CHAPTER 15: You call Adam twice after reading the article in the gossip magazine, claiming he's everything from a cheating bastard to an aggressive dude with boxing potential, but he doesn't pick up, not the first, nor the second time. Instead, it goes straight to voicemail, and you hang up the first time, but decide to leave a message the second time. You wait impatiently and listen to his casual voice talking on cue.
"Hey, this is Adam, uh, I'm not available right now, but leave a message, and I'll try to call you back as soon as possible... Bye."
You take a breath and hear the beep.
"Adam, it's me, Emily... I... I just wanted to make sure you're okay, uhm... Yeah, I-I'd really appreciate it if you'd text me or call me or something. Bye.''
You hang up, not knowing what more to say - but you didn't feel like telling him you've been reading gossip shit about him to get updated, that's for sure. You're praying he'll listen to your message, or, actually he doesn't have to. You're just praying he doesn't do as he said he would at the coffee shop a few days ago, and delete your number and pretend he never mistakenly texted you instead of his girlfriend and ended up pouring his heart out to you. You wonder whether that's the reason you care enough about him to leave a message on his voicemail, begging him to call back, despite the fact that you don't really know him for anything but his fame, and shouldn't be craving his attention, cause it doesn't belong to you None of it all makes sense. You're a nobody. He's just a face to you. Or, he should be. But as insane as it seems, it doesn't feel that way. It feels as if you know him. Even though you don't really, it feels like you do. And you can't just leave a man that you know in the gutter. Even though you've only known him for two days... Can you?
Later that night, you get ready to go out with Olivia, still without having heard as much as a word from Adam. You're nervous, scared that he's done something stupid, to himself or to others, but why?
Why do you even bother to worry? He doesn't have anything to do with you. Argh, you feel frustrated, at him, at yourself, at the reason this madness is going on, and you know that your tenseness can be seen as you walk into the Turkish restaurant Olivia picked - oh, what a great day for foreign, spicy food - and find her sitting by a table close to the door. Wonderful, then you can catch a cold, too, while you're at it. She smiles widely at you, grinning with glowing eyes like a child on Christmas morning, and you have no doubt she's just waiting to hear about how you and Adam have been secretly and romantically hooking up. Yeah, he really romantically sent a pissed text to you by a mistake, he met you depressed and threatened to drink himself half to death, went and did it after two nights, kissed you drunk, woke up on your couch and left to beat up a paparazzi - according to the media. Such a romantic hookup.
''Hi, how are you, honey?'' Olivia nearly shouts at you as you walk to her and hug her, and you shrug, not even bothering to seem enthusiastic.
''Fine,'' you say flatly. Olivia frowns, and her childish joy seems to falter a little, as she sits at the chair across from you at a two persons' table.
''What's wrong?'' she asks, sounding like something close to serious, and you sigh, and smile faintly at the waiter that walks to your table with the menu cards.
''What's wrong? You really wanna know?''
She nods.
''You wanna hear what's really going on in that article in your gossip magazine?''
She nods again, seeming almost tense now, but not half as tense as you.
''Okay.''
You take a breath.
''Yes, it's true, I've met Adam Levine, and he stayed at my place last night - but. He. Slept. On. My. Couch. ...Alone. I tried helping him out, because his girlfriend left him, and he accidently sent me a text message that should've been sent to her - and no, I did not know him in advance. We had a brief conversation, met up randomly at a coffee shop because he was falling apart, and drank coffee. I thought he was fine, that it was all it was, but then last night, he called me drunk at some bar. He couldn't even remember his own address, so I let him sleep at my place. He left this morning, and I haven't heard from him since then.''
Olivia stares at you, looking amazed.
''And so that's just gonna be it?'' she asks, almost in disbelief, and you know she wants to hear you say: ''NO! NO, I LOVE HIM! I'LL NEVER LET HIM GO!'' but that's not gonna happen. You nod.
''Yeah, I guess. I mean, I don't really know him.''
She looks like she can't believe you.
''And there's nothing between you?'' There's an encouragement in there, in the way she says it, and you start getting annoyed at her all over again, like you did when she called you. Could she just...
''Olivia, I do not know him,'' you repeat, speaking each word loudly and clearly, not wanting to tell her you feel so worried about him. ''He's a celebrity guy who dates models and couldn't care less about me. All these things happened by coincidence, I helped him out and that's it.''
Olivia hesitates.
''You know, the way you told me you haven't heard from him since this morning... You sound kinda upset,'' she remarks then, and you freeze, staring at her in surprise and horror. ''I'm not saying you're in love or anything, but honestly, are you okay with the way it played out?''
She sounds genuinely concerned, and it's unbelievable to hear, but also kind of comforting. Can you trust her, tell her how you feel? Or will she just go on annoying you with twice the effort? She's your best friend, but when It comes to this... Hell, give her the benefit of the doubt this one time.
''I'm just... I'm kinda worried about him, you know?'' You look seriously at Olivia, and she looks shocked, maybe because you confessed to her. ''It just feels like I know him better than I do, and I don't want him to get hurt. I mean... he was very... out of it last night and this morning, and you know...''
''Have you tried calling him?'' Olivia asks, and now suddenly she just seems caring and compassionate. You sigh and nod, surprised but relieved with her reaction.
''Yes. He doesn't pick up. I left him a message, but he hasn't called me back,'' you admit. Olivia looks thoughtful.
''Maybe you should just give him some time to breathe and find out what he wants to do right now,'' she then suggests softly. ''I mean, like you said, he's upset, and it seems he has a lot to be upset about... He hasn't really had much time to think things through. Give him a day or two, and try to call him again. Maybe he'll pick up when he's remembered how to breathe.''
You realize, to your own surprise, that Olivia's words make sense.
Yeah, he's just gotta breathe. He has to think things through. You would do that, too, were you in his place. Especially with paparazzi assholes chasing you around.
You decide to give him time.
Maybe a little too much.
Cause somehow, a week later, it's all so, so fucked up.
