Songs Unsung - Book One

Chapter Thirty Two

Dedicated to aishterutomodachi - a Loyal Reader :)

Mia had spent the night at Lacey's whilst I refused to leave Chase's side. I spent the entire night watching him as he slept peacefully whilst considering the two women's names that had been said in the past hours. "Who are Clara and Katie?" I thought to myself with a shiver jolting down my spine at the thought of their names.

I rubbed Chase's soft hand with my thumb as I held it through the night. Since he had come into my life, everything in my world had changed. It was only a few months ago that the hardest thing in my life was to leave home for work and make a life for myself in another Country. Now, I was scared for my life, jobless and had my face plastered over the front page of gossip magazines. I couldn't bear the thought of living without him, but I couldn't honestly continue to live like this for the rest of my life.

Chase woke me from my deep thoughts as he moved his head restlessly toward me with a groan. His eyes slowly opened before softly falling upon me at his side. "Annabelle?" he whispered as he tried to sit up with a loud moan. I quickly sat up to attention and moved closer to his face. "I'm here" I whispered before begging him to lie back down. "Where are we?" he asked with a muffled voice whilst looking around the room with squinted eyes.

"You had an accident" I replied, trying not to worry him with the specifics. "You're in the hospital. Everything is going to be okay"

He let a small sigh before closing his eyes again and giving a small nod.

I watched his face settle from anguish to peaceful as he dozed back off to sleep. "It's Clara" he whispered again, causing an unsettling feeling in my stomach.

"Who the hell is Clara?" I thought to myself as I started to feel frustrated for not receiving the answers I needed from him.

"Knock knock" I heard Lacey's voice say from behind me before turning to meet her smile. "He woke up for a minute" I said whilst glowing toward her. "He mentioned that Clara again" my face now turning to despair. Lacey made her way to my side and settled her hand on my shoulder.

"He really cares about you, you know?" she said with a worried look on her face. "I've never seen him like this with anyone before. You've really changed him."

"I don't know if I can believe that Lace, who is this Clara?" I asked as I looked to her with angst.

"I don't have a clue who she could be" she said with a slight shake of her head. "But, if only you could have seen what he was like before he met you. Parties, women, alcohol... drugs. He was empty and lifeless. Since you have come along he has become alive again. Please don't think too much about this Clara name. I'm sure we will get to the bottom of it."

I let a soft smile fall over my lips "Thank you Lace." I said in appreciation of her kind words. "Where's Mia?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Getting us coffee" she replied "It's likely going to be a big day."

I sat for a moment allowing my thoughts to wonder around in my mind before turning to Lacey once again. "Lacey?" I asked, wanting her attention.

She turned her eyes from Chase's sleeping face to mine. "Yeah?" she replied looking thoughtful as she did.

"Who is Katie?" I asked hesitantly, worried that I may pry.

She turned to pick up a seat and moved it to sit next to me. I turned my chair to face her as I waited for her response.

"This industry isn't easy" she started before moving to take my hand with hers. As she looked down at our hands and then back to Chase's face she continued.

"When he started out everything was so fun and exhilarating. As he became more popular, his fan base escalated and in no time he had millions of fans from all around the globe." She gave a small smile before taking a large breath.

"But with fascination, comes unhealthy feelings by some. We had a few scares over the years from a handful of people, but one girl continued to go too far."

"Katie?" I questioned before she could continue.

"Exactly. She started sending odd letters, which wasn't too unheard of in Chase's fan mail. But then she was found in his dressing room when he was on tour - thankfully not by him. The Roadie that found her said she was 'smelling his things' when he found her. Things only escalated from there when she was found in the house. She scared the living daylights out of poor Mrs Wilson who went to see what the noise was upstairs. She found her doing ghastly things in his bedroom and almost tripped as she fled down the stairs for help. Katie manages to take her arrests, charges and Restraining Orders like a grain of salt and continues to haunt him. She's obsessed in the most horrifying way."

"So she's the one who texts and calls him?" I asked, needing as much information as I could muster.

"Yes, for years he has changed his number but somehow she manages to get a hold of it. Annabelle, I'm only telling you this now that you are involved. I would never break Chase's trust unless I had no other choice." She stated with a worried look painted over her face.

"I know Lacey, you haven't betrayed Chase. I'm sure that once he knows about the letter he would want me to know everything as well."

"Coffee's hot and ready for drinking!" chimed Mia with a large smile, interrupting our conversation.

We turned to look at her in the doorway with perplexed expressions on our faces unintentionally making her feel less than welcome.

"Orrrrr not" she sang, turning to make her way back out the door.

"No Mia, it's okay" I called for her to return. "I'm sorry, we were just discussing this letter business."

"I'm sorry guys" Mia said with a look of worry "I didn't realize."

"It's totally fine" I replied, giving a small smile before squeezing Lacey's hand and standing to retrieve my coffee from Mia.

"Annabelle?" Chase's voice called causing us all to stop and look in his direction. I rushed to his side, placing the coffee on the table next to him before taking his hand. "Yes Chase, I'm here" I whispered as I rubbed his hand with my free one.

"It was Clara" he said as he opened his eyes in alertness. "Who is Clara?" I asked with a tone of pure anticipation. "Her nametag..." he continued as he forced the words from his lips. "Clara the waitress... she stabbed me" he said as though he had been trying to say those words for days.

Shocked, I turned to Lacey who already had her phone out dialing the police. I looked to Mia who stood with her mouth open wide as her eyes did the same.

"Rest precious, we will fix this don't you worry." I soothed before rubbing my hand over his brow in an effort to relax him. Soon enough, he had fallen back to sleep.

I turned to Mia for comfort "A waitress did this?" I hissed. "Are we going to be safe anywhere? We can't even go out to bloody dinner!" I started raising my voice in anger. "First Antonio and now some crazy young girl!"

Mia rushed to hold me as I shook in frustration. I could feel Chase and I slipping from each other's grip as the realization that we will never live a normal life hit me like a hammer to a nail. Pain filled my body as I considered my future without him. I knew it wasn't safe to stay in this world and to leave, I had to leave him.

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