Melodies of the Heart

Chapter 19

Levi

By sticking to the shadows and slipping between houses, Levi was able to get back to Mary Alice's boarding house before any of the paparazzi who'd been waiting around for him on Main Street could spot him.

It had been late, he'd been tired, and yet when he got into the old bed with the broken springs, he hadn't been able to sleep. His mind was racing and his blood had been boiling, but most of all his mind kept wavering fury and fear.

He knew how the photographers had found where he was, and he had to assume that someone in town probably mentioned that he'd been dating Kassidy while he was there. A question here or there would have been innocent enough, and then all they would have to do was wait until he showed up to snap a picture that they could sell to the highest bidder.

He should have just kept driving with her on the back of his bike, but he'd instantly gone on autopilot. There were only a few of them, but photographers had jumped in front of his motorcycle before and he was in no mood to trash the bike for the second time in under a month.

The worst thing was how he had tossed Kassidy right into the middle of it all. The last thing he'd wanted to do was hurt her, and now he'd thrown her into the hornets' nest. Those photographers would wait outside until Levi made himself known again, but he'd had no choice but to leave her place for the night.

She'll be okay, he tried to assure himself. Kassidy was stronger than she let on, and smarter too. If anything, she might be able to use the photographers to her advantage. With a bunch of pictures of them outside the Olsen family bakery, their pictures would make for great free publicity she could use if she played it right.

But there was something else weighing on his mind while he tried to sleep. There was a voicemail waiting for him on his phone and he recognised the number it came from. His manager had called him for the first time in three or four days and there was no doubt in his mind that Marko was somewhere nearby and itching to talk with him.

Tossing in bed served him no good and finally at three AM he grabbed his phone and played the message that was waiting for him.

"Levi, man, you are a hard one to track down when you want to be," his manager's voice echoed in his ears. "Look, I caught the first flight out of LA when I heard you were in... where are we? Pinewood Grove. Yes, well, seems this place doesn't have a motel so Dean and I are going to search for a place to stay for the night. Call me when you get this, man. Don't leave us hanging."

"Damn," Levi sighed to himself. Of course Marko hadn't come alone. He'd brought Levi's oldest friend with him to guilt him into going back on the road, or at least to meet with him to discuss it.

The idea of sleep was an impossibility by then. A million new thoughts were in Levi's head, but they all found their way back to Kassidy and the way she smiled at him. He knew no matter what he did, she would support him, or at least, she would act like she did.

"I don't want to go back to that life," he whispered to himself, and he meant it. The problem was, it wasn't entirely up to him. There were contracts, legal obligations, and a lot of money on the line if push came to shove. If the label wanted him on tour again, they'd find a way.

Bring Kassidy with you on tour, his mind suggested, but he already knew she wouldn't go for it. An occasional visit, yes, but to tour for six months? A year? There was no way. She'd be miserable being away from her family and she'd have to give up her own dream for one he didn't even have anymore. Asking her to do that would never be fair.