Wait For Me Read online

  “Quit looking at me like that,” he scolds. “Do you need me to walk you up?”

  I shake my head and pull a key out of my purse. “I have a key, and I know the code to the gate.”

  His lips twitch like he’s going to smile, but he doesn’t. “It’s getting serious between you two.”

  I wink.

  Sam gets out of his SUV and walks toward us. He hands me a bag. “I grabbed this from your dressing room. Don’t know what’s in it.”

  “Thank you.”

  He grunts and gets back in his car.

  “It’s not safe for you to be out here. Get inside,” Bo instructs.

  “Go home to your beautiful wife and quit worrying about me.”

  “I’ll always worry about you. Call me tomorrow when you’re ready to leave, and I’ll come pick you up.”

  “No need. Todd can give me a ride home.” I give Bo a quick hug, which he returns with a hard pat to the back.

  He waits until I’m safely through the gate before climbing into his car. I wave from the front porch and watch them pull away, and then I slip my key into the front door, surprised to find it already unlocked.

  A buzz of energy zips through me as I think about how excited Todd will be. Our schedules rarely allow for unplanned visits, but it just so happens the movie he’s wrapping up is shooting locally and my show tonight—the last one I have scheduled for a while—was downtown.

  For once we’re not only in the same time zone, but the same city, and I’m taking full advantage of it.

  I’ll undoubtedly have to pay for this little adventure tomorrow when I face Becky, but for now I’m going to revel in the wild, carefree feeling coursing through me.

  I step into the foyer, and I’m met by the dim light of the living room and the soft sound of music wafting through the house. I love Todd’s place. Not too big, not too small, it’s cozy and perfect.

  Perfect for a young couple and even for raising a small family—not that I want that right away, but it is an aspiration of mine. I might be young, but I’ve grown up fast in a dog-eat-dog world. I’m ready to slow things down, settle in, and think about having the type of family life I missed out on.

  I want kids and a husband, and while I still want my career, I also want family dinners and movie nights.

  “Todd?” I call. When he doesn’t reply, I drop my bag on the couch and call to him again. “Todd?”

  I’m halfway down the hall when he steps out of his room with a white towel around his hips. My mouth waters at the sight of him. In the year we’ve been together, he’s not once pressured me for sex—something my sister-in-law says is a little fishy. Personally, I find it endearing. How many men these days are willing to wait until the woman is ready?

  Not many.

  And I still may not be ready, but that doesn’t mean I’m a prude. I’m more than willing to hop in the shower with him.

  Todd clears his throat. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m here to see you. You asked earlier if I could come over,” I say, pulling my shirt off. “I decided I could.”

  Todd’s eyes widen. He rushes toward me, grabs my shirt, and tries to put it back over my head.

  I laugh at his crazy antics. Normally he can’t get my shirt off fast enough. “What’re you doing?” I take the shirt and toss it to the side, only to have him pick it up a second time.

  “What are you doing?” he says.

  “I’m going to jump in the shower with you.” I press my body against his and kiss him.

  I might be a virgin, but I know how to get my man turned on. I deepen the kiss and slide my hands up his chest and around his neck.

  Todd’s body reacts to mine. He hooks an arm around my waist, and I know I’ve got him. I’m lost in a haze of lust when I hear the shower kick on.

  Next thing I know I’m being shoved backward, and Todd is a good three feet away. The bathroom door opens and steam billows out, along with a busty blonde—a very naked busty blonde.

  “Toddy, what’s taking you so long?” She stops short at the sight of me, frowns, and turns to Todd. “I thought you said you broke up with her.”

  Broke up with me?

  Todd runs a hand through his hair and shakes his head. “I was going to, I promise. I just haven’t had a chance and—”

  “What?” My face burns.

  Oh, no. No no no. This isn’t happening. This has to be a mistake. There has to be some sort of explanation because there’s no way Todd would break up with me, let alone cheat on me.

  Right?

