The Star Kissed Collection

by Jamie Campbell

  Looking back at the road, I took a fifty-fifty shot and decided to go right. I started walking, hoping I wasn’t really in the middle of nowhere.

  No cars passed which wasn’t a good sign. Considering I had spent more than a day lying in a ball on the floor, I wasn’t in the best physical condition to walk a marathon. Still, it was better than starving to death or waiting for nightfall and being eaten by some nocturnal animals. The thought of that was enough to spur me on a little faster.

  When I saw a town in the distance, I wanted to cry with relief. If I could find a police station, I would be able to find some help. All I needed was to get back to the airport, find my luggage, and beg for a new flight.

  My legs were killing me, my feet were blistered as I started limping. But nothing was as bad as the thirst. I desperately needed some water and to get out of the summer sun. If I didn’t die from the wild animals, I would definitely die from dehydration.

  The thought of keeling over and succumbing kept me going. I took the road one step at a time, refusing to look up again until I was within the city limits.

  As I stumbled through the streets, the thought of going to the police seemed too daunting. They would have so many questions and I just wanted to go home. I didn’t have any useful information that they would be able to use to find the guys. I didn’t even know what language they spoke. It wasn’t like telling them everything would result in any justice.

  I couldn’t do it. I just wanted to go home and the easiest way for me to do that was to get to the airport and get on another flight. My fastest way to Meadowbrook was by keeping my mouth shut.

  I hailed a cab from the street and asked them to take me to the Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport. The guy didn’t speak English but he did seem to understand where I needed to go.

  Twenty-five minutes later, the familiar building loomed in front of me. I swiped my credit card, catching a glimpse of myself in the driver’s rearview mirror. My hair was a mess, my eyes were ringed in red, and I looked tired. But other than that at least I was partly-presentable.

  I warily returned to the inside of the airport, my eyes nervously darting everywhere. I still didn’t believe I was safe, it was going to take a while to feel that way again. I saw the check-in counter and made a beeline that way, trying to look as normal as possible. I didn’t need any security guards hassling me.

  Through the crowd, I saw a familiar figure. I thought at first it might have been my imagination playing tricks on me and showing me what I wanted to see rather than what was actually there. But no matter how many times I blinked, he was still there.

  I rushed through the bodies separating us. “Cole?” I asked, tapping him on the arm. He spun around, his face lighting up as he saw me.

  “Mel.” He threw his arms around me, hugging me tighter than he had ever done before. “Thank God you’re okay.” He let me go so he could take my head between his hands and cradle me there. “I thought something bad had happened to you.”

  I looked deep into his green eyes, they were streaked with pain. “Someone kidnapped me.”

  We were starting to get some curious looks from the travelers around us so Cole pulled me to the side of the terminal. He tucked us away at the beginning of a corridor, out of sight for most of the people in the airport.

  “Kidnapped! Are you okay?” He studied me, searching for any signs of injury.

  “I’m terrified but they didn’t touch me. The only thing they took was my necklace.”

  “They wanted to rob you?” I shrugged, still unable to make sense of it. He pulled me close again so I was cradled against his chest. His heart was racing against my ear. “We need to tell the police.”

  “No, I just want to go home.”

  “I’m not letting you go anywhere.”

  “What were you doing here?” I asked, trying to make sense of one thing at least.

  He showed me his phone, the screen had my photograph on it. “Looking for you. I was showing everyone your photo, hoping someone recognized you.”

  “Why? I was supposed to be on a plane home.”

  “Your luggage was returned to the hotel. I knew you wouldn’t have left without it. I’ve been here all day trying to find out what happened to you.”

  I flushed with relief, my suitcase was okay. After everything that had happened, it should have been the least of my concerns but it was something safe to focus on.

  “Thank goodness for those horrible luggage tags Scott makes us all put on our bags.” I sighed. Every time we left our hotel he made us put the tags with our next hotel address on it. It was supposed to be if they got lost, the tags would help expedite them back to us and we wouldn’t waste any time on the tour.

  We stood staring at each other for a few moments. It could have been minutes or hours, I didn’t know or care. I was safe, the realization was finally starting to sink in.

  So it was time I left. “I need to go, I have to find a new flight. Is my bag still at the hotel? Can you send it on? I can leave without it but I would prefer to have it back eventually.”

  Cole started shaking his head. “You’re not going anywhere.”

  “I have to. This doesn’t change anything.”

  “We found out who the leak was.” My eyes flicked up to his. Was he serious? “Your phone was hacked. Someone remotely broke into it and took the photos and video.”

  “How?”

  “I took your phone to an expert, I told them to look into it. I wasn’t going to accept that it was you who would do that to us. I couldn’t let it rest.”

  Instant relief flooded through me but it didn’t dissipate the anger . “Who would frame me?”

  “Do you know someone named Brianna Watson?”

  “Yeah, I go to school with her.” My anger was rising up, making my fists clench together. Brianna was lucky she was on the opposite side of the world. She had always had it in for me, I guess being with Cole had taken her hatred for me to a whole new level.

