Page 25 of Shatter

"Goddamnit, Parker. Where are you?"

"Um... Route One, I think, heading south."

I nod, taking Melody's phone from her and opening her text app. "I'm going to text you an address. I need you to get there as quickly as possible. It's the Regan Airport FBO. It'll take me a few hours to get a pilot and submit a flight plan, but the paparazzi won't be able to follow you in. It'll give you a few hours to decompress. I'll have another driver waiting for you at Dulles to drive you here, alright?"

The public won't be able to pass the gates at the FBOs, and no one will be expecting him to fly to another airport only an hour away. So no one will be waiting for him at Dulles.

The line is silent for a beat longer than I would have liked. "Uh... yeah. Yeah, I can do that."

"Good boy. Be safe."

I end the call so he can concentrate on navigating the roads in Northern Virginia, which were built when we were using horses and carts and are terribly designed.

Bright blue eyes look up at me and shimmer with unspent tears.

I shake my head. "No more tears tonight. Go shower. Then you're going to tell me what happened."

She bites her lower lip, nods, and retreats to my bedroom. I pull out a clean t-shirt and boxers for her and leave her to shower. I debate showering her so I can keep an eye on her, but I have a lot to coordinate if Parker's going to make a clean getaway.

I text Joseph, the private driver we sometimes use, and the company we charter private flights through with Parker's information and what he needs. Then, I text down to Brenda, the night front desk attendant, letting her know that Parker Eli will be coming and to direct him to my condo.

By the time Mel comes back out, wearing the oversized shirt I gave her, I can't help that my eyes drop to her exposed legs. She's hesitating in the hallway, gripping the bottom of her shirt and looking uncharacteristically nervous. She's make-up free, hair loose around her shoulders. My t-shirt dwarfs her, and I realize again, as she's standing barefoot in my condo, how stunningly beautiful she is. It steals the breath from my lungs.

"There you are..." I whisper, my voice tinged with awe. I shake my head to shake off my daze and pick up the small charcuterie plate I made and nod for her to sit on the couch.

She does, but doesn't take the plate from me, so I leave it on the coffee table.

I hold her hand in mine. "What happened, Mel?"

New tears spring to her lashes and her lower lid quivers.

"Parker was caught making out with another man at a club tonight."

I cup her cheeks in my hands and wipe the tears away with my thumbs. Unease slithers down my spine because I thought they weren't together like that.

She shakes her head. "We were out together, but I was at the bar while he was dancing. And then I don't know what happened. There was shouting, and suddenly everyone was shoving a phone in my face, taking pictures. Normally, we're left alone in the VIP section, but even the waiters there were taking pictures."

Her eyes shoot to the island, where her phone is still vibrating.

She squeezes my hand as if needing the support. "I got out of there as quickly as I could, but I couldn't find Parker, and he wasn't answering my calls. I ran..."

I gather her into my lap, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her head down to my chest. I take a few deep breaths before coming up with a plan.

"Alright. You're staying here tonight. No one's allowed in the building unless they're on the list." I stand, wrapping her legs around my waist before I walk to the kitchen and set her on the island.

I pull out my phone. "I'm texting your parents that you're safe, but on a plane to... Bali."

"No. Don't. Please. They're the ones who are calling the most. I just can't..." Her voice is laced with panic.

I shake my head. "They'll worry sick and send out a search party." She sags a little because she knows I'm right. "But then we turn your phone off. If you can sleep, I think you should. If not..." I check my phone. "... Parker should be here in three hours. We can wait up for him."

She looks at me with such a look of awe and gratitude that it makes my chest heat.

"Why are you so wonderful?" she whispers. As if having the means to help her is something magical. I shake my head, ignoring the question. I'm not wonderful. I just care about her. And I'm able to take care of her. Irritation slithers down my spine. Her mother should be the one diffusing the situation. She should be the one she's able to run to if something like this happens.

I text Chris.

//text