I want to thank everyone who sends me reviews. Some send them as "guests" so I can't answer back, but please know that I read each one. Many people ask when I'm going to put up the next chapter. I am averaging 2 chapters a week. Each chapter is between 3000 - 3500 words, which takes me a couple of days to write. It seems as if the chapters seem to be getting longer as I go too. :) I appreciate everyone's encouragement as I work on this story. Follow me on twitter AT amd6841. Thanks for reading!

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Loren drank from her bottle of water and looked at Eddie as he discussed the exact sequence of the songs they'd chosen to sing. Eddie was in his element as he was planning their big performance for Friday night. Mel had sent Loren a link with the interview Eddie had done yesterday that went badly and the pictures TMZ had. She was waiting for the right time to bring up the interview with him and was surprised that he hadn't brought it up first.

Loren could see the chemistry Eddie had with his band members; she immediately loved all of them. They seemed completely devoted to Eddie and were genuinely excited about her coming on tour with them. They even offered to help her find her permanent band for the tour.

"No, I think that's great," Eddie said loud enough for everyone to hear in the room they were using for rehearsal. "So, tomorrow let's get here early and record the new song, and then our sound check at the MGM is at noon. We can run through the performance a couple of times. Does that sound good?"

Everyone agreed and started packing up the equipment. Eddie spoke with the band members a few more minutes before walking over to Loren who had been sitting in a chair waiting for him to finish.

"I think we got the sequence of the songs down," Eddie said enthusiastically. His eyes sparkled with excitement as he grabbed her hands and squeezed them.

"Yeah, I think so too," Loren said.

"Are you hungry?" Eddie asked. "I know it's a bit early for dinner, but we've been at this all afternoon, and I'm starving."

"Sure, I have about an hour before I have to be back at the condo for interviews," Loren said as Eddie took her hand and led her out of the room. They walked out to the waiting Escalade and got into the back seat with Loren wondering the whole time what was wrong with Eddie. It was nothing she could put her finger on; he just seemed to have something on his mind.

"Eddie," Loren began, "I saw a clip of your interview from yesterday."

Eddie sighed as he looked out the window at the Vegas strip. "Where do you want to eat?"

"Eddie!"

"Seriously, where, so my driver knows where to go," Eddie said.

"I could use an In-N-Out burger," Loren said knowing it was one of Eddie's favorites.

He grabbed her hand and placed a kiss to the back of it, "One of the hundreds of reasons why I love you."

After telling the driver to go to the In-N-Out by the Tropicana, Eddie got silent.

"Eddie," Loren began.

"I know," he said acknowledging her concern for him. "At least the pictures on TMZ are tame enough," he smiled trying to make light of the situation.

"The pictures are fine," Loren said. "I meant – "

"The interview, I know," Eddie said. "It caught me off guard, and I hated that I got upset like that on camera. I honestly was not expecting that."

"At least Mitchell was there to stop it."

"Yeah, it could have been a lot worse," Eddie agreed.

"Where did that come from?" Loren asked.

"I don't know," Eddie said. "Someone could have done some research and saw that we dated and was just trying to make me look bad."

"Do you think it was the stalker?"

"Makes sense," Eddie said. "Although, that's a lot of planning to get her to ask that question knowing she'd be willing to do it. She said she got a tip, but maybe she dug it up on her own to make the interview juicier."

"I'm sorry, Eddie," Loren said squeezing his hand.

"It happens," he said trying to sound lighthearted. Loren knew this was bothering him more than he was letting on. "I'm just glad that news of the stalker hasn't leaked out. We don't need that drama." Eddie looked out the window, "But what I do need is a big, juicy In-N-Out burger."

Loren saw that they were pulling into the parking lot. "Me too."

"I've never been one for gambling," Chloe said as Raymond held her hand through the MGM casino. The lights were flashing all around and the sounds of people screaming filled the air along with the ringing of the slot machines.

Chloe wanted to ask him what exactly was going on. Last night they slept in the same bed, but that's it; they just slept. He hadn't even tried to kiss her even though they were spending all this time together. This was a new experience for her. Guys always wanted something from her, and usually it was one thing. Raymond seemed different.

"But this is where you meet people," Raymond said.

"Who are we meeting here?" Chloe asked. She noticed that they were approaching a very lively craps table. There was someone apparently on a roll, because everyone was cheering every time the dice were tossed.

Chloe saw the object of all the attention . . . Oz Silver.

