Unwritten Page 17

  “It was good to see you.” Josh’s gaze swept over her with an intensity that melted her insides like hot caramel. He looked into her eyes, and her stomach flopped again. Those silly butterflies she’d felt before their first kiss fluttered inside her rib cage, and she couldn’t seem to catch her breath. She curled her fingers into the fabric of her skirt to keep from grabbing him and begging him not to leave.

  “You too. I hope you enjoy the show.”

  Good thing she wouldn’t see him again after lunch tomorrow, or else she might do something really stupid like fall in love with him…if she hadn’t already.

  * * *

  “Oh my God, that was so cool.” Lily gushed as a security guard led them toward the main arena.

  “Get a grip, Lil.” Josh shook his head in mock exasperation. Anything to keep from thinking about the way it felt when Kate’s eyes locked on his, like he’d just taken his first real breath since she’d left New York City a month ago. His whole body felt alive for the first time in weeks.

  “Hey, you want to feel the baby move?” Lily reached for his hand without waiting for a response and pressed it against her abdomen. In the loose-fitting blouse she wore, his sister didn’t look pregnant. He was surprised to feel the firm bump lurking beneath it. Almost immediately, he felt a tap against the palm of his hand.

  He jerked his hand back. “Whoa.”

  “Cool, right?”

  He grinned. “Amazing. I can’t believe you’re growing something big enough to kick like that in there.”

  “We have our anatomy scan on Friday. Any bets?”

  Josh showed their tickets to an usher, who directed them toward the floor area. “What’s an anatomy scan?”

  “It’s a higher-level ultrasound where they take measurements and look for any defects in the baby, but unofficially it’s where you find out the gender.”

  “That felt like a pretty strong kick. I’ll go boy.”

  “You and Herman. I think girl. Wow.” Lily stopped as they reached their seats, third row from the stage and right on the catwalk. “Kate hooked you up big-time with these seats. She was really nice. I hope I didn’t embarrass you.”

  “You didn’t.”

  When Lily found the tickets on his kitchen counter and insisted he bring her, he’d agreed for one reason only. He thought seeing Kate tonight in her ultimate superstardom would put to rest any residual feelings he still harbored for her.

  Boy had that backfired. In fact, the entire backstage experience felt natural and not at all awkward like it would have been for him when they first met. And Kate, well… It had taken every ounce of self-control he possessed to leave her dressing room without kissing her.

  He was genuinely excited to see her onstage. She lived for this, the thrill of the performance, the energy of the crowd. It had to be especially meaningful for her to perform here in New York, and he couldn’t wait to see it.

  “I’m a little confused, though,” Lily said, leaning back against the catwalk, “because I had to force you to come tonight, and you told me you and Kate had broken up a month ago, but now that we’re here…”

  “What?” he said gruffly, but he already knew what she meant.

  “You seem…I don’t know, really relaxed and natural here in the middle of all the showbiz stuff, and I know that wouldn’t have been the case before you met Kate. And then there’s the fact that the chemistry between you two is so hot, I got scorched just standing between you.”

  He shoved his hands in his pockets. No way was he discussing his chemistry with Kate with his little sister.

  “But it’s more than just chemistry,” Lily said softly. “You guys look like you really care about each other, like maybe you ought to fight harder to make this thing between you work.”

  “How could it work? She’s on tour for the next year, traveling all over the world, and my job, my life, is here in New York. Kate doesn’t even live here. She was just in town for a few weeks doing promotional stuff when I met her.”

  “Those are just logistics,” Lily said. “If life offers you a second chance, you’d better not blow it because you’re too much of a chicken to go after the woman you’re falling in love with.”

  Falling in love with.

  The lights dimmed, saving him from an answer. The audience roared. Lily cupped her hands and screamed with the rest of them. Kate rose from beneath the stage in a cloud of smoke, clad in a black top, pink shorts that barely covered her ass, and knee-high black leather boots. He couldn’t have taken his eyes off her if he tried.

