Unbroken, Chapter Five, Part One

‘Dedication takes a lifetime but dreams only last for a night.’  All Time Low – Stay awake (Dreams only last for a night).
   
It’s when I’m sitting in Niamh’s car the following evening that I realise Dad had never asked about my black eye.  Just goes to show how much he cares.

“Are you listening, Sadie?”

I turn to look at Niamh.  She’s dressed to the nines; in heels and a mini skirt.  She smells like she’s bathed in perfume too.  I’d had to wind the windows down when she’d picked me up.

“Yes,” I reply.  “You were saying something about a guy in black.”

She nods, wafting more of her perfume my way.  “He could be a bouncer.  Over there, look.”

I follow her direction until I see the guy she’s referring to.  He’s built like Spencer, stocky and solid, but he’s standing with a little boy outside of the local newsagents.

I shake my head.  “Why would one of Chace Milligan’s bouncers be with a kid?”

Niamh sighs into the steering wheel she’s leaning against and closes her dark eyes for a second.  “I don’t know.  It’s just that we’ve been here for over an hour and there’s no sign of anyone the least bit famous.  Unless you count the post man.”

I roll my eyes.  We’ve been parked across the road from Ruby’s for ages, trying to spot Chace.  It probably looks like we’re casing the joint, ready to rob it in highly inappropriate footwear.  My wedges are almost as high as Niamh’s.  I’d met up with her last night and we’d discussed the text I’d gotten at Nan’s and decided the best way to find out who it was from was to actually turn up.

It’s only just nearing five, but there’s nothing to make us believe that Chace Milligan is about to show up.  No police escorts or road blocks.  No screaming fans or press.  My gut sinks in disappointment but then I question why.  This was only to prove that Declan was the one sending the texts.  It’s not like I’d actually been expecting Chace Milligan to turn up, even though I’d got dressed up. 

I look down at the red dress I’d bought a few months ago.  It’s covered in little black hearts.  I’d thought it was too ‘girly’ for me, but then Niamh had pointed out the criss-cross pattern on the reverse, cutting away the material to reveal almost all of the top part of my back.  I’d bought it in an instant.  It was perfect for a Friday night at Dexter’s.  Wearing it to Ruby’s at five in the evening, however, I wasn’t so sure anymore.

“What if he’s inconneto?”

I snigger.  “Incognito?”

She nods.  “Yeah.  He could be wearing a ginger wig or something.”  She points to the ice cream parlour next to Ruby’s and I spot an old man with ginger hair.  He definitely isn’t Chace Milligan.

“Well unless he’s wearing Harry Potter’s invisibility clock, then I don’t reckon he’s gonna show.”

Niamh looks deflated.  “Maybe.”

I run a hand through my hair, no longer concerned with looking the part.  What an idiot the part of me was that thought Chace was going to come back to the crappy little town I call home.

“Wait!”

I’m about to undo the belt I’ve fastened around my waist when Niamh screeches in my ear, bouncing up and down in her seat.  Poor Murphy’s groaning with the movement.

“It’s him!  There, look!”

I squint across the square to where Niamh’s pointing to see that she’s right.  My heart thuds hard as I spot Chace peeking out from beneath the hood of his jacket.  He’s wearing trainers and jeans and looks just like any other teenage guy living here.  Except he’s not.  He’s Chace Milligan.

“Where’s all the security?  The press?” I ask, more than a little bewildered to why Chace is walking alone towards Ruby’s.  He may look normal to anyone who isn’t his biggest fan, but I’ve heard the girls of this town squeal over him on many occasions when I’ve got stuck behind them in shops or on buses.  They’d recognise him as quickly as Niamh and I have.

“Maybe they’re hiding.  Like in the trees or in vans.”

We both look through the windscreen and up at the huge trees that stand on the green in the middle of the square.  I can’t see any burly guys with machine guns and binoculars.

“Or maybe he’s just coming alone,” I say. 