"I've never had a streak like this," Oz announced as he threw the dice again much to the merriment of everyone there. A loud cheer erupted. Chloe had no idea what was going on with the game. She saw people leaning over the table, a dealer with a big stick, and people yelling out numbers.

Oz threw the dice one more time, and the table exploded in cheers again. Oz took the dice and had a thin brunette blow on them before he rolled again, but this time there was a loud groan and then applause. He raised his hands in acknowledgment as those around him slapped him on the back.

Oz looked up and saw Chloe, "Well there's a sight for sore eyes." Oz walked over to Chloe and kissed her on the cheek. "I see you've made new friends."

"Oz, it's so good to see you," Chloe said. "This is Raymond – "

"I know Raymond Cruz," Oz said extending his hand to shake. Raymond took Oz's hand, and the men stayed staring at each other. "I see you've snagged one of the finest jewels in Hollywood."

"Don't I know," Raymond said as his arm snaked around her waist. He placed a kiss on her cheek. Chloe's cheeks warmed under the attention, which unsettled her.

"I want to set up a meeting with you when we get back to LA, Chloe," Oz said.

"Why?" Chloe said.

"I was wondering if you were still interested in acting because I may have something for you," Oz said.

"Really?" Chloe said angry with herself for seeming so eager.

"You wouldn't have a problem working with your ex, would you?" Oz asked.

"Eddie?" Chloe asked.

Oz laughed, "No, I'm afraid even I couldn't make that happen. I was talking about a more recent ex."

"Oh," Chloe said. "I guess if Tyler is up for it, I can be professional too."

"Tyler?" Oz asked. "That would be a hard sell too. No, actually I was talking about – "

Chloe looked behind Oz and saw a face she only recently stopped seeing in her nightmares. Her terrors always involved her falling backwards through the air. The horrible feeling of wanting to grab onto something but not being able to was fresh in her mind every time she woke up because she relived that night in her dreams over and over. It had only been recently that her nightmares had been less frequent and less vivid. Now it was as if those memories came rushing back to her when she saw him approaching.

"Dylan Boyd" Chloe said through clenched teeth.

"I don't see why you have to keep accepting things from this man," Max said as they sat at the table at craftsteak. They had come early to have a drink before Trent, Eddie, and Loren arrived. Max didn't like the personal touches that Trent had included at the condo. Nora gushed about how her favorite flowers and drinks were in the condo. He knew that Nora's ex had an agenda, but Nora refused to see it.

"It's for Loren," Nora said for the hundredth time. "I have to try and make peace with him for her sake. I believe we've gone over this. This is well-discussed territory."

"Still," was Max's only comeback.

"Although," Nora said as she leaned into him, "Seeing you jealous is kinda sexy."

"It's not jealousy," Max said. "It's outrage that he could treat you and Loren that way and think he can walk back into your lives."

"Still," Nora said mimicking Max. She kissed him sweetly, which wiped the scowl from his face. He cupped her face with his hand and deepened the kiss oblivious to everyone around them. He knew he would never get tired of kissing her.

"Sorry to interrupt," Trent said as he stood by the side of the table.

Max slowly pulled back from Nora, refusing to act surprised that Trent interrupted them. He knew that this bastard was planning something like that.

When Max looked up, he saw that Trent had brought someone with him.

"Max, Nora, this is a good friend of mine, Marcus Lane."

"Excuse my interruption," Marcus said. "When Trent told me that Max Duran was in the hotel, I invited myself to meet you."

"Thank you," Max said standing and shaking his hand. He took in the man with his expensive navy suit and thought he looked like an LA businessman. His dark skin and eyes contrasted his perfect white teeth.

"I was hoping you had some free time tomorrow," Marcus said. "I went to MK last time I was in LA and loved it. I'm interested in opening a MK club here in Las Vegas."

"Oh wow," Max said. "That sounds interesting. Yeah, sure; let's talk."

"Great," Marcus said handing Max a business card. "Call me tomorrow. I won't interrupt anymore. It was great meeting both of you. Trent, I'll see you later."

Trent pulled back the chair and sat across from the couple. He called over a waitress and ordered a bottle of Merlot for the table. That was something that Trent always did. Whenever they dated and even when they were married, Trent took command of every situation. When Nora was young and immature, it didn't bother her as much, but she had been on her own so long that she wasn't used to anyone making decisions for her.

"Is Loren still joining us for dinner?"

"I don't know if they're gonna eat, but they'll be here soon," Nora said. "She had some phone interviews, but she should be done by now."

"Great," Trent said. The wine came and he ordered the waitress to pour a glass for everyone, even Loren and Eddie.

