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Chapter 41: Paranoia Creeps In
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2023-11-28 14:09:01Related chapters
The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Mystery of You Chapter 42: Pretending
"Edie?" Rafe calls.I hurry away from the back door. "I'm here!"After a quick glance around, I grab a glass from the cabinet and start to fill it up at the sink, pretending I only came in here for a drink, not to snoop around. If I hadn't gotten the creeps, I might still have been in Rafe's office when he came in. Guilt makes my stomach twist and turn, but I still have every intention of finding out what was in that book, one way or another.You could just ask him, I think. But after our conversation on the beach this morning, when he got upset at me simply for researching him, I have a feeling that won't end well. If anything, I'm afraid it will decrease my chances of learning the truth - if Rafe has something to hide from me, I suspect the book would disappear before I had the chance to look in it again.I hear him enter the room behind me, feel the familiar, pleasurable rush of sensation down my back. How is it that no matter how many questions or doubts I have about him, my bo
Last Updated : 2023-11-28The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Mystery of You Chapter 43: The Man
The next week is a strange blur, almost like a dream.Rafe is supportive and attentive in ways I never expected. Whenever I'm bent over the toilet, fighting morning sickness, he's right there with me, holding back my hair. When I'm hungry, he makes sure I have whatever my stomach desires. When I'm exhausted, he carries me up to bed, and the couple of times I fall asleep on his couch in the middle of the afternoon, I wake to find a blanket draped over me.It's too perfect. I'm almost afraid to believe this is the same man who accused me of trying to blackmail him when I first told him I was pregnant. I definitely don't let myself believe this sort of behavior will last forever - I know, in my heart, that his true self will emerge again soon. Whoever that 'true self' is.Right now, though, I'm willing to live in the moment. To believe in the fantasy while it lasts.Rafe is, too. Every night - and often during the day - I look up to find him watching me, staring at me hungrily with th
Last Updated : 2023-11-28The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Mystery of You Chapter 44: Doubt
"We should wash this cut," I say, grabbing Rafe by the arm and dragging him over to the sink. As I twist on the water, I add, "I wasn't making it up.""I never thought you were."I feel his eyes on my face as I grab the soap and begin gently washing his cut. Something just isn't adding up."I felt it before, too," I confess. "That feeling that something was watching me. It happened the first day I was here, when you went to return Dante's car.""Why didn't you say anything?"It's my turn to shrug. "I thought I was imagining it. But this time I know I wasn't.""I promise you, you're perfectly safe here. No one will hurt you." He flexes and unflexes the muscles in his arm. "It was probably just one of the paparazzi trying to get a picture of you.""Oh. I never even thought about that." I rub the soap on his arm. The cut is very shallow. It could very well be from a branch. "I just thought..." I shake my head."Thought what?""You're going to think I'm silly.""I'd never do that
Last Updated : 2023-11-28The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Mystery of You Chapter 45: A Man I Could Love
As much as I'm enjoying my time at Rafe's house, when Thursday rolls around, I'm excited to rejoin the real world for a little while. And it seems like Rafe is, too."I have a photo shoot this afternoon," he tells me as we get dressed. "It should only be a couple of hours, though. Standard stuff. You won't be alone for long.""Actually," I say, "I should have mentioned this earlier, but Ashlyn invited me to lunch today. We're going to some little café she knows.""You're leaving the house?"I laugh. "Well, I have to eventually. Today's as good a day as any."He shakes his head. "That's not a good idea.""Why not?""Because they'll be waiting for you. The press. They've been having a field day trying to figure out who you are. They didn't get a good picture of your face leaving the hospital. And even if they had, it's not like you're a model or actress or anyone they'd recognize."Thanks for reminding me, I think. "Do they know why we were there?"He shakes his head. "Fortunate
Last Updated : 2023-11-28The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Mystery of You Chapter 46: A Lunch Date
