by K. A. Linde
Bryna and Stacia frowned but didn’t say anything. They all waited impatiently for Damon.
A few minutes passed before a bouncer called over the crowd, “Trihnity Hamilton!”
Trihn’s head whipped around, and she raised her hand.
“You’re all cleared.”
A bunch of girls glared at her. Bryna and Stacia both squeezed her and wished her good luck.
“I’ll see you guys later.”
“You’ll do great,” Stacia said.
Bryna just smiled forlornly. Trihn took a deep breath and then elbowed her way through the crowd and past the bouncer.
Damon was standing on the other side of the door, looking as ruggedly handsome as she had ever seen him. At the moment, it was actually unfair for him to be that attractive. He still had on the dark jeans and dark blue T-shirt he’d had on while onstage. His baseball cap was missing, and he looked like he wanted to be fiddling with it to give his hands something to do.
“Hey,” he said. His face brightened when he saw her, and he pulled her against him.
Trihn was stiff in his embrace, and he quickly pulled back. He looked concerned at her lack of enthusiasm. And she figured he had every right to be afraid after what had just happened.
“Um…let’s get out of here. We’ll go to my dressing room.”
She followed behind him as he hurried away from the crowded backstage area. Trihn wondered if it was to tell the crowd that the show was over. Chloe hadn’t looked like she would be ready to go back out there anytime soon.
But who knew? Maybe Damon’s kiss had reenergized her.
Trihn frowned at her own negative thoughts as she followed him into the dressing room with his name on it.
By the time she walked inside, she was seething. All she wanted to do was blow up and demand answers, but she also wanted to give Damon a chance to tell her the truth.
“Not the best concert for you to show up to,” Damon said, closing the door behind her.
“Why is that?” she asked. Because you kissed someone else?
“Chloe just had a breakdown onstage. The staff took her to the hospital. We don’t know what the fuck is going to happen to her. It sounded like they were already talking about checking her into some rehab facility for emotional and stress-related issues.”
“Oh.”
That was not the right answer.
She crossed her arms and waited for more, for him to tell her what had happened between him and Chloe.
“Panic attacks and everything finally got to her,” Damon said. He reached for his hat and plopped it back down on his head. Then, he immediately removed it and started rolling it between his fingers. He looked up and met her eyes. “I guess she just cracked.”
“And that’s the reason I shouldn’t have been at this show?”
He narrowed his eyes in confusion. “You’re upset.”
“Yes.”
“Because of Chloe?”
Trihn gritted her teeth. “Are you going to act like you don’t know?”
Damon opened his mouth to respond and then shut it. He shook his head to reorient himself and sighed heavily. His head dipped back for a fraction of a second as realization seemed to dawn on him as to what she was getting at.
“You saw her kiss me.”
The truth was like someone branding her skin—fiery hot and impossible to remove.
“I saw you two kiss—along with hundreds of other people, I’m sure.”
“It wasn’t like that,” he said immediately.
“Oh, really?” she asked. “Do you want to tell me what it was like, Damon? Because I was standing there and saw what happened with my own two eyes. My friends were worried about me because all this shit was showing up in the tabloids. I defended you, even laughed it off, because you love me. You would never do something like that. I brought them here to the show to prove to them that their worries were unfounded. Then…that.” She gestured to the stage where she saw them kiss. “Do you have any idea what the fuck that felt like?”
“No. Fuck…I couldn’t imagine how I’d feel if I saw someone else kiss you. I’d want to murder them.”
“Basically. So, who do I kill first? You or Chloe?”
“Please understand—”
“I understand! Chloe is into you and saw her chance.”
“She kissed me. I didn’t kiss her back,” Damon told her. “It really didn’t even happen. You know I have no interest in her.”
He took her hands in his, but she pulled away. She had seen it happen. She so desperately wanted to believe him, but he couldn’t just blow it off.
“Do I? Clearly, she has interest in you!”
“She’s emotionally unstable! I don’t care how she fucking feels about me,” Damon said. He drew her toward him. His dark eyes stared down at her with passion and worry and hope and despair. “All I care about is how you feel. That’s all it.”
“Well, I’m pissed!”
“I can see that, but there’s no reason to be. It wasn’t a real kiss. I didn’t even want it. I shoved her away from me once I got over the shock of what the hell was happening.”
She sighed. “I just want to know if it’s happened before. Tell me the truth, please. I can handle it.”
“No! Jesus Christ, Trihn! She had a mental breakdown and kissed me. I stopped her, and they carted her away to the hospital. I am sorry that she did that. I am sorry that you had to see it. I am sorry that you feel hurt and betrayed. You’re looking at me like I ruined your world, but please, please see the truth.”
“I want to. I want to believe you,” she said, a tear leaking out of her eye. She hastily wiped it away. “I want to trust you.”
“Then, trust me. I love you with all my heart. I want to marry you one day…if you’d have me.” Damon kissed the tips of her fingers. “You’re it for me. You have been since day one, love. That’s not going to change—not now, not ever.”
