Thank you to all the readers who have kept sending me messages and tweeting me. I know it's been a LONG time, but I have been working on several different projects including 2 novels.
Someone tweeted me a while back and said I left out the part about prom. She was right. Prom would have been a big deal to Loren, so here it is.
Remember, this would have happened BEFORE my story, so it's kind of like a prologue. This would be before they said I love you (I know, I know, they say ILY on the last episode of Hollywood Heights, but my story is a tiny bit different. Bear with me please) and before their first time together.
I hope you like this story. I have inspiration for the next chapter of the original story. I don't know when Chapter 48 is coming out, but at least now I have a direction to go in. Thanks again for staying with me, and let me know what you think about "Eddie takes Loren to prom."
Follow me on twitter AT amd6841
AD
Eddie took a step back and looked at himself in the mirror. He was thankful that his mother had showed him how to tie a bow tie. It was one of the many things she had left him with. A classic black tux is what Loren wanted him to wear, so that's what he had on.
He ran his hands through his hair and let out a deep breath. Going to a prom wasn't exactly on his list of top five things to do, but Loren needed this. Her life was about to get crazy . . . well crazier. This was one of the last normal things that she had.
He looked at his watch and smiled. Right on time. He could pick up Adam and head over to Loren's where the girls were waiting. One last glance in the mirror and Eddie was down the stairs. He was startled when there was a knock at the door.
"Eddie?" he heard from the other side.
Eddie opened the door, and Kelly was standing there scrolling through her iPad.
"Are you ready?" Kelly looked up and took in Eddie's appearance. "A tuxedo may be a bit fancy, don't you think?"
"For what?"
"Bowling. Tonight. Remember?" Kelly asked.
"I don't remember anything about bowling," Eddie said as he walked back to his piano and grabbed his keys and phone. "Tonight is Loren's prom."
"No, tonight is the charity bowling game for the boys and girls club."
"No, that's supposed to be on the 21st."
"Eddie," Kelly said as she walked in, "Tonight is the 21st."
"No, it's the . . . " Eddie turned his head as he realized that it was in fact the 21st. "No, no, no this can't be happening," he cried as he brought his hands to his head.
"You can't back out now," Kelly started to say.
"Ugh, I knew it was the 21st I just didn't put it together," Eddie said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked up and said, "I can't go."
Kelly sighed, "I'm sure Loren will understand – "
"No," Eddie said, "I can't go bowl."
"You have to," Kelly said as she shook her head. "It was an auction. The bidder paid a lot of money for this. They could demand their money back. You have to do this."
Eddie let out a frustrated scream. How could he have confused the days? He looked at his watch again.
"How long is a game? An hour? Okay, I could go do the game and then be late to the prom." After a pause he said, "Dammit."
"Eddie, I'm sorry," Kelly said. "Jake made me promise I would get you there. You know how this would look if you –"
"I know, I know. I'm going," Eddie said as he dialed a number on his phone."
"Slight change of plans," he said when the other end picked up. "I'm gonna be late."
"Maybe I should have gotten the black one."
Loren stood in front of her mirror in her room smoothing the front of her chiffon dress for the hundredth time. When she had seen the red strapless gown at the boutique, something in her zinged and propelled her to buy it. Now as she stared back at her reflection, it looked like too much . . . something.
"Are you crazy?" Mel asked as she fiddled with her hair. "You look hot. You know you would be regretting it right now if you'd a bought that boring black dress. You were born to wear this dress, and Eddie's gonna want to tear it off of you."
"Stop," Loren giggled nervously.
Tonight was their prom. The short, satin-trimmed hem of her dress reached to the top of her knees. The red heels were about an inch higher than what she was used to, but they had looked so good with the dress she had to get them. Her hair was up with ringlets framing her face. Nora had let her borrow her diamond earrings that dangled a half inch from her ear.
"Oh my God, the guys are gonna be here any minute," Mel said. "You ready?"
Loren took a deep breath, "Yeah."
Loren followed Mel out of her bedroom and into her tiny Tarzana living room. Mel had been hinting earlier that maybe tonight would be "the night" with Eddie. Loren refused to answer. She wasn't sure when the time would be right. Life was so crazy sometimes it seemed like it would never slow down enough for her to even think about how she felt about it. Things had gotten pretty intense with Eddie a few times lately, but they had both put on the brakes. It seemed so cliché to have sex on prom night, but maybe this would be her last rite of passage. Did that mean tonight was the night? Had Loren just made up her mind?
Gus and Lisa were talking with Nora and Max in the living room, and all conversation stopped as the girls entered.
"You look beautiful," Lisa gushed. "Both of you do."
"Honey, that dress is perfect," Nora said.
"Yes, Loren," Max said. "Eddie's eyes will pop out of his head."
Loren sighed. Her mom always knew the right thing to say, and Max's compliment made her blush. Her apprehension about the dress ebbed as she saw the appreciation in everyone's eyes.
Loren was about to say something, when the doorbell rang.
"They're here," Mel said with a huge smile on her face.
Eddie and Adam were coming over together. Loren was excited to spend the evening with her best friend . . . and Eddie. The door opened and only Adam was standing at the threshold. Loren looked past him, but didn't see Eddie.
"Hi," she heard Mel say. Mel was rewarded with a big goofy grin from Adam.
"That dress is awesome," Adam said. Mel wore a royal blue, A-line dress with a halter top. There was glitter all over it and Loren laughingly told her she looked like a blue disco ball when she spun.
"You are rockin' that tux," Mel said.
Adam walked in and said hello to everyone. He started to get the corsage out of the plastic box and put it on Mel, but Loren couldn't wait to find out where Eddie was.
"I thought you and Eddie were coming together?" Loren asked.
"We were," Adam said as he concentrated on the corsage. "He called me and said he got hung up. He sent a separate car ahead for me and Mel. He said he would be about an hour late."
"Oh," Loren said feeling a bit deflated. She went to her phone which she had left on the counter and sure enough there was a text from Eddie. It just said, "Running late. Be there as soon as I can. 3"
"Wait, where is he?" Max said pulling out his phone. "Nothing can be more important to him than this tonight."
"Max it's okay," Loren said. "Don't call him. I'm sure it had to be something he couldn't get out of."
"But you two have been planning this for weeks," Nora said. "This can't be right."
Loren smiled to herself as she heard Mel say, "We'll wait."
Loren looked over at her friend, "No. You guys go on. I mean, Eddie sent a separate car, so he might be delayed a bit. We'll catch up with you at the prom."
Mel walked over to Loren, "Are you sure?"
Loren nodded and forced a smile, "Absolutely. He'll be here soon, and we'll ride back together."
Gus took over and started snapping pictures of everybody and soon Mel and Adam were on their way. Gus and Lisa said their goodbyes leaving Nora, Max, and Loren alone. Loren looked at her mother's face and saw the questioning look.
"I'm okay, Mom," Loren said. "It's not like he's standing me up."
"He wouldn't do that," Nora confirmed.
"Exactly," Max agreed. "It must have been something real important for him to be late."
"And unavoidable." Nora sat next to Loren and held her hand. "Do you want some tea?"
Loren shook her head. "No, I'm good. I'm going to wait in my room."
Loren walked down the hallway as she heard Max say, "I'm calling that boy right now."
Loren stood at her mirror and wrapped an errant curl around her finger. It fell against her cheek softly framing her face. She ran her palms down the front of her dress and felt the silky softness of the satin. Everything was perfect.
