HERO (The Complete Series)

by Bella Love-Wins

  “Try plugging it in,” he told her, reaching for the dangling cord as he got closer.

  Fuck. I must look ridiculous.

  “What? I don’t get it. I heard it ticking before.”

  “That’s the clock.”

  Crap.

  Suppressing a groan, she quickly plugged in the device and set the timer. “Thank you,” she answered awkwardly.

  Alexandra tried not to gawk as Sebastian leaned on the countertop directly in front of her, launching in into a lazy conversation about his plans for the day. She barely registered a word he said, finding herself staring at his tanned skin with something like craving. She was not even hungry any more. What she needed, she could not have. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.

  Sebastian touched her forearm. “Alex? You okay? I asked if you wanted to try beating me on the video games later tonight.”

  “Yeah. Yes, sure,” she answered. “I need to look into some construction companies so they can start work on the repairs at Dad’s place, but later tonight is fine.”

  To avoid too much more interaction, she excused herself, stealing off with the pastry and darting back up to her room to eat.

  * * *

  Later that morning, Alexandra left the guestroom again to run downstairs for a bottled water. On leaving the kitchen, she ran right into Sebastian’s chest, although this time he was wearing a shirt.

  Bash grabbed her by the shoulders and steadied her. “Hey, there. Watch out… are you okay?”

  “Sorry,” she mumbled, pulling away and scurrying toward the staircase.

  “Wait,” Bash called after her. “Did you find that information you needed? To get the repairs done?”

  “I’m still working on it,” she shouted back.

  “Well, let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

  “Will do.”

  Alexandra did not find out anything about the repairs because she had not quite started looking yet. She had spent most of the morning on the internet, fixated on just how much damage the contrived Lexxi Rock trip to the French Riviera had done. The media had a field day with it. She returned to her spot in front of her laptop when she got back to the guestroom.

  Five minutes later, she stumbled across another batch of lurid headlines. There were more and more articles she refused to read in full because they were all horrendous.

  “This is unbelievable. ‘Lexxi Rock All About Fame, Not Fam’, and ‘Lexxi Rock Forgets her roots to Frolic with the French?’ Who comes up with this shit?”

  Irritated, she grabbed her phone to call Rick.

  It’s time I fix this before it gets any worse.

  Eventually, she needed to get back in Los Angeles. She didn’t want this hanging over her head.

  “Lexxi?” Rick answered.

  “Rick, hi! I’m glad I caught you. I wanted to let you know everything is coming together.”

  “Is Max okay?”

  “Yes. Dad’s a lot better than we expected. He’s back to being his old self, thanks for asking. They’re keeping him at the hospital to be sure he doesn’t relapse.”

  “That’s a relief, dear. Do you need me to make any special arrangements for him before you leave?”

  “I’m taking care of those at the moment.”

  “Good. So does this mean you’re heading back soon? Tomorrow would be great.”

  “Not quite, Rick, but I’ll definitely be home in time to finish the song list for the album. We’ll have more than enough time to make the planned release date.”

  “That’s my girl! I knew you’d see the light! Los Angeles doesn’t have a thing to offer without Lexxi Rock, honey. When will you get here?”

  Her gregarious manager would not stop with the question of her exact date of return, and Alexandra had to laugh at his enthusiasm. She almost forgot how frustrated she was the last time they spoke. Almost, but not quite.

  “I hope you realize how much you upset me during our last conversation, Rick Bernstein. You know I hate getting into it with you, but last time…you really made me feel like you couldn’t care less about what I have going on here in Tucson, like work was more important to you than Dad.”

  “You know me, doll. I might ruffle your feathers, but I’m not in this to clip your wings. This is just how the business is. There are no stand-ins in the real business, hun. I can’t sweeten reality any more than to tell you it’s either you show up, or you don’t. You’re free to make whatever decisions you want to make. I’m just happy you’re almost ready to fly back to LA. So, when will you touch down?”

