by Terry Towers
“I just dropped by to talk.” She kept her face buried into his shirt, not wanting to look into his eyes.
“I see.” He pulled back from her, taking her upper arms in his hands and attempting to look her in the eye, but she avoided his gaze. She couldn’t look at him without breaking down in tears and if that happened then she’d never be able to do what she knew she had to.
“Are you ready to go home?”
“Yeah.”
~*~*~*~*~*~
They made their way upstairs in silence. Bo glanced down at Hanna periodically.
Whatever happened between the time they arrived at the recording studio that morning and now had gotten to her. He had no doubt who was behind the change in mood. If only Hanna would open up and share with him. Why she wouldn’t open up and tell him what was on her mind was beyond him, hadn’t he done everything he could to prove that she could trust him?
What more could he do?
And when did she come so chummy with Tyson? When he’d arrived at the apartment
the tension in the air had him feeling like he was interrupting something.
Hanna and Tyson? The thought sent a fireball of anger through him. He shook it off.
He was being irrational. She’d never. She loved him, he had no doubt about that. But why then? Why did she have to be so closed at times?
Once they were secure inside their home he steered her into the living room and sat her down next to him on the sofa.
“I want to know what’s going on, Hanna.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, everything was great in Paris. We come home and one day at the studio with Nadine and there’s a barrier between us? What did she say to you?”
Hanna pulled away from him and shook her head. “Nothing. I just… wasn’t feeling that great. I…”
“Don’t tell me this is in my head, Hanna. Something isn’t right and I want to know what it is.” His frustration was increasing. First he was hit by the bullshit with Victor and now Hanna was shutting him out. What the fuck was going on today?
“I’m fine. We’re fine. Just drop it, Bo.” Her voice rose an octave and he noticed a sliver of anger flashing in her eyes. Usually the look of fire in her eyes turned him on, but not today. Not this time. Not when something serious was on the line.
“I’m not going to drop it until you talk to me, Hanna.”
“There’s nothing to say.” She stood and without thinking Bo’s hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her from getting away.
“Hanna.”
“Let me go, Bo!” She jerked her arm from his grip and glared at him.
Standing, his own anger began to boil within him. “Is it Tyson?”
Her expression went deathly blank, her mouth dropping in disbelief.
“Shit, Hanna. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”
Hanna bucked back as if she’d just been slapped, tears brimming in her eyes. “Fuck you, Bo. How dare you insinuate!” She spun around on her heel and stormed out of the living room and up the stairs to the second floor.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. Stupid ass, he chastised himself. Why he even said that was beyond him. He had a knack for saying stupid stuff around her lately, it would seem anyhow. He knew she’d never, ever so much as think of another man, let alone cheat. That wasn’t who she was. He was just so damned frustrated with how closed she could be. Nothing could be so bad that he’d not want and support her, why couldn’t she get that?
“Fuck!” He muttered under his breath as he made his way up the stairs to find her.
God, I can be such a dumbass.
He found her in the bedroom, a suitcase on the king-sized bed, quickly packing it —
not even bothering to neatly pack it like she normally would, but grabbing armful after armful of clothing and jamming it into the case. He couldn’t believe his eyes. This couldn’t be happening.
Making his way across the bedroom, he placed himself between her and the suitcase.
“We need to talk, Hanna.”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” she growled at him, elbowing him out of the way, tossing the final armload of clothes into the suitcase and zipping it up.
“Oh, I think there is.” Anger and hurt and shock all whirled within him, each emotion overtaking him in turn, leaving his head spinning.
“I’m leaving, Bo. It’s for the best. No one wants us together. And I can’t take it anymore. I just can’t.” She grabbed the case by the handle and pulled it from the bed, with a soft oooph.
“Bullshit. You’re stronger than that. Something happened today with you and Nadine and I deserve to know.”
She spun around on him, her hair whipping into her face. She brushed it back and looked up at him. A circus of emotions gleamed in her eyes as she visibly fought not to cry.
“Nadine has nothing to do with it. Just let me go, Bo.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but she stepped up to him and placed a hand on his chest, stopping him. “If you love me like you say you do, you’ll let me go and drop it.
Please. Don't make this harder than it has to be.”
And then she was gone. Bo was left standing in the center of the bedroom, shocked at what had just transpired. How could it be over?
Chapter 14
“You win. We’re done.”
“I’m glad you came to your senses.”
“You’re a horrible human being, Nadine.” Hanna didn’t bother to wait for a response.
She disconnected the call, fell against the wall of the house she and Bo bought together a little over a week prior, and slumped to the floor. She felt hollow inside, like someone had broken through her chest and torn out her heart.
She looked around her. The room was empty with the exception of a futon. Aside
from the futon the only other pieces of furniture were the appliances in the kitchen. She supposed it was fitting.
She zoned out for some time. She had no idea how long she sat there, but the insistent buzzing of her phone had her getting to her feet. Was it Bo? Most likely. The way she left things she doubted he’d take what happened as an ending of their relationship. In truth, she doubted she’d have the strength to stay away if he came for her. So she prayed he wouldn’t.