She was putting on lipstick when she heard a gentle knock on her door. She closed the lipstick tube and didn't even try to contain the smile on her face. He was finally here.
Her hand felt the cool door knob and gently turned it. Her stomach was doing somersaults as she thought about seeing his beautiful brown eyes. The eyes that held so much love for her also brought her strength and courage. Those eyes greeted her when the door opened.
"You're here," Loren whispered. She didn't trust her voice to speak.
"Of course," Eddie laughed as he took her up in a hug. "I told you I would never leave you again."
"I know," Loren said after clearing her throat, "But it still scares me."
Eddie laughed, "Why?"
She felt the heat from his body, flushed against hers, seep into her skin. He smelled of cologne and a scent that was purely his. She blinked back tears as she fought the strong emotions churning within her.
When she didn't answer, he set her down and looked into her eyes.
Loren shook her head, "I don't know."
She turned and walked further into her room and kept talking.
"I guess there'll always be a part of me that thinks that you could leave at any moment. I don't know how to change – "
Loren turned but realized she was talking to an empty room.
"Eddie?" she gently asked. She quelled the panic rising. Her heart started to frantically beat as she looked around the room.
"Eddie?" This time her tone held alarm. She rushed to the door and walked out into the hallway. She was instantly at her spot in the hills. The spot where she first ran into Eddie. Where they had both known to go to after their separation. Her shoes crunched the ground beneath her as the breeze blew threw her hair. She was still wearing her prom dress, but the air was cold, and she crossed her arms in front of her to fight the chill.
"Eddie, are you here?"
There was nothing but silence. The silence warred with her rambling mind. What was she doing here? How did she get here? Where was Eddie?
Loren didn't know what to do. Something was terribly wrong, but she didn't know how to start fixing it. She took a few steps in the evening light remembering the different spots on this hill that were so important to her.
A car drove up causing her to turn. The headlights flashed in her eyes, and she felt relief that Eddie had finally found her. She used her hand to shield her eyes as she walked up to the driver side of the car. It was an older model blue jeep. This wasn't something Eddie would drive.
"Eddie," she said as the window rolled down.
Cameron smiled back at her, "Loren, there you are. I've been looking everywhere."
"Wait, what?" Loren asked utterly confused.
"Prom," Cameron said with a slight laugh as he exited the car. "You took off right after we got there."
"Wait, no, I haven't gone," Loren said searching her brain for the memory. "And I'm going with Eddie."
"Eddie who? From Brit Lit?" Cameron asked.
"No, Cam. Eddie Duran."
Cameron raised his eyebrows in shock, "The singer?" He threw his head back and laughed. "Oh my God, I knew you were obsessed with him, but isn't that taking it too far?"
Loren shook her head. "I'm dating Eddie," she said feeling unsure of herself.
"Since when?"
"C'mon, Cam. You know when. I met him after I won his contest."
Cameron ran his hands through his hair, "I don't know what you're talking about." He gently grabbed her upper arm and started to steer her towards the passenger side of his jeep. "I think I need to take you back and – "
"No!" Loren shouted yanking her arm away. "I'm Eddie's girlfriend, and I have a record deal. And I'm going on tour with him."
Cameron let out a long whistle, "Wow, your delusions have gotten worse. Maybe it's time to get you professional help."
"They're not delusions," Loren cried. "And I don't need a shrink. I love him, and he loves me. I won his contest. Eddie!" she shouted into the air. "Eddie, where are you? Eddie!"
"Loren, Loren, wake up."
"Eddie!" Loren sat up in her bed and looked around her bedroom. She wasn't on the hill with Cameron anymore; she was home.
Nora ran the back of her hand gently down Loren's cheek.
"Honey, you were dreaming," Nora said.
"Mom," Loren cried as she hugged her. "It was horrible. It was as if the contest never happened. I had lost him."
"You haven't lost him," Nora said as she gently rocked her. "They're just your fears about tonight. As a matter of fact, there's a limo here waiting for you."
"He's here?" Loren said as she shot out of bed.
"Uh, no," Nora answered wringing her hands. "The driver said Eddie was still detained. He's supposed to drive you to the prom though."
"Alone?" Loren whispered.
"You don't have to go alone," Nora said. "Maybe you should wait for him."
Loren thought for a moment, but knew the truth.
"No," she said shaking her head. "If he sent the limo then he's going to be really late. I better go if I want to enjoy a few minutes of my prom."
Loren stood up and took a quick glance at herself in the mirror. She knew her nightmare was about her fear of losing Eddie, but she wondered if she would be able to deal with the reality of dating someone famous when push came to shove.
Eddie followed Kelly through the door to the bowling alley amid the screams of the fans being held back by barricades outside. Word had exploded on twitter that he was going to be there. Eddie knew pictures of him in a tux were already being uploaded. Speculation as to why he was in a tux was probably going to run wild. The last thing he wanted was to overshadow Loren's prom. It was supposed to be her big night.
"Did you send the limo for Loren?" Eddie yelled into Kelly's ear.
"Yes, it should be there."
"With the roses?"
"Yes," Kelly assured him.
"Okay," Eddie said as he turned back to the crowd.
"Eddie," Kelly said grabbing his arm. "I promise I will try to get you out of here as soon as I can."
Eddie looked around at the crowd. "Please," he said.
Eddie pasted on a smile and waved at those inside. He was introduced to a lot of people and a few he had already known from the organization.
"Mr. Duran, we are so happy to have you here," a red head lady said as she extended her hand. "And so formally dressed."
"Call me Eddie, please," he said with a smile. "I have an event after this."
"I hope we're not keeping you, Eddie," she said with a slight edge to her voice.
"Of course not," Eddie forced out. "I made a commitment and here I am."
"Great," she said. "The auction winner is over here ready to get a game started."
"Let's do this," Eddie said.
Eddie had to keep reminding himself why he was doing this. Many of these kids didn't have parents, or were from a single-parent household. That is what kept him from throwing up his hands and walking out. He walked over to the group and shook hands, smiled, and posed for pictures. He didn't hear a word of what was said. He kept thinking about Loren and prayed she was at least having a good time right now.
"So, did he say when he would he would be arriving?" Loren asked the driver. A limousine had pulled up with specific instructions to take her to the 1909 where the prom was going to be held. Nora was disappointed that there were not going to any pictures of Loren with Eddie actually leaving the house. Max had tried to call Eddie, but he wasn't picking up. Loren was just happy to be on her way.
"I don't know," the driver said. "I'm supposed to make sure you get there."
"Of course," Loren muttered. She inhaled the aroma of the two dozen roses Eddie had bought for her as she thought about the fame monster. It had not reared its ugly head until now. Not really anyway. Loren was sure there was something holding Eddie back that he could not get out of, but that didn't make it any easier to take. She ran the satin hem of her gown through her fingers as the limo stopped in front of the banquet hall.
Loren saw people milling around the front door. She was going to have to walk in alone . . . humiliated. Everyone used to give her such a hard time about having a crush on Eddie before she actually met him; this would add fuel to the fire. She didn't want to open the door of the limo.
"Miss Tate," the driver said, "I'm supposed to drop you off and then go pick up Mr. Duran when he's ready."
"Yeah," Loren said taking a deep breath. Everyone was expecting her to walk in with Eddie, but that wasn't going to happen. Did she have the strength to walk in alone?
It didn't matter. The moment was upon her, and she had to do it.
"Thank you," Loren said as the driver helped her out of the limo and onto the red carpet. Really? A red carpet? What kind of cruel joke was this? Did she have to humiliate herself and walk alone?
