Love Unscripted (74 page)

The only difference between this flight home and any other flight I’d ever taken was that I was flying first class instead of sitting in the economy seats in the back of the plane. Flying first class definitely had its perks but the actual flights were so short that it didn’t really matter what seat I had to sit in to get home. I said a little prayer of thanks when my plane finally landed in Providence. I was not a fan of flying either.

I pulled the handle out on my little suitcase, adjusted my backpack on my shoulder, and followed the other passengers towards the exit. I looked around at the people waiting for family and loved ones to arrive, wishing I would have been able to come home to familiar faces waiting for me. Instead, some stranger would be taking me home. That thought made me feel even lonelier. I fought the impulse to call Marie so many times to ask her to pick me up, only because I knew Ryan was paying for this ride home personally out of his pocket. Besides, he insisted on a security escort.
Which one of these strangers is my driver?

I noticed his face first before I read the little sign that he held in front of his body which had “Mitchell” written on it. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment; fate certainly had a wicked sense of humor.

He smiled at me, but it wasn’t one of those “I’m smiling because I have to be nice to you” smiles; it was more of a smirk – like he was committing a crime by standing there holding my name on a card. I stopped in front of him and took a deep breath before I found the guts to say hello.

“
Welcome home!” Kyle said smugly. “Can I take your luggage for you, Ms. Mitchell?”

He carried my suitcase and ushered me out to the car, which again, was another surprise. I had expected the typical black sedan or an SUV; even a stretch limo wouldn’t have been as shocking. Instead he had his own personal car waiting… a nice little two door silver Audi.

“
Did you have a nice holiday?” Kyle asked. I sensed he was just trying to make polite small-talk.

“
Yes, I did. Thank you for asking.” I chuckled lightly to myself, trying to ignore how cute he looked. “But the bigger question is why are you the one who is taking me home?” I was already in trouble just being in this car.

He smirked, knowing I wanted him to explain. He hit the gas pedal to get us out of the airport faster.

“
I saw the pick-up request on the assignment log and I volunteered,” he confessed. “I just wanted to see how you were doing.” He looked over at me and shrugged. “Why, is your
boyfriend
going to be mad?”

The way he said it, I could tell that he didn’t care either way if Ryan was going to be angry or not. He almost sounded like he welcomed the challenge.

I stared out the car window, watching familiar road signs flash by. “Probably,” I whispered. “When I tell him.”

Kyle glanced over quickly. “Then save yourself the argument and don’t tell him.”

“
I have to tell him,” I admitted. “Just in case someone took our picture. His PR team will have to be informed.”

“
Wow,” he sounded astonished. “You really have gone Hollywood, haven’t you?”

His comment raised my pulse slightly. “Why do you say that? Because I happen to be involved with someone whose life is constantly under public scrutiny? Because I don’t want to give him one more reason to be hurt - that makes me Hollywood?”

“
Hey look Taryn, I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s just that you don’t seem like the type of woman who would put herself out there to be scrutinized like that. But who am I to judge? Maybe you like having your picture plastered all over those magazines in the grocery store. What do I know?” he muttered, looking over his shoulder to change lanes on the highway.

I huffed. “I could definitely do without the lies that they print.”

He laughed lightly. “I can’t be sure, but I’m willing to bet those were all things you never had to worry about with other guys
before him
.”

I thought about his statement, backtracking through my history of failed relationships. “Lies have followed every relationship I’ve ever been in.” My admission made me frown. “Even the fabricated ones.”

“
I don’t know. I thought the stories about our alleged love affair were rather amusing and eloquently written!” Kyle said comically. “I suppose that’s why he got rid of me so quickly.”

“
You’d be correct in your assumption,” I whispered.

“
So are you tired of all the lies yet?” he asked, shifting his car to accelerate past a few tractor-trailers.

I stared at him. “What kind of question is that?”

His eyes flashed over to look at me before turning his attention back to the road and driving.

“
I think you can do better. I think you deserve better.” The tendons in his hand flexed when he tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

“
Better than what?” I questioned. If he was going to pass judgement, he’d have to defend his opinion.

“
Better than being put in harms way. Better than subjecting yourself to public ridicule. Better than allowing the media to use you like a punching bag.” He glared over at me. “Do you want me to go on because I can make a long list!”

I focused on the landscape outside my window while trying to subdue the burning feeling in my chest.

“
No,” I muttered coldly. “I get your point.” My cell phone started to play in my purse. It was Ryan’s ringtone.

“
Hi,” I answered, happy to hear from him, but annoyed that he couldn’t wait for me to call him.

“
Where are you?” Ryan demanded.

“
I’m in the car. We just left the airport,” I lied. Kyle looked at me and smirked, indicating that he caught my fib to Ryan.

“
Oh, why didn’t you call me? I’ve been worried!” he continued.

“
Honey, I just got in the car. I was going to call you but you beat me to it.” I tried to be quiet, but Kyle was sitting less than ten inches away from me. There was no way to keep this conversation private. I rubbed my face with my free hand. I was getting a sinus headache from this entire experience.

“
Well, I just wanted to make sure you landed safely and that there was a car waiting for you to take you home, that’s all.”

I knew Ryan cared, but he was also getting a bit controlling.

“
Yeah, there was a driver waiting,” I whispered. I heard Kyle chuckle. “Everything is fine.”

“
You don’t sound fine!” he pressed. “What’s wrong?”

My love knew me well enough to call me out on a lie. “Nothing. My sinuses hurt - must be from the flight. How about I call you when I get dropped off at home? Is that okay? Then we can talk.”

Kyle started laughing out loud when I snapped my cell phone shut. “Mr. Christensen checking up on you?” he teased.

