Just for Tonight

26.

Los Angeles, the city of angels. A magnificent but gigantic city. Hotel accommodation. Four days, three concerts.

Ville and Chloe took advantage of their first free day to explore the city, on foot and by cab.

"It's magical," she sighed, watching the *Hollywood* sign lit up in the distance. Night was setting in, but they were prolonging the moment. Walking had the virtue of easing tensions. They'd grown closer, the story with Bam was pulled away and neither of them had mentioned the ghost of L. A. again.

Ville took her in his arms. "Not too tired? It's been a long road getting here.

"Not at all. Here, tonight, this walk with you.... Everything's perfect," she replied, kissing him.

After two uneventful concerts. Ville felt relieved, and Chloe also seemed more carefree.

After signing a few autographs, everyone headed for their room.

"Ville, wait for me." Chloe laughed. He often forgot that with his big legs, she had to run behind him.

He laughed too, speeding up again. He arrived first at the door to their room and punched his badge.

He stopped, stunned. Chloe caught up with him: "What's wrong?" she said worriedly.

Ville was frozen like a statue, staring at the bed. She followed his gaze.

A woman, half undressed, was sitting on their bed in a lustful pause. She was beautiful, with tattooed stars framing her forehead.

"What the hell is going on here?", Chloe shouted.

Alerted by her cries, Migé stopped at their door.

Ville couldn't take his eyes off the woman. Chloe watched one and then the other. She read in Ville's eyes an expression she'd never seen when he laid eyes on her. Tenderness and something she couldn't define, but something new.

"Kat, what the hell are you doing here? ", Migé was the first to react.

Ville remained frozen, eye-to-eye with the girl.

"I'm here for him," Kat replied, pointing at Ville.

"Ville, do something," Chloe weakly whispered.

Ville didn't seem to listen. He just stood there, hypnotized. Kat nodded, inviting him to join her. He slowly approached the bed and sat next to her.

Chloe looked at them one last time, took her bag, maybe with the hope of catching his attention, and went out into the hall, Migé on her feet.

"Migé, no need to speak", she said as she saw him open his mouth. " I'm done with that kind of situation. I go back to Helsinki".

"Chloe, no. I can... He can... explain," Migé began. " It's Kat... She made some of his tattoos and..."

"Give me a better explanation, if you can think of one..." she said firmly.

"To tell you the truth, I haven't," Migé acknowledged.

Chloe headed for the elevators.

"Chloe, if you leave, it's over and you know it," Migé tried again.

From where they stood, they could hear Ville and Kat talking. No arguments, no shouting. They were softly speaking to each other.

"Migé, I can't go on. I would have given my life for that man. But not with so many secrets. I don't want to... To suffer anymore. He didn't even notice I was leaving... Look where we are... I'll always love him and I love you all, but I must protect myself... From all this, it's not my world", she said, spreading her arms.

"I understand you, but don't let him. Don't give up on him, not now." he tried one last time.

"You've seen the way he looks at her. Never, and I mean never, has he looked at me like that. It's over, Migé. There's nothing left to save." She kissed him on the cheek as the elevator door opened.

In the cab to the airport, Chloe let her tears flow freely. She sobbed. The driver asked her several times if she was all right, and she barely replied.

She had switched off her phone. She didn't want to know anything more.

The long hours of the flight allowed her to sleep a little, but when she didn't, she felt the pain in her heart radiating throughout her body.

She was leaving behind the man she loved. But the pain she felt, since Ville had set eyes on Kat, was unbearable. To leave or to stay, the result would have been the same: their story was over.

When the plane landed in Helsinki, she switched on her phone. She immediately received a lot of missed calls and text messages. She waited until she got home before looking.

She deleted, without reading them, the messages from Ville, as well as all the voice messages. She chose to read Migé's text messages, especially the last ones.

"He's going through hell, Chloe. Nothing happened with Kat and he cut her out of his life when he realized you were gone. We're here for him. But how are you? Answer me."
"Chloe, I'm worried. Where are you? "
"If you're going to Helsinki, let me know when you land."

She decided to send him one last text message.

"I've landed. I'm fine. Don't try to contact me again, Migé, I won't answer anymore. You are forever in my heart. Take care of him and yourself."

Migé replied immediately.
"I care about you as much as I care about him. I'll have an eye on him. Don't forget us. We are all heartbroken."

She switched off her mobile again and headed for the bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror and was shocked. Her eyes were red and puffy, her hair was a mess and her make-up had run. She took a shower, put on clean pyjamas and lay down in bed.
She clutched a pillow to her face and screamed. She screamed his name, her anger and her pain. When she had no strength left, she put the pillow back in its place and stared at the ceiling in the dark.

First day without Ville. And she'd survived.