  Right!

  I mean, just last week we were talking about taking a vacation together, and—

  Todd curses under his breath and reaches for me when I stumble backward. “Nora, I can explain.”

  “I think the naked woman in your house is explanation enough.”

  “Nora.” Todd steps toward me, but I shake my head, humiliated that he would do this to me. “Wait, please.”

  Screw that.

  I don’t want to hear a damn thing he has to stay. Instead, I save face and run, leaving my shirt behind.

  Blondie yells, and when I hear skin on skin, I give her a mental high-five because there’s no doubt in my mind that she just slapped the bastard.

  You go, girl.

  I grab my bag from the couch and skid to a stop in the kitchen. I reach for the phone in my back pocket and pause. If I call Bo, I’ll have to wait for him to drive back, and I refuse to stay here for another second.

  “Nora!” Todd calls.

  I can hear Blondie screaming, and in a split-second decision, I grab a set of keys off the key rack by the back door and run to his five-car garage. I hit unlock on the key fob, and when I see the lights on his BMW flash, I head straight for it.

  I’m in the front seat with the garage open when my eyes land on a baseball bat by the back door.

  Don’t do it.

  Damn it, Nora, don’t do it.

  Visions of Blondie’s smile and perky tits flash through my head, along with all of the time Todd and I have spent together—all the empty promises and whispered words.

  Impulse outweighs logic as I slide out of the car, grab the bat, and bust out the headlights on his precious Porsche.

  Todd barrels into the garage as I raise the bat to take out the taillights.

  “Stop,” he yells, holding up his hands. “Please, stop.”

  “You cheated on me.” I laugh maniacally. “You cheated on me, Todd. Is that why you never wanted to have sex?”

  Jesus, I can’t believe I even asked that question. I’m grateful I didn’t give it up to this asshole.

  I shake my head. “Never mind. It doesn’t even matter, just like you don’t matter.” I smack the back of the car and watch shards of fiberglass fly across the floor. God, that felt good.

  “I’m sorry,” he shouts. “I swear I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

  “Bullshit. You knew exactly what you were doing when you brought her here.” I take another swing, and Todd makes a strangled noise.

  “I meant I didn’t mean for our relationship to go on as long as it did,” he says in a rush, causing me to stop mid-swing. “They wanted me to date you for a few months. They said it would be good publicity for both of us, but we were having fun, and I actually—”

  My blood runs cold. I drop the bat. It clatters against the concrete floor. “Who said that?”

  “Everyone.” Todd’s eyes find mine. “My manager. Your manager. Everyone. Jesus, Nora, you fucking tore up my car.”

  Damn it. How much of my life has Becky been orchestrating? And how could I have been so stupid? He acted like he liked me. All the nights we spent together, talking about life and our future, flash through my head. I know he felt it—I know he did. But I shake the thought away, because it doesn’t matter. None of it was real.

  My whole life lately has been nothing but a giant sham. I don’t know what to think, or how to feel. I just know I have to get out of here and figure th
is shit out.

  “You deserve that,” I say, pointing to his Porsche. With an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach, I climb into his BMW. “I hope you and Blondie have a nice life.”

  “Where the hell do you think you’re going?” he shouts.

  I don’t have anywhere to go. My parents are on a yacht in Spain, and I haven’t talked to my so-called best friend in three months. I’m seconds from bursting into tears when Nick’s face pops into my head.

  “I’m going home.”

  “You can’t take my car,” he yells, racing after me as I start it up and throw it in reverse.

  “Watch me.”

  3

  Nora

  “Nora, over here. Look over here.”

  One of the photographers snaps his fingers at me, but I keep my head down as I step out of the SUV and onto the curb.

  Bo and Sam are holding the paparazzi at bay, but they can’t stop the words being slung at me.

  “Nora, what happened to you? Are you having a mental breakdown?”

  “Did Todd break up with you because you wouldn’t sleep with him?”