  She opened with “I Wish,” dancing energetically to the routine he recognized from many TV appearances during their time together. Midway through the song, she stepped onto the catwalk, looking larger than life, but at the same time, still just Kate. Girls on either side of him screamed as they reached frantically toward her. Kate slapped hands as she walked. A girl to his left shrieked as Kate took her hand. Tears shone in her eyes as she stared up at her idol.

  Pride swelled in his chest. That girl couldn’t have picked a greater role model.

  Kate turned her gaze on him. “I wish…things were different, honey. I wish…life gave second chances.” She stepped back and pointed a finger toward the crowd. “But that’s okay because I’m here in New York City!” Kate yelled, and the crowd roared. She held the microphone over her head and bounced on her heels as they chanted the chorus at her. Then she bent down and held the microphone toward Lily.

  “I wish!” Lily’s voice echoed through the arena. She squealed and leaped into the air, elbowing Josh in her excitement.

  Grinning, he glanced up and caught Kate’s eye. She winked before turning to continue down the catwalk.

  About an hour into the show, the stage lights darkened. The only illumination came from a blue screen in back. Swirling water froze and cracked in a giant kaleidoscope across its surface. Over the screams of the crowd came the first strums of the Spanish guitar. He could just make out the shape of the guitarist and several other musicians clustered near the front of the stage, seated on stools in a semicircle.

  The rich sound of the guitar filled the arena to its rafters. The crowd grew silent, rising to their feet in anticipation. Accompanying the guitar, castanets clacked in unseen hands, like tiny hooves galloping across the stage.

  Josh sucked in a breath, entranced to see what she had created out of the music he’d given her. A figure rose before the screen, cast in silhouette against the striking blue background from the tips of her high heels to the fingers arched dramatically above her head.

  The crowd erupted with a deafening roar. Her arms undulated to the stirring of the guitar. Slowly, she began to dance, this shadow figure moving across an ocean of ice. Her hands swirled over her head as her hips swayed and her feet spun. The crowd clapped along to the beat until the whole arena vibrated with it. Kate was the vision of a sensuous flamenco dancer, exotic and fluid as the water pouring and freezing on the screens behind her.

  The lighting shifted to illuminate her in a scarlet dress, snug as a leotard across her chest, with a full flowing skirt to capture the movements of the dance. Her hair was swept into a tight knot at her neck and accented with a red rose tucked into the side.

  She bent and spun like flames leaping across the stage.

  Fire and ice.

  Josh’s heart thundered in his chest. It was one of the most beautiful things he’d ever seen, and she had created this vision for him.

  Lily turned to stare at him with raised eyebrows. She didn’t need to say a word to let him know she understood the inspiration behind this dance. His cheeks burned, and he was grateful the spotlight was on Kate and not on him.

  Kate sauntered to the front of the stage. She grabbed the microphone stand and brought it to her lips as the musicians played around her. He knew the song. In fact, he’d spent a lot of time over the past month listening to her music. “Hold Me Close” had always had a slight Spanish vibe to it, and it went beautifully with the rhythm of the gu
itar. Her hips kept time with the beat as she sang.

  “I hold you close, next to me, in my arms, I’ll set you free…” Her eyes locked on his, fiery and intense. Her fingers slid over the microphone stand with a lover’s caress. Heat flared inside him. For a moment, the packed arena melted away, and nothing existed but the two of them and the music that had brought them together.

  The song ended, but Josh knew the image of her in that red dress would stay with him forever. Only she wasn’t his, not anymore. And he was going to need a hell of a cold shower tonight if he hoped to get any sleep.

  * * *

  The stage lights beat down on Kate as she sang. Sweat ran down her back and slicked her hair to her scalp. The last bars of “Unfaithful” echoed through the arena. She looked at the fans before her, their giddy smiles and tireless enthusiasm.

  She raised her eyes and gazed across the arena. It twinkled like fireworks as hundreds of cameras flashed, from the floor to the rafters. The energy in the room was palpable as thousands of fans screamed, clapped, and showered her with their love.