Real tears hit her anew—but not from the pain of what she had witnessed. It was from the shock and realization of what he was saying.
“You want to…marry me?” she gasped.
“Absolutely.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Just say you’re mine. Say you have no reason to doubt me because I would never, ever do anything to hurt you.”
“Really? Nothing happened?” she asked, hope filling her up.
“I swear, nothing happened. There’s no room in my heart for anything, except for you. You’re the person I want to share every moment with.”
“Even that kiss with Chloe?”
“I would have much rather it been you,” he said.
Damon set her hands on his shoulders and started moving their bodies together. This was how it had all started. Dancing, the music, the movement—it was so effortless with them.
“I’ll say it as much as you need to hear it, but I would never cheat on you,” he told her. “I want you. Just you. Only you. Forever you.”
Trihn looked up into his face, absorbing everything he’d said. A million emotions ran through her in that moment. She had no way of knowing whether or not his story was true. But when she looked into his eyes, she saw only sincerity.
Damon was exactly the guy she’d thought he was. She had just gotten so wrapped up in what she had seen that she hadn’t put it into context. If Damon feels something, anything, for Chloe, wouldn’t he be at the hospital with her? Instead, he was here, trying to convince Trihn how much he loved her.
“Would you have told me about the kiss?” she asked cautiously.
He took a deep breath and nodded. “As much as it would have hurt me, I would have told you. That’s why I messaged you, telling you that I love you, like you did in New York when you were stressed. That was where my head was, and I needed you to know it right away.”
Damon leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead. He sighed when she didn’t pull away.
“It is so good to see you. I just wish that every time we we
re together, something horrible didn’t happen. I’m over it all. The next time the press asks me a question about my relationship status, I’m telling them I have a girlfriend and that Chloe and I were never together. I’m tired of not commenting and letting them say whatever they want. I’ll fix this, okay?”
“Do you think it’ll change anything?”
“It will change how I feel, and I hope it will change how you feel about what’s out there. I don’t want to be idle about it. I’m not ashamed of you. Even if the media lies and twists it, at least the truth will be out there.”
Trihn bit her lip and nodded. “I’d like that.”
He sighed and looked down. “There’s something else.”
Fear ate at her stomach. “What?”
“I was going to tell you in person in New York City when I went to meet your family because it won’t be officially announced until then anyway, but since you’re here…”
“What is it?”
A smile spread across Damon’s face. “‘We Never Met’ was just certified platinum.”
Trihn’s mouth dropped open. “Oh my God! Platinum! You guys have sold a million copies?”
“Yeah. And it’s all because of you. None of this would have happened without you. You’re the reason for it all. You’re my platinum girl, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
AFTER THE CONCERT ENDED, Damon insisted Trihn stay with him in LA.
No one was permitted to visit Chloe in the hospital, other than family, and keeping the press away was nearly impossible. It was worthy of Britney Spears’s meltdown in 2007. Luckily, Chloe hadn’t shaved off her beautiful hair.
But due to the emotional stress on the tour, Chloe was flown directly into a rehab facility, and the rest of the summer tour was canceled. She assured her fans that she would be sure to make up all of the missed shows in her next international fall tour but that she needed to take care of herself first.
She and Damon drove back to Las Vegas together with the promise from his manager and agent that they would find something else for him to do until Chloe was back to herself. Trihn could see how upset they were at the loss of profit from the tour. But since “We Never Met” was still at number one and sales had apparently increased since Chloe’s breakdown, Trihn didn’t think anyone was actually hurting for money.
The best part of the whole thing was that Trihn got Damon all to herself again. She would be lying if she said that they didn’t need this time together. To have him around, in her bed and out with her friends, was pure bliss. When they went out, they would have to stay only in VIP areas because his face was so well-known that he would get mobbed. But she didn’t care. She knew things would cool down with time. And she was enjoying the make-up sex in the meantime.
Trihn couldn’t believe that the day had finally come when she and Damon were going to New York. Her designs were as good as they could get, and she was traveling with the clothes the week before the show. She’d promised her parents that she’d have a few days free, so the rest of her family could meet Damon. She was excited and nervous about that.
“Are you ready?” Damon asked as they stepped off the plane at JFK Airport.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
He pushed their luggage, including the giant chest of clothes she had brought with her for the show, on a cart. He had his signature cap low over his eyes as they moved through the busy airport. Someone had recognized him on the flight, but since he’d flown them first class, it hadn’t been as big of a deal as Trihn had thought it would be.
A black town car was waiting for them when they walked outside, and a large African American guy in a black suit opened the door and then took ahold of their luggage. They both hopped into the back seat. Damon flipped his hat off his head and leaned over to kiss Trihn.
She took the hat out of his hand and plopped it on her head. “There. Now, no one will know who I am either.”
He narrowed his eyes at her and popped it off her head. “If that stupid clip would just go away, then maybe people would leave me alone.”
“Doubtful,” she said. At least she had stopped cringing about the video that was spreading of him and Chloe kissing at the show. “Not when your track is still at the top of the charts. Biggest hit of the summer. Everyone is tired of hearing it on the radio already.”