Going to her phone, she rummaged through her handbag until she found it. Pulling it out of her purse, she noticed nearly a dozen phone calls from Bo as well as several texts.
She didn’t bother reading the texts. Couldn’t bear it. Not now. Not ever. She deleted them all without reading them.
There was a number that caught her attention, one she didn’t expect to see – Jackie.
She hadn’t heard a word from Jackie since she left Jeremy several weeks ago. Allegedly, she’d taken money from the group's former manager to dump Jeremy and never come back.
Hanna wasn’t sure how she felt about Jackie contacting her. She was hurt that Jackie would leave without a word, but at the same time she didn’t know the circumstances. She only knew Victor’s version of what happened.
Pressing the call button on her phone, she waited as it rang. At the very least perhaps Jackie could get her mind off of Bo and her current situation.
Jackie picked up on the third ring. Hanna couldn’t believe how good it felt to hear her friend’s voice. Of course, at this point in time, aside from her elderly aunt she was getting pretty slim when it came to people she could turn to.
Jackie: Hanna, I’m so glad you called. Where are you?
Hanna: I’m ummmm.
Jackie: Are you still with Bo?
Boy, talk about a loaded question.
Hanna: I don’t know.
Silence.
Jackie: Where are you staying right now? I’d like to see you.
Hanna gave her the address and Jackie promised to be there within the hour.
Wandering into the kitchen, she quickly realized that she had nothing to offer Jackie.
Not a bottle of water. Not a cracker. The cupboards and frid
ge were bare.
If she wants to eat or something to drink, I guess we’re going out.
Forty-five minutes later, a knock sounded at the door.
Opening the door, Hanna was taken aback at Jackie's appearance. Her friend had
always taken care of herself, always happy and enjoying life to its fullest, but the Jackie standing before her wasn’t the Jackie she remembered.
Her normally tanned complexion was pale and dark circles highlighted her dark eyes.
Her dark hair was slightly frizzy and she was sporting a well-worn jogging suit.
“Oh Hanna!” Jackie threw herself into Hanna's arms, clinging tight. “I’m so happy to see you!”
Hanna tensed a moment before embracing her friend. Her own worries were gone as concern for Jackie filled her. “You too. I’ve been worried.”
Jackie pulled back and sniffed. “Can I come in?”
“Sure. Come in.” Hanna stepped back and ushered her in. “I, ummm. I don’t have any furniture yet.”
Frowning, Jackie spun around, surveying the room. “Where’s the furniture?” she said, laughing. “Just move in or something?”
“About two hours ago.”
“Oh my god!” Jackie pulled Hanna into another hug. “I’m so sorry. What happened?”
Hanna let out a loud huff of air. “It’s… complicated. I don’t want to talk about it.”
Walking over to the futon, she flopped herself down onto it. “I’d rather hear about you.
How’s your mother?”
Jackie flopped down beside her, tossing her handbag onto the floor at her feet. “Bad.
Real bad. Guess you know about the money, huh?”
“Yeah. I was offered the same thing. Two million.”
Jackie grimaced. “One million here, but Victor knew I was easy prey. He approached me the same night I heard about the accident and was getting ready to leave to see mom.
She doesn’t have any insurance and the accident was bad…” She pulled a tissue out of her jeans pocket and dabbed her eyes. “Is bad. Mom’s lucky to be alive. She’s in a wheelchair and receiving physiotherapy.” She looked up, her eyes red and teary. “She’s only 45, Hanna.”
“Oh, Jackie. I’m so sorry. Why didn’t you call me?”
“Victor made me promise not to come back and no contact with you or anyone else in the band. Ya know, clean break and all that.”
“Or what?”
She shrugged. “Don’t know, but I didn’t want to find out and was grateful to be able to pay for mom’s therapy. With the money she may be able to walk again. You know what kind of joke the medical system is if you don’t have the money for decent care. I miss Jeremy, but I had to take the money. I had to do what I could for her.”
Hanna’s heart went out to her friend. She’d have given whatever she had just to see her parents again – even for one more day. So much was left unsaid before they died….
She broke herself from that dangerous train of thought. No, right now was about Jackie.
“You could have asked Jeremy for the money.”
“Maybe. But I wasn’t thinking clearly and now Jeremy won’t take my calls. Won’t answer my texts.”
“Well, you did lie to him. You could have just told him the truth. He was hurt. I saw it. He pretended like it was no big deal, but you could see he was just covering.” As she spoke the words she cringed. Why couldn’t she take her own advice?
Jackie sniffed and dabbed her nose. “Yeah, well, it’s over now. Live and learn, right?”
“I suppose.”
She shifted in her seat to face Hanna straight on. “So what’s going on with Bo? I don’t get it. Is it that bitch of a manager?”
Hanna frowned. “How did you… the article?”
“Yup.”
“I really don’t want to talk about it. I’m not sure myself what happened.”
“So you two are still together?” A glimmer of hope shone in her eyes for Hanna.
Hanna slumped down into the futon. “I don’t know. For now, I guess. I don’t know.”
~*~*~*~*~*~
Three days and not a word from Hanna. Bo had Tyson drive past the house and
apparently she was holed up there, with an unfamiliar car beside hers in the driveway.