I gave him a dirty look. “He’s concerned, that’s all. Besides, he cares enough to make sure I’m taken care of.”

“
Sounds to me like he’s getting a little possessive!”

“
Maybe he feels that I’m worth possessing!” I fired back.

Kyle fidgeted in his seat. “Yeah, he’s right. I can’t fault him for that one.”

He drove down the alley, stopping by the back doors of my building. For the first time in a long time there were no paparazzi, no fans, no one near my doors. The relief I felt was refreshing. Kyle carried my suitcase into the hallway; there was no way I’d allow him in the apartment.

“
Thanks, but I can carry it. Please just set it down.” I rubbed my cheek again. My face was starting to hurt for some reason. “Thank you for the ride home.”

“
Yeah, sure - no problem. Ahh, so, are you going to be open tonight?” Kyle asked.

“
Yes. That’s why I came home. I still have a business to run.” I looked at my watch, noting that I had three hours to rest before starting another long night behind the bar.

I walked him out into the alley, hoping to send him on his way quicker. Kyle pushed the trunk of his car closed and smiled.

He held his arms open, silently asking for a hug goodbye. My body responded without me even thinking about it, dragging me unconsciously into the danger zone.

“
It was nice seeing you again.” He grinned, locking his eyes on mine. “I’ll see you soon.”

I towed my suitcase into the bedroom and dropped everything, including my coat, on the floor. Our bed looked so soft and inviting and the desire to lay down for a few minutes was overwhelming. I snuggled up on my pillow and pulled Ryan’s pillow to my chest, catching his familiar scent and wishing he was lying next to me.
I’ll just close my eyes for a minute
…

My head sprang off the pillow when I heard my cell phone.

“
Taryn! What’s going on?” Ryan shouted. “Where are you?”

“
Shit! What time is it?” I looked over at my clock. It was quarter of four. I sat up quickly; my head felt like it weighed forty pounds and my throat burned. “I fell asleep on our bed,” I murmured. “I’m sorry I didn’t call.”

He was irritated. “You couldn’t call me quick before you laid down?”

“
I said I’m sorry,” I repeated forcefully through my sore throat. “I think I’m getting a cold. My nose is all blocked up. I feel awful.”

“
You sound sick, Honey. I’m sorry. I was just worried.”

“
I have fifteen minutes to pull myself together before I have to open,” I groaned. That’s when my sneezing fit started.

Marie was already behind the bar when I went downstairs. Cory came in a few moments later. Both of them would be working Friday night; I had a band scheduled to play. Marie’s grin twisted to a concerned stare when she spotted the wad of tissues in my hand. I wasn’t in the bar for more than a few minutes before she turned me by the shoulders and sent me packing for my apartment.

“
I’ll wait to hear about your trip when you’re not contagious. We got this,” she insisted. “Cory and I will be all right. Go, and take your germs with you!”

I curled up on my couch with a box of tissues and my quilt and drifted back to sleep.

I woke up when the band started playing down in the pub. The reverb from the sound system made my pictures vibrate on the wall.

“
How are things going?” I asked Marie. It hurt to swallow. I looked around at the crowd in the pub. Pete waved to me from his stool by the front door.

Her eyes stealthily slid back and forth. “
Kyle
is in the poolroom shooting pool,” she informed. “What the heck is he doing here? He already asked for you once!”

I rubbed my face with both of my hands. “He drove me home from the airport.”

“
What?” she yelled. “How the hell did that happen?”

“
He saw the pick-up assignment and volunteered. I’m in so much trouble.”

She looked at me, trying to ascertain why I thought I was in trouble.

“
I didn’t tell Ryan… yet. He’s going to be so pissed.”

“
Did something happen between you two? I mean, you and Kyle?” she corrected.

“
No, there’s nothing going on.” I looked over my shoulder to see if I could spot him in the poolroom. Our eyes accidentally made contact and I watched him set his pool stick up against the wall and head in my direction.

“
Hey Taryn! What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Kyle asked.

I shook my head. “No, I have a cold.”

Other thoughts ran through my head, like how much I wished Ryan was here so I didn’t have to try and explain all of this over a cell phone. The crowd in the bar was definitely manageable but I started washing dirty drink glasses anyway. Cory looked at me like I was crazy – little did he know I was using it as an excuse to get away from gorgeous Kyle.

“
Boss, what are you doing?” Cory grumbled, dropping the bottle of house whiskey back in the tray.

Marie grabbed my arm and hauled me away from the sink. “Go back upstairs. This is all under control. You’re sick. You need to go rest!” she ordered, loud enough for Kyle to hear.

Kyle waved his fingers in the air to say goodbye but I ignored him and kept on walking. The way I felt was odd. Kyle was a professional bodyguard; his presence should have made me feel safe and secure but instead I felt the complete opposite of that. His presence around me was surprisingly dangerous.

It was almost noon on Saturday when my doorbell rang, rousing me from my comfortable resting spot on the couch. I pulled my hair back in a hair tie and grabbed a few tissues along my way.

Kyle was standing in my alley with a large, brown paper bag in his arms. “Hey, how are you feeling?” he asked.

Oh, God, why are you torturing me?

“
Worse, actually,” I squeaked.

He held out the grocery bag. “I got you some supplies,” he said happily. “Thought you might need some of this stuff.”

He followed me up to my apartment and set the bag on my coffee table.

“
Tissues, nighttime cold medicine, daytime cold medicine, cough drops, and a whole container of chicken noodle soup from my favorite corner deli.” He pulled each item out of the bag. “Oh, and some crackers.”

“
Thanks, but you shouldn’t have,” I muttered. Little did he know how many facets that one statement had. I knew for a fact that he had to drive over an hour to get here. It wasn’t like Kyle lived right up the street or anything. He was definitely going out of his way to see me.