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Chapter Forty-Two


Nick was no where to be found out in the party crowd when I stepped through the french doors and looked around. People were everywhere, in the pool and all over the lawn. A crew was setting up a microphone and the lights were being turned toward the stage. Addison was standing to one side while someone touched up her make-up. I started down the steps to go talk to her when Hugh said suddenly, "Looking for something?"

I turned to see him standing a couple feet away, by the food table, holding a plate of Nick's coveted dumplings. He stuck one in his mouth.

"I was just going to go talk to my friend, if that's okay with you."

Hugh looked surprised by the aggression in my voice. "Oh dear," he muttered, "It does sound like I've rather offended you somehow." He put the plate down and dusted his fingers on a hankerchief that he pulled from his breast coatpocket. "Come, talk to me," he said, "I don't like leaving any lady unsatisfied, particularly when they look as beautiful as you." He grinned.

I took a step back away from him. "I'm going to talk to my friend, thank you." I started down the steps again.

"You know he's off somewhere with her again don't you?" Hugh said darkly from behind me.

I stopped and turned. "What?"

"Nick," he spat the name. "He's off somewhere again with Cora. With my wife." Hugh followed me down the steps until he was actually a couple steps below me and we were eye-to-eye. "You and I, we have a lot more in common than you seem to think. I understand that, for whatever reason, you seem to have some kind of issue against me, but you and I... we're in a very similar situation, Miss. Samantha."

"And what situation is that?"

"We're both blindly, recklessly in love with two people who couldn't give a rats ass about anything other than themselves and the things that further their own interests and gain." He laughed and shook his head, "And we know this about them, you and I do, yet we still overlook it, still let them trample over us..." He paused, "You know they're upstairs right now? Probably fucking all over his bed..." Hugh's eyes twinkled, "The bed you fucked him on right before we all got here, I'm guessing."

I felt a shiver go down my spine and in spite of myself I glanced back at the house, at Nick's huge picture window. I looked back at Hugh. "He's not," I said.

"I think he is," Hugh said, "I think he is, and I'm fed up with letting myself get walked on. If you had any sense in that pretty little head of yours you'd be fed up, too." Hugh shook his head, "You're too stupid to see that you're nothing to him."

"I'm not stupid," I snapped.

"Pathetic, desprate little bitch," Hugh muttered, "Giving the coward something to hide behind, like I'm stupid enough to believe he'd love someone as homely as you. Whatever the dress might do for you, you've still got that ugly face... I know better than to think Nick would ever be with you. You're nothing but the mirrors and smoke he's using to keep his little affair out of the public eye. But he fucked up in New York, didn't he? Let his guard down, since I wasn't around." Hugh's mouth curled into a hideously Grinch-like grin. "But I'm not going to be deceived as easily as you are." He turned and started up the steps.

My heart was searing. The words he'd said cut deep. I felt like my emotions were bleeding from every pore of my body. I turned and I raced up the steps around him, gathering my skirt in my hand and I cut in front of him so that we were on eye-level once more and, with every ounce of anger, stress, frustration, and hatred that coursed through my veins, I slapped Hugh Walters across the face so hard it was sure to leave a mark.

People around us that heard the crack of my skin against his turned and looked, Addison among them. "Don't you fucking dare talk to me like that," I snarled. "You'd be damn lucky to lose Cora, she's not anything special. Maybe she's got a pretty, pretty face but that's all she is. Inside she's just a repulsive, vile witch. And if you had any sense you'd thank your lucky stars you have a reason to leave her. But Nick, he's got a heart, he's got a soul, and if Cora isn't done trying to suck it out of him before she moves on to her next victim, then that's my choice to forgive him for that. But I swear to God, Hugh Walters, if you lay a single finger on Nick because you're trying to protect your pride and stroke your ego, then you've got me to answer to, and trust me --- you don't wanna fuck with me." I gathered every ounce of courage I had, which honestly wasn't a lot, and threw it into the bluff as I puffed myself up in front of him and the people turning to look at us.

Hugh Walters and I stared each other down. Intense energy moved between us, tension so thick it felt like a brick wall was between us. Finally, with a grunt, Hugh turned around...and went the other way. My muscles seemed to turn to jelly and I dropped to sit on the steps. I heard a ripple of conversation move through the crowd, and Addison, whose eyes were widely staring at me from across the party, shook herself to regain composure as Hugh approached her himself.

"Oh God," I muttered. I couldn't believe I'd just faced down Hugh like that. I looked back up at the window, wondered if he was right about Nick and Cora, and I struggled to my feet. As much as I hated that I was questioning it, I needed to know. I needed to find Nick. Or Cora at least. Hopefully not together.

I stepped into the house, my knees and hands still shaking from my confrontation with Hugh Walters, and headed up the steps as quickly as I could. I pushed open Nick's bedroom door without a moment's hesitation, determined to catch them in the act if I was going to catch them, but the room was dark and the bed was empty, still messy from Nick and I, our empty garment bags still strewn across it.

In the hallway, I went door to door, pushing open doors on guest bedrooms, two separate bathrooms, closets, a home recording studio, an office, and what looked like an upstairs den. But Nick and Cora were in none of the rooms, though a random couple had found their way into the shower where they'd squealed in protest when I pulled back the shower curtain to confirm it wasn't Nick.

After about twenty minutes of searching through the house, I went back out to the party, breathless from my ranting run through the upstairs, a little ashamed that I'd doubted him at all.

As I stepped out onto the deck, my eyes swept the party, sure that he'd be out there. The DJ was just announcing Addison was going to perform and a cheer went up and the lights flashed at the stage mid-pool and I realized that Hugh Walters, too, was missing, and I started down the steps.

I was halfway down them when Nick caught me by the elbow.

The throbbing music of Addison's song burst from the speakers and shook the ground we stood on as Nick leaned close to my ear. "Where have you been?" he shouted, "I've been looking for you for like ten minutes!"

"I was looking for you," I replied, "I was inside. I thought you were inside."

"I was down by the beach," he replied, waving an arm at the water.

"Hugh thought you were inside," I said. "He thought you were fucking Cora. He couldn't find her. Nick, he's pissed."

"I heard you were fighting with him," Nick said, "Someone said you slapped him?"

"He's an asshole, Nick," I said. "I think he killed Z."

Nick's eyes were intense. "Sam," he said, "He didn't kill Z."

"Nick, he's on the warpath. If I hadn't stopped him just now, I think he would've killed you," I blurted out. "He's dangerous, he's insane, he's --"

Nick held up his hands, stopping me mid-sentence. "Sam..." He took a deep breath. "You canont tell anybody what I am about to tell you. Not ever. Do you understand me?"

I nodded.

Hair hung in his eyes as he leaned down to talk to me. He paused. Hesitated. There was a moment when I thought he was going to say something and then he stopped and licked his lips. He seemed to struggle for a moment, then he said, "Hugh Walters is dead."

I blinked in surprise. "What?"

"Dead," Nick said. "Hugh Walters is dead."