A few flash bulbs went off while some heads turned in her direction. Yes, she was alone, but Loren wasn't anticipating everyone's questions.
"Loren," someone said, "I thought you were coming with Eddie."
"Loren, are you alone?'
"Loren, that dress is beautiful; it's a shame you're alone."
"Loren, you are so brave to show up alone."
She smiled as the fake camera bulbs went off on both sides of the red carpet giving it the feel of a Hollywood premiere. As she crossed the threshold into the prom she was surprised to be blinded by a spotlight aimed at the door. A camera projected her image on several screens around the room. The idea was to draw attention to everyone as they came in. That was the last thing Loren wanted.
It took her eyes a minute to adjust from the spotlight. Once she did she saw was glittering disco balls hung from the ceiling. There was loud music, people talking, and groups moving around the room. She craned her neck looking for Mel and Adam but couldn't see them. Her lifeline was nowhere.
"Hi, Loren," she heard from behind her.
Loren turned and saw Kim standing with the rest of Adriana's crew.
"Hi, Kim," Loren said. She looked behind the group, "Adriana's not gonna make it?"
"You know she's not," Kim said with a saccharin-sweet smile. "We were shocked when your co-dependent Mel showed up without you. But now you're here . . . alone."
"Thanks for stating the obvious," Loren said. "Where did you see Mel?"
"Wait," one of the other girls said. "Why are you alone?"
Loren felt like everyone around her paused and waited for her answer. What could she say that would satisfy them?
"Because sometimes life isn't fair," Loren finally said willing herself not to cry. "You make plans. You want things to be perfect, but something happens to muck it all up." She looked directly at Kim and said, "That's why."
Loren stepped around them and further into the room. She let out a long sigh as she ignored everyone waiting for something juicy to happen and looked for Mel. Adam was standing off to the side of the dance floor talking to someone. Loren didn't see Mel. She made a beeline for Adam but was stopped.
"Is it true Eddie Duran stood you up?" A girl named Stacie asked as she blocked her path. Loren didn't know her well, and Stacie only talked to her because now she "knew" Eddie.
Loren looked behind Stacie and noticed everyone talking. So this was the rumor that was working its way around the room.
"No," Loren said as she tried to walk around her.
"Bummer," Stacie said. "I've always wanted to call in a tip to TMZ. Maybe I will anyway."
Loren kept walking. It was times like this that made her regret trying to follow her dream. She had about reached her breaking point when someone grabbed her arm.
"No, Eddie is not here," Loren snapped.
"Whoa, chill," Mel said with her hands up. "I wanted to see if you were okay."
"I'm sorry," Loren said as she held her temples. "Everyone keeps asking about Eddie, and – "
"Yeah I figured," Mel said glumly. "Do you know where he is?"
"No," Loren answered. "I have no idea."
Loren felt her phone vibrate and reached into her purse. It was Eddie.
She let out a big sigh, "Do I pick up?"
"It's him?" Mel asked looking at Loren's phone. "I don't know," she shrugged. "It's up to you."
"I'm so mad at him," Loren said. "I know he must have a good reason, but . . ." she looked away as she fought crying, "This is my prom."
Mel hugged her friend. Loren felt the phone stop vibrating and that made her almost lose it.
Eddie checked his watch again. He fought back the groan that threatened to escape his lips. Things weren't going well. Everyone kept stopping to take pictures with him and ask for autographs. He searched the crowd for Kelly, but kept getting blocked by the mob surrounding him. This was what he worked for. He loved that he could raise money and bring attention to such a great cause, but tonight it was driving him crazy. He had snuck away and tried to call Loren, but she didn't answer. He wanted to explain where he was. He had hoped that would soften her anger a bit. No chance of that now.
"Eddie, you should be a professional bowler."
"No way, he's a singer/songwriter."
"Eddie I love your tux."
"Eddie will you take me to prom?"
He wanted to scream as several people spoke to him at once, but kept himself calm on the outside. He knew all this was worthy, but at what price?
He glanced a few lanes down and saw a girl about 8 years old playing a game with a young woman who looked to be about Eddie's age. He noticed how the young woman was coaxing her into bowling and was really talking with her as if their conversation was the only on that mattered. They didn't seem to be paying attention to the circus going on around Eddie. He felt compelled to highlight the true meaning of the organization.
He walked over to the two playing followed by a cloud of people surrounding him. He wished there was a way to keep the moment private, but the press had their uses. More publicity potentially meant more donations. The bottom line was to get help for these kids who needed it.
"Hi," Eddie said walking up to the pair. "I'm Eddie. How are you guys doing?"
"Hi," the young woman said a bit star struck. "I'm Leslie and this is Katie."
"Hi, Katie," Eddie said bending down to her level, "I love that name. It's very special to me."
Katie turned shy eyes up to him but didn't smile.
"Katie was my mom's name," Eddie explained.
"That's so sweet," Leslie said. "Say 'hi' to Eddie, Katie."
Katie lifted her right hand and waved.
"You guys look like you're having a great time," Eddie said. "Are you Katie's big sister?"
"Yes," Leslie answered, "I – "
Their conversation was interrupted by a reporter who heard Eddie mention his mother.
"Eddie, how do you feel knowing Chloe Carter will not be held responsible in your mother's death?"
"We're not here to talk about that," Eddie said quickly. "This is about the boys and girls club."
"But you have to have an opinion," the reporter insisted. "You haven't spoken publicly about it."
"Yeah, Eddie what about – "
"Eddie, any comment?"
"Alright, everyone," Kelly said drawing their attention. "The event is over for the press. Thank you for coming."
Kelly did her best to corral the press and distract them. Eddie knew he only had a few minutes before they insisted on speaking with him.
"It was awesome to meet you, Katie," Eddie said shaking her small hand. He looked up at Leslie, "I think what you're doing is awesome. You're a good person."
"Thanks," Leslie said. She leaned in closer and said, "You look like you have somewhere else to be. You might want to sneak out now while you can."
Eddie smiled and subtly nodded his head. He headed towards the back door ignoring everything else inside. He looked at his phone hoping that Loren had at least text him. Nope. Oh well, he had all night to make it up to her.
He saw the limo and exhaled knowing he was home free. He was about 30 feet from it, when someone stepped in his path.
"Eddie, I've finally tracked you down. Care to do an interview about the end of the investigation into your mother's death?"
Eddie fought from slamming his fist against the back of the car. Lily Parks was not going to ruin this evening.
"I've told you a million times, Lily, no interviews."
"I know, but you have seen Chloe's interview haven't you? It was just released about 30 minutes ago online."
"What?" Eddie asked surprised. The investigation had been declared done a few days ago and Eddie was shocked that Chloe didn't immediately do an interview. He knew it had to be a matter of time with her.
"Trust me, I'm pissed she went with E! for the interview and didn't even give me the first shot at it."
Eddie didn't care what Chloe said. It didn't matter. She was never going to be held accountable and there was nothing he could do about it.
"I have to go Lily," Eddie said again trying to get passed her.
"You could go on the record with what you think," Lily said. "You haven't done that. You've let Chloe do all the talking. Is that how you want it?"
"It really doesn't matter," Eddie said. "I've left it to the authorities, and this is the way it has to be. I have to respect that."
"Please, Eddie," Lily said walking up to him, "Let me get that on camera. That's all I want. Nothing else. No trick questions, no curveballs, I swear."
