Adonis

I was nervous. I hated the feeling. Even performing in front of thousands on fans didn't make me feel as nervous as I felt right at that moment. Patience wasn't my strongest trait either. I rolled my shoulders back trying to ease try tension in my shoulders.

The sound of the door opening echoed through the empty restaurant. The sight of Lacey slammed into my chest like a sledgehammer leaving me short of breath. She was beautiful. Even dressed casually in a jeans and a shirt she was the most beautiful girl to me.

She frowned as her eyes scanned the empty restaurant. I was able to watch her but she didn't see me. Aiden followed in behind her.

I'd had my doubts but he'd done it. He'd got her here for me. Now was my chance to fix the misunderstanding. I stepped into her view and her confused look turned icy.

"You set me up," she said as she turned to face Aiden.

"I didn't want to deceive you but this is the only way to sort this out," he tried to reason with her.

"I thought you were my friend," her voice was shaky.

"I am," he assured her but she was shook her head. She turned to throw me a glare before setting her gaze back on Aiden.

"You're supposed to be on my side," she said sounding hurt and I felt a tinge of guilt at the betrayal I'd instigated.

"I am. I don't want you to let go of the best thing that has ever happened to you," he told her. "I saw how it crushed him when you didn't remember what you'd shared."

She dropped her gaze to the floor.

"He was with you every step of the way. He put your well being above everything else," he added further. "Those aren't the actions of someone ready to move onto someone else."

She stubbornly refused to lift her gaze to acknowledge his words.

"Just give him a little time to explain and if you still don't believe him I'll take you home. You owe him that."

After a minutes of silence Lacey shrugged her shoulders before glaring at Aiden and Sam one last time before she turned to face me. They quietly left us alone, closing the door quietly behind them.

It was just us. Nothing Aiden had said had eased the intensity of her anger that was fully directed at me.

"I'm here," she said without making eye contact. "So talk."

No pressure. If this didn't work I was screwed.

"Are you hungry?" I asked stepping forward to the only table that had a lit candle.

The restaurant staff were in the kitchen waiting for any instructions.

I had rented the entire restaurant out so we could be alone without other people eavesdropping on our sensitive conversation. I couldn't guarantee that there wouldn't be yelling.

She shook her head.

"At least sit down," I said pulling out the chair for her. I shrugged out of my jacket and hung it on the back of the chair before I sat down.

She gave me another pointed glare before she sat down. I wanted to brush my fingers over her frown and soothe over her hurt feelings.

"So explain," she said in a clipped tone.

The neves knotted in my stomach. I let out an emotional sigh.

"I should never have hidden you from the world. The moment we became a couple I should have shouted it from the rooftop." I didn't have a lot of regrets but that was one of them.

"The only reason I never made it public knowledge was because I didn't want to put you in the spotlight until you were ready. I wanted to protect you."

"Then why did some girl answer your phone?" I asked, my voice hoarse.

"I have someone I want you to listen to," I said.

I reached for my phone and dialed the driver who was parked outside the restaurant. I was covering all bases. I wouldn't allow this to spiral out of control.

"Please send her in," I instructed.

At my instruction Lacey stood up and backed away from me. The hurt and betrayal in her eyes was evident for my guilt to simmer and grow.

Her eyes shot to the door as Katie stepped inside. Katie looked around nervously. I couldn't blame her so I have her an encouraging look.

"Hi," she greeted Lacey.

Lacey remained quiet as she eyed Katie out.

"Sit," I instructed Katie before I looked to Lacey and nodded in the direction of the chair she'd just vacated.
Katie gave me a panicked look while Lacey continued to give her a cold welcome. She sat down and then Lacey reluctantly lowered herself into her seat.

"I'm sorry about the misunderstanding," she began twisting her hands. "I was so excited to go to the awards evening. Trisha, my sister, had been too ill to attend so she'd asked the guys to keep an eye on me."
She clasped her hands together anxiously.

