There would barely be time to keep up a long distance relationship, especially with someone who was not in the industry. She had seen the horrific results countless times before, and up close and personal too when Eva had tried with Jared, a friend they both knew from college.
Things had started off nicely enough, and even Alexandra was rooting for it to work out between them. Eva loved him dearly. They were great together, and in the beginning, Jared had no problem accommodating her or restructuring his life around Eva’s schedule. All of a sudden, poor Jared received a promotion at his startup consulting firm, which moved him from Los Angeles to Silicon Valley. They tried to make it work, but even that short distance apart chipped away at their time together.
Alexandra would not forget how it came to a head that night on the red carpet. Someone had asked her who was the ‘nobody’ with Eva, and he overheard. Alexandra stood up for him, but the damage was done. People treated him like he didn’t count. She could just imagine what it would be like with Bash. Some reporter would probably ask him, “Yeah, it’s cool and all you’re a firefighter out there saving lives and shit, but what’s it like dating Lexxi Rock?” Bash would be trivialized and marginalized. They would rarely see each other, and not at all while she was on tour. If there was any hope for them working out, he would have to leave Arizona or she’d have to leave LA, and the odds would still be stacked against them even if they were both willing. Basically, she met the one guy who had the potential to make her so happy, but that happiness came at the expense of one of their careers. The prospect was a fading mirage—and that was why Bash preferred to let it go.
So why did I still go ahead and sleep with him?
Letting out a breath, she got up and began to pack. As she gathered up the remnants of her discarded life as Alex Roberts, she came across a slip of paper on the top of the dresser. Bash had written down the names and contact numbers of several construction companies for her to phone for repair quotes next door.
So much for refusing to cry.
She could not hold back the dam. It was another example of his selflessness and kind heart. Even after treating him like crap after the Aileen episode, Sebastian had still gone ahead and did what he could to help Alexandra with what she needed. The hot, salty tears rolled silently down her cheeks as she stared dejectedly out the window.
Alexandra tried to pull herself together, but it was so hard. She had experienced her fair share of heartbreaks. The only difference here was she and Bash did not even get the luxury of being in a relationship before they ended it. It just played out in theory in both their minds, and now it was over. She scoffed, because even then, she was lying to herself. That was not the real difference and she knew it. The real difference was she cared about him deeply. He had been an amazing friend to her.
It never hurt this bad before because everyone else had either been a poor fit, a misconnection, or an outright jackass like Wilkes. It was easy to forget about the rest of them, because she saw no real future with them in the first place. This time, she could see a future without Bash, and knew exactly how empty it would be. It brought her full circle to the reason she had kept up the Alex Roberts ruse for so long—being Alex had allowed her to be close to Bash.
After collecting her things, she forcefully shook herself out of moping. “Get it together,” she said aloud.
With Rick’s warning about Wilkes, there was still a lot to do. She started by phoning four of the contractors and made appointments for them to come by later that morning and afternoon. After that, she had a shower and got dressed. She also phoned her father’s room at the hospital. Rosa answered.
“Hi Rosa. How’s Dad doing?”
“Hi Alexandra. He’s great. Do you want to talk to him?”
“Sure, thanks.”
“Hold on. I’ll put him on.”
Alexandra took a breath and straightened up in her seat. She needed to be strong for this conversation.
“How are you doing, Lexxi Rock?” her father asked. He sounded light-hearted and upbeat. “Pink suits you, you know, but the ball cap look was good too.”
“Hi Dad. So you know?”
“I have a television in my room here at the hospital. Your face was all over the local news.”
“Sorry, back up. What did you say about the ball cap?”
“I saw the coverage with you at dinner, and a few channels also showed some pictures of your friend, Evangelyn. You were at the hotel with her as Alex, weren’t you?”
“Oh, that. Yes. You noticed?”
“Of course I did. How is Evangelyn, by the way?”
“She’s great. I think she’s still resting at the hotel.”
“Good. Well, it’s a wonder no one has put the images together. You had better hope they don’t. Not that it matters, but if they do, that costume will be a complete waste of time.”
“It’s too late for that, Dad. Actually that’s why I called. I need to do a few appearances here in Tucson as Lexxi for a while. Can I come by the hospital to see you?”
“Oh, so you mean you and the traveling media circus, right?”
“Kind of. I won’t stay for long.”
“There goes the neighborhood.”
“Sorry, Dad.”
“It’s all right. They’ll only sniff around while you’re at your dear old daddy’s side. After you leave they’ll be back on your trail.”
“True. It will only be for a few days.”
“All right.” He was quiet for a while, and then asked, “How is Sebastian?”
“Fine, I guess.”
“So was I right?”
“About what?”
“That he knew.”
“Yes, Dad. Why didn’t you tell me he was one of the Sullivan boys from next door?”
“How could you not know that? He’s got the same name, same address as when you lived here.”
“I didn’t realize he was the same person.”
“That’s probably because you spent half of your mental energy being someone else, kiddo. Either that or you forgot your roots…in any case, now it’s all in the open, you can focus on what matters. He’s a good man, Alexandra. The two of you would be good for each other.”
