Hello, I Love You

Chapter 14 - The Interview

Patrick knew she was angry, and he had a feeling he knew why. Mia had already delayed his arrival to the club when she called and ripped him a new one. She was upset that she'd learned of his relationship from someone other than him. It took him a half hour to convince her that he wasn't dating Valerie, and then they argued for another half hour about his desire to date Kylie.

When Marta told him to call TMZ, he had pulled every string he could to make sure his commentary was included in their article, but from what he could determine, Kylie hadn't seen the entire thing. She stared out the window of the car, refusing to look his way. She was pressed as tightly as possible against the door, keeping the maximum amount of distance between them.

"Shit!" Patrick growled, and for the first time during their ride, Kylie glanced at him.

"What's wrong?" she questioned.

Patrick lifted his finger and pointed toward the end of his block. He knew the moment Kylie spotted the photographers. A gasp escaped her lips, and if it was possible, she became tenser.

"I'm sorry about them. Val must've tipped off one of her paparazzo friends yesterday, and now the whole world knows where I live."

Patrick couldn't keep the venom from his voice. One of his favorite things about his apartment was how non-descript it was. While the interior of the apartments was luxurious, the lobby and the building's exterior never hinted at that. In the time he had lived here, no one had ever discovered where he lived, and now his privacy felt completely invaded.

"How do you want to play this?" he asked, but Kylie only looked confused. He didn't miss the discomfort in her gaze. She was a little frightened by the group waiting for them.

"Never mind," he muttered. Patrick opened his door and stepped to the ground. He held his hand aloft for Kylie, and she nervously grasped his fingers. By the time she had exited the SUV, the paparazzi had swarmed. It was a smaller group than the one at the club, but there were still at least ten guys present, and they had no understanding of personal space.

"Is this the other woman?"

"How long have you been an item?"

"Does Valerie know that you've moved on?"

The group asked the most asinine questions, and Patrick refused to answer any of them. He just focused on the petite, auburn-haired beauty at his side. She was putting on a brave face, but he could feel her body tremble against him. He pulled her more tightly to his body and wrapped his arm possessively around her waist. When they entered the lobby, Tom was standing by the door with a phone to his ear.

"Cops," he mouthed to Patrick. Tom cast a concerned gaze at Kylie but didn't comment. He continued his conversation regarding their trespassers and waved to Patrick as the couple reached the elevator.

The moment the elevator doors closed, Kylie leapt across the enclosed space. Patrick was taken by surprise at her desperation to get away from him, and to be honest, he was a little hurt. It seemed Kylie was back to the silent treatment. A sigh escaped his lips as he watched Kylie stomp down the hallway the moment the elevator doors opened. Hurrying after her, he rushed to unlock the door; and when he pushed the door into the foyer, Kylie brushed passed him and headed straight to the bedroom.

"Not so fast!" Patrick growled in protest. He grasped Kylie by the elbow, his grip firm but gentle. She refused to look at him as he led her into the living room and directed her to the nearby couch. Kylie crossed her arms in defiance and stared blankly across the room, refusing to take a seat.