“Leave me alone!” Terror courses through me as I dodge him, shoving at his shoulder and making a break for it. That’s when the toe of my sneaker catches on a sidewalk crack. It’s a theatrical fast-motion plummet to the pavement, and I don’t even have time to brace myself.
My palms slam down first, slicing across concrete, but it’s the snap of my chin against the ground that sends a searing jolt through my body.
Pain explodes when I bite through my tongue, the metallic tang of blood flooding my mouth. I barely register the sting of my scraped chin as the torn skin mixes with rain and dirt. The world blurs for a moment, the relentless clicking of his camera severing the fog.
“Stevie! Stevie, look up!” he hollers, undeterred, crouching down to capture my humiliation up close.
I spit blood onto the sidewalk, hands shaking as I struggle to get up, the tasteof copper heavy on my tongue. Tears spring to my eyes—mortification, fear, pain. As my knees wobble underneath me, a familiar face appears to my right, pulling me into a steadying embrace.
Adrian.
Lex’s driver wraps an arm around my shoulders, guiding me to the entrance of the building as the paparazzo bolts in the opposite direction.
“Are you all right, miss?” He half carries me up the steps and opens the door. “Your face. Should I call for an ambulance?”
I can hardly see him through the visor of tears. “No, I…I think I’m okay.” Swallowing, I press my fingertips to my mouth, watching as they come back red. “Thank you.”
“My apologies I didn’t see it sooner. I would have come quicker.”
“It’s not your fault.” My shredded hands quiver as I move through the doorway, glancing over his shoulder at the sea of popeyed pedestrians. “I appreciate your help.”
Spinning on my heel, I race inside the complex, our coffee and bagels splattered on the sidewalk. I try to keep the dam from bursting as I plow through the door to Lex’s unit and jog to the lower-level bathroom to clean up.
Lex is already coming down the staircase, a towel draped over his shoulder. “Stevie?”
“I–I’m okay. Just need a minute.”
He must catch sight of my battered face because he charges down the stairs, nearly levitating as he jumps down the final three steps. “Holy fuck. What the hell happened?”
I don’t make it any farther when his hand snatches my wrist and whirls me around. My eyes lock on pure horror. “I…fell. It’s fine. I just need to wash up—”
“Who the fuck did this to you?” Hellfire laces every word. His expression is a murderous mask of rage.
Tears fall loose, mixing with sidewalk debris and sticky blood. “A paparazzo caught me on the way back from the deli. He was aggressive. I tried getting away, but I panicked, and…I tripped.”
“Jesus Christ.” Lex cups my face in two gentle hands, his wide eyes skimmingover the damage. “I’m going to rip his fucking head off.”
He pulls away, vibrating with fury.
I tug him back and shake my head. “No, he ran off. Just leave it.”
“He’s already dead.”
“Lex, please, it’ll only make it worse.” My face crumples. I feel the blood dribbling down my chin, stinging my scraped skin. “I’ll be okay.”
Hesitating, he trails his gaze over me, drinking in my dirty sweatshirt, cut-up hands, and bloodied face. In a blink, he flies around and kicks over a dining chair, then squeezes his hair in both hands and growls, “Fuck.”
I flinch.
Freeze.
He hunches forward, cupping his knees, knuckles translucent. He’s shaking, his anger reverberating as he teeters on the edge of a breakdown. I don’t know what to do. What to say. My heart splits into pieces, the chambers torn wide open.
When he straightens back up, he whips the towel across the room and holds his jaw, spinning away from me.
“Lex…” I take a hesitant step forward.
The planks of his back ripple. When he slowly pivots back around, there’s a film over his eyes. A thick cloud of pain. Lex takes two long strides toward me and yanks me into a hard hug. His palm grips the back of my head, his arm encircling me, heart beating rapid fire against his ribs. “I’m so sorry.”