"Is this the quickest way to get rid of you?" Eddie grumbled.
"Yes, or I'll keep pestering you for an interview."
"Fine," Eddie said, "But hurry up and be quick about it."
"Still nothing," Mel asked Loren who was sitting alone at a table in the back corner.
"No," Loren said.
"Just call him," Adam offered.
Mel hit him on the shoulder and Loren shot him an angry look.
"I am not calling him," Loren said. "He's the one not here. He needs to call me."
"He tried," Adam pointed out, "You didn't answer."
"He needs to try again," Loren said.
"You know what, Adam, I'm thirsty," Mel said. "Go get me some punch."
"But – "
"Now," Mel said. "Please," she added to soften it.
Loren looked at Adam's retreating back and wondered if he was right.
"Do you think I should call him?"
"If he hasn't called you again, he must be busy," Mel said. "He would have called you again otherwise right?"
"Yeah," Loren agreed.
"I know you may not want to do this, but . . . " Mel started.
"But what?"
"What about checking TMZ?" Mel suggested. "Maybe there are photos of him somewhere and you can find out where he is."
"I thought about that," Loren said. "My mom always says don't ask a question unless you're sure you want to know the answer."
"Well, you're sure aren't you?" Mel asked.
"What if it's something I don't want to see?" Loren said finally voicing her worry.
"There is no way Eddie would do that to you," Mel said. She leaned over and hugged her friend. "He loves you."
Loren nodded. She took out her phone and started searching the gossip sites. At first glance Loren couldn't find anything. She wasn't sure if this made her happy or more worried.
"I don't see any –" Loren stopped in midsentence. She saw a picture of Eddie in a black tux dated today.
"Mel, you look at this and tell me what it is," Loren said.
Mel took the phone from Loren and started looking. Loren looked out at the prom crowd and saw everyone dancing and having a good time. When did things get so complicated?
"He's at a charity bowling game."
"He's what?" Loren said taking the phone. She read for herself how he was bowling with an auction winner that benefited big brothers and big sisters.
"He forgot," Loren said. "I remember him talking about this, and he thought it was next week. He must not have realized it was the same night as my prom."
"He would never disappoint kids," Mel said.
"Nope," Loren agreed. "He would never do that."
"So that explains it," Mel said. "He'll be here when he's done with that game."
"Yeah," Loren said. "Okay, so mystery solved."
"You still upset?" Mel asked.
Loren sighed, "Yes, and I hate myself for it."
"Oh my God, Loren are you okay?" Kali walked up to Loren and reassuringly put her hand on Loren's shoulder.
"Yes, I'm fine," Loren said. "Eddie will be here soon."
"Really?" Kali said. "Looks like he's really busy."
"He is," Loren said. "But it's for a good cause."
Kali nervously giggled. "You're a lot more understanding than I'd be."
"What are you talking about?" Loren asked.
"This," Kali handed over her phone which showed Eddie talking with Lily Parks.
Loren grabbed Kali's phone and stepped out into the hall where it was quieter.
Loren hit played with shaky fingers.
"I have to trust the judicial system," Eddie said on the tape. "My mom's case went through the process, and it's over now."
"How do you feel about that?" Lily asked.
"I'm disappointed, but like I said, I have to trust the system."
"Do you have anything to say to Chloe?" Lily asked sticking the microphone back in his face. Loren's stomach turned.
"No," Eddie said. Lily waited for more, but Eddie didn't offer anything else.
"Eddie, please I need to talk to you."
Loren's mouth dropped when she heard Chloe's voice.
"You promised," Eddie said to Lily.
"I had no idea she'd be here." Lily turned to Chloe, "You are not welcome here. Go talk to E! again."
"The last thing Loren heard was Eddie say, "Turn that camera off."
"Eddie, I swear I didn't plan this," Lily told Eddie.
"I believe you," Eddie said. "Only because you actually turned the camera off."
"I don't care about that," Chloe said. "I need to talk to you."
"We were done a long time ago, Chloe. You need to just leave me alone."
"Eddie," Chloe said. "You won't answer my calls. I went through a lot of trouble to find out where you were going to be. I just need two minutes to say my peace."
"I'm gonna go," Lily said. "Eddie, I hope I've shown I can be trusted. I hope we can work again in the future."
Eddie filed away what happened with Lily in the back of his mind. Something wasn't right about the way she was acting. The Lily he knew would have put everything that happened between him and Chloe on TV without blinking.
He didn't have time to fully figure it out. He still had Chloe standing between himself and Loren.
"Out of my way Chloe," Eddie said as he reached for the door.
"Look, I'm sorry the way things turned out," she said. "I wish Tyler would have been held responsible for what happened as he should have been."
"Okay, I heard you out," Eddie said. "I have to go now."
"I hope that one day you can forgive me," Chloe said.
"Even if I did," Eddie said, "I would never forget."
He took a deep breath and realized that there were some things that he should get off his chest with Chloe. Being angry at her was the flip side of caring. He didn't want to care anymore. He had to let it go.
"I can understand that."
"Because of you, Chloe, I almost didn't want to love again." Eddie realized in that moment how close he had been to not pursuing a relationship with Loren. That would have been the biggest mistake of his life.
"You made my doubt my judgment," Eddie continued.
Chloe had the good grace not to say anything.
"But I realized that doing that would give you power over me. And I'm done believing you have any influence in my life. Or even in my mother's death." Eddie felt better as the words came out of his mouth. "I don't know who was really driving that night, and while I don't want to say I don't care, I am going to say that I'm not going to obsess over it anymore. You're the one who has to live with it, not me."
"I've told you the truth," Chloe said.
"That would be a first," Eddie said. "You can understand why I wouldn't believe it."
"I hope we can move on from this," Chloe said.
"I have," Eddie said.
He reached for the limo door just as Chloe grabbed his arm. "I would feel better about this if we hugged."
Eddie stood still as Chloe wrapped her arms around him. All he felt was his skin crawl. He gently pushed Chloe away.
"It's done, Chlo," Eddie said. "I have to go."
Chloe nodded and stepped back allowing Eddie to enter the limo. Eddie let out his breath as he threw his head back against the seat.
"To the prom please, and hurry," Eddie said. He looked down at his watch and realized it was late . . . really late. He hoped he made it before it was over.
"Oh God, they're announcing the king and queen next," Loren groaned. The only good thing about the announcement was that meant prom was almost over. She had managed to stay back in the corner away from all the dancing. Now everyone was milling around waiting for the big announcements. Loren wanted no part of it. She kept looking at her phone hoping Eddie would call again. She wanted to know he was okay after that encounter with Chloe. This time she would answer, but the call still hadn't come.
"So what?" Mel said. "It's all lame anyway. We know it's gonna be one of the jocks. Are y'all ready to go?"
"But what about – " Adam started to ask. Mel elbowed him in the ribs to get him to stop.
"It's okay," Loren said. "He's obviously not coming. We can go."
"What I was going to say," Adam said, "Was that your name was on the ballot for prom queen. You could win, Loren."
"That would be the ultimate humiliation," Loren said. "Prom queen with no date."
"It would make for a cool story," Mel said.
"Are you insane?" Loren said. "Ugh, I just wanna go home, crawl in bed and totally forget today even happened. This is so not how I thought my prom would be."
"Loren," Mel started to say.
"No, of the 200 different ways I had pictured prom since I was in middle school, one of them coming alone, it would not have been because I was stood up."
"I'm sorry, Lo," Mel said.