Niamh sighs.  “He’s so brave.”

“Brave?  He’s walking the street alone, Niamh.  He’s not taking on an army.”

“Well I think he’s brave,” Niamh counters.  “A hot, brave, babe.”

I’m about to laugh when Niamh’s words sink in.  “How the hell am I supposed to go in there with him?  I mean, I’m going to do something stupid, I just know it!”  I grimace.  “I’m going to have to refuse to eat or drink anything and spend the whole time sitting on my hands.”

“You were fine talking to him the other night.”  She frowns a little, like she’s not sure whether to believe that I actually talked to him normally.

I nod.  “But I was drunk!  Anyone can talk to anyone when they’re drunk.  It’s what alcohol does to you.”  I have a sudden bout of inspiration.  “Hey!  Run across to the shop and buy me some vodka.  I’ll be fine if I’m intoxicated.”  As long as no-one tries to start a fight, that is.

“No!”  Niamh shakes her head.  “You can’t go in there drunk.  He’ll think you’re an alcoholic.”

“That’s better than thinking I’m a crazy person,” I say.  “What if I spill my drink on him or get broccoli in my teeth?”  My palms are sweating and I can’t sit still.  What the hell’s happening to me?  “You have to come in with me!”  I’m aware that I’m practically shouting and this does nothing to settle my nerves.

“I can’t.  I mean, yeah, I want to.  Course I do.”  She bites her lip.  “But I can’t.  He might get scared and run away if we bombard him with our awesomeness.”

I manage a small smile.

“He might think you set him up to get an interview or something.”

I pat down my hair, trying to get it close to how it was when I’d left the house, but then stop.  Why should I care what I look like?  Because he’s hot.

“You can do this, Sadie.”  Niamh takes hold of my hand and squeezes it.  “You’re the ballsiest girl I know.”

“Uh, thanks,” I reply, just as my phone buzzes.  “It’s from Chace,” I add after pulling up the text.  “He’s outside.”

“We know that,” Niamh replies.  “And I think he knows we are too.”

I frown before Niamh grabs my shoulders and turns me to look out of the window.  Chace is staring right at us with the biggest grin I’ve seen in a while.

“Do you reckon he saw…?”

“Yeah.”

                                                                                 ***

“Just go!”  Niamh gives me a parting wink before driving off so I can’t try to get back in the car for the third time.

Knowing that Chace is watching me makes me go all quivery and I forget how to walk, which is totally frustrating,  until a car beeps its horn at me to get out of the way.  I run across the rest of the road until I reach the pavement outside of Ruby’s.

My gut’s full of butterflies and I’m sweating and I just know I’m wearing a manic smile, but I approach him anyway, wobbling in my heels.  I suddenly grimace.  I must look so stupid to him.  He’s in jeans and a hoody and I’m in heels and a dress.  I pull at the fabric that’s fluttering in the wind, making sure nothing’s on show.  The dresses I wear to clubs aren’t usually wearable anywhere else.

Last night I’d watched the re-run of the TV interview Chace had given on Friday.  He’d looked even better than I’d remembered  and I’d watched the whole thing with a stupid grin on my face.  My cheeks had hurt when it’d finished.  I’d felt like a moron for fawning over him but no-one had been there to see me so disappointed in myself so I’d felt a little better.

The studio audience had been packed with teenager girls, grinning and sighing every time he spoke.  His English accent sounds even stronger on TV, highlighting the reason why so many fans from all over the world come to his premieres, hoping to speak to him.  He sounds nothing like the chavs on the estate where I live, even though it’s less than fifty miles from the capital where Chace was bought up by his aunt and uncle.