Relief washes over me as I slide into Ashlyn's car. I'm blocked from Rafe's line of sight, and his hold on me evaporates slightly."Are you good?" Ashlyn asks, glancing out her window. "We better go now or Rafe's going to come down here and carry you off over his shoulder.""You think?""All I know is that when Dante looks at me that way, there's no way he's letting me walk away from him." She smiles. "You've really done a number on him, haven't you?""Not on purpose." I pull my seatbelt on as Ashlyn pulls back down the driveway. "He didn't want me to come. He's afraid to let me out of his sight, especially in public.""Because of the paparazzi? They're curious about you, yes, but we should be fine. No one's going to recognize you from a few fuzzy tabloid photos, especially if you're out without Rafe.""What about you? Will they recognize you?""Oh, sure. But no one really cares about me. Back when Dante and I got together, sure. But not now. I'm not famous on my own, and there'
Last Updated : 2023-11-28The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Mystery of You Chapter 47: The Rescue
The man jumps about a foot in the air. Rafe is suddenly beside him, glaring down at him with a fury I've never seen in his eyes before."Easy, buddy," the bearded man says. "I was just trying to buy her a drink.""She's not available for drinks," Rafe says. "Or anything else."The man shrugs, obviously shaken but trying to look casual. "How was I supposed to know that? She was flirting with me."I start to defend myself, but there's no need. Rafe grabs the man by the front of his shirt, lifting him up onto his toes."Is that right?" he growls, his voice like thunder."She batted her eyelashes at me when she passed," the man says breathlessly, trying to free himself from Rafe's grip. "She was teasing me.""And I told you she isn't available."The man is still squirming. "I prefer to let the lady make that choice."That only pisses Rafe off even more. He nearly lifts the man off the ground."She isn't available," he says. "Not now or ever. She's mine, do you hear me?""Rafe."
Last Updated : 2023-11-28The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Mystery of You Chapter 48: Under His Sway
My heart is galloping, threatening to burst right out of my chest. My breath is ragged. My skin is suddenly very warm, aching for his touch.He leans closer, never touching me, but closing the distance between us in one slow, deliberate movement. Heat rolls off him in waves, and my skin prickles all over. I try to tear my eyes away from his, but I can't."Do you really want to pretend I don't have any sway over you?" he asks in those rich, deep tones of his. His voice is like a caress, sliding up and down my body. "Do you want to pretend that you don't want me as much as I want you?"It takes a moment to find my voice."It's...just physical," I manage. "It's lust. People feel it all the time. With lots of other people.""So this is ordinary to you?" he says. "This heat between us? You feel this all the time for other men?""No," I say quickly. "I'm not... I mean, that's not what I meant. Do I feel lust for you? Yes." Just admitting that out loud makes me ache between my thighs. "
Last Updated : 2023-11-28The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Mystery of You Chapter 49: The Discovery
This is dangerous. I need to take care of myself - need to guard myself against him somehow. But how? He can completely undo me with a single touch.When we reach Rafe's house, I'm still a little light-headed. Hot and heavy sex will do that to you. As I try to clear the brain fog, Rafe puts a warm, steady hand on my waist."I'm going to go hop in the shower," he says. "Care to join me?"It will be more than a shower, I know."I'm going to go grab a glass of water first," I say. "I'll join you in a minute."He dips his head and bites me right where my neck meets my shoulder. I gasp in pleasure, and he releases me with a devilish grin on his face. He wants to make sure I'm still aching for him before he walks away.It's on wobbly legs that I make my way to the kitchen. I grab a glass of water and fill it at the faucet, wondering why I can't seem to escape this complicated mess. As I wait for my glass to fill, I look down at my belly. I spread my fingers and press my hand against it
Last Updated : 2023-11-28
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The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Mystery of You Chapter 57: A Beautiful Melody
