Melodies of the Heart

Chapter 18

Kassidy

"Leave your helmet on," Levi yelled over the cacophony of clicks and photographers yelling Levi's name. Everything was a surreal blur as he jumped off the bike and grabbed her hand.

There was no moment to pause, no second to find out what was going on. Levi had her hard by the hand and was dragging her to the front door of her apartment, all while photographers fought to get a better picture of Levi and the mystery woman who had been on the back of his motorcycle.

It wasn't until they were safely inside with the door locked behind them that Levi took off his helmet and Kassidy did the same.

"Why couldn't I take my helmet off?" Kassidy asked. There were a thousand questions running through her mind, but somehow that was the one that managed to slip out her lips.

"So they didn't see your face," he told her while photographers pounded on the door outside. "They'll never leave you alone if they see your face."

"Oh," Kassidy said. "Now what?"

"Now we need to figure out how they knew I was here," Levi said with a heavy sigh. "Do you have a computer I could use?"

"Sure," Kassidy said and she led the way up the steps into the apartment. "Mom?" she called. "Dad?"

There was no answer and Kassidy said, "Maybe they went out."

"I'm sure they'll be happy to come home to all this outside," Levi said before he pressed his fingers into his temples. He was eerily quiet, his voice never above a soft whisper, but then suddenly he growled, "Damn."

"Are you okay?" Kassidy asked him as she spun to look at him. His fingers were still on his temples and his forehead was heavily creased.

"No," he told her honestly. "I didn't want them knowing I was here. Not now, not ever. I wanted to do this on my terms and whoever told them I was here took that from me. From us."

"I'm sorry," Kassidy said when she wasn't sure what else to say. She wanted to help him, but beyond comfort, she was at a total loss as to what she could do for him.

"It's not your fault," he sighed again. "Come on, let's go on the computer and see if I can't get this sorted out."

Kassidy's parents had an old desktop that ran Windows XP that they'd never seen the point in upgrading. It sat in the living room and was out in the open, but it was slow and rarely ever even turned on.

The only other choice was the computer in Kassidy's bedroom. It had been a gift to herself after years of saving the small hourly rate her parents gave her for her time spent in the bakery. It had taken a long time, but a year ago she'd bought herself a top of the line computer in hopes of building her family's bakery a website. Now that the cupcakes were taking off, she realised she needed to revisit that goal when she got the chance.

But she didn't have time for that right now. She had to show Levi into her bedroom and hope her parents didn't come home to discover him in there before they were done.

That wasn't her only problem. She hadn't updated her bedroom since she was eleven years old, save the odd change of poster on the wall and new bedding once in a while.

The soft yellow walls and the glow in the dark stars on the ceiling were just the tip of the iceberg when it came to her childish bedroom. She still had the same stuffed kitten she'd grown up with, a pile of half read books on the floor beside her bed, and her mirror was covered in photos from high school.