I feel suddenly breathless as I near him.  Get a hold of yourself, Sadie!  He’s perched on the bench outside of Ruby’s, his phone in one hand and the other in the pocket of his jeans.  Up close I can tell that his jeans and shoes are designer and I try to remember what he’d had on at Dexter’s; chinos and a shirt.  Red?  He’s still smiling and his teeth are white like the woman on the TV’s and he’s saying something but I can’t hear because there’s blood rushing in my ears.  His lips are still moving and my hands are shaking.  This is nothing like the other night.  I’m not subdued by alcohol.  I’m wired and sober and completely terrified of saying the wrong thing.  He’s just a guy! 

“Sadie.”

My name sounds so good when he says it.  Like smooth milk chocolate.

“Or should I call you Riot?”

I snap out of the raising panic to look at him, tilting my eyebrows upwards.  “No.  Sadie’s fine.”

He nods and stands up.  My eyes widen as I realise he is pretty tall.  Definitely six foot something.  There’s no-one else around which is strange.  The square is always busy in the evenings,  bustling with people coming to the only places to eat out in this small town.

Chace pulls his hood down, turning himself from anonymous to celebrity.  “Shall we go in?”

I don’t like the formal way he’s speaking and I have to bite back a retort.  This isn’t just anyone.  This is Chace Milligan.  I have to try and reign in the awkwardness, just for tonight.

I nod in reply, still trying to get my mouth to agree with the treaty I’m proposing in my head; no arguments and no running away.  I move stiffly, trying not to fall over in my heels and also trying to look cool and calm, like I’m not rushing to get to my seat, even though I am.  My feet are hurting from my shoes already and I need to sit down so I can try to relax my breathing.  I sound like a fat kid after they’ve climbed the stairs.

The smell of coffee greets me as I follow Chace into Ruby’s.  The familiar red wallpaper and black and white photographs adorning the walls makes my heart stop threatening to give out on me at least for a second.  And then Chace turns around to smile at me and I’m weak in the knees, choking on air all over again.  Stop it!

“Shall we sit at the back?”

I nod, which seems to be the only way I can communicate right now, and let him lead me to a small circular table in the back.  There’s a rose in a wine bottle on the centre of the table, just like all the other tables, but the flower seems to make things more intimate than my head’s already suggesting and I sink into my seat with an irritated sigh.  Get a grip!  My thoughts, which consist of a voice in my head shouting about how hot Chace looks, makes me sound like a fan-girl moron.  The type of people who usually I’d like to punch in the face.  I can’t punch myself in the face in public though, not without adding to the awkward way that I’m coming across.

Chace hadn’t pulled my chair out in the way he’d told the interviewer at LZ magazine he always does for girls, but when he offers me another winning smile, showing off his perfect white teeth, I let my annoyance slide.  He gives me the smile for a good five seconds before he checks his phone.  I use the opportunity to look around the restaurant.  There’s an old couple in the corner, sharing a pot of tea, and two woman by the window, tucking into salads.  Other non-descript couples are seated around us, but it’s the two teenage girls eating ice cream by the small bar that makes me look back to Chace.  He’s still on his phone but he peers up to give me yet another smile. 

I’d guessed that he’d want to sit in the corner.  He has his back to the restaurant too.  From behind, he probably looks like any teenage guy, but I have the perfect view of his grey eyes and swept back dark brown hair.

I shiver as I take off my jacket, but it’s not from the chilly air seeping through the gaps in the door.

“I really love this place.”

I turn back around from draping my jacket on the back of my chair to see Chace running a finger over a petal on the rose between us.  I shiver again.

“Have you ever been here before?”

His question seems stupid and I bite back another retort; it’s pretty obvious, even to tourists, that this small town has a select few places to eat out. 

“Yes,” I reply, filtering out the sarky tone that is threatening to escape.  “A few times.”

“Cool.”  The word sounds like a compliment when he says it and I realise his eyes are trained right on my face.  His skin is a creamy white and I can’t see any spots or marks.  I feel suddenly conscious of the freckles across the bridge of my nose.  He reaches up to rub his jaw and I notice just how sharp his features are; wide eyes, a strong jaw and lips that are totally – Shut up!

