Fresh Start, New Beginnings

Chapter 28

Ryan's POV

I feel like my head is going to explode as I open my eyes and search around the room. Maybe that bottle of red wine before bed was a bad idea, I thought as I turn and see Abigail sleeping soundly next to me.

She is laid on her front facing me with her hair waterfalling down her back. She isn't wearing anything so her tattoo is in full view. It's so sexy on her back I have no idea why she hides it all the time. I can see her eyes are flickering "Hey" she groans as she opens her eyes and sees me watching her "Ow" she groans again and she touches her head "What the hell happened last night?"

"A bottle of champagne and 2 bottles of red?" I point to the empties on the table.

"What were we thinking?" She laughs gently in between wincing "I need pain killers"

I reach over to the bedside table and pick up some painkillers and the bottle of water I had been drinking in the night "Here" I handed her two small tablets.

"Thank you" she sighed as she took the tablets and snuggled into me "What are the plans for today?"

"I have rehearsals, and a couple of radio interviews" I reply, I hate leaving her while I work "You could come with me if you like?"

"Or I could do what I do best" she grinned "Go shopping" she stood up out of bed and headed towards the bathroom.

"Hey who said you could take the first shower" I manage to stand up quickly and follow her, grabbing her waist.

"I wasn't planning on showering alone" Abigail had a suggestive smile on her face, how could I possibly turn that down?

X-x-x

We probably spent a little longer in the shower than we should have, but she is too addictive, almost like a drug to me "What time do you have to be at rehearsals?" She called from the bathroom she was drying her hair.

"In about and hour" I look at my watch to check the time, I need to leave the hotel in 40 minutes to get to rehersals on time. I have already been warned by Zach and Brent not to be late.

"So you have time for a quick coffee?" She asks as she reappears, she has her hair in a loose bun and is wearing black fitted pants and a yellow chiffon blouse.

"Yeah there is a coffee shop just across the road" I noticed the place when I checked in.

"Cool I'll get my shoes" she replies as I pull on my jeans, a white t shirt and grey hoodie. I put a baseball cap on, as I really can't be bothered to mess about with my hair right now.

We walk through the lobby in the hotel, as we go outside I am surprised to be greeted by an ocean of flashes and clicks "Oh shit" Abigail exhales as she reaches for my hand. I grab hers quickly as she seems uncomfortable.

"Well this is different" I joke around trying to make her smile, to my relief she laughs. She has the most amazing smile.

"Abigail, Ryan look this way please" a photographer calls "Abigail" another one calls her name. This is crazy I have never seen anything like it. It's hard to walk through this crowd of photographers "Are you guys dating?" A man's voice yells in my ear. I try and push a clear space through them so we are not swarmed but it is very difficult. I do keep them at arms length away from Abigail though.

"Yes we are" Abigail answers them quite confidently "Now can we get through please" she adds.

"Give him a kiss" a woman's voice speaks up, but Abigail ignores it.

"Excuse me please" She says again politely, suddenly out of nowhere I feel a force coming between us and the photographers.

"MOVE, BACK OFF" a familiar voice is shouting as he pushes his way forwards to Abigail. Its Leroy, he has managed to push his way to the front of us and is making a safe walk way to the coffee shop.

"I'm so sorry" Abigail apologised as we walked inside the shop "I wasn't expecting them all to be waiting for us"

"It's fine honestly" I try and reassure her, but if I am honest I was a bit freaked out by it. I have never known anything like that, I mean I am used to being followed around but only to a minimum. Never anything as crazy as that "Is that normal?"

"Pretty much, but that's just a small turn out to what I am used to back home" Abigail replied as she stood in the queue for coffee "And I have to admit paparazzi are definately better behaved than fans, and thank you by the way" She smiled at me.

"What for?" I have no idea what I did.

"For keeping them away from me" she must have seen me pushing the photographers away "You made sure they didn't get uncomfortably close'

"Yeah well it's like like a second nature to me now" I didn't mean it to sound harsh "The need to protect you comes naturally to me now"

I could see the smile creep across her face, we were interrupted by a waitress asking something in Italian. To my surprise Abigail replied also in Italian "Ok so why didn't I know you could speak a different language?" I asked in complete awe of this incredible woman.

"3 different languages" I stood corrected "Italian, Spanish and French" Abigail turned to me quickly before turning back to the waitress and taking three espressos off the counter "Grazie" she smiles before handing be and Leroy a cup each.

"I learnt them all while we were promoting Hunters, I hate feeling isolated in a new place" Abigail's explanation made sense "Learning their language helps with that"

"Fair enough" I hold the door open again and am surprised to see the photographers again "They never give up do they?" I exhale as I look around at the crowds of people. Now I understand what Abigail meant when she said she felt suffocated. Leroy walked in front of us, I made Abigail walk in the middle and I followed them to the car.

"That is insane" I say as we get in the car "Is it really that exciting, the fact you are getting coffee?"

"No but you are forgetting who I am with" she smiles cheekily "They are here because me and you are here together, a few of them will follow us. But they all know you have a concert tonight so they will come there too" she seemed to know their every move.

"Why?" I still find it hard to process in my mind.

"Because they are all trying to get an exclusive story" Abigail's demenour changed "They either want us to fail or succeed. But most of all they are trying to build up a big story for when we eventually go public with this"

"Public, are we not already Public? " this is very confusing.

"What Abi means is, build your relationship into a bigger story. So when you guys go to your first big event together, they have a full centre spread. It never used to be this bad until social media was created" Leroy spoke, Abigail still had issues with the paparazzi.

I took Abigail's hand in mine and pulled it to my lips and kissed it "The fact you are also very well known just multiplies their interest" Leroy continued. I stopped listening for a few moments when I saw Abigail smiling back at me.

"Yeah it's all good fun with me baby" Abigail laughed, I could tell there was also some pain behind her words.

"I'll take the rough with the smooth as long as the outcome is you and me" I reassure her. Her smile is more real now and not as forced.

"Same goes for me too" she replies almost in a whisper, I can't shake the feeling that all these photographers have stirred old emotions in her...then suddenly it hits me. I remember what I had read in the papers a few years ago. How could I overlook something like that, no wonder she feels the way she does about them...