  “Is it true you’re a virgin?”

  “Is it true your doctor started you on antidepressants because you’re heartbroken over Todd?”

  Jesus, where do these people get their information? It’s on the tip of my tongue to answer each question and set the record straight, but I keep my lips shut and plow through the small crowd. A magazine is thrust in my face, causing my steps to falter.

  On the cover is a picture of me and Todd with a giant rip down the center and a smaller picture of Todd’s busted up Porsche. I can’t help it. I smile, even though I know I’ll be paying to fix the damn thing.

  Bo pushes the magazine out of the way and ushers me forward.

  “Come on, Nora, give us something,” a pap yells.

  Yeah, right. I know better. They’ll twist my words, and the next thing I know they’ll have me pregnant with Todd’s love child while being admitted to a rehab facility or a psych ward, or whatever else their wild imaginations can come up with.

  As soon as we’re in the building, I let out the breath I’ve been holding.

  “Are you okay?’ Sam asks, pushing the button for the elevator.

  “I’m fine.”

  Sam waits while Bo follows me into the elevator. When the doors close, Bo looks at me.

  “Now tell me the truth. How are you holding up?”

  “I’m not,” I say, fighting back tears.

  My stupid tear ducts have been working overtime for the last three days while I stayed holed up in my house, per Becky and my lawyer’s instructions. Finally, today I got the all-clear to come out, but I had to promise to go straight to Becky’s office, which is where I am now.

  “You’re better than him, Nora girl. I know it hurts right now, but he doesn’t deserve you.”

  “I know that.” I sniff and look in the other direction. “But that’s not me. I don’t lose my cool like that.”

  “You’re hurt.”

  “And overwhelmed. I just need to get this over with and get the hell out of dodge. I need to get away from the press and out of this city so I can clear my head and figure out what I want to do next.”

  “Where will you go?”

  “Nick’s.”

  Bo nods, but he doesn’t look happy—probably because I haven’t asked him to come with me.

  We hit the third floor, a bell dings, and the elevator doors slide open. Becky is waiting for us.

  “How is it out there?” she asks.

  “Crowd is getting bigger by the second,” Bo answers, following me off the elevator and into the hall.

  I wave at Becky’s assistant. and she gives me a sympathetic look, which only makes my skin crawl. I don’t need or want anyone to feel bad for me. I made my bed when I took a bat to Todd’s car, and I’m prepared to sleep in it.

  I stay silent as Becky leads me into a conference room. Bo shuts the door and stands beside it with his arms crossed. He’s such a badass.

  “Well, what’s the damage?” I ask.

  Becky looks at me for a few seconds, but not with the pissy look I expect.

  “Why don’t you have a seat?”

  “I don’t want to sit.”

  “Nora—”

  “Fine.” I’ll do anything at this point to get this damn meeting over with as fast as possible, even if it means doing what she says.

  “How are you?” she asks.

  I nearly laugh. “Cut the crap, Becky. You and I both know you don’t give a damn how I’m doing.”

  She looks shocked, and I’m not sure if it’s because I rarely use this tone of voice with her, or because she genuinely doesn’t believe what I said.

  “That’s not true.”

  “Yes, it is. You haven’t asked me about myself in over a year. All you care about are ticket sales, record sales, the next tour, what clothes I wear, and what the press is saying about me.”

  “I—”

  “What’s the damage?” I ask again, this time with more force.

  “He’s not going to press charges.”

  No freaking way. “You’re kidding?”

  She shakes her head. “Nope. You just have to pay for the car repairs.”

  “And?” Nothing is ever that simple. There has to be a catch.

  “You have to agree to attend his movie premiere as originally planned.”

  “What? No way. I’m not going anywhere with him.”

  “You don’t have much of a choice, and if you ask me, it’s a generous offer.”

  “This is bullshit.” I turn and look at Bo, but his stone-cold face gives nothing away. “And if I say no?”