  She grinned. There was truly nothing like it in the world. And she would get to do this nearly every night for the next year. She tipped her face toward the heat of the lights above and soaked it in.

  Tika, her drummer, pounded out the infectious first beats of “Best Life,” Kate’s latest number-one single and last song of the encore. The spotlight twirled around her, making blue sparks off the sequins on her top. She stepped onto the catwalk. The dancers aligned behind her, lunging left and right to the beat of the song.

  “Up, down, high, low…like a roller coaster…”

  Kate swiped hands from the crowd. She caught Lily’s hand and gave it a squeeze. Lily sang along, bouncing to the beat. Behind her, Josh stood with a smile on his face. Their eyes caught for a moment before she continued down the catwalk, and she felt a warm zing deep in her belly.

  “This is the best life!” She kicked high to her left.

  The reflection of a water spill on the catwalk caught her attention a moment too late. Her right heel skidded across the wet surface from the momentum of the kick, and her leg buckled beneath her.

  She hit the stage so hard, she felt the impact in her eyeballs. She slid several inches to the left, cracking her head against an amp. A deafening boom walloped through her ears as the mic, still clutched in her right hand, slammed into the stage.

  Almost as an afterthought, she felt a pop in her knee. Pain exploded through her right leg. She lay sprawled on the stage, disoriented. Above her, the music continued, hollowed without her vocals.

  The dancers crowded around her. Brandon leaned close and whispered in her ear. “Are you okay?”

  “My knee…” She was flat on her back, wedged against an amp. Pink and purple lights along the catwalk swirled dizzyingly bright and close to her eyes.

  “Can you stand?”

  “I don’t think so.” She took a deep breath, gathered her arms beneath her, and eased herself into a sitting position. A wave of nausea swept over her as she straightened her leg along the stage. It felt like someone had stuck a steaming-hot poker straight through her knee and out the other side.

  Because she was on the catwalk, fans were within arm’s length on both sides. They reached toward her, buzzing with concern. Someone grabbed her right foot and tugged. Her stomach rolled, and lights burst across her vision.

  Brandon scowled as he pushed away intruding hands from overeager fans. The dancers moved around her, creating a protective circle. Security appeared to their left, clearing a path to take her off the stage.

  She shook her head. Pain and adrenaline made her head spin. The stage lights swam before her eyes like a kaleidoscope. She pulled Brandon close. “Can you carry me back to the main stage?”

  He nodded, then slid an arm beneath her and hoisted her effortlessly to his shoulder. Her knee screamed in insult. She sucked in a breath and pasted on a smile while the crowd roared with applause to see that she was okay. All told, she’d only been on the floor about thirty seconds. She picked up the lyrics where she’d left off, channeling herself into the music.

  Brandon carried her to the stage and set her down in a move so graceful, it might have been a choreographed part of the show. A sound tech placed a microphone stand in front of her. She sang, standing still as a statue while the dancers performed their choreography behind her.

  Her right leg held the consistency of jelly, quivering and useless when she applied weight. And holy shit, it hurt. She clutched the microphone stand, using it to balance herself as she belted out the last lines of the song.

  “Thank you, New York, you’ve been wonderful. I love you! Good night.” She waved and blew kisses to the crowd.

  Brandon swept her into his arms and carried her mercifully offstage. He laid her on the stretcher already waiting backstage.

  Paramedics surrounded her. “Ms. Hayes, where are you injured?”

  She gritted her teeth. “My right knee. I felt a pop.”

  There was too much going on. Voices shouted. Faces loomed above her. The crowd screamed on the other side of the curtain. An EMT probed her knee, sending fresh waves of pain radiating up her leg.

  She swallowed a scream.

  A warm hand slid into hers, a strong masculine hand that gave her stomach another flip-flop, dangerous given her current condition. She looked up to see Josh standing over her.

  “You okay?” He brushed his free hand across her cheek. Her face turned automatically toward his touch.

  “I think I blew out my knee.” Her voice wavered.