“I’m not.”
“Of course you’re not. It’s your song, silly.”
“And about my girl,” he said, pulling her closer, as the car started moving through the New York traffic.
They arrived at her parents’ townhouse a solid hour later. Both of them were desperately tired of traveling and ready to do a whole lot of nothing. The driver helped them unload their bags just as Trihn’s parents walked out of the front door.
Trihn went to the door and hugged them both. “Mom, this is Damon.”
Damon stuck his hand out, and they shook. “So nice to meet you, ma’am.”
“Please, call me Linh. It’s so nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard only good things about you.”
Damon smiled brightly. “That’s good to hear. It’s glad to be in the city. I’ve never been to New York—well, not officially. My mum and I traveled through on our way from London, but I was young, and we just had a layover.”
“You didn’t tell me that,” Trihn accused. “I’ll have to show you around, and we can do touristy things.”
“Are you from London?” her mother asked, pulling Damon inside and continuing to chat.
Trihn and her dad brought in the last bag.
She dropped her suitcase in the foyer and hugged her dad. “It’s good to see you.”
“You, too, kiddo. Glad you could get your boyfriend here. Your mother has been bugging me nonstop about him.”
“He was a little busy up until this point.”
“You know how she is.”
Trihn nodded and walked into the living room when she heard her name. “What?”
“Since you’re here for a little while and don’t have to run off to a concert like originally planned, maybe we could drive out to the Hamptons.”
Trihn narrowed her eyes. “You had this all planned.”
Linh raised her hands. “It’s just a suggestion.”
Damon met Trihn’s eyes and shrugged. “Up to you. It is quieter than the city.”
Trihn took a deep breath. Why am I even surprised by this?
Her mother had been trying to get her to talk about the wedding and everything that was going into planning it since the engagement had happened. Trihn had stopped answering her calls. Of course, on her one trip home, her mom would take her back to the Hamptons where it had all gone down and where Lydia was going to get married.
But this time, she wasn’t as upset. She had Damon at her side. Her past was just that—the past. She had moved on from what had happened. All she needed to do was face it and prove it to herself.
“All right,” Trihn said finally, taking the seat next to Damon. “If Damon is going, then I’ll go.”
“Great!” Linh said. She clapped her hands and looked up at her husband with raised eyebrows, as if she had just won a victory.
Damon kissed Trihn’s cheek and whispered softly in her ear, “I love you.”
Trihn and Damon stepped out of her parents’ SUV and breathed in the salty sea air. Trihn hadn’t realized how much she had missed it here. She hadn’t been back since Lydia and Preston had gotten together.
“This is our home away from home,” Trihn told Damon.
It was a massive white beach house that they rented from a friend of her mother’s at the magazine. Usually, it was just for a week in the summer, but since the wedding was going to be here, the owners were pretty lenient about their time.
He raised his eyebrows. “And here I thought you came from humble beginnings.”
Trihn laughed. “I did…kind of. It’s not like Bri.”
“No, it’s not, but humble is not the word I’d use,” he said.
“And
what are you now, rock star?” Trihn grabbed her bag out of the back and slung it over her shoulder.
Damon dropped her suitcase onto the driveway and laughed. “Not a rock star. Still a DJ, love.”
“I wouldn’t say you’re exactly humble anymore.”
“Humble beginnings.”
Trihn was walking backward, teasing Damon, as they neared the side door to the house when she heard voices behind her. Damon had stopped moving and was staring at the door. Trihn whirled around and saw what he was staring at.
Déjà vu hit her fresh. Lydia and Preston were standing in the doorway. It was here where she had found out that they were together. It was here where her world had shattered into a million pieces.
Damon came and put a protective arm around her waist.
“Hey,” Trihn said finally. “Mom failed to mention that you guys were already here.”
Lydia brightened and traipsed down the stairs. Her long blonde hair was up in a high ponytail, and she was wearing a bright yellow sundress. “We wouldn’t have missed it,” she said, stuffing her hands in the pockets of her dress.
Trihn noticed she was barefoot.
“Oh my God, are you Damon?” Lydia asked.
“That’s me. You must be Lydia,” Damon said, his accent thick.
Lydia looked like she wanted to rush over and hug him, but she somehow managed to control herself. “It is amazing to finally meet you. I love your music. Both of us do.” She waved for Preston to come down the steps. “This is my fiancé, Preston.”
Damon released Trihn to step forward and offer his hand to Preston.
“Oh, I’ve heard a lot about you,” Damon said, his voice low.
They were nearly eye-level with one another, and Trihn could see that their handshake was more of a squeeze. They warily eyed each other, sizing the other one up.
“That right?” Preston asked.
Damon laughed at Preston seemingly rising to the occasion and then released his hand. “Yeah. You two are getting married, right?”
“Yes,” Lydia beamed. “I hope you will join us.”
Damon caught Trihn’s eye, ignoring Lydia’s apparent charm. “We’ll see. Come on, love.”