She did not know what to say. “Well, I’ve got to head out now, Dad. I’ll see you soon.”
“Have fun, kid.”
Grateful her father did not push the issue, she hung up and looked for the number of the hotel where Eva was staying. She needed to book a room before any of the paparazzi got to Bash. After her room was confirmed, Alexandra phoned Eva.
“How did things go?” Eva asked.
“I don’t want to talk about it yet. I have a few appointments here and after that, I’ll be on my way back to the hotel. Can we meet later for drinks? I know it’s hours away but I don’t think I’ll get much sleep tonight with the way I’m feeling.”
“Of course,” she answered, already sensing Alexandra’s pain.
“Is your driver able to pick me up this afternoon?”
“Definitely. I will set it up, darling. See you soon.”
Eva did not press to talk about it, thankfully. Alexandra hung up, took her things with her, and headed next door to wait for the contractors.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
SEBASTIAN braced himself, waiting for Clint to go at him again.
“When you said the girl of your dreams was off limits, I never would have guessed you were talking about Lexxi Rock,” Clint said, cackling with laughter.
“I wasn’t.” Sebastian moved his chess piece and hoped his gruff response would deter any further conversation on the topic.
By lunch yesterday, Sebastian was in an empty house. Sometime that morning, Alex Roberts ceased to exist.
I really should have known this would be the only outcome.
He spent the rest of the day with little direction, moving through the guestroom where Alexandra stayed, trying to collect memories and lock them away in his head. She left the bed neatly made. The drawers
were cleared. It was like she had never been there. In a way, she had not. In retrospect, getting close to Alex Roberts to get to know Alexandra Storme was a bad idea.
I should have told her I knew from the start.
Like it would make any difference now.
Clint rapped the tabletop with his gnarled knuckles, dragging Sebastian’s attention back to the game.
“Your move,” Clint said, head tilted as though he had been studying Sebastian for some time.
“Getting there. What’s the hurry?”
“You’ve been somewhere else since you walked in, bud. What’s the deal?”
Sebastian blew out a sigh and leaned back in the chair, drained.
“You know what, Clint? Maybe we should call the game now. I’m not in the mood to play today. I’m just not feeling it.”
“Yeah, I picked up on that. First of all, you don’t usually drop by on weekends, and second, the minute you walked in the door I figured something was up. So do you want to talk about it or what? I’m betting it has to do with the dinner, so spill.”
Sebastian looked away, already uncomfortable about discussing Alexandra with anyone. Her personal life was her business, and he was not in any hurry to tell anyone else about what had happened between them, or where he left it.
Clint scratched his shiny head, looking at Sebastian curiously. “Well, buddy, I’m no psychic, that’s for damn sure. I can’t read your mind, so either spill it or let’s watch some TV or something.”
Clint grinned and shook his head. For some reason, it reminded Sebastian the he could talk to Clint about anything. The man was a vault, except perhaps with Beth, and maybe it was time to bounce some ideas off him, in spite how complicated and embarrassing the whole story would probably sound.
“All right,” Sebastian said slowly. “This stays here. Got that?”
Clint leaned forward. “That goes without saying, Bash. Fire away.”
Sebastian started at the beginning, from the day he left Clint’s place and spotted what he thought was a teenager sitting out front of Max Storme’s house. He spared no details, even admitting that he allowed Alexandra to wade around in her own incorrect assumptions that he was gay. Just as he thought, laying out the chain of events was embarrassing as hell, especially when the burly tattooed firefighter laughed his ass off as Sebastian related some of the unusual incidents. Yet, it was also cathartic to let it out. Clint listened patiently without interrupting until Sebastian was done.
Clint leaned back in his chair with a thoughtful expression. “Okay. This is where you’re at now. So, what do you hope to gain out of this?”
Sebastian shrugged and scratched his head. “I don’t know. At first I just wanted to get to know her. I could see us being friends at one point, but after where I left it yesterday, I’m doubtful there’s anything either of us can gain if she’s doing the Lexxi Rock routine. I…I just won’t.”
“Sounds like you got that, but it doesn’t look like you’re too happy about the way things are now.”
“Of course I’m not happy, but what choice do I have?”
“Let me ask the question another way. Why aren’t you pushing harder for what you really want?”
Clint studied Sebastian’s face with a knowing look. He rolled away from the chess table and out of the room.
“Do you need some help?” Sebastian called out when he heard Clint in the kitchen rummaging around in the fridge.
Clint still didn’t answer. He came back into the living room with two beers, and passed one to Sebastian. With a casual and relaxed tone of voice, Clint told him, “First off, you have some luck working for you man, getting a second chance with your high school crush like that. Fate saw fit to give you both a chance to make something happen, but you both blew it. I don’t know Lexxi Rock, but as far as I’m concerned, you let her walk right out the door, Bash. In fact, it sounds like you just about booted her out.” Clint paused and shook his head. “It sucks, but it’s not over yet…She’s still in town, isn’t she?”