That had him wondering if the owner of the mystery car was the reason for her
behaviour. It was the reason he stayed away – for now.
Glancing over at the analog clock mounted on the wall, he groaned. He needed to be at the studio in an hour. Knowing he didn’t have the luxury of staying in bed and wallowing any longer he reached over to the nightstand feeling for his mobile phone. Just as he grabbed it, it slipped from his fingers and dropped to the floor.
“Dammit.” Sliding his naked body out of bed, he groaned a second time when he
realized the phone had slipped under the bed. Getting to his hands and knees he looked under the bed and grabbed his phone. His brow creased when he noticed an envelope under the bed.
Grabbing the envelope, he stood and then sat back down on the bed. There was no address, no stamps and no indication that the envelope had been sealed at one time. Odd.
Opening the flap, Bo reached in and pulled what appeared to be a set of pictures from the envelope.
“What the fuck?” He froze when he looked down at the first picture, the one of him and Hanna in the pool. It occurred to him that photo had yet to be released in the press.
Apparently, this would be the reason why.
He flipped through several photos of him and Hanna until he got to the next set, which was of Hanna in what appeared to be a…
His frown deepened. It was no doubt the woman in the pictures was her, but where was she? She looked almost sickly in the pictures. As he flipped through a couple more pictures the only conclusion he could draw was that it was either a rehab or an institution and she appeared to be a patient. Was that the big secret?
He massaged the back of his neck, feeling the muscles in his shoulders and neck tense. Could this be what she was wanting to tell him, but was too scared?
Somewhat apprehensive about what else he was going to find, he forced himself to continue. The last set of photos was of Anthony. It was blatantly apparent what was going down in those photos.
Shocked at what he’d just discovered, Bo slowly tucked the photos back in the
envelope and sighed. Was she being blackmailed? How long had it been going on? Why didn’t she tell him? Embarrassed? Scared?
His world stopped for a split second. She was scared, that was it. She was scared he wouldn't want her if he knew about her past. Hadn’t she said there was something she wanted to say, but she was scared? Was the rehab or institution or wherever she was in the big secret? She looked old enough in the pictures that he assumed they were taken after her parents’ death.
The more he considered it, the more he knew it was true. This was the big secret and someone was blackmailing her to go public if she didn’t leave him. But who would do such a thing? As soon as the question formed in his mind the answer was painfully apparent.
Nadine.
Fucking. Bitch.
Nadine hired the photographer to take a picture of them together. Hired someone to take an intimate picture of him and Hanna and then dug into Hanna’s past until she found something juicy to send her packing with.
Anger consumed him. He needed to see Hanna. He had to make it right, but first he had to make a stop. He’d made a grave mistake allowing Nadine into their lives, but he was intent on fixing it.
Chapter 15
“Well, Bo. This couldn’t wait until we got to the studio?” Nadine smiled brightly up at Bo, who was standing in the doorway of her hotel room.
Trying to control the intense anger coursing through him, Bo brushed past her into the room. Turning, he reached around her and closed the door, then pinned her against its back, his body pressed tight against hers.
Her body froze against him, and she was rendere
d speechless for a moment. “Well, Bo. What’s going on?” She looked up at him, her eyes questioning.
Bo leaned down and brushed his lips against the side of her neck. “Gee Nadine, with Hanna gone I’ve been lonely.”
She moaned softly and her body relaxed against his. Slipping her arms around his neck, she pressed herself tight against him. “Then you’ve come to the right place. I’ve missed you, Bo. I was hoping you’d come around.”
His lips moved to her earlobe. “I know what you did, Nadine,” he whispered in a deep, seductive voice and then pulled back slightly to see the reaction in her eyes.
Her expression went blank as she looked up at him. After the span of a couple of beats she flashed him a sweet smile. “I don’t understand, Bo, what do you mean?”
“I mean I know about the photos. And I know you were blackmailing Hanna." She stepped around him and scurried further into the room. She kept her distance moment, eyeing him suspiciously.
“What photos?” she said. Seemingly regaining her composure and closing the
distance between them, fingered the lapels of his jacket. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, come on Nadine, I know it was you.” Taking a chance that he was right, he
clucked his tongue off of the roof of his mouth and continued, “Hanna told me everything last night. I know.”
Her expression went from sweet and seductive to twist into something else: anger, disappointment, surprise. He saw all those emotions in her expression and flashing in her eyes.
“That little bitch,” she hissed, stepping away from him and walking over to the window.
“Why, Nadine?”
She spun back around, glaring at him. “She’s going to ruin your career. She’s no good for you. She’s a fucking alcoholic nutcase! You’re too blind to see it.”
“Oh, I see clearly, Nadine. And this is what’s going to happen. You’re going to resign as manager.”
She shook her head and smirked at him. “Nope.”
“Yes. You. Are.” He growled the words out, accenting each one.
“I have a two-year contract and unless you want two lawsuits on your hands you’d do best to recognize that.”
“Well, I think attempting to sabotage the band by threatening to leak questionable photos would be a just reason to terminate a contract.”