"I got drunk," she added dropping her eyes briefly, looking ashamed. We'd all been there. "I don't drink a lot and the excitement and nerves made me drink more than I usually would. It was one glass and then another." She frowned. "I can't even remember how much I drank."

I watched Lacey's expression.

"I was so drunk I couldn't walk straight. Adonis took me back to my hotel room to put me to bed before going out clubbing with the rest of the band but I threw up and he was too concerned to leave me on my own."

Lacey's eyes flickered to mine. I held her gaze before she looked away. I had nothing to hide.

"He slept on the couch while I passed out in my bed," she assured Harp. "The next morning I felt so bad so when his phone rang I answered it before it woke him up."

Katie held Lacey's gaze. She was difficult to read.

"Nothing happened and I'm really sorry for any trouble I've caused," she said, shooting a look between Lacey and I.

"Thank you for coming Katie," I said standing up. Katie stood up throwing one last look in Lacey's direction but her expression was unreadable. I had not idea if she believed Katie's story.

"Thank you," I said before I opened the door and stepped out of the restaurant.

"I hope it helped," she said.

"Me too." I instructed the driver to take her back to hotel.

There was an uncomfortable silence when I returned to the table to sit across from Lacey. Her expression had softened as she fidgeted with the edge of the tablecloth.

"I don't know what to say," she said softly.

"How about in sorry for blowing the whole thing out of proportion?" I suggested.

She swallowed hard.

"I should have called you to let you know but I didn't want to wake you," I admitted.

"If you had told me I would have known who she was."

"This shouldn't have snowballed into this," I told her feeling a little deflated that she'd jumped to conclusions so quickly. I ran a hand through my hair.

Her eyes glistened before she swept a stray tear away. The simple action of her brushing the year from her face tore into my heart.

I didn't intend to hurt her but after going the events time and time again trying to figure exactly what had pushed her to believe I would betray her had led me to the realization that there was something more to this then met the eye.

"You know how much you mean to me. Why did you believe this was something I could do?" I asked. The more I thought about it the angrier I got.

Her lip trembled and she bit it.

"Why?" I asked her softly. My eyes searched hers.

**********

Lacey

It wasn't an easy question to answer. He looked so betrayed and I felt so guilty. The tables had turned. I brushed another tear away that escaped as I took a deep breath trying to put the lid back on my emotions.

But he was right. A simple misunderstanding shouldn't have spiraled into this. Why had I judged and juried him before giving him a chance to explain?

I knew why. It was something that had plagued me from the moment he'd told him he felt the same way about me. It had been unbelievable. If he had just been the 'boy next door', my brother's best friend, or the guy I'd grown up with it would have been so much easier. But he was so much more. He was international superstar, loved my millions. He could have any girl. What made me so special?

He studied me for a moment before he leaned closer.

"Talk to me," he said. His eyes held mine.

"It's me," I answered. My insecurities.

"I don't understand," he said tilting his head slightly.

He wouldn't. He didn't have any. He was the most confident person I know, comfortable surrounded by throngs of fans.

"You wouldn't understand," I said standing up.

"Try me," he said rising up from his chair. I turned away from him, feeling vulnerable and open.

He reached out. His hand enclosed my arm and he turned me to face him.

"I can't try and understand if you won't tell me." His eyes softened and he held my hand loosely with his. I looked down at our connected fingers.

"What did I do to deserve you?" I asked him. It still didn't make sense, the two of us.

I looked up so see him frown.

"You didn't do anything," he assured me. "It's who you are."

He reached out and placed his hand on my chest. "In here."

He stepped forward.

"It's the sound of your laugher, the sight of your smile. It's how I feel when I'm around you..."

I lifted my gaze and held my breath.

"...It's how I feel when I touch you."

He leaned closer touching his lips softly to mine before pulling slightly away.

"I feel more alive when I'm with you."