  Rick covered the phone and shouted muffled orders to someone in the background. Something that sounded like, “Get TMZ and Celebrity Buzz on the line.”

  Alexandra rolled her eyes. There was no changing this guy. Her career was his passion at the moment.

  She sighed. “I initially had my flight scheduled for the end of this week, but I may need more time.”

  “A week is allowable, but anything else—”

  “I thought you weren’t clipping my wings,” she reminded him.

  He laughed. “All right, all right! What do you want to do?”

  “I was just online reading some of the trolls on my Twitter feed, and I had an epiphany, Rick.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “With everyone bashing Lexxi for partying in the Riviera while Dad was ill, don’t you think I could make a brief appearance out here in Arizona? I want my true fans to know I’m not completely heartless. Dad almost died, after all.”

  “Sure. That could work. Listen, I’ve been giving your return considerable thought, too. Do you know what occurred to me? You don’t look a thing like the old you. I haven’t seen you yet, so I can only imagine, but you cut off your hair, Lexxi. Your perfect purple hair!”

  “True, but I’m already over it. Plus, we were talking about new looks for the new album, right? I bet we could merge some of the old with the new.”

  “I’m not so sure about doing that right away, honey. We can talk about it further down the road. Let me think about it and get back to you, but right now your fans need to see the Lexxi Rock they know and love. I took the liberty of hiring a wigmaker to recreate your old hairstyle. I was planning on giving it to you when you made it back to LA, but if you’ll do an appearance in Tucson, I can ship it out to you.”

  “That’s why it’s hard to hate you, you tyrant. You keep all my bases covered. Send it by overnight courier under the name Alex Roberts. The sooner it gets here the better.”

  “Text me the address and consider it done.”

  “Will do. Thanks Rick.”

  “You don’t know how relieved I am that you got in touch with me, Lexxi. All right, I’ve got venues to call, interviews to schedule and people I need to work on to get back in their good books. I’ll keep you posted.”

  “Great.”

  “You know you just tripled my workload, don’t you?” he joked.

  “Yes, and you love it.”

  “I’m not sure I would put it that way, but be glad I’m not angry.”

  “You know you’re ecstatic. Come on, admit it, Rick.”

  “Maybe a bit. Oh, by the way, a certain someone who shall not be named has been asking around about you.”

  “Let me guess. My least favorite cheating country crooner?”

  “Yes. Wilkes Barracks, your annoying and conniving ex-asshole, pardon my French. The last I heard, he was on a Nashville TV station, confessing that the little fling he had with Lydia Daniels was a cold-feet reaction to his plan to propose to you. Did you hear about that?”

  “Dammit. He’s gone public with that garbage?”

  “The man is an opportunist, Lexxi. Always was, and always will be, but who am I to meddle with these punks you seem to hover around?”

  She rolled her eyes. “I know, I know. I have horrible taste in men. Gosh. I’m not looking forward to bumping into him when I get to LA. Have you told him anything?”

  “Only that you’re out
of the country enjoying an extended vacation. I don’t know what the label has told him, but I wouldn’t put it past them to stand behind him on his engagement story. Should I have told him more?”

  “No. You did well. He knows how to reach me. The bastard has tried to convince me I’m the one for him. It’s nonsense, and I already told him something to that effect. He just does not want to hear what I have to say. Anyway, Rick, I have to go. I need to get organized on this end. I’m so ready to do a Lexxi appearance here in Tucson! I’ll be in touch with you in a few days, okay?”

  Alexandra got off the phone and stared at the guest bed. Just two nights ago she had been writhing in that bed with dreams about being with Sebastian Sullivan. Now, it was time to make this move and let Bash know who she was. She was not his fantasy lover.

  What will happen to us when I reveal Alex Roberts is Lexxi Rock?

