HERO (The Complete Series)

by Bella Love-Wins

  “Damn. I’m sorry to be the one to inform you, honey. He’s gay. The way that house sounds, it’s a dead giveaway. But look at the bright side, dear. You can crush on him all you like. Plus, as the guy you’re playing, Alex was it?”

  “Yes. Alex Roberts.”

  “Really original, honey. Anyhow, as Alex Roberts, you can be flattered that his interest is reciprocated without getting into the dirty business of sex and dating. It’ll be like having that one hot cousin you can’t sleep with, but you can have around all the time! It’s the best of both worlds, love.”

  Alexandra burst out laughing at the weird comparison. “Like a cousin? Seriously Eva, what do you Brits do over there? Anyhow, he’s coming by tonight. I’m sure of it He’s gotten into the habit of hanging out with me for a few hours when I get home early enough. Oh, wait. Did I mention he’s a firefighter?”

  “Shut the front door! Now I want to fly out for a visit just to get a peek at this guy. You might be playing a male character, but I’m a perfectly eligible single female. I can help you test that gay theory. Seriously Lex, you make him sound like walking cheesecake drizzled with hot fudge and caramel. Darling, I’ve been on a diet for a month! I desperately need some cheesecake.”

  “You keep your pretty little ass right where you are,” she told her, laughing harder.

  The doorbell rang, and Alexandra looked up. It had to be Rosa. She had a key, but she started ringing the doorbell now that Alexandra was staying in the house. She shoved the last spoonful of cereal into her mouth She’s taking me over to see Dad. I’ll call you back when I get a chance to tell you more about everything. I really don’t want Rosa to know I’m into Bash.”

  “Kiss Daddy for me and tell him I said hello. You behave, girlie! That’s an order.”

  “Talk to you later, love.” Smiling, she ended the call and scurried to the front to open the door.

  “All set?” Rosa asked when Alexandra pulled the door open. “Don’t you look adorable! You’d better watch out, Lex. If anyone finds out it’s you under that hat, you’ll set a new trend.”

  “Let me grab my charger and bag,” she said. She went back up the stairs and took everything she needed to keep Dad company for the day. Every day, she hoped that would be the one where he showed some signs of progress.

  Chapter 11

  ALEXANDRA looked over at her father’s physician, waiting for another confirmation.

  “Yes,” the doctor answered again, nodding at Alexandra with a satisfied smile on his face. “You heard me correctly. He’s well enough to go home, if you’re ready to have him.”

  The doctor’s mellow baritone voice sounded slightly awestruck by his own admission, but he could not be as surprised as she was. She let out a breath of relief mixed in with timid laughter, and her misty eyes moved from the doctor, to her father, to Rosa. Her light blue eyes sparkled as she anxiously squeezed her trembling hand.

  “Are you serious?” Alexandra was gushing. She tried to scale back her excitement. The question came out a little too high-pitched, and definitely girlish.

  When the doctor had called this morning requesting a conference, she was worried he would give them more bad news. He did not. He told them that although it would be a long road before her father was back on his feet, he was out of the woods.

  She squirmed on the chair she was in. The décor of the small family conference room was a clashing combination of dark blue and cherry red. The wide wall of windows let in enough sunlight to clearly show the dark circles under the physician’s tired eyes, and the lines chiseled into his face. He probably saw the same imperfections in her face, but she prayed he would not figure out she was a woman underneath.

  The doctor gave her more information about her father’s release, smiling and seeming so hopeful that it was rubbing off on Alexandra.

  “Mr. Storme’s situation was very serious when he was first admitted. We kept him on antibiotics and a range of other medications, and for the past three days, his vital signs and bloodwork are looking far better than expected.” He paused, giving them a serious look. “Let’s be clear, though. He’s going to need home health care, and he’ll be on IV antibiotics and oxygen apparatus for some time. Thankfully, these are treatments that can be administered at home.”

  “That’s the way he would want it,” Rosa replied.