Loren shook her head, "Who knew dating a rock star could cause so much grief? I guess I was naïve to think that tonight would be perfect. And an even bigger dope to think that tonight . . . " Loren paused as she looked at Mel. The rest of her sentence was unspoken but understood between them.
"It'll happen."
"It's like all of my doubts are being confirmed," Loren said her eyes welling with tears. She cleared her throat, "Maybe leaving is a good idea."
"Now the announcement of the prom king and queen," Principal Nolan said as she took the stage. "The voting was very close, but the student body has spoken, and first for your prom king."
A hush came over the crowd as Principal Nolan opened an envelope like at an award's show.
"Your prom king is Cameron Nash."
Cheers erupted as Cam walked up to the stage to accept his crown. Loren saw him grinning from ear to ear looking completely comfortable in his role as prom king. His southern California charm was emanating from the stage. Any girl would be lucky to have a guy like him interested in her. Loren wished in a way that she would have fallen for Cam. It would have made life so much simpler. But then would she have had the courage to go after her dreams of music?
"Every king deserves a queen," Principal Nolan said. "And your prom queen is . . . Loren Tate."
Loren felt all the blood drain from her face. Her hands were cold and clammy as Mel grabbed them and urged her towards the stage. She looked at the crowd who were all clapping and hollering for her. She couldn't hear a thing, however. She was focused on not falling down as she walked in a haze to the stage.
Taking each step carefully, she finally made it to the top and was stopped by Principal Nolan who put her crown on her head. It was heavier than she thought it would be. She looked out at the crowd but couldn't focus on a single face. She looked at the door and prayed Eddie took this time to walk in . . . he didn't. Instead Principal Nolan started talking again, but all Loren could think about was that Eddie wasn't there.
"Loren, c'mon," Cam said as he took her hand.
"What?"
"Our dance," Cam said with urgency. "Everyone is expecting it, c'mon."
Loren's hand felt small in Cam's big one. He linked their fingers together as he led her down the stage and onto the dance floor. The spotlight was on them as they stood in the center. There were still hoots and hollers as they waited for a song to start. The school photographer snapped a few shots of them standing ready to dance together. Cam put his hand around her waist and pulled her flush against him. Loren tried to pull back and put distance between them, but his grip was solid.
Loren gave up and let the moment flow. She put her hand on his shoulder and let him grab her other hand as they waited to dance as king and queen. This was her prom. This is what she would end up remembering. This may be the only good memory she would have. Twenty years from now she would tell her kids that she was prom queen. She would leave the part out about being stood up and heartbroken. She would leave the part out about showing up alone. A nagging voice in her head asked her who the father of these kids would be. She didn't want to answer.
The music started, and it was a slow song. She realized that she left her phone on the table, so she wouldn't know if Eddie would call. For a moment she wanted to forget about it, at least for this song.
"I'm glad you're my queen," Cam said bringing her out of her fog.
"I'm sorry, Cam," Loren said. "I wish I was better company."
"It's okay," Cam said. "You're better than my date."
Loren giggled, "That's not a nice thing to say."
"I know that was mean," Cam laughed. "I let Michael set me up with his cousin, and let's just say she's kinda boring."
"Oh, sorry," Loren said.
"But one thing I'll remember about this prom," Cam said, "Is that I had the prettiest queen."
Loren smiled. "Thanks, Cam. Believe it or not you're making me feel better on a night when . . . well, things are not going like I thought they would."
"I guess Eddie never showed up," Cam said.
Loren shook her head.
"I know I was kind of a jerk when it came to Eddie," Cam said. "But I really believed he liked you, especially once you got real popular."
Loren lifted her head to look at him. "What do you mean?"
"Nothing," Cam said shaking his head. "I don't even know Eddie very well, but he does seem to move in a different crowd."
"He grew up in that crowd," Cam said. "It would be hard for him to think outside of it."
Loren closed her eyes. She didn't want to think about it anymore.
There was a strained silence between them. Finally Cameron spoke.
"I always thought I would come to prom with you."
Loren laughed, "Well my date didn't show up, and your date is a dud, so it's kinda like we are at prom together."
Cam smiled, "I'm glad you see it that way too."
Loren realized she might have said something wrong. "Cam, I didn't mean – "
"I know, Loren," Cam said as the song ended. "You're in love with Eddie. I never doubted that. I wouldn't even try to get in the middle. Just know that I think you're really special. I always have and I always will."
Cam leaned down and kissed Loren on the cheek causing her face to flush. In another time or place, Loren could have seen herself happy with Cam. Her heart was taken, though, and there was nothing she could do about it.
People quickly surrounded them offering congratulations. Loren smiled and accepted all the words wishing she could make her way back to Mel. She tried to walk away from Cam, but he held her hand firmly and his hand came around and grabbed her waist again. She didn't have the urge to move; all of her fight was gone for the night.
Loren noticed there was a buzz from the entrance. She looked up at the screens and saw a dark-haired guy standing at the entrance looking at the dance floor. Her eyes moved to the familiar figure and she gasped as she saw Eddie with his eyes firmly looking at her.
"Eddie's here," Loren whispered into Cam's ear. She felt momentary guilt at being in Cam's arms. She quickly realized she was doing nothing wrong. They had just finished their dance, which Eddie would have known had he been here earlier.
"Cam I have to go," Loren said.
"Sure," Cam said. "He shows up, and you go."
Loren looked Cam in the eyes but bit back what she was going to say. There was no point in arguing with him. Cam was never really going to like Eddie. She hoped she could explain to Eddie what he walked in on, and that his explanation about why he was late was enough to erase her doubts.
Eddie walked into the 1909 and was immediately hit by a spotlight. This left him unable to see anything other than the bright light. As his eyes started to adjust, he noticed a crowd on the dance floor looking at couple dancing in the middle. Both had crowns on. Eddie sighed because he knew the announcement of the king and queen was towards the end of prom. He had officially missed most of it.
Eddie stood watching the crowd and saw that the couple dancing was having a pretty intense conversation. The girl was facing away from him and was wearing a red dress that seemed to fit her perfectly. He saw the gorgeous curve of her neck under a tower of ringlets piled on her head. He was about to chastise himself for being so attracted to the girl until he realized why she was so beautiful to him . . . it was Loren.
He saw that the guy . . . it was Cam, leaned down and kissed her on the cheek as the song ended. She smiled and . . . was she blushing? He realized that now was not the best time for him to be jealous. He had to get her to not be mad at him first. Then maybe . . . maybe he would ask her about that dance.
He fought his jealously as he saw Cam put his arm back around her waist. Loren had seen him. He could tell by the way her body stiffened as if she was guilty. She whispered something to Cam and finally disengaged herself from him. Eddie stood in his spot as he saw Loren make her way towards him. He wanted to drag her out of here and talk about tonight. There was a lot to work through.
His heart hammered in his chest as she got closer. He forgot about everything as he took in her appearance. She was gorgeous. He drank her in with his eyes and wished he could have spent the whole night looking at her. Her dress was perfect and her eyes . . . it looked like she had been crying. Her makeup was smudged. He wanted to bang his head against a wall.
"You're here," Loren said as she wrapped her arms around him. Eddie inhaled her scent and felt her body against his. He let out a sigh as some of tension he had been carrying was released.
"Loren, I am so, so – "
"Shhh," Loren said as she pulled back and kissed him. "Let's do that later, okay? I don't have much left of my prom, and I want to enjoy it."
