FALLING FOR SHAWN

Chapter 25 - An Emotional Connection

Someone had turned the light off, which was very energy conscious but left the windowless room in pitch darkness. She reached out to turn it back on but found her arms grabbed and pinned behind her, then a voice at her ear, whispering and raspy.

"You and your precious little boyfriend think they can ruin my career do you? Well let's see what happens when both of yours are ruined as well!"

It was a woman, so she knew it wasn't Will. Surely it couldn't be that crazy actress? She struggled a little, but the girl had unnatural strength and was holding her arm tight.

"Let go of me!" she growled, pushing backwards so her attacker had to take a step. "What is it you want?"

"I want what you have. You don't even know, you are so used to getting everything you want. You know what I want? I want him, any man, to look at me like he looks at you."

"You know you can't have him, he's not a thing for you to fight over, he doesn't want you. Let go of me, now, or I'll scream. My bodyguard is right outside the door."

"So why haven't you called for him then?"

"I don't want trouble for Shawn, or tonight's show, just let me go and go on your way."

She hesitated, just a second, but it was enough for Camila to pull her hands free and duck under the woman's arms. She flicked on the lamp with the touch base near the far wall and stood panting, looking at the girl. Louisa's pupils were huge, and she looked wild. Camila had been around enough people on drugs in the music industry to know when someone was high. She was on drugs of some kind, which would explain her obsession and paranoia as well as her risky and violent behaviour. She looked a little bewildered and then she turned and saw the piece of paper that had fallen off the counter. She picked it up.

"Well, well, well. I bet your fans would like to know about this, I have media contacts, I could call them right now." She reached into her pocket for her phone and Camila panicked. No, it was nobody's business but her own! She lunged for Louisa who held the paper up high, laughing. "I told you I'd ruin you both, thanks so much for giving me the ammunition!"

Camila jumped and grabbed the paper. "You crazy bitch, stay out of my fucking life and away from Shawn, or I'll make you pay!"

Louisa laughed again. "You're all talk, chica, say goodbye to everything you love."

No! This couldn't happen again! Why did everyone want to hurt her? Take everytring away from her? A red film coloured her sight and Camila roared, running at the other girl, shoving her as hard as she could, watching in horror as Louisa flew backwards, losing her traction on the floor, twisting and falling. The sound of her head cracking against the coffee table was loud and sickening. I've killed her, she thought. Oh my God, I've killed her. She backed back to the wall and slid down, knocking the lamp's plug from the wall and plunging the room back into darkness. What had she done?

***

Shawn lay on his back, Camila's head on his chest. She was asleep and he was not. There was something going on with her and he had no idea what it was. So much had happened the past few weeks with Will and Louisa, the travelling back and forth, the being apart. He just wanted peace now, he didn't want any more drama or secrets but he felt there was something going on with her, she was just a little detached. Not like when she struggled after the accident, he actually felt she was dealing with the trauma of the attacks well. It was something else. He absently stroked her shoulder and she shivered a little, mumbling beneath her breath. Was he being overly sensitive? Their lovemaking had been explosive, intimate, satisfying. They had talked about tour (her) and the movie (him), family and industry news. They'd told each other how much they loved each other, how terrified they had been, and he thought they had resolved a lot of feelings about that. He felt like he was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.