  “Good,” he answered. “Also, I hope you know my decision has nothing to do with his constant insistence that we ‘break him out of this joint’, as he keeps putting it.” The doctor laughed briefly, shaking his head. “If I didn’t think it was best for him, he’d be staying. I assure you.”

  “Of course,” Alexandra said, nodding enthusiastically. “It’s the best thing for all of us.”

  She had told Rick she needed more time to be home. Now she could stick around until Dad made a full recovery. A few more weeks of antibiotics and constant care were ahead, but this news was so much better than hearing Dad might only have weeks of life left. Tears streamed down her face. They were happy tears, relief as she saw how close she had come to losing him.

  “How soon can we transport him home?” Rosa asked.

  The doctor checked his notes. “If you’re ready to take him home today, we can arrange an ambulance to bring him later this evening.”

  “Will we need any special equipment?” Rosa continued with her questioning. She always thought of everything.

  Alexandra tuned them out as Rosa and the physician discussed getting her father safely home. She stared out the window at the blue sky. Her mind was years and years away. The day her mother had silently slipped away that dark night, she had sat beside her weeping father and held his hand, telling him she would always be there for him. She would never forget his response.

  “I hope you will, Princess. And I wish I could always be here for you, too. But, one day…I won’t be. I won’t be able to. I’ll have to leave you behind, too.”

  “A long, long time from now, right, Daddy?” she had asked in a small, uncertain voice. At the time, it felt like anything could happen. In fact, the most terrible thing had already occurred—a parent had been taken away from her.

  “I sure hope so, but no matter when it takes place, I want you to remember one thing.”

  She closed her eyes and recalled the expression on his face, his blue eyes glistening with unshed tears, his pale lashes fluttering as he blinked them away. They had been sitting in the waiting room while the nurses got Mom ready for one last goodbye. Dad had laced his fingers through hers and talked to Alexandra like she was an adult, acknowledging that losing a parent had a way of forcing a child to grow up quickly.

  “I want you to remember to keep going,” he had said. “Be as big as you can be. Do as much as you want to do. And, don’t stop on account of losing me or your mother. Do you understand?”

  She nodded to herself now as she stared at the awful clashing décor in the family conference room. She had not fully understood it at the time. It was during these past days—these long, hard days of trying to prepare herself for Dad not making it—that she had gradually come to understand exactly how much he was asking of her back then. She could imagine how he must have felt. He probably wanted to disappear into a dark, secret hiding place and give up living, rather than face a future without Mom. Instead, he was strong, and had encouraged her to be strong too. Alexandra was even more grateful now for his foresight.

  With the meeting over, she and Rosa walked out of the building and to the SUV in much better spirits than when they had first arrived. They sat in the massive parking lot, and Alexandra could tell Rosa was processing all that had happened. They were both silent.

  “Thank you,” Alexandra whispered after a few minutes. Rosa looked over at her with a soft smile that reminded her of her mother. She wanted to burst out crying all over again, but she choked it back and nodded. “Thank you for taking care of my dad, even when it didn’t look like he wouldn’t come out of this. Thank you for telling me what was going on, even after he tol
d you not to. You don’t know how much I appreciate it, Rosa. And I want you to know how much you’ve come to mean to me.”

  “It’s been a tough time for both of us,” she answered, patting her hand before starting the car and backing out of the parking space. “I believe Maxwell got better because of a very specific dose of medicine…you.”

  Alexandra didn’t deny it. Love was a kind of medicine. She had not seen her father in months before he got sick, but even at Christmas when she had come home and first got the feeling he had a significant other, she saw a positive change in him. Dad had been happier, less harried and not as preoccupied with work.

  The thought made her look at her life in LA before she returned home. It was missing that deep, soul-searing love. Eventually, she would have to go back to LA. She had an album to finish, photo shoots, video shoots, another tour, people to see, things to do. As she watched Rosa drive them home, she had a new burning desire. She wanted to do more than date men where she had no future.