I blink to try and gain some control back.  I’m not sure if I like the attention, even though this is Chace Milligan, hottie of the year according to LZ magazine.

“So do you like it?”

I hold back a frown.  It seems like the perfect date, if neither of us says anything, but every time he opens his mouth to ask another pointless question, I feel my like towards him fade a little.

“It’s nice,” I reply.  “It’s cosy.”

He leans in towards me and I hold my breath.  “Cosy.  That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

All that was missing was a wink.  My like for him increases again as my pulse races, blood rushing in my ears.  I can barely hear the indie music playing quietly in the background. 

I gaze down at the patchwork tablecloth so I don’t have to look at his face but I don’t want the conversation to end.  I don’t do silence.

A shadow falls over the stain that I’m inspecting on the table and I look up to see a familiar face.

“Hi, Sadie!”

I smile gratefully at Tina.  I’ve known her since I first came here on the day Ruby’s opened, back ten or so years ago.  Her hair’s starting to go grey at the roots now, and she has smile lines, but she’s still got the same friendly face and gentle voice.

“Hey, Tina.”

She holds her notepad up in front of her, pen poised to take our order.  I remember Chace then and look back to see him giving Tina a friendly smile.  For a second I hold my breath, turning back to Tina to see if any sign of recognition is on her face.  She squints at Chace for the briefest of moments, but then it passes and she goes back to looking at me with her hazel eyes.  I sigh into my shoulder.  I know Tina’s got a teenage daughter so I was sure she was going to recognise him.

“The usual, Sadie?”

I nod.  “Thanks.”

“And what can I get for you, Honey?” she asks Chace, pointing her pen at him casually.  “Tea?  Coffee?  A Sadie?”

His eyebrows flicker upwards at the last suggestion but they’re down by the time he answers.  “Black coffee, please.”

Tina jots it down before disappearing to the kitchen.

I drum my fingers along the table for a second before clenching both hands in my lap.  My palms are sweating.

“The usual?”

“Yeah,” I reply.

“So you come here often?”

I shrug, moving my eyes to the menu.  He’s looking at me all intensely and I should be happy but instead I’m shaking.  “I suppose.”

I see Chace’s eyes fall to the menu too, right when I realise I should have thrown it across the room.  It’s too late though.  He’s seen what I don’t want him to.

“The Sadie?  It’s a drink, right?”

I bite my lip before looking up.  He’s frowning, his dark eyebrows making his eyes look more silver than grey in contrast. My stomach squeezes with pleasure and apprehension.

“Yeah.”

“And they named it after you, right?”

His questions prod at my skin, poking holes in the barriers I wear.  He’s still frowning, but now it seems to be with interest rather than in thought.

I consider lying.  I’m a good liar but something tells me Chace doesn’t like being lied to.   “Yes.”

He sits back in his chair, a look of triumph on his face.  “Your dad’s Dale Parker!”

I nod, letting out a low sigh.

“And you’re Sadie Parker.”  He seems stunned by the revelation, but I just feel sick.   It’s hearing Dad’s name.  I hate it when people talk about him like he’s some kind of hero.   He owns a bunch of restaurants.  Big deal.

“Yep.”  I say it with a finality, like I’m waving goodbye to someone not knowing about the part of my life I try to hide.  I mean, I haven’t even told Niamh the entire truth and I love her to death.

“Wow.  That’s impressive.  He leans forward in his chair again, his eyes flitting across my face and my own eyes fall to his lips.  They’re slightly parted, like he wants to say something but he’s thinking it through first.   All I can think about is how lucky his co-star was to kiss him.  I’m going back into fan-girl mode so I look back at the menu I wish Tina had taken away with her when she’d gone to get our drinks.  I want her to reappear so I can start a conversation with her.  I can hear people talking all around us but our table is silent.  The lack of words crawls along my skin.  I pinch my hand.

“I mean, I didn’t recognise you at all.  You haven’t been to any of the events recently have you?” 