I learn a few things in the ride to the hospital: first, that we're somewhere in southern Idaho. Second, that Rafe was in Las Vegas when Matt contacted him to tell him he had me."Don't ask me about Vegas, please," Rafe begs me. "I haven't exactly been coping well since you left me. And for the love of God, don't read any of the tabloids that come out in the next week."And I'm okay with not knowing. This time.He stays with me at the hospital, holding my hand the entire time. Now that the immediate danger has passed and I've calmed down a little, I'm not as worried about the baby. I can't explain how I know, but I sense that he or she is still safe and sound inside me. Just perhaps a little stunned by the whole ordeal.You're okay, sweet one, aren't you?Rafe isn't nearly as confident. His grip on my hand is like iron, and he's gone at least two shades paler since we entered the hospital. Like the last time, he barks at both the doctors and the nurses, demanding to know why we ar
The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Mystery of You Chapter 56: Never Letting Go Of You Again
Rafe presses his mouth against my hair. My temple. My ear. My cheek. He rains kisses down on me - soft, gentle kisses that are sweet enough to make me forget the pain for a moment.And then I remember where we are."Where is he?" I ask. "Where did he go?" I lift my head, and for the first time since leaving the trunk, I look around. We appear to be at some sort of rest stop, only judging by the condition of this place, it's been out of use for some time. The building is run down, the roof partially caved in on the right side. The single vending machine has been smashed open, and there's not a single snack left inside. The parking lot is overgrown with weeds."He took off walking down the highway," Rafe says. "But he won't get far. I have a few friends waiting for him.""Friends?""Let's just say a local motorcycle gang owes me a favor from a few years ago."I lean back, looking up at him. As usual, his response brings up more questions than answers. But I try to focus on the most
The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Mystery of You Chapter 55: The Rescue
"You fucking bastard," Rafe says. His back is rigid, his hands clenched. In the back waistband of his jeans I see the handle of a gun, and I'm both shocked and relieved to see that he has one, too. But it does him no good tucked away like that. If he moves a muscle, Matt might shoot him where he stands."I tried to do this the nice way," Matt says, "but you wouldn't listen to reason.""What do you want?" Rafe asks. "More money?"Matt shakes his head. "No. We're past that.""Then why the hell won't you leave me alone?""Because you fucked me over. And when you fuck me over, I fuck you over."The panic is threatening to take over me again. Rafe is in trouble. Matt clearly has no intention of negotiating anything. If anything, it's beginning to sound like he lured Rafe out here to murder him. I can't let that happen - but what can I do, bound and gagged like this?I don't have many options. But all Rafe needs is for Matt to be distracted for a second or two - just enough time to re
The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Mystery of You Chapter 54: In The Trunk
I wake to a splitting headache and shooting pains up and down my arms.At first, I don't remember what happened to me. And I don't understand why I can't move my body properly. Everything aches, but there's noticeably sharper pain at my wrist and ankles, as well as running from my hands all the way up to my shoulders.My arms are trapped behind my back, I notice as I twist slightly. That's why they hurt so much. I try to move them, but I find that my wrists are tied. So are my ankles.That's when I remember everything - the creeping sensation in the parking lot, the sudden appearance of Rafe's sketchy friend, the way he grabbed me and held something over my mouth.He chloroformed me.Panic shoots though my body - first for myself, for the briefest of seconds, and then for my baby.Oh my God, my baby.I try to scream, but there's a gag in my mouth and the sound is muffled. Wherever I am, it's too dark to see anything. I writhe, trying to loosen the bonds around my wrists and ankl
The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Mystery of You Chapter 53: Kidnapped
Very quickly, my life falls into a pattern again - work, sleep, chores around the house, errands. After the first week, people seem to realize that I'm not on the cusp of a breakdown, and many of them begin to acknowledge the baby. Men hold doors open for me, women ask how I'm feeling, and I receive a couple of anonymous gifts on my doorstep - a bundle of hand-me-down baby clothes, tied up in a soft blanket, and a few care-worn books about pregnancy and baby care. I feel a tinge of heartache at the sight of the books - they remind me of the ones on Rafe's desk - so I set them aside for the time being. There's still plenty of time to come back to them later.See? I tell myself on the ninth day after my return. You don't need him. You already have all of the support you need right here. I rub my hand across my softly rounded belly. We'll make it, sweet one. One way or another.I can almost believe that, at least when I'm awake. Every morning, when I fall into my bed to sleep, I dream o