Eddie was a bit taken aback by her statement, but he was willing to accept it. "Sure, babe. If that's what you want."
"No," Loren said with a bite to her voice but with a smile, "It's not what I want, but it's all I have left."
Loren grabbed his hand, and she led him through the crowd. Eddie smiled as people noticed he was there. He didn't want to overshadow Loren at her own prom. He had hoped to keep it low key. That ship had sailed.
"Eddie, you're here," Mel said as she hugged him. "You should be proud to know that your date is this year's prom queen."
"I never had a doubt," Eddie said.
"Hey, Eddie. Glad you finally made it," Adam said.
"Me too," Eddie laughed. "Did the driver treat you okay?"
"Everything was great," Mel said.
"Yes," Loren said. "Even the limo you sent for me." She smiled sweetly and added, "And the roses."
"Loren, is there somewhere we can talk?" Eddie asked.
"Later," Loren said. "Can we get one dance in before we go?"
"Are you sure you can dance with that hardware on your head?" Mel asked with a laugh.
"I'll try," Loren said.
Eddie let her lead him on the dance floor as a fast song was playing. Loren turned her back to him as she danced against him. He put his hands on her waist and bent to kiss her shoulder. He heard her gasp as she subtly pushed off of him. She turned to face him with her mouth set in a grim line. Eddie didn't know what he was supposed to do.
They dance in awkward silence until the song was over. Most people seemed to be respecting their privacy with only slight glances in their direction. Eddie noticed a lot of people were leaving signaling that the prom was about over. Now was time for all the after parties. He was going to let Loren decide what they were going to do, but he really wanted some time with her alone.
"I guess it's time to go," Loren said turning and leaving the dance floor. Eddie assumed he was supposed to follow her back to where Mel and Adam were waiting.
"What do you want to do now?" Eddie asked as they walked.
"I honestly don't know," Loren said without stopping to turn to him.
Eddie released his breath. He knew she was entitled to a certain amount of anger. He wondered how long this was going to go on.
"There are a few parties we're invited to," Mel said as they walked up.
"That could be cool," Adam said.
"Yeah, I don't know if I'm up for a party," Eddie answered. The last thing he wanted was to be around a lot of people. He wanted to be alone with Loren so they could straighten out what happened tonight.
"I think I want to go to a party," Loren said. "Which one sounded like the coolest?" she asked Mel.
"There's one in Malibu," Mel said.
"Malibu. That sounds like fun, huh Eddie?" Loren asked.
"Yeah we can do that if you want," Eddie said. He leaned into her ear and whispered, "But I wanted to be alone with you."
Loren smiled and said, "Maybe later." Loren's tone told Eddie that she didn't really mean it.
"Let's do this," Loren said grabbing her purse.
Eddie walked in silence out to the limo that was waiting for them. They got in with Mel and Adam chatting about the prom. He noticed Loren was silent but her eyes spoke volumes. She stole quick glances at him, and he knew the wheels in her head were turning. He hated all this tension.
"I'm proud of my prom queen," Eddie said as he grabbed her hand and linked their fingers together. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.
Loren opened her mouth to say something but quickly shut it. He wanted to know what was on the tip of her tongue. He couldn't get her to talk.
"Can we get some music?" Loren said to the driver with a loud voice. The radio was immediately turned up and "Something in the Air," was on. Eddie was relieved that Loren didn't ask the driver to change it.
Mel's phone was dinging with texts, and she was giving a play by play to everyone. The party was getting started and there was even a band performing. Loren unlinked their hands and reached for her phone in her purse.
"Oh, look," Loren said showing Eddie her phone. "There's your call."
Eddie knew better than to say anything. He put his head back and closed his eyes. He had to figure out how to get Loren to understand what happened tonight.
Loren got up and went over to sit next to Mel. They were discussing something on Mel's phone, so Adam slid over by Eddie.
"Hey," Adam said in a hushed tone, "I wanted to give you a warning . . . you know, guy to guy," he said. He glanced back at the girls before he continued. "Loren saw the video of you and Chloe talking, and she was not happy."
Eddie sighed, "I figured she would see it."
"But," Adam said, "It did look like you were trying to get away from her. I don't think she's mad at you, just at the fact that 'you know who' was there."
"That's something," Eddie said with a half smile. "Thanks, Adam."
Adam nodded and started looking through his phone. Suddenly all the phones dinged at the same time. Adam was the first to say, "Uh-oh."
Loren gasped. "I can't – " she started to say. She looked over to Eddie and turned her phone so he could see it. "Is this what happened after the cameras were off?"
Eddie took her phone and saw a picture of Chloe in his arms.
They arrived in Malibu and waited in traffic to get up to the house. Loren couldn't even look at Eddie. She knew that Chloe must have orchestrated everything, but it still hurt. Why was she still getting in their way? It was as if Eddie couldn't shake her, and Loren was tired of it.
"It's not what it looks like," Eddie said for Loren's ears only.
Loren shook her head, "It never is."
She hated this distance between them. They needed to talk. Maybe they could go out to the beach.
Her thoughts were cut off by the door opening. Mel and Adam got out. Loren started to scoot over, but Eddie grabbed her wrist.
"We are going to work this out," Eddie said.
Loren didn't say anything.
"Tonight," he added.
Loren continued to search his eyes. She saw regret and sadness.
"Lo, c'mon," Mel said from outside.
Loren turned and exited the limo with Eddie close behind her. He put his hands on her waist, and she loved the way that felt. It was as if he was reminding her that they were together. It was nice and comforting, but she couldn't forget her anger.
The house was tiny, but everyone somehow packed in. It was three stories, with most people on the bottom floor. There was a band made up of her classmates playing and cups were being passed around.
"Whose house is this?" Loren asked Mel.
Mel shrugged, "I don't know. Someone's dad."
Loren looked around and noticed everyone turning towards her. Whatever was going on between her and Eddie was going to be the topic of conversation for a while.
"This is nothing but the jocks and the pretty people," Loren grumbled in Mel's ear.
"And that's why we're here," Mel said as she handed her a cup.
"What is this?" Loren asked.
"Doesn't matter," Mel said. "Drink."
Loren realized it was beer and took a drink. It tasted horrible. She made a face and Eddie laughed as he took it out of her hand.
"I'll take it if you don't want it."
Loren gladly handed him the cup. Eddie took a long gulp of it.
"How can you drink that?" Loren laughed. "It's . . . just weird."
Eddie laughed. Loren realized she hadn't seen him happy all night. The sound of his laugh put her at ease.
"Hey Eddie," Den said walking up to them. "Great to see you. Hey would you mind if I got a picture with you?"
"Uh, no, of course not," Eddie said. He went and posed with Den, which opened up other people asking for pictures. Loren heard some of the conversation directed at Eddie.
"Sorry you missed some most of the prom tonight."
"You know Loren was queen, right?"
"Is it true you're back together with Chloe?"
Loren could swear that everyone sucked in her breath, but she continued to stand next to Mel and remained relaxed.
"Pretend we're talking about something really interesting," she told Mel.
"We always talk about things that are interesting," Mel said. She looked over at Eddie and nodded to Loren. "Oh, I get it. Look, quit acting like a baby and go out on the beach to talk. You're gonna have to get it out eventually."
"But I – "
"There is no 'but,'" Mel said. "He didn't do any of it on purpose. You need to get over yourself and at least hear him out."
Loren pouted because she knew Mel was right. After another minute, Loren turned with the intent on saving Eddie from her high school friends. Instead she was met head on by his smile.
