebrow.

  “Fine!” Charlotte moved out of the way to let April in. “You have to put the coffee on.”

  April made coffee as Charlotte got dressed and tried to tame her wild hair into a ponytail. The girls sat on the bed and drank coffee from plastic cups. To April’s surprise Charlotte didn’t push for information about Lex. She only asked what any friend would ask, and April was happy to talk about how great Lex was without giving away too much.

  “So what’s gonna happen with the two of you?”

  April shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. I hope something, but I just don’t know what. He travels a lot. And he lives in California. That’s quite a drive.”

  Charlotte laughed. “Yeah, I guess so. But if it’s love, it’ll find a way, right? Just have to belieeeeve.”

  The girls laughed, finished their coffee and went to see if Meagan was still alive. She was doing her makeup in front of the large mirror when they entered the room.

  “Where’s everyone else?” she asked.

  “All gone. Lily and Emma have to work. I think Raine was too hung-over to have another night like last night. Speaking of which – how are you feeling?” Charlotte raised her eyebrow.

  Meagan groaned. “It hurts, doc.” She covered her eyes.

  “Are you still gonna come back to the festival today?” Charlotte asked her.

  “I want to. I’ll just have to tough it out.” She took a deep breath. “Come on, Meagan. This is what you were training for all through college.”

  When the girls were ready, they piled into the car and drove to the festival. The crowd was considerably smaller today and April could see why; the people who had braved it were mirror images of Meagan - wearing sunglasses and shielding themselves from the sun even with the sky being overcast. April hoped it wouldn’t rain.

  The girls made their way to the saloon and ordered orange juices. Charlotte was the only one hungry. She ordered a large breakfast that made Meagan turn green. Meagan excused herself and April laughed.

  “Self inflicted. No sympathy!” she shouted after her fleeing friend.

  Billy Currington, The Band Perry, and Chad Brownlee were all scheduled to perform that day. April sighed. She had almost expected to see Lex’s name even though deep down she knew she wouldn’t. She wondered if he was even there.

  Someone tapped on her shoulder. She turned around.

  “Lex!”

  Lex smiled down at her and touched her back lightly. April found herself pursing her lips and had to stop herself from leaning into him.

  “Hi there.”

  Charlotte dropped her fork and stared at Lex.

  He grinned. April could tell he was used to girls being speechless and gawking in his presence. Her reaction when she first met him at the ranch must have been similar. She remembered feeling frozen in place the first time he had looked into her eyes. Even she hadn’t been able to withstand his charm.

  “Charlotte, isn’t it?” Lex asked, offering his hand.

  April waved her hand in front of her friend’s face and Charlotte snapped back to reality, looking extremely embarrassed.

  She looked up at Lex, her cheeks flaming.

  “Hi,” he said, grinning, obviously finding the situation very funny.

  “Hi…” Charlotte murmured.

  Lex turned his attention to April. “Can I steal you away for a little while?”

  April looked around for any sign of Meagan’s return. She didn’t want to leave Charlotte by herself. “Can Charlotte come?”

  Lex looked back at Charlotte, who sat motionless on the stool, still obviously completely star struck. “Do you trust her to keep a secret?” he asked April.

  April looked at her friend. “Y
eah.” For some reason, she knew Charlotte wouldn’t tell anyone.

  Lex nodded. “Come on, then.”

  April turned to the bartender. “Excuse me, remember the girl we came in with? The blonde?” The man nodded. April handed him a twenty dollar bill. “When she comes back, tell her we won’t be long, and keep giving her orange juice. The rest is for you.”

  He nodded and pocketed the bill.

  Lex and the bartender shared a look that April didn’t understand, and then she and Charlotte followed Lex out of the saloon, and towards the trailers. He smiled at the security guards as the three of them entered the VIP area. They leaned against the fence, looking unhappy at the girls following Lex.

  “What’s going on?” Charlotte whispered to April. With Lex turned away, her composure had returned. “How do you know Lex Mitchell!?”

  “It’s complicated ...” April watched Lex’s back sauntering along in front of them. Man, oh man, was it ever complicated.

  “Where are we going?”

  April shrugged.

  They arrived at Lex’s RV and Charlotte looked at it in awe, her mouth dropping open. She looked around in amazement.

  Lex looked at April. “You sure you can trust her?”

  April nodded.

  Lex closed the gap between them and kissed her, his lips pressing into hers with an almost desperate edge. It was deliciously unexpected and April kissed back, eager for more.

  “Whoa! April!”

  Charlotte looked so confused that April almost laughed. Sudden understanding appeared in her friend’s eyes.

  “Oh, I get it. Alexander. Alex. Lex. He’s the friend you had drinks with last night?”

  April nodded.

  Charlotte’s face stretched into a huge grin and she wrapped her arms around April, squeezing her. “Why didn’t you tell me, silly!?”

  April hugged her back. “It’s a secret.”

  “I knew there was something off about your Alex story, but I figured he was just really weird or something and you were embarrassed.”

  “Nope,” April said. She sighed and felt Lex’s hand find hers.