"Loren doesn't drink," Nora said.

"She's eighteen," Trent said. "She's with her parents; she can have a glass of wine."

"Her mother says that she doesn't drink," Max said.

"Max – " Nora said stopping the situation from getting any worse.

"Hi, Mom, Max," Loren said she and Eddie arrived at the table. Loren noticed the tension and quickly wanted to diffuse it. She knew that Max did not like Trent at all. Hopefully they could get through this dinner without any major drama.

With hellos and hugs given where appropriate, everyone settled back down to the tables. Loren felt Eddie grab her hand under that table and was thankful that he understood how this was a stressful situation for her. She realized that there were five wine glasses on the table.

"Is that . . . is that for me?" Loren asked.

"You don't have to drink it," Max said.

"No," Trent said, "But I thought you were old enough to appreciate a nice glass of wine with dinner."

Loren looked at Nora whose expression was impossible to read. She wasn't sure if her mother was allowing her to drink or not. Loren picked up the glass and hesitantly took a sip. The wine was like nothing she had ever tasted. How did something wet feel dry in her mouth?

"Wow," Loren said. "I didn't expect to like it, but it's good."

"Wait until you try it with a great Angus steak," Trent said.

"We ate a little while ago," Eddie laughed. "In-N-Out was calling our names."

"That's a good one," Max said.

Loren took another drink of the wine and savored the taste of it on her tongue. She liked the way it warmed her cheeks the instant it traveled down her throat.

"Are you guys ready for Friday night?" Trent asked.

"Yes, we have the medley figured out thanks to Eddie," Loren said squeezing his hand.

"I'm sure it'll be great," Nora said. "I can't wait."

"You two are going to tour together, right?" Trent asked.

"That's the plan," Eddie said.

"That's gotta be tough," Trent said. "A different city every day, traveling in planes, not knowing what time zone you're in . . . "

Eddie shook his head, "You get used to it after a while. It's like any job; it has its good parts and bad parts."

"Touring is a way to get close to the fans," Max said. "Eddie's fans are very important to him, and I know Loren will be the same way."

Loren took another drink of wine hating the tension between Max and Trent. She completely understood it. Max was fiercely protective of both her and her mother. Loren loved him for it; she had never had a father figure in her life until Max appeared. This fierce protection came with the price of this undeniable awkwardness in these types of situations.

"I have no doubt Loren will want to be close to her fans," Trent said. "But what if there was a way for you to have close contact with your fans without all the headaches of travel?"

"What do you mean?" Nora asked.

"I could offer you a permanent . . . or temporary gig here at the hotel in the Hollywood Theatre," Trent said. "Or even the KA Theatre if you want a bigger crowd."

"I don't know," Eddie said. "I mean we're used to doing large arenas, and most of the tour is already planned. I know we're coming through Vegas, and we're playing the arena here."

"I understand that," Trent said. "Maybe during a break in the tour, Loren, you could play a few solo shows at the theatre. Or even before the tour starts, you could do them to work out a set list or get some exposure."

"That would be . . . interesting," Loren said. "I never thought of doing something like that." Was she capable of doing a solo show or even multiples in a town like Las Vegas? Any new up and coming singer would jump at a chance like this; however, the idea of doing a show without Eddie seemed strange. Eddie was her strength. She seemed to tackle her stage fright by channeling his faith in her.

"I don't know when you would have the time," Eddie said to Loren interrupting her thoughts. "As soon as we're done recording and finalizing the songs, we have to rehearse for the tour, especially if we want to make our late June kick off date."

"Just something to think about," Trent said. "I want to help you, Loren, in any way I can."

"Thank you, Trent," Loren said. "Eddie's right. It probably won't be any time soon, given our commitments already."

"Yeah," Eddie said reinforcing Loren's position, "So much is planned far in advance. We have a year's worth of touring booked."

"I hope it's not a year straight of shows," Trent said.

Before Max could speak, Eddie stepped in, "No, there's time for vacation. Especially when we're in some select cities."

Loren couldn't help asking, "Like which ones?"

"Paris, London, and a few other surprises," Eddie smiled.

"Wow, that sounds wonderful," Trent says. "Sounds like you've thought of everything, Eddie. I see my daughter is in good hands."

The last statement hung in the air as everyone averted their eyes. Loren knew that she had something she wanted to say back to Trent, but realized it was a fruitless effort. If she truly wanted to try and reconnect with him, she needed to resign a bit to the fact that what was in the past had to stay there. Bringing it up constantly was no way to move forward.

