store receipt, then scribbled his email address on it. “Here you go.”
Selena took it and tucked it into her pocket. “Great. Hey, before you go, want to have a drink?”
Wow, she really didn’t give up easily. He was certain that he hadn’t been giving off any kind of vibe that indicated that he would want to, but obviously the best approach with Selena was a direct one. “No, but thank you.”
Did Leslie look relieved or was he imagining it? He’d caught her watching his interaction with Selena at her mother’s house before the meal drama, but he couldn’t tell if it was irritation or jealousy on her face, nor could he tell what the source of it was. She seemed annoyed with Selena all the time for everything. It might not have had anything to do with him. Yet, the kiss the night before made him think that maybe...
Selena seemed unfazed by his refusal for a drink. “Okay. Well, drive safe and I’ll email you photos of Unicorn if I ever get my cell phone back.”
“I’ll look forward to it,” he said, as they climbed into the elevator. No doubt she’d forget all about him and the photos once she got back to her life in LA.
Inside the elevator, Leslie stood, arms folded, staring at the doors, and he had no idea what to say or if there even was anything left to say. The last two days had been a whirlwind—the fire, the kiss, the conflict between them, the tension, and the arguing...
He pressed his lips together and when the elevator doors opened on their floor and she hurried out without even a goodbye, Levi could only watch her go.
* * *
AS SELENA BROWSED the spa menu in the resort hotel room twenty minutes later, Leslie dipped into the bathroom and shut the door.
Was it possible to have a heart attack at her age? Because it really felt like she was having a heart attack.
With each deep breath in, the air simply stuck in her chest, never making it to her lungs. Her exhales were shallow and she thought she might throw up.
How much longer could she physically keep this up? It might take months to find Selena’s stalker... They’d have to return to LA at some point.
With a shaky hand, she dialed Eoghan’s number.
He picked up halfway through the first ring as though staring at the phone, waiting for her call. It made her feel just a little bit better knowing he was there on the other side of the call, even if there wasn’t much he could do.
She might not be in love with the guy, but it was refreshing to have someone she could count on who wasn’t too close...who didn’t know a whole lot about her past or demand that she be the person she used to be. Keeping things casual with Eoghan allowed her to rely on him in some capacity now without feeling like she had to completely open up or go all in.
He was safe. There was no fear that he might break her heart.
“How are you?” His concerned tone helped to ease the chest pangs, making her glad she called. Unfortunately, she had less than a minute.
“Not great. Hanging in there.” Barely. “Any word yet?”
“Not yet, but the police think they might have a lead,” he said.
A huge sigh of relief escaped her. Oh thank God. At least that was something. “Who?” She was convinced it was someone close to the star, someone who had intimate access. Someone with a vengeance, a vendetta against Selena. Not some stranger with a celebrity fetish.
“A guy was seen trying to jump the fence on her property last night,” Eoghan said.
The house and gates were on lockdown so even her management team and family weren’t permitted access right now—for their safety, they were told. “The agency is cooperating? Providing all the evidence I’ve collected to authorities?” She’d given everything to Eoghan, emailed him the files and photos to his personal email before leaving LA.
“Yes...” But there was a note of hesitancy in his voice.
“Maybe I should call Federico.” She bit her lip. She hadn’t reached out to the agency at all, still not completely trusting that she could, but the longer she withheld information on their whereabouts, the more shit she’d be in. Her boss would understand the delicate nature of all of this and why she’d done what she did. As long as she didn’t continue to avoid him.
“No. I wouldn’t. At first I