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Alec must have sensed my reluctance because he grabbed me by the hand and guided me to his left side, so he stood between me and the door of the room that had nearly changed my life forever. As I looked at his face, he smiled and squeezed my hand gently to let me know everything would be okay. We continued forward. Alec's long fingers laced through mine, stroking the back of my hand. Our palms, pressed together, provided the best distraction I could have asked for.
Alec held my hand until we entered the elevator, letting go when we heard the faint sound of a train whistle coming from my purse. "Oh yeah. I forgot about that. I hope you don't mind, but that's why your phone was on silent mode this morning. That noise wouldn't stop. I felt like we were at a train station," Alec said, pushing the button for the lobby.
I felt bereft, releasing his hand. "Sorry. That's my Facebook notifications. " I pulled out my phone and clicked on the app for the first time since waking that morning. For a minute I thought my account had been hacked. I had missed more than a hundred comments and messages since midnight. I'd never been so popular on social media.
"Oh god," I said, clicking on my timeline to see all the well wishes. Obviously, the events from the night before had spread more than I had anticipated. Reading through several of the messages, I saw that not only had the news spread like wildfire, but it had also been embellished to the point that some people were convinced I was on my deathbed.
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry as I read some of the comments. It was a poignant feeling to know so many people cared about my well-being, and clearly I would have to do a status update. So much for not thinking about it.
I clicked out of Facebook for the time being. It would take hours to respond to all the messages that were continuing to post. I decided instead to wait until Alec and I sat down for breakfast and then make my own simple post, reassuring everyone that I was okay and thanking them for their concern. My hope was that everyone's attention would move to other things and that I would be old news by the end of the day.
Walking into the author brunch a minute later, I realized maybe I'd been a tad bit naïve to think it would blow over. Every single person pivoted toward Alec and me when we entered the double doors of the ballroom. It felt like I was the guest of honor of some demented bereavement party, which was ironic considering I wanted to drop dead. I had been hoping to gain some visibility by doing the bigger signing events, but not become infamous. What happened wasn't my fault, but I still felt stupid for putting myself in the position in the first place.
Jennifer offered the respite I needed by waving me over to her table where she had two extra chairs. I focused on her like an oasis in a desert, ignoring everyone else in the room as we made our way to our seats.
"You okay?" she asked, giving me a quick hug before I sat down.
I nodded, smiling meekly. The other five people sitting at the table looked at me with a mixture of concern and curiosity. Luckily, none of them were brave enough to say anything. It was only human nature. We were drawn to anything dramatic. I actually felt as writers, we were naturally more curious and possessed a thirst for drama flowing through our blood that the average person didn't have. A writer's curiosity definitely rivaled that of a cat.
Thankfully, the keynote speaker was introduced, taking the spotlight from me for the time being. She was a worldwide bestseller who had hit the New York Times list more times than she probably could count. I'd been looking forward to hearing her address, but I found myself having a hard time focusing on her words as I unfolded my napkin and smoothed it over my lap. I felt like I had a load of bricks in my stomach, making it difficult to breathe.
Alec reached over, covering my hand that was nervously fidgeting with my napkin. His touch was warm and soothing against my skin. I looked up from my lap to find Alec smiling subtly. Grateful that he seemed to sense what I needed, the corners of my mouth raised slightly as my nerves instantly settled. I took a sip of water from the glass in front of me, waiting for my stomach to return to normal.
Of course when Alec decided to lightly trace patterns on the palm of my hand with his finger, it didn't help my erratic breathing. I was appreciative to have him caring so intently, but his touch made my body react in ways that were equally as distracting as everyone watching me.
Only when everyone in the room began clapping had I realized the keynote speech had ended. For the sake of my own sanity, I pulled my hand from Alec's, glaring at him when he chuckled. He knew exactly was he was doing. Maybe he was onto the little seduction plan I had been working on before the craptastic events of the night before pushed them to the back burner. Having him now acting so attentive and quite frankly, like a boyfriend, had me seriously wondering if Alec had his own agenda for us or if he was just really good at being the hero.
The noise level in the large dining hall rose after the keynote address and the servers began coming out with trays of food. "How you doing, hun?" Jennifer asked quietly.
