Powerful (The Driven World) - Kathleen Kelly Page 0,56
be fine.”
Tyson does a slight bow, and they both leave the room. I dial my assistant, Gabby.
She answers on the third ring. “Kris, it’s five o’clock in the morning.”
“Aww, shit. Sorry, Gabby.”
“Buy me a present in New York, and you’re forgiven.”
I chuckle into my cell. “Deal. What did you find out?”
“Well, there’s some woman on Facebook who has pictures of Athena and herself all over some group page. She says Athena is staying at The Langham.”
“You’re the best.”
“Don’t forget my present.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Athena
I ordered room service for breakfast. The thought of facing people right now fills me with a sense of dread. My cell phone is dead, and I left my charger at home. The front desk sent up a cord, so it’s now charging beside the bed. Picking up the hotel telephone, I dial my parents.
“Hello,” my dad answers.
“Hey, Dad.”
“Athena? Thank God. Why are you in New York?”
“How did you know I was in New York?”
I hear his sharp intake of breath. “Are you okay? Do you need me to come? Has Kris found you?” He fires the questions at me one after the other, barely stopping to take a breath.
“Dad, I’m fine. My publisher is here. I have a meeting with them today. Is Kris here?”
“With Raquel?”
“Yes, Dad. Did you say Kris is here?”
I hear mumbled voices, then Mom gets on the line. “Athena, honey, we’ve been so worried.”
“Mom, I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. Has Kris found you? He must have phoned us a dozen times last night.”
I glance at my cell phone. “My phone died, and I didn’t have a charger. The hotel just brought one up, so it’s on charge now. I didn’t mean to worry you.”
“Honey, are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Did Dad say Kris was here?”
There’s a pause, and then she says, “Honey, he didn’t leave you. Kris was filming for that new movie of his. He didn’t leave you.”
Mom’s words settle into my soul.
He didn’t leave me.
“Athena?”
“I’m here, Mom. Do you know where he’s staying?”
“The Ritz Carlton.”
“I’m sorry I worried you.”
“Your father has his bags packed, do you need him to come?”
I smile to myself. “No, Mom. I’m okay. I should have told you what I was doing, but I was just…”
“Angry.”
I nod. “Yeah. Kris and I had a fight over Sophia, and I lost my temper.” I tuck my hair behind my ear. “Then when I went to apologize, Mr. Mortimer at the motel said Kris and Sophia had checked out. So, I assumed they’d gotten back together.”
“No, honey. The photographer sent through a few shots of the wedding this morning. I’m going to send one to you. Are you sure you don’t need us?”
“I’m fine. There’s a book signing this weekend, and I’ve already met a fan who has organized a dinner for me to attend. She’s lovely, you’d like Harriet.”
“Harriet?”
“Yeah, she and her husband, Harry, came with me to the hotel. In a way, they looked after me. They seem like good people.”
“I’m so relieved. When do you have a meeting with Raquel? And when are you coming home?”
“I have today to myself. Tomorrow Raquel has meetings planned, and I was supposed to ring her when I landed.”
“You haven’t done that?”
“No, my cell died, remember?”
“If you’re sure you’re okay, I’ll let you go.”
“Yes, Mom. I’ll be fine.”
“Wait! Your dad wants a word.”
Mom must have put her hand over the receiver as I can only hear muffled voices.
“Athena, I-I want you to have a good time,” says Dad, but it feels strained as though he wants to say more but isn’t.
“I love you, Dad.”
“I love you, too, buttercup,” his words come out thick with emotion.
“I’ve got to go.”
“All right, buttercup. Call us tonight.”
Dad ends the call. I can picture them hugging each other and Mom trying to comfort him. My father is a big man, but he’s a softie underneath. Picking up my phone, I have fifteen messages and ten texts. All of them are from Kris except for one text from Mom. I open that, and it’s a picture of Kris and me. There’s nothing special about me, I’m staring straight at the camera smiling, but Kris is looking at me with so much love and devotion, you’d have to be blind not to see it. And I guess that’s what I’ve been. I couldn’t see for looking, and I was looking in the wrong place.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Kris
I’m standing in the lobby of The Langham. The hotel manager keeps telling me that there’s not an Athena Boswell staying here, but I know it’s