"Actually we are going to excuse ourselves," Eddie said. "I promised Loren a night out."

"Please, stay in the hotel and go to Tabu as my guests," Trent said as he took out his wallet. He took out a card and wrote something on the back. "Not that you need any help with a VIP table, Eddie, but this will ensure complete privacy."

"Thank you," Eddie said.

"That club is 21 and up," Nora said. "How will you get in?"

"Mom," Loren said. "I'm with Eddie."

"And Mel and Ian are meeting us there," Eddie added. "I promise Nora, I'll take care of her."

Chloe couldn't say anything as Dylan stood next to Oz smiling. How could he show back up after all of this time? He never came around when she was in the hospital. He quickly left town and wasn't available for the police investigation. She never told anyone that Dylan was the one who pushed her over the balcony.

"I see you have a new friend," Dylan said. Chloe noticed he was eyeing Raymond as if he was some kind of rival. How dare he?

"I need to go," Chloe said turning to walk away.

"So is that a 'no,' Chloe?" Oz asked. He seemed to not know that there was tension between Chloe and Dylan.

"Chloe, what's wrong?" Raymond asked.

"Just get me out of here; I can't breathe," Chloe said.

Raymond walked Chloe over to the bar in the center of the casino and sat her on a stool. He quickly ordered a couple of drinks and placed one in her hand when it came. Chloe didn't even care what was in the glass; she downed it in one toss of her head. She placed the glass back on the bar and motioned that she wanted another one. This time Raymond ordered a shot, which Chloe also downed.

"You better slow down," Raymond said.

"I need to forget," Chloe said. "I want to wipe away the memory."

"What is wrong?" he asked. "You were fine until you saw . . . what did he do to you?"

Chloe shook her head, "I can't," she said. "I don't want to talk about it right now. I want to . . . " She looked into his eyes and noticed that they weren't really chocolate brown, but had specks if hazel in them. Why had she not noticed this before? Those eyes showed a sincere worry for her. Not since Eddie cared for her had someone shown her that much concern. A picture of Jackie flashed in her mind, but she pushed it aside.

"Get me another drink," she said.

"You better slow down," Raymond said.

Chloe smiled at him, subtly tossing her hair in a way that she knew men liked, "I don't want to slow down."

"Chloe, getting drunk doesn't solve anything," Raymond said.

"No," Chloe said, "But it dulls the pain."

Loren and Mel walked into the bathroom at Tabu. They had been having a great time in a private VIP section of the club. They could see everything yet be completely hidden. Loren was surprised how well Mel and Ian were getting along. They seemed to have a lot in common, which surprised her.

"I was made for this VIP stuff," Mel said.

"Yes, Mel. You've said that a few times," Loren laughed.

From inside the stall, Loren could hear some girls laughing at the sinks. She recognized that kind of shrill, teasing laugh. She knew when she stepped out that another girl would be the butt of their jokes.

Sure enough, Loren came out of the stall and saw one girl leaning over the sink applying her lipstick while the other two giggled on their way out the door. The reason they were laughing was obvious. The girl's blouse was halfway unbuttoned from the back showing her bra. Those other two were going to let her go out of the bathroom with most of her back exposed.

The girl was tall and blonde, and reminded Loren a lot of Chloe. Still, she couldn't let anyone be embarrassed like that.

"Excuse me," Loren said. The girl turned around and seemed to recognize her. "You're shirt is unbuttoned along the back."

"Oh," the girl smiled embarrassingly. "Thank you so much. Do you mind helping me? Ugh, that's what they were laughing at. Bitches."

"I think so," Loren said as she buttoned up the blouse.

"You're Loren Tate," the girl said.

"Yeah," Loren answered. At this point Mel had joined her at the sinks.

"Wow, you're really nice," she said.

Loren thought that this was a strange statement.

"I couldn't let you walk out like that. I would be mortified if it happened to me," Loren said.

"Me too," the girl said. "I didn't expect you to be so nice. I'm sorry, it's just that, I knew Chloe, and I assumed you were like her. I mean, if Eddie was with you."

"No," Mel interjected. "Loren is nothing like Chloe. Complete 180, trust me."

"Oh," the girl said while she still stared at Loren. There was something in her eyes that was apologetic. Loren was starting to get uncomfortable. "Well, thanks again," she said as she quickly headed out the door.

Loren and Mel looked at each other.

"What was that about?" Mel asked.

"I have no idea," Loren said. "Let's get back to the guys."