I pasted on a bright smile, nearly shrieking when I felt the cut on the inside of my lip reopen. I ran my tongue over it, capturing a drop of blood. "Okay," I said ruefully, wiping my napkin across my mouth. Despite my efforts to the contrary, it was clear I wasn't my normal self. "I was shaken up last night, but I feel much better this morning. "
Jennifer scooted her chair to face me, turning away from the others seated at the table. "Is it true he dragged you in his room?" She asked her question carefully, but I knew she wasn't trying to be intrusive. She was truly concerned.
I directed my answer at her even though I knew everyone at the table had one ear on me and the other on their own conversations. Alec slung his arm across the back of my chair, providing moral support. I sighed before continuing, but I figured the sooner I spread the word about what had really happened, the quicker things would die down.
"He tried, but I fought him off," I finally answered.
Jennifer gasped. "And you didn't know who he was?"
"No. He was just some asshat who had too much to drink. He was pretty convinced I would want to join him in his partying. "
"God. So he was drunk?"
I nodded. "Plastered. I'd like to think if he would have been sober he wouldn't have tried to force me into his room. "
Alec shook his head next to me, growling in disagreement.
I turned to him in surprise. Even through my river of tears the night before and his phone conversation with Mom and Dad, Alec and I had skirted around talking about what had happened. He hadn't asked for any more details beyond what he had heard while I gave my statement to the police. "Obviously, you disagree," I said, raising my eyebrow.
"From what I saw when the cops dragged him away, the guy was a serial asshole who wasn't afraid to try and throw his weight around. Drunk or not, you don't try to handle a woman against her will unless you're a perverted fuck to begin with. Hopefully, they give him more than a slap on the wrist and then he gets what he deserves in jail. "
I was shocked at the venom in his voice. He seemed adamant about his opinions, speaking like he had some type of previous experience with something similar.
"What a freaking scum," Jennifer piped in, patting my hand. "How did you get away from him? I would have been so scared. You're so brave, Nicole. "
I shrugged. I didn't feel brave. I felt foolish and dumb. "My brothers drilled self-defense into my head when I was younger. I actually panicked at first and forgot some of what they taught me. I was more shocked than anything when the guy grabbed me and started pulling me toward his room. " Alec stiffened beside me, and I paused for a split second before continuing. Describing the details felt like pulling off a Band-Aid—the quicker the better. "It wasn't until he wrapped his arm around my neck and placed a hand over my mouth that was I able to recall what my brothers had taught me. I guess I took him by surprise. "
Jennifer looked horrified by the time I finished. Looking around the table, I saw she
wasn't the only one. I guess I couldn't blame them. If I was a sitting in their seats, listening to someone else recount how they had been attacked, I would have probably reacted the same way. You hear similar stories all the time on the news, but when it happens to someone you know, or worst yet, when it happens to you, things become more surreal.
Jennifer leaned in, giving me a one-armed hug. "I'm so proud of you. Thank god you kept your wits. It gives me the creeps to think about what that asshole would have done to you. "
"French toast?" Alec held out a serving dish to me. His blatant move to change the subject wasn't lost on me or anyone else at the table. Jennifer and the others took the hint and let the subject drop. We began passing around serving dishes filled with breakfast foods that had been served family style. I was thankful for his interference and grateful to finally be done talking about the unfortunate incident for now.
As the day wore on though, I was asked to retell the story over and over again. I found it funny and sad at the same time how news of such a horrible occurrence could spread like wildfire on social media and then so many people still had no qualms about wanting to hear the nitty-gritty straight from the horse's mouth.
By the time of the massive signing later that evening, the real reason for the whole event, my teeth were on edge. I had to paste a smile on my face for something that should have been a joy. I handed out Wicked Lovely swag to everyone who came by my table, acting as if everything was okay, but truthfully, I needed a break from people. More to the point, I needed them to stop asking about the incident. I just wanted to interact with readers and book lovers like me, and talk about romance and swoon-worthy male characters. More than two thousand tickets had been sold to the signing alone. It was important that I get swag into the hands of as many readers as I could. That was the point of the trip.
Alec acted as a major buffer during the signing. The many women waiting had no idea of knowing, but I could tell that although charming as always, he seemed to be on edge also. He posed for pictures and tolerated all the groping and touching he had become used to, but beneath the surface, I sensed Alec was functioning on a slow boil.
