Stars Falling [Book 2]

Chapter 13 - Fight For You

Red Jensen hadn't stopped calling Rhea since last night. Warren must have told him everything what happened. Honestly, she couldn't care less about what her childhood friend had to say. If he knew what that song meant then he would have cancelled the release. He would have found a different song to go public with it. Rhea didn't have the ovaries to confront him—not yet—not while her heart was in such a panic from yesterday.

Rhea spotted Sean in the studio, instructing the technicians on today's show. At Static, Sean was good at maintaining his composure, but Rhea knew he would eventually break out of character and confront her. She felt awful for cutting their date short—especially after he had been so nice about everything—but she really, truly was not ready to talk to anybody about it yet.

"Hey newb," Sean spoke to her. "Do me a favour and check to see if the cord to Kevin's computer is connected. I think the idiot may have accidentally unplugged it with those dinosaur legs of his."

Rhea nodded.

Sean came out of nowhere and held her arm. It took her by surprise. "I have a meeting today I have to attend," he said quietly. "Otherwise I would ask you to grab lunch with me."

Rhea eyed the bodies in the studio. They were all occupied. "Don't worry about it," she forced a smiled. "I'm okay to eat by myself."

"I know you're okay to," he said. "But it doesn't mean you should."

Rhea stared at him, feeling her heart sink. Honestly, he was going to do more harm than good if he kept being so nice.

"Sean," one of the technicians called him over. Rhea used the opportunity to slip away.

The cord under Kevin's computer was in fact loose. Rhea tightened it and reported back to her supervisor. She then spent the rest of her shift quietly obeying orders from him. No matter how big or how small, Rhea was going to put his mind at ease and show him that she was fine.

By lunchtime, Rhea was starving. The café next door was calling her name; their turkey club sandwich in particular. Grabbing her purse out of the employee lounge, she made her way out of the afternoon studio. Francesca said she was going to join her there shortly, after she finished filing away some paperwork for Melanie. Poor girl was going to be at it for a while, Rhea thought. Those thick binders were no joke and Melanie's iron first was going to make sure everything was done properly.

At the escalator, Sean caught up to Rhea. He had a clipboard and pen in hand. "Are you heading out to your meeting?" Rhea asked standing beside him. "What is it for? Don't tell me we're having another celebrity coming in to speak."

"We always have a celebrity coming in to speak," he replied placing his hand on her back.

Rhea blinked and wondered why he was being so chummy with her at work. It was risky.

"What are you waiting for?" Sean encouraged her to go on the escalator first.

Rhea obliged not wanting to make a scene. "I told you, I'm fine," she said looking up at him. Sean's feet were one escalator step above hers. "You don't need to baby me."

His next question threw her off.  "You wouldn't by any chance be willing to keep still and stay turned around like this would you?"

Rhea's head instinctively whipped around to see what Sean was looking at. She almost tripped as the last escalator step came. Sean was quick to help her maintain balance. "I didn't think so," he sighed.

Warren Biel was standing in Static's front lobby, leaned against one of the two giant pillars. He was in a suit. Rhea cursed her luck. His hair looked different, shorter and softer. Was that even possible? Her mind ventured to think about the time when they were in Red's penthouse, making out on the couch. Her fingers had reached up to run themselves through those pretty locks. Rhea's heart dropped and her knees began quivering. What the hell was happening to her? Where did all her rage go? What happened to ripping his heart out? What happened to killing him if she ever saw him again?