  Chapter 6

  SEBASTIAN picked up their used dishes from the dining room and took them into the kitchen. Dinner with Alexandra was unnaturally quiet. She was distant, distracted, and could barely keep eye contact with him this evening. He quickly washed the dishes and put them to dry on the rack, mentally running through everything that had happened. Before the fire, they had this connection. As crazy as it seemed, her disguise made it easier for him to get to know her. Now under his roof, she would not get anywhere near him.

  She’s giving me the cold shoulder, and I’m tired of acting like I don’t notice.

  When Alexandra had agreed to stay with him for a week, he was not sure what he envisioned—well, maybe he knew what he had hoped for. He had pictured her slipping up enough for him to call her bluff about who she was, and then everything else would progress naturally. He would have told her he had known all along, and probably add that he had a crush on her for years. Then he would take her to his bed and work through all that pent-up sexual tension that had been building up between them over the past month. After that, everything else was up in the air, but in that sequence of events, they would have some closure if she never saw him ever again. Overall, it was a good vision—maybe a little lofty, but at the very least, they could continue their friendship in some way. The last few days were nothing like he had imagined. The distance between them was growing, and he could not understand why.

  He walked into the living room and found Alexandra frowning at her laptop.

  “Why won’t you give me the answers I need, dammit?” she huffed to the screen.

  Sebastian took it to mean she clearly wanted to engage in a conversation with him, even if she didn’t show it, and he casually sat on the sofa next to her. He ignored her surprised expression when she pointedly looked at him as though she hoped he would go over to the chair on the other side of the room.

  “What’s wrong, dude?” he asked. “Tech problems?”

  “No, I’m looking for…wait, don’t you have something else you need to do?”

  “At the moment? No. Well, we did talk about hitting the video games this evening, but that’s no biggie.”

  Alexandra shrugged. “It’s not a big deal.”

  “Maybe I can help with whatever’s bothering you, and afterward, we can kick back and relax. You seem pretty preoccupied. You’ve been acting so weird the past few days.” Sebastian said the last part with a slight chuckle, hoping it was light-hearted enough that Alexandra would not have any hard feelings.

  She closed her laptop and set it aside. “No. There’s nothing weird going on. I’ve just been busy the past few days, bro.”

  Sebastian lifted a brow, unconvinced. Alexandra tried to hold his gaze, but was the first to look away.

  What’s going on with her?

  “I’ve checked so many local construction websites, and spoke to a dozen people today, and I still have no idea which one I should hire to do the repairs next door. I think I just need a carpenter, but God, the people I talked to keep throwing around that they’re contractors, construction workers, brick layers, cement companies. I just need them to come out here and give me a damned quote.”

  Wait, is she changing the subject?

  If she was, he went along with it. “No, you need to look for someone with the right credentials. Looking for just a carpenter, you might come across anybody with a hammer. Give me a second. I think I have my a contractor’s business card here. It’s the company that did the renovation work here at my place.”

  He found his wallet and rifled through its contents. Pushing aside a random assortment of business cards, he found the right one and returned to the living room. “Yeah, here you go. These guys remodeled the kitchen and the third floor master suite a couple of years ago. I can take you over to their office tomorrow.”

  “Are you sure?” Alexandra asked, taking the card from him.

  “Positive. It will keep me from sitting around the house all day.”

  “Thanks. You’re a lifesaver.”

  Alexandra relaxed. She kicked up her feet up on the coffee table, getting comfortable as she lounged back. It was the first time Sebastian had seen her decompress since she became his house guest. He studied her face, riveted by her eyes and the smile that finally crept up her face.

  “Now, how about that game, Bash? I don’t want you thinking I’m being weird on you by ducking out early again.”

  “Aww, I’d let any weirdness slide tonight on account of that smile.” Alexandra blushed a beet red, so he left it alone. “So seriously, that construction thing…is that what was bothering you?”

  “More or less. I wanted to make sure I get this right, you know? I don’t want my uncle to have all that to worry about when he gets out.”

  “I hear you. Okay then. Game time.”

  “Deal,” she said.