Eventually, the three-hour signing came to a close. The smile I'd pasted on my face the entire time slipped as I slumped into my chair. Alec immediately began breaking down my banner and I jumped up to help him. Neither of us spoke as we packed away my belongings. Plans for late dinners were being thrown around and several people asked us to join them, but Alec politely declined each one, speaking for the both of us. Our attempt to leave the ballroom was a slow process, as everyone seemed to want to say goodbye or at least offer some type of condolence.
When we finally made it back to my room, we dumped everything in the corner and Alec sat on the edge of the bed, grabbing the room service menu.
"Why don't you take a shower and I'll order us some dinner?"
Ordinarily, I might have bristled at his almost insistent tone. I may have been a shy person, but my mom always said I had been stubbornly independent from the moment I started walking. My biggest fights with my brothers growing up had been when they tried to boss me around.
Maybe this time I was just tired, but nothing about the way Alec seemed to be ordering me around ruffled my feathers. If anything, I liked it. Coming from him, it felt good to be told what to do. I wished he would make up his mind and take command another way.
"Anything in particular you want?" Alec asked without looking up from the menu.
"No. How about you surprise me?" It amazed me how he always managed to ask a question that made it seem as if he were reading my mind.
"Take your time," Alec answered.
Taking his advice, I decided to forget the shower and sit in a hot bubble bath. I used the bottle of vanilla bean body wash I had brought with me to build a mound of suds and dipped my body into the warm water, letting it swaddle me like a cocoon. I lay perfectly still, listening through the door to the sound of the TV Alec had clicked on. After more than thirty minutes of draining the tub slightly when the water cooled off and adding hot water again, I stood up to towel off before I fell asleep. I opened the bathroom door wearing my sweats, inhaling the scent of hot pizza.
Alec sat on the bed, already devouring one of the slices. "I hope pizza is cool?"
"It's perfect," I answered, grabbing my own slice and climbing up on the bed beside him. In between bites, he passed me the remote control and I flipped around the channels, settling on a baseball game on ESPN. "We watch sports when we eat pizza at my house," I said, shrugging my shoulders at his look of surprise. It felt comforting to be doing something so normal and familiar.
"I'm not sure I've ever been with a girl who actually enjoys baseball," he said.
"You have no idea. We could turn down the sound and I could do the play-by-play and you wouldn't know the difference. I was raised watching sports. "
"Well, kiss my ass. We're going to be good pals after all," he laughed, patting my thigh. I flinched, trying to control my suddenly erratic pulse.
We managed to polish off the pizza and breadsticks he had ordered, along with an entire two-liter of soda. I leaned back against the headboard, feeling completely full and content.
Alec stood up, grabbed the boxes off the bed and placed them on the small table in the corner. I sat up, slightly panicked at the idea of him leaving. "I'm going to go take a quick shower and then we can watch the rest of the game, if that's okay?"
"Okay," I answered, relieved that he was coming back. "Can you leave the door open between our rooms?" If he thought I was being childish for asking, he didn't say so.
"Sure. I'll only be a few minutes," he said reassuringly before heading out.
I slid under the blanket on my bed, pulling it up to my neck as I waited for Alec to return. I barely paid attention to the game as I practically counted the minutes in my head. Each second dragged as if Father Time wasn't willing to let them go. I grabbed my phone off the nightstand, but only to make sure I hadn't missed any calls from Mom or Olivia. I had no interest in checking on anything else.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity in my head, Alec returned wearing loose-fitting mesh basketball shorts and a muscle shirt, which truly lived up to its name while on him. His towel-dried hair, still slightly wet from the shower, did nothing but add to his sex appeal.
"Sorry that took so long. I trimmed up my stubble a little too," he said, smoothing a hand over his light cover of facial hair. He climbed up on the bed beside me and leaned back against the headboard.
I tried to mimic his relaxed posture, but all I could focus on was how delectable he looked next to me. I'd seen him shirtless, in a tuxedo and even in wet swim trunks, but something about the way he looked fresh out of the shower and ruffled was pleasing on a whole new level for me. His shorts sat low on his hips, held up by a simple elastic band. The thin material kept hidden, but teased at what lie underneath. It was like finding myself in a gourmet chocolate shop, but unable to buy anything. His body screamed to be sampled and I wanted a taste.