been expecting this. Where were the tears, the desperation, the begging?
He narrowed his eyes. ‘What’s the big secret?’
She resisted the bait. ‘There isn’t one. I’m trying to do you a favour.’
That was too much. ‘Ha!’ he hooted. ‘Hardly.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ she asked suspiciously.
‘Nothing.’
‘Do you want in or not?’
‘Sorry, babe, I’m confused. Last time we were out in public you shat all over me from a great height. Why would I want anything to do with you?’
‘Like you didn’t shit on me.’
‘Whatever.’ He swigged his beer.
‘Come on, Nate, exercise some maturity. People split up all the time.’
‘Yeah, but they don’t shout about it like some fucking banshee then come running back six months later asking for a last date.’
Chloe closed her eyes. ‘That’s not what this is.’
‘What is it, then?’ He raised his eyebrows, waiting for a response.
There was a brief silence. ‘Forget it,’ she said, heading for the door. ‘I don’t need you anyway.’
Nate thought quickly. He needed to backtrack before he blew it altogether.
‘Hang on a minute,’ he’d said, as if she’d totally misread his intentions. ‘I haven’t said no, have I?’
She opened the door. ‘Well?’
He toyed with the beer can. ‘At least be honest, babe.’
‘I am being honest.’
He could see she was lying. Briefly he experienced a pang. She’d become a good liar.
‘It’s a pity about you, Chloe,’ he said. ‘You’ve changed.’
She sighed loudly. ‘Get on with it. Yes or no.’
A beat. ‘I think you’re afraid to go on your own.’
There it was. A flicker of fear, gone as soon as it had appeared.
‘Think what you like.’
It was as much as he’d get. He took a moment of mock-contemplation. ‘Fine, I’ll come.’
She tried to disguise her relief. ‘Good,’ she said. He could see the hand on the door was trembling slightly as she closed it. ‘You won’t regret it.’
Nate had crunched up the can. ‘No, I know I won’t.’
Now, as Nate recalled the conversation, he once again felt a rush of satisfaction at how neatly things had worked out. He’d have liked a bit more pleading, but you couldn’t have everything.
The cab pulled up outside his apartment and he jumped out, tipping generously.
When his phone rang, he snatched it up. Of course it was Chloe.
‘Hurry up,’ she said, clearly wigging out. ‘The car’s due in half an hour.’
‘I’m on my way.’
Their first night out as a couple since the break-up and they already hated each other’s guts. It was inspired.
Inside his apartment he showered and threw on some clothes. He hoovered up three pieces of toast then packed a small bag, not worrying too much about what he tossed in–these Vegas hotels had everything you wanted and then some.
Checking his pockets a final time, Nate left the apartment with a smile on his face. Fate had intervened and he wasn’t about to mess things up. A little taste of retribution was about to come Chloe’s way and, when it did, he’d have the best seat in the house.
87
Lana remembered the last time she had been on Cole’s jet. Then she had been searching for purpose, escape, a new direction. Now she was on the cusp of a fresh beginning, whatever that would be. The best thing was the novelty of not knowing.
As the jet soared off the runway, she watched her husband. That famous Hollywood profile, his composed, contained expression. He gave nothing away, not even to her. Since their last conversation, during which she’d seen more of Cole than she ever had throughout their marriage, he had reassembled his armour, retreating back to a place she couldn’t reach him–and no longer had the right to try. They had barely spoken over the past weeks, had deliberately avoided contact. And yet she had no concern that their red-carpet appearance would be anything short of perfection.
Lana felt a stab of nerves when she thought of tomorrow. Following an early start it would be an endless, exhausting chain of press conferences and photo ops, all executed and scheduled in uncompromising detail. She was used to it: it was like buckling in for a ride over which you had to completely relinquish control. All you had to do was let go. With a hand on her belly, she realised it was harder with someone else to think of.
Fortunately she wasn’t showing in an obvious way–she had a modest bump but it would be easy enough to conceal. She had a number of gowns to choose from ahead of the red carpet and had insisted on dressing herself before hair