To her surprise, her father stood beside her, pulling her away from the insanity. Protecting her.
“The British guy,” the woman wailed.
“Simon Colson?” Grey asked as the cops pushed him aside.
“Yes, that’s him. He helped me with the blog comments and told me where she lived.” She pointed a shaking hand at Avery. “He promised if I did what he said, Grey would be mine. He bugged your phone, told the press where to find you. And now it’s all going to be okay. Tonight is about us, baby,” she said to him, clearly delusional.
Simon had merely fed her fantasies for his own purposes, and it made Avery sick to her stomach.
“Can’t you see we’re meant to be?” She sniffed and pointed to the faded writing on her chest. “Remember that day? You couldn’t stop staring! They’re yours!”
“Eew,” Avery muttered, turning away. She was really ready to get back to the kids and let the cops deal with the crazy.
She turned away, her heart pounding hard in her chest. She had no doubt the woman would be arrested, and with luck, they’d be able to find Simon and take him in as well. More important things were going on behind those doors, Avery thought.
And as she headed back inside to the party, she realized she’d stayed strong. She hadn’t come close to fainting. She wasn’t threatened by Grey’s crazy fan nor did she feel the urge to run away. More progress, she thought. Now if she could just stop thinking about Grey’s signature on that woman’s boobs, she’d be even better.
* * *
After the police hauled Emerald away in handcuffs and promised to pick up Simon for questioning, Grey had every intention of finding Avery. Her expression after listening to Emerald’s ranting and, worse, seeing his signature on her chest, stayed with him. Remorse and regret building stronger all the time.
He couldn’t change his past, but he’d definitely changed his future, and he needed to make sure Avery still believed that. He couldn’t have all they’d built … were still building, wiped away on a night when he’d planned …
“Grey?” Lola’s voice cut off his thoughts.
“Yeah?”
She walked over to where he stood in the hallway and hooked her arm in his. “You okay?”
“Not really.”
“Rick filled me in on what went down. I’m so sorry. If I could get my hands on Simon …”
“He’s finished in the industry, and I hope they’ll find charges that’ll keep him tied up for a good long while.” But Grey didn’t want to think about the man anymore. “Is Rep here?”
Lola nodded. “He went inside. I wanted to talk to you. Are we still a go?”
He patted his tuxedo pants pocket, glanced at Lola, and nodded. “We are.” His chances for a yes to the biggest question of his life, however, had just plummeted exponentially. But he still had to try.
* * *
Sweat poured off Grey’s body, and his heart beat a too-rapid rhythm as Ella whistled and the room of expectant faces peered up at her in curiosity. From where Grey watched from the corner of the room, even Avery’s nose wrinkled in confusion. All part of the surprise, he thought, his pulse racing too fast.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Ella said with a grin at the kids, “we have a surprise for you tonight. Two very special people are here to sing for you. Let’s give a big round of applause to Lola Corbin and Grey Kingston of the band Tangled Royal!” Ella clapped, and the crowd burst into applause and happy screams.
Rep, who’d been waiting in the corner, handed Grey his guitar, and for the next half hour, he and Lola performed for the kids. Those who could dance did. Those who couldn’t sat and listened or sang along, smiles on their too-pale faces. No performance had ever meant or affected Grey more, because no audience had ever appreciated the moment quite as much. Because they knew, as most didn’t, that time wasn’t promised, and enjoying life when they could truly mattered.
When he and Lola had planned this, it’d felt small and inconsequential. There was so little he could do to add to what Avery had accomplished tonight, but giving sick kids a great memory to keep with them and share with their friends allowed him to play a small part. Now, he understood the reasons she volunteered and what she got out of the time she spent here. He wanted to continue to do his small part to make kids like these smile.
He and Lola wrapped their mini set, and he ran a hand through his damp hair. The high that always came with performing still pulsed through his veins, only tonight there was so much more emotion attached to it. Avery had always been in his vision and thoughts during the performance. His beautiful angel, looking fucking perfect and representing everything he wanted wrapped in a white gown and warm smile. But while he had no doubt she’d loved his contribution, whether she still loved him enough to stay with him, remained to be seen. He’d marred her perfect charitable event with his fame. The same fame she had run from before.
He drew a breath for courage and looked her way. She stood beside a young, pale girl in a wheelchair, an IV attached to her arm. Her focus was on the child, who couldn’t dance, participate, or do more than sit and take things in, and as Grey looked at them, he lost his heart to her all ov
er again.
His mouth dry, he walked over and knelt down so he was at Lilly’s eye level. “How are you, gorgeous? Having fun?” he asked the ten-year-old he’d met earlier.
Her wig had tilted a little on her head, but she nodded, her eyes bright. Behind her, her parents held hands, smiling down at their daughter.