  The string of failed pseudo-relationships was frivolous. The empty house in Beverly Hills felt like a waste. She thought about a career change, or moving back to Tucson. That would be complicated, but then again, she did not want to think about anything at all right now, except her father coming home to get better. After Rosa dropped her off, she went upstairs and curled up on her bed. She pulled the quilt over her shoulders, and now that she had less to worry about where Dad was concerned, she quickly drifted off.

  Chapter 12

  SEBASTIAN felt the cooler evening air hit his face as he stepped out his front door. He was on his way over to see Alexandra, with a plate of spaghetti, homemade garlic bread, and steamed asparagus. He stopped in his tracks at the sight of Rosa directing EMS personnel up the steps. They were carrying a gurney, and even from his porch, he could make out the pale, haggard face of Max Storme. This did not look good.

  He stuck the plate on the wide ledge of his porch railing, and jogged down the steps. In a few strides, he made it across the yard to lend a hand.

  “Good evening, Ms. Rosa. I was just about to come over to hang out with Alex, but it doesn’t look like it’s a good time.”

  She looked up at him with an absent expression. Silver streaks were now visible in her blonde hair. She was more distracted than usual, although he had not been around her much.

  “Is everything alright?” he asked, genuinely concerned.

  “Oh. Hello Sebastian. I can’t talk right now,” she said hurriedly. “They’re getting Max set up now. He’s been released from the hospital.”

  He nodded apologetically. “Sorry for the intrusion. I understand. Please let Alex know I came by.”

  “Thank you, dear. I will.”

  She waved to him and walked inside behind the men pushing the gurney.

  “The dining room would be best,” he heard her say before she closed the door behind her.

  Sebastian looked through the window of Max’s house. Part of the main floor had been converted into a makeshift hospital room. There was a medical bed in the middle of what was the dining room. Beside it as an oxygen tank and other equipment positioned around the bed.

  He turned around and headed back inside, hoping Max would be fine. Grabbing the plate and carrying it indoors, he took it to the kitchen and shoved the plate in the fridge. He went up to his bedroom and looked through his window. He had a clear view of Alexandra’s old bedroom across from his on the third floor. He felt for her, and begin to wish she was not playing this dress-up game. He could be there for her, probably in the way she needed it right now.

  He stepped away from the window. There was nothing to see, anyway. Alexandra kept her curtains drawn all the time. If she was herself with him, he could be more of a friend. He started to think he should play the part, the same way she had been doing as Alex. Lexxi might have been out of his league, but what about Alexandra? Sebastian was not blind. Alexandra was physically attracted to him. It was obvious. They were also closer now. She accepted him as a friend. Maybe it was time to throw her some hints.

  Two can play that game.

  In the couple of weeks she had been home, his visits to the Storme household were probably the bright spots in her long days. It must have been hell for her, spending all that time in the hospital. He could only imagine what it would be like between them if she was herself—as Alexandra, not ‘Alex’. If she gave him a chance, he could show her how little her celebrity meant to him. He knew her long before she became famous, and frankly was more impressed with Alexandra. She showed spunk and was resilient as she faced a tough time in her life. She already had to cope with the loss of a parent, and now had to face the potential loss of her last remaining link. He had been there, with his own parents. It was not an easy thing to face.

  Sebastian went back to bed and turned on the TV. Out of habit, he pulled out his phone and wandered down his ‘pretty good lay’ list. He placed the phone back on the night table.

  Who am I kidding? I don’t want anyone in there.

  He wanted the woman next door.

  As he relaxed, he wondered whether she needed help as she took care of Max. He wanted to be there for her. He planned that after the medics left in the ambulance, if she was still up, he would go over and check in on her…on ‘Alex’. So what if Alexandra thought he was gay? He was no more gay than she was a guy. Her game had to end eventually, but while she was playing, he could play too.

  A slow smile crept up his face. That was his opening.