  “It’s okay. Knees heal.” He tightened his grip on her hand as another EMT lifted her right leg, securing a brace over her injury to immobilize it for the ride to the hospital.

  Knees healed, but not in time for the rest of the tour. Panic wrapped around her chest and squeezed. She couldn’t go there, not yet.

  “Okay folks, we need to clear the area. All nonessential personnel out.” Harry’s command began to thin out the chaos surrounding her. Dancers, band members, and other well-wishers headed for their dressing rooms.

  Mick shooed the stragglers on their way. An EMT raised the rails on the stretcher. Josh stayed beside her, his hand in hers, offering silent support as her fingernails bit into his palm. This was where she should say goodbye, for both their sakes. She clutched his hand tighter, unable to let go.

  Mick approached with raised eyebrows as the EMTs wheeled her down the concrete hall.

  “I’m with her,” Josh told him with absolute authority, and relief flooded her.

  No, wait. This is a mistake.

  “He’s with me,” she echoed.

  Mick nodded and fell back as Josh accompanied her into the ambulance.

  16

  Sirens shrieked in Josh’s ear, an outward manifestation of the warning bells going off inside his head. Kate lay on the stretcher beside him, her hand clamped around his, her face tight with pain.

  His heart hadn’t beat correctly since she hit the stage. For several excruciating seconds, it had stopped altogether, until she sat up, and he realized the horrific boom that shook the rafters had been caused by her microphone hitting the stage, and not her head. That gut-wrenching fear was something he hadn’t felt in years.

  Not since the night he lost Noelia.

  He refused to put words on what that meant.

  They arrived at the hospital in a flurry of activity. He stayed at her side as she was wheeled into an examination room, surrounded by medical personnel. A doctor removed the brace. He ran his hands over her injured knee, then bent and straightened the leg. Kate’s grip on his hand became bone crushing. All the color drained from her face.

  The doctor lifted her leg, pressing his thumb against the base of her knee while his other hand gripped the back of her thigh. “Please try to relax, Ms. Hayes. I need to manipulate your leg to check for ligament damage.”

  Kate closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her grip on Josh’s hand loosened
slightly. The doctor frowned in concentration as he manipulated her knee. He lifted and tugged at her lower leg, moving it from side to side. She grimaced. Josh squeezed her hand.

  “I’m not feeling a strong endpoint when I rotate the tibia,” the doctor said. “Yours is very soft and loose. This indicates a probable tear of the anterior cruciate ligament. I’d like to get you into an MRI to confirm.”

  Her stretcher was prepared for transport. Josh wondered what the wait time for an MRI was for a regular patient. Kate’s status came with certain perks. He relinquished her hand, wishing he could do something to ease the panic gleaming in her eyes.

  An hour later, as she stood across from him on crutches, her leg once more encased in a full-length brace, he was still wishing. He understood what this meant for her. An injury of this magnitude spelled the end of her tour, the inability to work.

  This tour had meant the world to Kate.

  “No surgery.” She shook her head, her eyes defiant. “I have a tour to finish.”

  “Ms. Hayes, you’ve torn two of the major ligaments in your knee. Whether or not you choose to have surgery, you won’t be dancing anytime soon.” The doctor looked down at her with an expression of distaste.

  Josh bristled.

  “But there are other options?” She still wore the sapphire-blue sequined outfit she’d finished the show in. Despite the fact he hadn’t seen her shed a tear, mascara smudged her cheeks. Her ponytail was a disheveled mess. She was the image of a fallen star, and he hated it for her.

  “Nonsurgical rehabilitation is a possibility. You would need to continue wearing the brace, restrict your activity, and complete a series of physical rehabilitation. But with the extent of your injuries, it’s likely surgery will be your best option.”

  The look on her face ripped at Josh’s already damaged heart.

  “Any way you look at it, your tour is history.”

  * * *

  Kate maneuvered her way through the door of her condo and stood in the entrance hall, totally lost. Josh came in behind her. He closed the door and wrapped her up in his warm embrace.