up,” she says, and then she pauses for a beat. “Besides all that . . . how was the sex with Ace?” A fierce blush floods my cheeks, causing her to giggle. “That good, huh?”
I nod. “It was . . . gah! Amazing. I mean, he’s so romantic, and he actually loves to quote Shakespeare.”
My mind drifts off to what the good times with Ace were like. A weight settles over my heart and presses down at the thought that I may never have those with him again.
Birdie rests her chin in her hand as she stares at me with a huge grin on her face. “He actually quotes Shakespeare?” I blush and nod. “Wow. He’s like the perfect man for you, Iris. He’s all artsy and deep and shit. Kind of makes me feel bad for believing he was some outlaw serial killer.” She sighs and there’s an odd flicker of sadness in her eyes. “What are you two going to do now?”
I lean back in my chair. “I hurt him bad, Birdie. He’s not going to forgive me easily. And to make matters worse, I have no clue where he is or how to even start looking for him. I don’t know if I’m ever going to get the chance to apologize.”
Birdie stretches her arm across the table and takes my hand. “When things cool down, he’ll come back for you. He’ll come to his senses eventually and realize that you said what you did to save him.”
I give her hand a squeeze. “I hope so.”
CELEBRITY POP BUZZ NIGHTLY
A panoramic view of Willow Acres Mobile Home Community shows all the dilapidated trailers set in two neat rows with a gravel road separating them before the camera focuses on its star reporter. Her blond hair shifts in the slight breeze as she smiles and gazes directly into the lens.
“Good evening, America. This is Linda Bronson coming to you live from the sleepy little town of Sarahsville, Ohio, where this small community has just been rocked with the revelation that they’ve had a celebrity hiding out among them for months. That’s right, we’ve confirmed that Ace Johnson, also known as Ace White, has been living in this run-down trailer for the past three months, mixing among the locals and even working as a handyman. It’s unknown why Ace picked this location, but one thing is clear, he did not want to be found.
“The police tracked Ace to this trailer park after a nine-one-one call came into the local authorities here reporting a disturbance at the residence across the street, owned by one Jeremy Winkler. There appears to have been an altercation between Mr. Winkler and Ace White, who fled the scene before the police arrived. Allegedly, Mr. White has been involved in a romantic affair with the owner of this mobile home community, Iris Easton”—the screen flips to video of Iris walking to her trailer, attempting to block her face from the camera, and repeating no comment—“but so far Ms. Easton has refused to issue an official statement about her relationship with Ace White.
“Wicked White’s tour manager, Jane Ann Rogers, did tell us that she’s ecstatic that there has been an update in Mr. White’s disappearance and wants to implore Ace to reach out to her, allowing her to help him with whatever struggle he’s going through.
“As always, when we discover any additional information, we will bring it to you live. For Celebrity Pop Buzz Nightly, I’m Linda Bronson.”
ACE
Staring at the four walls of my hotel room is beginning to drive me mad. I can’t turn on the television without seeing my face plastered all over the news. I knew once they got wind of where I’d been hiding and who I was with, it would turn into a circus. Jane Ann is probably reveling in all the press my situation is creating for the band. She likes anything that makes money.
Iris’s face has also been plastered everywhere, and I feel guilty about that. I didn’t want her relationship with me to cause problems for her career, and I’m afraid there’s no going back now. It seems that she’s quickly becoming a household name, seeing as she’s the last known link to me.
God. I fucking miss her like crazy.
I can’t believe she would even entertain the idea that I could ever hurt her. I love her. I would rather rip my own soul out and hand it over to Satan himself before I caused her one ounce of pain. I’ve