His question causes me to falter mid-blink and I have to shut my eyes for a good second before I can look at him again.

“No.  I don’t really do the whole ‘family outing’ stuff anymore.  Especially not at his restaurant openings.”  I’m trying to sound uninterested, but really my heart’s beating so fast I’m scared I’ll pass out.

“And here I was, thinking you were normal.”

The vacant expression that I’d been wearing turns to a frown. “What?”

“I thought you were normal.”

I imagine myself, suddenly having grown another head.  I want to grab a spoon from the nearby condiment trolley to see if I’ve developed a freak show quality.  I can’t feel a beard.

“I am normal,” I answer finally, after the silence gets too much again.

He chuckles politely, like I’ve just told the crappy joke I got in my Christmas cracker.  It makes me feel two inches tall.   “No, I meant a non-celebrity.”  He softens his gaze and all the hostility that’s threatening to start bubbling under my skin, recedes back into nothing. 

I want to know why.  I’ve only known him for five minutes, but already Chace seems to make me want to kiss him one minute and strangle him the next.    It’s totally infuriating and I’m so confused by my feelings that I almost miss what he says next.

“We seem to attract each other somehow.”

At first my heart melts.  Is he saying that he’s attracted to me?  Maybe I don’t have another head.  I touch one shoulder, then the other, just to make sure.  He’s being attentive again, his eyes on my face and a smile on his famous mouth, but then I understand what he really meant and I glower at him. 

“I’m not a celebrity!”  The idea makes me want to laugh but Chace seems serious.

“You have connections, though,” he says.  “Your family has money, as do I.  I mean, people of our status belong together.”

This time the thought of a wink makes bile rise in my throat.  He’s talking formally again and I don’t like it.  No twenty-one year old should speak like that, no matter how long they’ve been sucking on a silver spoon.  Chace isn’t even posh.  He was brought up by his aunt and uncle after his parents died.  If he hadn’t been scouted at a school play, then he wouldn’t even be famous. 

The truth dawns on me then.  If he wasn’t famous, he’d be exactly the same as every other teenage guy in the world.  Irritating.  Repulsive.  Arrogant.

His expensive aftershave suddenly makes me feel claustrophobic and my body’s telling me to run.  I shift in my seat, anxious to get away from his suffocating words, but then the anger bubbles fast and thick, flooding every part of me.  My eyes blaze with fury and Chace seems to notice as he looks up from his phone, which is actually pretty rude, seeing as this was supposed to be a date.  Or was it?

“Why did you even ask me here?  I don’t understand.  We met once.  I got into a fight, elbowed you in the mouth, and then suddenly we’re friends?”

Chace’s smile is still kind, even though my tone is less than friendly.  “I wanted to get to know you.”

My barriers fly up to the height they are when I’m around my dad.  “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”  He seems unsure now, like he’s suddenly noticed that I’m no longer tongue-tied and blushing and desperate to  shower him with compliments.  This wasn’t going the same way it had the thousands of other times he’d taken girls to restaurants to pry them into his bed.  Because this was suddenly, eye openingly, obvious.

“What part of me?” I ask, my gaze hard. 

He doesn’t even flinch as his eyes move to my chest. 

“Oh god.”

Author's note - So, okay.  I'm sorry this part is kind of long. It's a long chapter and I had trouble finding a place to split it up.  I tried to show both sides of Sadie here - the inside, where she's gushing and acting like a girl who's got a major crush, which she has - and the outside, where she tries to appear expressionless, by using Riot.  It's something that I've been adding in while I've been editing and I want to know if it works.  I know some of you have said that you want to see Sadie gushing more, so I've tried to add that in but keep her reluctance to give into her feelings, too.  She's a complicated character to write!

This chapter also shows more of Sadie's personal life too, with her dad, and why she acts the way she does.

I hope you like it!  This chapter's kind of a turning point for Sadie - for a while anyway :P

xDudettex