  Chapter 13

  ALEXANDRA awoke with a startle. She had been dreaming again. Three days had passed since Dad came home. She sat up in bed, tears on her face. The dream was still fresh. She was Alexandra and Lexxi Rock, in two bodies at the same time. Alexandra had been watching Lexxi perform on stage, except it was not her rock star self. She was not singing. She just stood there, smiling and putting up a cheerful front until her face cracked and fell to the floor. No one in the audience noticed what had happened; no one but Alexandra. They kept screaming and cheering and bursting into rounds of applause for her cracked face on the stage floor. It felt more like reality than a dream. The fact was, that was her life.

  Now, she was in a different kind of reality. It was far from the hollow glitz of Los Angeles and the world of rock stardom, but she was happier here. She hopped off the bed and tapped the alarm to turn it off. It had been set to remind her of all the times her father needed his doses of medicine. His next home health nurse would arrive soon to relieve another from her night shift. Just in case she didn’t arrive, Alexandra would take care of him. She got dressed in a pair of plaid skater shorts and a black t-shirt, which she covered over with a tan button-down shirt. She spritzed a tiny amount of cologne at her chest, coughing.

  “That should do it,” she mumbled, stepping into some masculine flip-flops before strolling out of her bedroom to start the day.

  The sun had not yet crested over the horizon when she went downstairs. The old house was drenched in milky gray shadows, as thin, weak light tried to penetrate the dense blinds and closed curtains. She looked around. She had practically turned their home into a mausoleum. She threw open the curtains as she walked by. She would shop for some items to brighten up the space next time she went to the department store.

  It was time to help take care of Dad. She had effectively gone through a crash course on how to take care of him, but now that Rosa was out of town, she felt ill-equipped for the job. Alexandra was grateful Rosa had the twenty-four-hour nursing service start before she left. She had not paid much attention to why Rosa had to go out of town. All she remembered was something about a building Dad owned that needed better property management. Whatever the reason, Rosa’s absence meant it was entirely up to Alexandra to stay on top of things.

  “Good morning, Dad,” she said to her sleeping patient.

  He was out of it with the meds they had prescribed, but she chose to believe he could hear her. She nodded to Lynn, the overnight nurse. Lynn was already gathering
her things, so she could leave as soon as the day nurse arrived for her shift. Anxious to get home, no doubt, but who could blame her. Working late nights could not be fun.

  “Good morning, Lynn. Thank you for taking care of him last night.”

  “Of course, Alex.”

  “Anything I need to know? Any changes?” she asked.

  “Nothing serious to report. He did wake up for about twenty minutes during the night. That was a couple of hours after you went to bed. He was fine, though. He asked for something to drink, and was back to sleep in no time.”

  “Great. Thanks again.”

  “No problem, Alex. I’ll see you tonight.”

  She picked up her bag and headed to the main floor bathroom to change into her street clothes.

  Alexandra quickly headed to the kitchen. She placed her cup in the coffeemaker. Caffeine was a must if she was going to stay awake for up to eighteen hours today. She was also hungry. She threw a pre-made pouch of her breakfast smoothie in the blender. It reminded her to check on his medication. She padded across the converted dining room and looked at the medicine lined up on the side tray beside the bed.

  “Hey Daddy,” she said softly when she returned to his side. “Do you remember how Mom joked around every time you gave her those awful meds? She’d say you finally found a way to tone her down.”

  She smiled down at him, remembering how cheerful Mom had been through her illness. Remaining at his bedside, she watched his chest slowly rise and fall. She could not wait to talk to him now that all the tubes were gone and he was only wearing a breathing mask. The new medications were supposed to keep him pretty out of it for the next few days. Already, he looked so much better than he had in the hospital. He was in his favorite pajamas and was tucked in under his own comforter.

  The doorbell rang, breaking Alexandra from her sentimental thoughts. She went to let the day nurse inside just as Lynn came out of the bathroom.