  “He’ll press charges. He has surveillance from his house showing you taking a bat to his car and stealing his BMW—topless, by the way.”

  “Fine, I’ll go to the premiere.” And I’ll wear the most hideous dress I can find.

  “Great.” Becky smiles, looking all too proud of herself as she grabs her phone and sends a quick text. “I let his manager know.”

  “Good.” I stand up, and Becky follows me.

  “Where are you going? We still have a ton of things to talk about, like what happened on stage the other night and—”

  “You’re fired.”

  Becky’s jaw drops. Her face turns deep red and her hands start to shake. “You can’t fire me!”

  “I just did.”

  “Come on, Nora.” She walks around the table, but Bo puts himself between us so she can’t get any closer. “This is ridiculous. I’ve been with you from the beginning. Whatever our differences, I’m sure we can work it out.”

  “You’ve already proven we can’t. I’ve tried to talk to you, but you won’t listen, and I’m sick of it. I’m not the naive kid you took under your wing all those years ago. I’m changing, and I need someone who’s willing to change with me. Also, you’re responsible for my ridiculous fake relationship with Todd? How dare you?”

  “Nora—”

  “We’re done.”

  I tap Bo’s shoulder to let him know I’m finished, and he escorts me back to the elevators.

  “You’re making a huge mistake,” Becky says, following close behind. Her heels tap against the floor as she struggles to keep up.

  “Maybe.” I shrug. “Or maybe this is the best decision I’ve made in years.”

  Bo and I step into the elevator and the doors slide shut, cutting off Becky’s rebuttal.

  Bo lifts his fist for me to bump. “Good girl.”

  “What do you mean you have to go with him to the premiere?” my brother Nick says.

  I prop the phone between my shoulder and ear so I can have both hands available to shove clothes into my suitcase.

  “Oh, I’m not going with him. I’m just going. I’ll make an appearance, smile for the cameras, and duck out early. Maybe I’ll try to find an uber-hot date just to piss him off even more.”

  “I still don’t like it.”

&nb
sp; “It beats getting arrested for stealing his car.”

  Nick laughs. “I can’t believe you bashed in his Porsche. I’d pay to see the video of that.”

  “It wasn’t my finest moment.”

  “We’ve all been there. Jessa threw a plate at my head one time when we were dating.”

  “You deserved it,” she yells in the background.

  “Am I on speaker?”

  “Yes!” Jessa says.

  “Hi, Jess!”

  She giggles, and my brother murmurs something.

  I can’t help but smile. “I miss you guys so much.”

  “We miss you too,” Nick says.

  “Are you sure you don’t mind if I come crash at your place for a while?”

  “Of course we don’t. You know you’re always welcome here, Nora.”

  “I know.”

  While I was filming shows and making a name for myself, Nick went to college, fell in love, got married, and moved to Utah so Jessa could be near her family. He has an entire life that doesn’t include me, friends I’ve never met, and half the time I don’t know whether to feel jealous or guilty that I haven’t made an effort to visit them more.

  It’s not like I don’t see them; I fly them to as many concerts as they can make, and I put them up in the nicest hotels and send them on fancy dates. They’ve been all over the world with me, but it’s not the same. And I imagine someday soon I’ll get the call that Jessa is pregnant, and their frequent visits to wherever I am will end.

  “How long are you staying?” Jessa asks.

  “Maybe for the summer? The tour is over, and I’m not due back in the studio until August. Aside from the premiere, I have no other major obligations.”

  “What time does your plane land?”

  “Three o’clock your time. Bo insisted on coming with me, but once I’m settled, he’ll head back home.”

  “Want me to pick you up at the airport?” she offers.

  “No need. I’ve already arranged for transportation.”

  “Any special requests for the pop princess?” Nick teases. “One-thousand thread count Egyptian cotton sheets perhaps? Red gummy bears beside your bed every night? Or maybe—”

  “How about a hunky man who can help me forget about Todd? Do you have one of those lying around?”