  “We reported her to the police back in the US and our lawyer is taking care of it. She was the one behind that website about you too, the one that listed all your personal contact information. She won’t be doing it again. You can come back and things can return to normal.”

  But it couldn’t all go back to how it was. Everyone thought it was me, they had practically kicked me out of their little group without knowing for sure I was the guilty party. They might be able to forget about it, but I suspected it would take me a little longer. Or a lot longer.

  “I’m still going home,” I muttered. I couldn’t look him in the eyes. Because when I was with Cole, it was difficult to think of bad things. And leaving was something I had to do.

  “Please don’t.” He used his fingers to gently tilt my head upwards so I had to look at him. “Every second that you were gone it was like all the air left my lungs. I couldn’t breathe without you. I love you, Melrose. I can’t make my heart stop beating for you.”

  I wanted to cry because I felt exactly the same way, I just wasn’t as articulate with my words. All I knew was that my stomach fluttered with butterflies when I was with him and my skin tingled with his touch.

  “Do you really mean that?” I asked, because surely I was imagining things. People left me, they didn’t stick around and especially not when things got tough.

  Yet Cole had done that. Even when nobody else believed me, he was still defending me. He truly never thought I was guilty, even when there was evidence to the contrary. He fought for me, which was the exact opposite of leaving.

  “Of course I mean it. You are my everything, Mel.”

  “You’re my everything too,” I admitted. My breath hitched in my throat as he stepped closer. Cole’s mouth was on mine, kissing me deeply, passionately, hungrily. His lips were still soft but they burned with desire and an urge to convince me of his words.

  By the time he released me, I knew what I had to do. I had to stay for the rest of the summer and finish the tour with him. We could work
out how we could repair the damage that had been done.

  “I love you too, Cole.” I smiled up at him, his arms still firmly locked around me. The airport wasn’t exactly the most romantic place on earth but it was to us. Cole made everything romantic.

  Chapter Ten

  Five Weeks later

  “Oh my God,” Dallas gasped. I giggled at her reaction. She had been sitting through my slideshow of photos for forever and still wanted to see more. “Is that Lady Gaga?”

  “Yep,” I replied happily. “She was nice, she said she was a huge Two Dimension fan.”

  Her mouth gaped in a perfect O. “Talk about a summer to remember. All I’ve got to show for mine is a hickey from Andy and a first place trophy from the Meadowbrook Mall talent show.”

  I had a lot to remember from the summer. Things with Cole had gone from strength to strength. It was kind of fun letting the guys make up for their lack of faith in me too. I had never been so pampered and spoilt in my life. I quickly became used to day spas.

  I slowly got over the trauma of being kidnapped. Cole made me go to the police station to report what had happened. They did eventually catch the guys, but it wasn’t for the crime against me. The necklace they had so unceremoniously snapped from my neck was actually the Heart Ruby, worth ten million dollars and stolen from its owner in Paris. They had seen it around my neck in a photo online with the band and tracked me down to steal it again. I was lucky I hadn’t been killed over it.

  “So things are going well with you and Andy then?” I asked, trying to forget my own drama again.

  She blushed, her cheeks turning a shade of crimson. “Yeah. He’s really funny, did you know that?”

  I nodded happily. “He’s the best.”

  “Makes awesome burgers too.”

  I playfully pushed her arm. “I thought you didn’t eat the horrible food at Burger Nation.”

  “It tastes better now,” she said sheepishly. I bet Andy had a lot to do with convincing her to hang out at the burger joint more often.

  “I’m really glad you two are together.” I was being completely honest too. They deserved each other, it was a match made in heaven.

  Much like Cole and I. Coming home and saying goodbye to him was difficult but we already had plans to spend more time together. The distance didn’t faze us, we knew we would be able to make it work. One day we wouldn’t have school or a superstar career keeping us apart. Until that day, we would figure it out.

  One thing I knew for sure, Cole was someone who stayed. He had proven to me that not everyone leaves. With his persistence, love, and guidance, my fear had shrunk into a little ball in the back of my head. With that realization, I was finally able to completely trust him and relax into our relationship.

  I still couldn’t believe I was with Cole Newton, the guy I had crushed on since seeing Two Dimension perform for the first time. Finally, my reality was better than my dreams. We glowed together, our love was completely star bright.

  About The Author

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  Jamie Campbell grew up in the New South Wales town of Port Macquarie as the youngest of six children. A qualified Chartered Accountant, she now resides on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.

  Writing since she could hold a pencil, Jamie’s passion for storytelling and wild imagination were often a cause for concern with her school teachers. Now that imagination is used for good instead of mischief.

  Visit www.jamiecampbell.com.au now for exclusive website only content.

  Also by the Author:

  A Hairy Tail

  Cinderella is Evil

  Saving Rapunzel

  Killing Snow White

  Ugly Sleeping Beauty

  Ashes to Ashes

  A World Without Angels

  Angel’s Uprising

  Gifted

  Ignite

  Unite

  Divide

  Conquer

  Dark Eyes: Cursed

  Songbird

  Through a Tangled Woods

  Trouble