The Next Chapter (Sequel to A New Story)

10 ~Maria & Daniel~

There was a tapping sound at the door and Daniel looked up to see John, Maria's publicist and close friend, peering in with a wide-eyed, frantic expression.

"Maria, love, I'll just be at the door." He hopped up and stepped outside the door with John.

"How is she? Is she okay? Have they caught the guy? What did he do to her? I will kill him if I ever see him. How's Anna? Have you called Alex? What—"

"Whoa, whoa—Take a deep breath. She's... okay." Daniel was sure he didn't sound very convincing. "Broken ribs, concussion, bruising—all from a fall down her spiral staircase. He didn't touch her, at least not—you know."

"Thank God."

"She's a wreck. I've never seen her this... detached. She's terrified, John. He was sitting on her bed. And after she fell down the stairs and was unconscious, he took her engagement ring." Daniel's own voice was growing shaky.

John reached out and squeezed the other man's shoulder. "She'll get through this, Daniel. She's strong."

"I know, I know, it's just... it's so hard to see her like this." He took a deep breath and steadied himself. "There's something else," he said with another sigh.

"What?"

"She doesn't want to go back to her house--"

"Well, I can understand that," John said with a shrug.

"Ever. She never wants to go back."

"I'm sure she'll change her mind as she recovers..."

"But there's more to it than that—she... she wants to go back to England."

"For how long?" John asked, his brow now furrowed in concentration as he already began calculating the ramifications.

"I didn't exactly quiz her on the specifics of her request. But she was clear. She doesn't feel comfortable staying in New York City as long as he's out there."

"So what are you going to do?"

Daniel now looked at the man. "Well, I was hoping to get your input on that... but... I was thinking of doing it... packing up both our families and going."

"To England? You're going to move to England?"

"I'd move to Kalamazoo if that's what she asked me to do, John!"

"Yeah, I get that, Daniel—but what about Ella? What about your own career?"

"Well, I haven't exactly worked out all the details. But I will. I'll do anything to help her recover from this. Just tell me... as her friend... do you think it would help her?"

John considered the question for a moment and looked at Daniel, a man he that over the past three months he had come to respect and consider a friend. "Yes, yes I do."

"And as her publicist?" Daniel then asked.

"As her publicist? I say we need to announce this as soon as possible to let her fans know what's happened before they hear it somewhere else. And then Katie and I wipe her calendar clean for the next several months."

"So you think we can make this work?"

"For Maria," John said as he looked into the room. "I don't think we have any other choice."

The two men nodded at each other and shook hands, in silent agreement that they would do whatever it took to help Maria Blakestone recover from this incident.

"Maybe you can help her feel better. You've known her longer than any of us, been there for her through Jason's illness and death..."

"I'll do whatever I can," John said as he glanced back into the room.