"Wanna take a walk on the beach?" he asked her.
"I was gonna come save you," Loren said.
Eddie shrugged, "It's okay. I don't mind. But I want to be with you now."
The heat in his eyes melted her anger . . . a bit. Loren nodded and let him lead her through the crowd. The party was starting to get rowdy and very crowded. As soon as they stepped outside, Loren felt the cool ocean breeze hit her face. She took a deep breath and inhaled the sea air.
"You may want to take off your shoes," Eddie said.
Loren look at the sand and realized 4 inch heels weren't going to work. She kicked off her shoes and walked down the stairs. When her toes hit the sand, she sighed. It was cool and tickled between her toes.
"This feels awesome," Loren said. The music in the background thumped, but Loren felt relaxed out on the beach. There were birds circling around high in the air playing with the wind. Loren thought about how freeing it must be to be able to control the wind instead of having everything control you. This . . . what was it? Jealousy? No, she definitely wasn't jealous of Chloe. She simply wished she would go away, and that wish controlled her.
They walked for a few minutes until they were far enough away to be alone, yet still hear the music.
"Here," Eddie said. "I brought this."
Loren turned and saw Eddie spread a blanket on the sand.
"Where did you get that?"
"Being a rock star has its privileges," he laughed.
Loren sat on the blanket and rested back on her hands. Eddie sat across from her with his legs crossed. There was tension in his shoulders. She could tell he was nervous.
"Okay," Loren said leaning forward. "Let's talk."
Eddie nodded.
"What happened?" Loren asked.
She heard Eddie sigh. "I forgot about a charity bowling game today."
Loren nodded, "Yeah, I saw that."
"Loren, I couldn't not go."
"I know, I know," Loren said. "I . . ."
"What?" Eddie asked as he grabbed her hands. "Tell me what you're thinking."
Loren was afraid to look in his eyes because she thought she was going to cry. "It hurt when you weren't there."
Eddie squeezed her hands and closed his eyes.
"Baby, I'm so, so sorry," Eddie said.
"I know it wasn't on purpose, but – "
"No," Eddie said. "I would never, will never, choose anything over you. But tonight was different."
"Is it?" Loren asked taking her hands away. "Will there be another night like tonight? When we make plans but then something gets in the way?"
"I can't promise you there never will be, but – "
"Exactly," Loren said. "Because now it's not going to be just your crazy schedule but mine too." She started to panic the more she spoke. "You'll be pulled in this direction, and I'll be pulled in that. Pretty soon we'll only see each other once a month because we're on opposite sides of the earth."
"Loren – "
"And that's how these celebrity couples break up," Loren continued. "They stay 'friends' but in reality their lives don't mesh together anymore and they end up hating each other. I don't want that to happen to us."
"It won't – "
"I've already been separated from you once, Eddie," Loren cried. "I can't live through that again."
"I know, I know," Eddie said as he took her into his arms. "We won't let that happen."
Loren took a few deep breaths trying to relax into her embrace. She thought back to the dreams she had when she thought Eddie was dead and the loneliness gripped her heart again. She squeezed him harder forcing herself to believe that it would never happen again. "How can you promise that?" Loren asked as her chin rested on his shoulder.
Eddie pulled back and looked in her eyes. "Because I already live with the regret of putting my career before someone."
Loren tilted her head not understanding.
Eddie stood up and turned towards the ocean. Loren wondered if he was going to say anything at all because he stayed silent for so long. She saw his shoulders subtly rise and fall as he breathed while the ocean air ruffled his hair.
"I told you the last thing my mother told me the night of my premiere remember?" He still had not turned towards her.
"Yeah," Loren said. "Not about your movie but about taking home the rigatoni."
Eddie only nodded.
"Right before she said that, she talked about having a cake for me at the house. She had made it for me because she was so proud of all that I'd done." Eddie kicked some sand around. "She saw the look in my eyes. She knew that I wanted to go to the after party. It wasn't just the party, but in Hollywood, you have to strike while you can. So, instead of asking me to come home, she just made the comment about the rigatoni, and they left."
"Eddie," Loren said standing and walking up to him. "I'm sure she understood."
He still didn't turn around. "But I live with the guilt. Had I been in their car, maybe I could have seen the other car coming . . . and would know for sure who was driving. Or it wouldn't even be an issue. I could have warned my dad, and maybe the accident never would have happened."
"Eddie," Loren said walking around to face him, "You don't know that."
"I will never know that," Eddie said. "That's the point."
"We all have regrets," Loren said. "I'm disappointed that you weren't there today. I'm not gonna lie about that. But I would be . . . I don't know . . . lost if I didn't have you."
Eddie shook his head.
Loren grabbed his face in her hands, "Eddie, what else are you not telling me?"
Eddie didn't speak.
"Is it about Chloe?" Loren didn't want to ask that question, but she knew there was something he was keeping back, and it wasn't just that Chloe hugged him. The fact that she was there and took the opportunity to stage that picture didn't bother her. She was wise to Chloe and the havoc she raised. It was that there was something else Eddie was keeping from her. There was another ache he wasn't sharing with her.
"There is something, but it has nothing to do with us, or me and Chloe . . . not really," Eddie finally said.
"What is it?" Loren gently asked.
"I'm . . . I just can't talk about it right now," Eddie said. "I have to work out my feelings. I hope you can understand that."
Loren swallowed to keep from gasping. There was something. It couldn't be that he was still in love with her. That thought was quickly pushed out of her mind. It had to be that something about the investigation. It was officially over and no charges were filed. No charges would ever be filed in Katie Duran's death.
"Of course," Loren said as she hugged him. "When you're ready, I know you'll tell me."
Eddie nodded and led her back down on the blanket.
"Are we okay?" Eddie asked once they were settled.
Loren crawled over to him and sat on his lap with her legs stretched out in front of her. She snaked her arms around his back moved in closer loving the feel of his warm body against her.
"We are," she said.
"I'm going to make it up to you," Eddie said as he kissed the top of her head. "I promise."
"Babe, I love that you want to, but I don't see how you can," Loren said. "This was my prom. It was one night. There's nothing else like this. It can't be redone."
"No, I know that," Eddie said.
Loren wished they could rewind a few hours. She wanted to dance with her boyfriend at prom. She wanted him to hold her and maybe let his hands wander a little too low down her back. She wanted to press up against him and feel his warmth through their clothing and wish there was no barrier. And as shallow as it sounded, she wanted every girl to wish they could be her. But those things were not going to happen. At least not tonight, and not at prom.
"We can still make it memorable," Eddie said. She heard the smile in his voice and looked up at his face. He was grinning from ear to ear.
"What did you have in mind?"
Eddie belted out the last line of "Kick It Up" and looked over at Loren. She was sitting with Mel on the arm of the couch mouthing the words. The band struck up another song, a Taylor Swift cover, and Eddie grinned at Loren. He raised his eyebrows and beckoned her over with his finger.
Her nervous laugh didn't stop him from saying, "West Valley Charter Class of 2012, your very own Loren Tate."
Everyone screamed and Loren started to get nudges towards the band. Eddie stepped aside and gently pushed her towards the microphone stand. Her eyes told him she was nervous, but he knew this was what she needed. She started the first verse, and Eddie stepped back to where she had been sitting next to Mel.
"She's going to kill you, you know," Mel said.
"I know," he laughed.
"No," Mel said, "Not just this."
Eddie turned to her, "You mean about earlier?"
Mel nodded, "She was hurt."
