One Night Only (Season 1: Deni's Story)

Chapter Eight

Something isn't right from the second I open the front door to my house to let Sawyer inside. Maybe it's the nervous way he adjusts his fedora, or how he blinks a bit too fast. Whatever it is, I need to know what's up.

"What's bugging you?" I block his path once he's two steps inside the door so he can't get any further without having to look at me.

"Nothing," he replies, then backtracks. "Okay, nothing big for me. The paps outside your gates yelling a million different questions threw me off. I thought you said most of them finally left?"

No one was at the end of my driveway this morning when I took Alfie for a walk. I stare at Sawyer. He wouldn't prank me about this.

"They haven't been here for the last couple of days. How many are out there?"

"Twenty, I'd guess. Maybe more. There are enough of them that people are slowing down to look when they drive past your house."

"Twenty?" I yelp. That can't signal anything good.

"Twenty what?" Mom calls out from the living room. Great, she heard us.

I try not to grit my teeth. I've been doing that lately and it's making my jaw ache. Knowing the paparazzi are back could send Mom teetering over the edge enough to storm outside and tell them off. I'd like to avoid this since the entertainment news cycle has mostly moved on from me this week. A clip of Mom unleashing her wrath would be on the tabloid sites in minutes. I raise a finger to my lips to warn Sawyer, but I'm too late.

"Paparazzi," he calls back to her. "There might be more."

Mom mutters something I can't make out. She's probably opened the security camera app on her phone to check for herself.

The ever-present knot in my stomach tightens. "Do you think something new came out about The Domino, or about Dallas?" I ask Sawyer. I don't know what else could come out at this point, but there has to be a reason the flashbulb mafia are staking out my house again.

"I haven't heard anything about it today." He trails behind me as I lead him out of the foyer and down the hall. "Maybe they found out about the tour?"

"We aren't announcing that I've canceled until Tuesday." I stop walking without warning, causing Sawyer to come within an inch of crashing into me. I'd been taking us to the backyard, thinking we could hang out by the pool for a while. If paps are congregating near the driveway, though, it could mean one or two have climbed trees to see over the fence and eavesdrop on conversations. It's happened before.

"What?" Sawyer asks. I've been standing still for almost a minute.

"Let's go upstairs." I make an about-face in the opposite direction.

We're both aware my mom has hearing a bat would envy, which is why Sawyer waits until we're in my bedroom and the door is closed before speaking again.

"Do you think Bowie said something?" His mouth puckers.

It's not clear if he's asking a question or making an accusation, but I would bet money on the latter. Sawyer has a low opinion of Bowie these days, and anyone who upsets me gets an automatic strike against them in his mind. Bowie has racked up a few strikes lately. I wonder how things on the tour between Sawyer and Bowie will be without me there to referee and without Carter around to remind him to keep his cool.

"Not unless he's become psychic overnight," I answer. "I haven't had a chance to tell him yet."

Sawyer squints at me and I try not to squirm. He isn't buying my lie about not having a chance to talk to Bowie.

"What are you avoiding most?" he asks. "Telling him you won't be on the tour, or confronting him about the other stuff?"

"Other stuff?" I have a strong hunch about where he's going with this.