I was breathless. The way he could make me feel with just a few words.

"And without you...I feel lost."

He was so close I could see the different shades of blue in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. He pressed his lips together.

"I need to know why you jumped to conclusions," he told me. "Why you were so quick to think the worst of me?"

I shrugged, not liking the feeling that spread through me.

"I don't feel good enough for you." There I'd said. It was out in the open.

He frowned. "Why?" he asked.

"Look at you, you're a flipping rock start Adonis," I said, feeling a little annoyed that he didn't see it for himself. "You could have any girl."

His expression was unreadable.

"It's like I'm waiting for the moment when you realize you can do so much better than me," I told him. "Not only am I the plain girl next door, I had a brain tumor."

"What does that have to do with anything?" he asked looking confused.

"You could be with someone healthy who didn't have to worry about surgery or losing their memories."

He shook his head at me.

"You're crazy," he said pulling me closer and hugging me tight. I leaned my head against his chest and breathed in deep as my emotions slipped from me. I hugged him closer never wanting him to let me go.

After a few minutes he released me lifting my chin up so my eyes met his.

"Watching you go through surgery didn't make me see you as broken. It made me see the strength in you. You have no idea how remarkable you are."

The tears glistened in gaze.

"I'm the lucky one," he assured me, running his hand gently down the side of my face. "You could choose someone with a more normal life. Someone who doesn't have live their life in the spotlight."

I'd never even considered that he could feel insecure about me.

"You don't think I'm scared that one day you're going to walk away because the press is too much or my life is too hectic?"

For the first time I have a glimpse of the uncertainty in his eyes. Tears slid down my face as I grasped his face in my hands and pressed a kiss to his mouth.

"Never."

"You say that now but you have only had a taste of it." His expression was serious. I brushed my thumb against his bottom lip. "There will be press and there will be gossip magazines."

I knew it wasn't going to be easy but I wanted him and if that was what came with him I was willing to put up with it.

"I can do it."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"I can't lie and say that I won't get angry or upset if I see lies printed about you or us."

He withdrew and I caught his arm. I wasn't going to let him go until he finished hearing what I was going to say.

"But when I see that I will remember what you said."

He looked so vulnerable as he nodded.

"Remember I love you more than anything in this world," he declared. My throat tightened. "Out in the world I'm might be the confident rocker but here with you...I'm the nervous, lovesick fool who knows just how lucky he is to be with you."

I smiled as my vision blurred again.

"And you'll need to remember I've loved you from the age of thirteen and I will never stop. And no matter how crazy things get I'm in it for the long haul."

His arms encircled me as our lips nearly touch.

“Promise me that the next time there is a misunderstanding you'll let me explain."

I nodded my head. I'd learnt from my mistake and I wasn't going to allow my insecurity to ruin this once in a lifetime love that I had with him. We weren't perfect. There would be disagreements, there would be fights and misunderstanding but if we remembered the words we'd spoken today we would be able to weather anything together.

"You've put me through hell," he whispered close to me.

"I'm so sorry."

His lips covered mine. My hands crept around his neck. My fingers threaded through his hair. The pressure of his lips increased and I opened my mouth. Tongues tangled as we held each other like we would never let go. Our lips broke apart and our breathing was rapid. We only had eyes for each other.

"How did you make this trip when you still had work commitments?" I asked, feeling guilty because I had disrupted his schedule.

"The guys covered for me," he revealed. "I needed to show you I was serious about you. That's why I told the world exactly who you are to me and it's why I sat the band down and told them what I needed to do."

"I'm sorry," I said.

"No more apologizing," he said. "I just want to move on and forget this ever happened."

"Me too."

"Good." He smiled showing his sexy dimples and I felt a rush of emotion for him.

"Now we can get to the best part of our evening," he said pulling my chair out and I sat down.

"And what's the best part?" I asked, feeling so much lighter and happier. And more in love than I'd been before.

"Our first date."