From the window I could see the Capitol. The scaffolding wrapped the rotunda as if it was a brand new building going up in the city. It wasn’t the prettiest view. I picked up my phone to see I had a text from Luke. My stomach floated with the same kind of bubbly feeling it always did when I saw his name.
Change of plans.
I typed back.
What’s going on?
I twisted my lips waiting for his response. I didn’t like that I had been here two hours and we already had a hiccup. I knew this was going to be complicated and risky. But I had to see him.
The past two weeks in Nashville were a whirlwind. Jake had booked me on every radio show. I did morning press. I did afternoon press. I did
night press. I was going to have to get my boots re-soled after all the appearances I had made.
He was sure I could get enough votes for a full sweep of the awards if I made the rounds fast and furiously in the beginning.
It was a big popularity contest. I knew that.
Helena was with me on this trip. Jake was willing to let me out of sight because I convinced him it was a good way to have a girls’ trip with a douse of charity. I promised to post our dinners and shopping trips on my social media accounts along with a slew of pictures with the kids.
He hesitated, but I think Helena was the one who wore him down in the end. He was too happy with all my nominations not to give me some wiggle room.
Don’t go to the hospital.
I stared at Luke’s response. That wasn’t possible. I had to be there. This entire trip hinged on the hospital visit.
Why not?
I tapped my boot on the floor. My car would be here in fifteen minutes. It was too late to cancel.
Charlie knows.
My stomach sank. How? I sat on the edge of the bed. I thought we had been careful. I thought we had made sure no one had seen us together. There was no way. This was ridiculous. We needed to talk about this. Not text.
Call me.
I waited for the phone. To hear the deep throaty voice that made me shiver with excitement. Two weeks apart had been agony. The only thing holding me together had been the promise of this trip and right now it felt as if it were falling apart.
I didn’t know if I could take that. I didn’t know if I had the kind of resolve I needed to power through another day without Luke.
A few minutes passed before my phone rang.
“Hey,” I answered on the first ring. “What’s going on?”
“You can’t go to the hospital.”
“I read the text. Why not?” I still wasn’t willing to cancel the visit without some kind of emergency reason.
“Because Charlie wants me to use your trip as another chance for us to be seen together. It’s supposed to be another headline for me. And I can’t get out of it.”
“What do you mean?”
Luke’s PR manager didn’t have the same hold over him as Jake had over me. Of course he could say no. He had already ended things between us in the press. He could keep up his end of the deal. We only had four more weeks to go. Once we were on the red carpet at the CYAs this would all be out in the open. I could go to his games without hiding. He could watch me perform from backstage. We could spend the holidays together. Go skiing. All those things normal couples did. It was four weeks away.
“If you don’t go to the hospital then it’s not a fucking problem, Alexa. Don’t go and we don’t have to worry about it.”
I didn’t like his tone. None of it. I narrowed my eyes. “Excuse me?”
“Cancel it and this goes away for now.”