The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Mystery of You Chapter 52: Trying To Forget
- THREE DAYS LATER - This is how air is supposed to smell. Funny, that that's the first thing I notice when I step outside my door. I'd forgotten what fresh, clean air smells like. How it feels on my skin. If I close my eyes, I can pick out all the pieces of it - the faint scent of spruce, the hint of moisture that means we'll have rain sometime during the night, the crisp coolness the wind picks up in its trip across the valley.I knew I missed home, but now I wonder how I ever survived away from it for so long. There's a peacefulness here, a wildness that makes me feel like everything is going to be all right.Some of the time, anyway.Now I just have to stop missing Rafe. There's a familiar pang of loss in my stomach, but I ignore it and head to work. I feel like I'm doing that a lot these days – shoving down the feelings I don't know how to deal with right now.Even the Dandelion Diner looks more cheerful than I remember. The fluorescent lights on the sign welcome me back wit
The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Mystery of You Chapter 51: The Escape
I wait until the middle of the night to leave. I know he deserves better, but I don't trust myself to actually walk away if I have to do it face-to-face.Carefully, I pull away from the circle of his arms. His breathing is steady and deep, and he hardly even stirs as I quietly slip out of bed. I gather my few things and quickly dress. I've been debating whether or not to leave him a note, to tell him where I've gone and why. It feels less cowardly, somehow, to write him a message, even if I'm still sneaking away while he's asleep.I pause next to the bed, looking down at him. He looks so big and strong, even when he's asleep, but there's a slight softness about him, too. It's that softness that makes my heart ache now.Against my better judgment, I lean down over him, brushing my lips softly against his brow."Goodbye," I whisper.Then I sneak quietly out the bedroom door.I make it about ten paces before I first have to fight the urge to turn back. But I place my hand on my bell
The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Mystery of You Chapter 50: I Have To Be Stronger
I stumble into one of the downstairs bathrooms, my stomach heaving. But when I bend over the toilet, nothing comes up.It actually explains a lot, the drugs. It explains why Rafe has been so secretive about who he is outside of the time he spends with me. And why he got so upset that I'd researched him online - maybe one of his arrests was drug related, or maybe his habit was openly discussed in the tabloids. Why didn't Cynthia warn me about that? Why didn't Ashlyn?It also may explain the mysterious man who keeps showing up where Rafe is. What if he's Rafe's dealer? He certainly looked the part. Or worse - what if Rafe is his dealer? Maybe acting and modeling isn't wild or dangerous enough for Rafe and he started a little side business just to entertain himself.I understand now why he's been so closed-mouthed about all of this. He knew it would be a deal-breaker, that I'd never agree to raise my baby around someone actively involved with drugs.I'm so sorry, sweet one, I think. I
The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Mystery of You Chapter 49: The Discovery
This is dangerous. I need to take care of myself - need to guard myself against him somehow. But how? He can completely undo me with a single touch.When we reach Rafe's house, I'm still a little light-headed. Hot and heavy sex will do that to you. As I try to clear the brain fog, Rafe puts a warm, steady hand on my waist."I'm going to go hop in the shower," he says. "Care to join me?"It will be more than a shower, I know."I'm going to go grab a glass of water first," I say. "I'll join you in a minute."He dips his head and bites me right where my neck meets my shoulder. I gasp in pleasure, and he releases me with a devilish grin on his face. He wants to make sure I'm still aching for him before he walks away.It's on wobbly legs that I make my way to the kitchen. I grab a glass of water and fill it at the faucet, wondering why I can't seem to escape this complicated mess. As I wait for my glass to fill, I look down at my belly. I spread my fingers and press my hand against it