“I think so.”
“So see her in person and apologize. You’re not yourself, bud. You’re used to taking what you want. That’s the Bash I know. So go, tell her you’re sorry for acting like a dumbass. Ask her how she feels, and then tell her you want her. End of story.”
“She’s back to being a celebrity,” Sebastian answered. “I’m not sure I want in on the life she’s going back to.”
“If I’m not mistaken, and I’m not, aren’t you the dude who told me they’re no different from us?” Clint lifted his beer to Sebastian, winked, and twisted his lips in a half-smile as he waited for an answer.
“Yeah, sure. We’re all just people, but this situation is different. Let’s say Alexandra and I give this a try. Now, we’ve got to try and maintain a relationship from opposite sides of the country. Not to mention, I’m pretty much restricted from traveling until I find out what’s going to happen with this knee.”
“When’s your surgery?”
“On Monday,” he said tersely, already dreading the idea of both undergoing surgery and leaving the same-day facility to come home to recover alone. Alexandra would not have been there for him anyway, he told himself. It was another reminder that he had closed himself off from mostly everyone else since he made room for Alex Roberts. He started to wonder about one what-if scenario in particular.
What if Alexandra and I really could have a go at it?
“You mean tomorrow?”
“Yeah.”
“Does she know about your surgery?” Clint asked, as if reading his mind.
“I think I mentioned it in passing.”
“Speaking of which, who’s picking you up after the procedure?”
“No one. I was planning to drive there and back.”
“Don’t you know you can’t do that? If they plan to put you under anesthesia for day surgery, they won’t release you unless someone picks you up. I’ll get Beth to drop you off and pick you up after.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know. I want to.”
“Well. Okay, thanks Clint.”
“It’s no trouble at all.” Clint shrugged. “I still can’t stand to see you let that woman leave town without setting things right. It’s all through her music, the rough time she’s had with heartbreak. People love her for that…she’s relatable. You should at least try. It’ll do you both some good to know what it’s like to be loved.”
“I didn’t say anything about love,” Sebastian muttered.
Clint rolled his eyes. “Yeah…you didn’t have to. It’s plain as day. Anyhow, you should listen to some of her songs. Actually, I’ll text you the link to the ones I bought. Spend some cash. Hear what she has to say in her music.”
He shook his head and took a swig of his beer. “That’s quite all right.” The truth was, Sebastian was not sure he was ready to hear Lexxi Rock being raw and honest in her music after she was so guarded and unreal with him. “Don’t worry about it, man. Listen, I’ll figure it out. At the end of the day, being friends was good while it lasted. It’s just one of those things.”
Clint conceded with another shrug. “It’s your life, buddy. I’ve just never seen you act this way…after all the two of you went through, don’t you think it’s something worth keeping? I mean, that’s all Beth and I had at one time. She’s my best friend in the world, before romance or anything else. Who else would put up with a moody old fart like me?”
“True, I guess.”
***
Sebastian heard the house phone ring when he walked into his house. Swooping up the cordless phone, he placed it beside his ear.
“Hello?”
“You’re impossible to pin down, Sebastian Sullivan.”
“Hi there, Chief,” he answered, only just remembering his boss wanted to speak with him since the night of the fire at Max’s house. It had slipped his mind, like many other things had lately. “Sorry about that. What can I do for you?”
�
�This is off the record, Sullivan. I’ve been reviewing your files on that knee injury.”
“Oh, okay. Is there a problem?”
“I don’t know yet. I have a friend keeping an eye on it. The team needs you, Sullivan. You know that. You’re one of my best guys, and we all want to see you back out here.”
“You and me both, sir. I’m not used to having all this free time. So, what’s it looking like? How soon can I get back in the game?”
“As soon as you’re done with the surgery, there’s some more physical therapy, and after that, all you have to do is pass the physical. That’s the part you need to worry about, Sullivan.”
“Uh-oh.” Sebastian knew what he meant, but he was ready to do what it took to pass that physical test so he could be back at work. Nothing kept him as clear-headed as responding to a fire. He missed it, and it was exactly what he needed so he could get this crazy ordeal with Alexandra out of his system.
“In my experience, that knee injury is nothing to play around with. You know how rigorous our physical exam is. You’ll need to duck walk on that knee, remember?”
“Yeah. That was intense.” Doubt began to claw down his spine at the thought of trying to force his injured joint through the grueling tests that many healthy men and women had a hard time getting through. He swallowed nervously. “Are you trying to tell me something more, Chief?”
“I have faith in you, Sullivan. You just have to consider that less than eleven percent of firefighters return to the job after an injury like yours. If I were you, I would want to have some other options, just in case.”
Sebastian threw a hand up to the wall beside the phone stand, shaking his head. “I’m a fighter, Chief. You already know that. I’m sure I can make a comeback.”
“That’s the spirit, son. I’m rooting for you to do just that. All the best on your surgery next week. You take care.”
Reveal: A Contemporary Romance (Billionaire Rock Star Romance Book 2) Page 9