"We've talked it out," Eddie said. He swallowed the lump in his throat. Had they? She said they were fine, but he still felt a distance between them.
"How bad was it?" Eddie asked.
Mel turned to Eddie, "It was only bad because she loves you so much, otherwise she wouldn't have cared."
Eddie knew he loved Loren. There wasn't a doubt in his mind, so he wanted to kick himself for his irrational fears. Actually saying the words scared him to death.
Loren finished the song shaking Eddie out of his thoughts. The band urged her to sing another one, and she smiled and nodded her head. She sang and played to the crowd more. Eddie couldn't wait to see her on stage during their tour. He knew she was going to be an international star. Loren walked through the crowd singing, and people took pictures with her and high-fived her. She was eating up the attention, and Eddie loved it.
"Do you and Adam mind if I get another car to take you guys home?" Eddie asked Mel.
He felt his face get hot as Mel gave him a sly look. "Of course not," she said in a sexy whisper. "We'd hate to cramp your style."
"It's nothing like that," Eddie laughed.
"Whatever, Duran," Mel laughed. "Don't worry, we can keep ourselves occupied. You just make sure and make my best friend happy."
Eddie held out his hand and shook Mel's. "Deal."
Loren said goodbye to everyone as Eddie led her by the hand out of the party. Performing in front of her classmates had been hard . . . harder than the contest and even harder than New York. These people knew her, and this performance was up close and personal. Her nerves were replaced by adrenaline after the crowd responded to her. Loren couldn't stop smiling.
It meant a lot to her that she performed alone. She loved singing with Eddie, but one of her fears was standing in front of people. Her fear had definitely gotten easier to deal with, but a room full of her classmates was the hardest crowd to sing to. She felt like she tackled that tonight.
Eddie hung up the phone as they waited outside the house.
"Where are Mel and Adam?" Loren asked.
"They are staying a bit longer," Eddie said. "We are going for a drive."
"Really?" Loren said as she put her arms around his neck. "Are we going up to Mulholland?"
"We are going wherever you say," Eddie said. "I just want to be alone with you."
"I can live with that," Loren said. She closed her eyes as Eddie covered her lips with his. His hand gripped her waist as she leaned into him. All sounds of the party disappeared as she was lost in their private moment. Eddie lifted his head causing her to sigh in protest.
"The limo's here," Eddie whispered in her ear.
"Oh," Loren said turning her head and seeing the black limo waiting next to them.
Eddie opened the door, and she slid inside. She adjusted her dress then sat on her hands, nervous about what to do next. It was late, and she knew her mom would be expecting her soon, but she had such precious few hours with Eddie tonight she didn't want it to end.
"Slowly make your way back to the valley," Eddie told the driver as he took off his tuxedo jacket.
"But go down Mulholland," Loren said.
"Absolutely," Eddie agreed. He undid his bowtie and unbuttoned his shirt.
Loren looked around the limo and took all the details of the interior. She didn't know why she felt nervous. She could feel Eddie's eyes on her as he settled into his seat.
"Why are you all the way over there?" Eddie finally said.
When he had entered the limo he had sat across from her. She hadn't budged so they were now sitting across from each other.
Loren shrugged in answer to his question.
"I like the fact that I can look at how beautiful you are when you're sitting there," Eddie said. "But now I want to touch you."
Loren felt her face flame in response. Eddie's words were so intimate. She heard the leather of the seat rustle as Eddie stood up and crossed the distance between them. He sat next to her and moved the hair back off of her face.
"Tonight you were amazing," Eddie said. "You owned that room. The hardest crowd to get in front of is people you know."
"That was so weird looking into each face as I sang and knowing everyone's name," Loren said.
"But you did it," Eddie said as he kissed the sensitive spot behind her ear. "No one could take their eyes off of you. And neither could I."
Loren shivered as his warm breath tickled her neck. She brought her hand around to caress his neck as his lips kissed their way to her mouth. Loren gave into the sensation of being with this awesome guy. It stopped being about "Eddie Duran" a long time ago. It was about being with someone that she had a unique and powerful connection with.
Eddie's body covered hers as she somehow ended up flushed against the seat. All at once she was aware of his body gently pressing down on her. His hand was on the outside of her thigh rubbing her skin and setting her on fire. She ran her hands down his back feeling his strong muscles move beneath his shirt.
Suddenly it wasn't enough; she wanted contact with his skin. Her fingers came back around to the front and worked on the buttons of his shirt. She finally undid the last button and reached inside to feel his chest. Eddie groaned into her mouth as she tentatively let her fingers run down his chest.
"You drive me crazy," Eddie whispered.
Loren's body was humming at a fevered pitch. His hands and lips were all over her body all at once. The limo hit a bump causing them to hit their foreheads against each other. Loren felt like a bucket of cold water was thrown on her. She realized they were in the back of a limousine driving through LA. This wasn't the place she wanted her first time to happen.
"Eddie," Loren said as she pushed against his chest. Eddie immediately let out his breath and helped her sit up.
"Yeah, you're right," Eddie said.
Loren adjusted her dress which was hiked up against her legs. Eddie leaned his head back against the seat and buttoned his shirt.
"I'm sorry," Loren said.
Eddie looked her in the eyes, "No, there is nothing to be sorry about. I forgot where I was for a minute."
"It's just that, we're in the back of a limo – "
"Loren," Eddie said as he grabbed her hands because she had begun to fidget. He rubbed his thumbs along the backs of her hands. "There is nothing to be sorry about. You deserve better than the back of a limo."
Loren smiled happy that he understood. It was more than that. There was a tiny part of her that was still wondering about his leftover emotions with Chloe. He had admitted on the beach that there was still something. Loren couldn't go that next step until Eddie told her what that was.
"Do you want some tea at my house?" Loren asked.
Eddie smiled and gently pushed her head against his chest cradling her body against him. She could hear the steady beating of his heart and his deep voice rumble through his chest.
"I will do whatever you want to do," he said as he kissed the top of her head.
"I just want to be with you," Loren said. "I have school next week."
"What about next weekend?" Eddie asked.
Loren shrugged, "Nothing that I know of."
"Why don't we go somewhere and write," Eddie said.
"Where?"
Eddie shook his head, "Nope. It'll be a surprise. But we will have to get some work done and write a few songs."
"That's fine with me," Loren said as she hugged him harder.
Thirty minutes later they walked into the Tate house in Tarzana. The kitchen light was still on, but Nora and Max had long since gone to bed.
"It's three a.m.," Loren said as they walked in. "I had no idea it was so late."
"I've been awake for almost 24 hours," Eddie said through a yawn. "I was up with my trainer at five this morning."
"Oh," Loren said, "I'm sorry. Go sit on the couch, and I'll make the tea."
"Okay," Eddie said.
Loren saw him take off his shoes and flop down on the cushions. She went into her bedroom and changed into a t-shirt and long pants. She worked to smooth the tangles out of her hair once she took the pins out. Declaring it hopeless, she pulled it back into a low pony tail in an attempt to tame it.
Loren walked back out to the living room and heard the unmistakable sound of Eddie's deep breathing coming from the couch. He had fallen asleep. Walking over to him, she saw that his face was relaxed and he looked at peace. She grabbed a blanket off of the chair and started to place it over Eddie but stopped and smiled. The couch was a tight fit, but lying next to Eddie for the rest of the night was worth it. She draped the blanket over them and used his chest as her pillow. The steady rhythm of his breathing in her ear finally made her succumb to sleep.