  When Sebastian glanced over, she was yawning. He remembered she had been up quite early, and now it was pretty late. Even he was not in the mood for this. What he wanted was to spend time with her—ideally in his bed. Alexandra was barely holding on to consciousness. Her eyes were already fluttering shut.

  “Alex?”

  She shook her head. “I’m not trying to fall asleep on you.”

  “Let’s try this some other time. I’m beat, too. You go ahead, get some sleep.”

  “Don’t think I can’t still beat you,” she said, yawning again. “Okay. Another time is fine. Hey, about tomorrow, I think I’ll take you up on that offer to introduce me to your contractor. That will be a big timesaver if they’re available.”

  “Not a problem.”

  “The clean-up crew finished today, but that puts me a little behind schedule. The sooner I can get the repairs started, the better.”

  “Cool. Whenever you’re ready in the morning just let me know. By the way, I have a friend who wants to meet you. Two of them, actually. Beth and Clint. Clint’s a retired firefighter I’ve known for years, and Beth is his girl. Maybe we can hang out with them tomorrow after we get back from running that errand.”

  Alexandra seemed puzzled and reluctant. “Why do they want to meet me?”

  Sebastian eyed her closely, wondering if he could pull this off for Clint, and possibly for Alexandra’s benefit too. Back when he had suggested Clint and Beth should meet Alex Roberts, he was sure this game would have already been done with. Plans had changed when Alexandra told him she was leaving Tucson, so Sebastian had called it off. Now that she was staying at his house, it made sense to squeeze in the dinner meeting.

  “Can you keep a secret?” he asked, knowing full well he was not going to tell her the real reason.

  “Sure.”

  “My friend Clint is a big fan of your cousin, Lexxi Rock. When he heard you were related to her, he begged me to introduce you so he can feel like he met Lexxi by proxy. Don’t mention it if you do meet him, though. He will deny his secret fascination with celebrities at all costs, and then he’ll hold it against me for a while. The guy’s a big, burly firefighter. He doesn’t want to come off like a super fan.”

  Alexandra perked her head up, alarmed. Sebastian
pretended not to notice. He glanced at his watch.

  I’m sure she knows she can’t fool a Lexxi Rock fan the way she believes she has fooled me.

  Alexandra’s face was on magazines, splashed across websites and all over MTV and celebrity TV news programs. It would be impossible for a discerning fan not to see the striking similarities between Alex Roberts and Lexxi Rock.

  I wonder how much longer she’ll stick to her act. After she meets Clint, she won’t be able to keep this up.

  Hopefully she won’t be too upset with me if he innocently outs her.

  Alexandra agreed reluctantly.

  Amused, Sebastian smiled. “Well, it’s late and we’re both tired.”

  “Yes. I’ll head up too. I could use a full night’s sleep.”

  “Is the guest room okay? I thought I heard you moving around in the middle of the night.”

  Standing to leave, Alexandra nearly dropped her laptop at the question. “Yes,” she answered in a snap. “It’s fine.”

  He gave her a puzzled look, trying to figure her out. He followed behind her as she nervously climbed the staircase. Pausing on the second floor landing, he said, “I’ll be upstairs if you need anything. Enjoy your night, Alex.”

  “Goodnight, Bash,” she mumbled.

  This is ridiculous.

  No, it’s pointless.

  She’s not going to clue me in.

  Sebastian was so sure Alexandra would have told him by now. She seemed so close that night at the hospital, after the fire. For some reason, she was not ready to be honest with him, and now they were right back where they started. He had gone along with it because she had a good reason for hiding her identity in the beginning. The thing was, she had been around him for over a month, and she was going back home in a week.

  Why hide from me?

  What does she plan to do, wait until the day she leaves so she doesn’t have to face me?

  It occurred to him that perhaps she was holding off to save his feelings somehow.

  Maybe I let her to take this gay thing too far.

  For fuck’s sake, she could be in my bed right now.