The Music of the Night

Chapter 18

At exactly 8 P.M., Gerard met me outside my work station, and I called Kurt to let him know he was going to pick up two people this time around. I could practically see the mischievous glint in his eyes as he said knowingly, "You got it, Ms. Parker."

While we waited for him to arrive, Gerard slipped an arm around my waist and pulled me into his side, kissing the tip of my nose. "Hello," he said with a smile.

I was still getting used to the fact that I was Gerard Butler's girlfriend, so I couldn't help but turn red at his adorable manner. "You like making me blush, don't you?" I asked, eyebrow raised.

He shrugged innocently. "Possibly."

I rolled my eyes playfully and leaned back into him. 

But then, I heard footsteps in the distance behind us, and I instinctively turned to see who it was. I regretted the decision immediately.

Charlotte had stopped and was looking at us with her "Wicked Witch of the West" green eyes, a jealous expression contorting her beautiful features.

Gerard noticed me glancing over my shoulder and asked, "What's wrong, Ellie?" 

He followed my gaze to Charlotte, and his arm got a little tighter around my waist. "Just ignore her," he mumbled, kissing the side of my head. 

It was hard, but I managed to tear my eyes away from her, and I snuggled up a bit closer to Gerard. "Hey, I've got you," he said comfortingly, rubbing my ribs with his thumb. "You're okay."

When the urge came to glance back again, I buried my face into his strong chest and shuddered the slightest bit. His arms protectively encircled me while he kissed my head and whispered reassurances to me. 

There was something about Charlotte that was really scaring me, and I hated the feeling of being so powerless against her. But Gerard made me stronger, so I boldly faced her when she came up beside us and asked tauntingly, "How're you two lovebirds doing?"

"Leave her alone, Banks," he warned, holding me close. "You better get out of here before I report you to Joel."

Charlotte snickered. "Like that would do anything," she said with arrogance. "I'm part of the crew. I can't be fired. They need me here, not this little creep."

My anxiety was starting to swell up, and I was scared of another outburst happening when Gerard and I had just patched things up, so I gripped his shirt tighter, trying to fight it.

He noticed my reaction, and he gave Charlotte the scariest glare I had ever seen from him. "Get away from us," Gerard said in a low voice, his tone dangerous. "I don't care what you think about me, but leave Ellie out of this."

They challenged each other with their gazes, and I was really getting worked up to the point that I was vibrating in Gerard's arms. "P-please leave," I stammered, losing control. 

Charlotte didn't budge.

"Go away!" he yelled, putting me behind him protectively. "You're hurting her!"

But by the grace of God, Kurt's limo pulled up, and I ran to the car door, pulling it open so hard that I thought it would break off its hinges. Gerard came in behind me and slammed the door shut. "Get us out of here, Mr. Kurt," he demanded, looking out the window.

Charlotte was slowly inching closer, and I about fainted when I saw the scary, vengeful look on her face. Kurt spotted her as well, and he stepped on the gas pedal obligingly, pushing the both of us back in our seats. We drove away with a cloud of dust behind us, leaving Charlotte in the dark.

My entire body was sweating profusely, making my shirt stick to my torso, and I was sure that I was going to pass out, but Gerard quickly came to my aid. He didn't bother putting on a seatbelt as he pulled my shaking body into him, wrapping his arms around me tightly.

"Shhh," he cooed, resting my cheek on his chest. "Breathe, darling. You've got to breathe."

I tried to focus on his words, but my brain was in a chaotic whirlwind of emotions that I could not break out of. My hands were white-knuckling his shirt, and he was stroking my back in a comforting manner. 

"Come on, Ellie," Gerard said encouragingly. "I need you to breathe for me."

"I c-can't," I choked, shaking my head. 

"Yes, you can," he stated firmly. "You're so much stronger than you think, love. Just focus on your breathing, and match it to mine."

I nodded, resting my hand flat on his chest so that I could feel his steady rhythm. He emphasized his breathing, making it deep and slow, while I tried to follow. 

It took almost the entire ride, but eventually, I calmed down and fell tiredly on Gerard. "We're almost there," he said, kissing my head. "I'm proud of you, Ellie."

I cracked a tiny smile and stroked his chest. "It's only because you were here."

"No," he shook his head. "All I did was encourage you. The fight, however, was done by you and you alone."

I sighed, not knowing how else to respond.

When Kurt let us know we had arrived, Gerard thanked him and generously gave a few hundred dollars, but he had waved him off and stated, "You don't need to pay me. I would do anything for Ms. Parker."

Gerard glanced down at me and said, "So would I."

He carefully got me out of the car and helped me to my hotel room, where our first night alone together waited.