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Chapter Forty-Three


The world was spinning. I saw blurs and flashes of color but whether they were the stuff of dreams or reality I'm unsure. I just know everything felt like it was tilting first one way and then the other and back again, and I was feeling like a seasick sailor. It was the seasickness that woke me, and I rolled over, trying to steady myself. The light on the ceiling took a moment to fade in and out of view, my eyes trying to focus on it, before finally it snapped into place. It was immediately obscured by Addison.

"Oh thank God!" she gasped.

"Addie?" my voice sounded frog-like.

Suddenly I was hurtled upward into Addison's arms, my face pressed into her neck, and she hugged me tight. "You had me scared to death," she whimpered.

"I... I did? I..." I looked around, "What... what happened?"

"I'm not entirely sure," she said, "But I have a theory."

"Well any theory is welcome right now. I have no idea how I got here. The last thing I remember, I was at Nick's party and he had just told me that --" I stopped short. My heart slammed in my chest.

Hugh Walters is dead.

"I was on stage, and I looked over and I suddenly saw you, completely wasted, screaming and rambling about God knows what... then after my set, I ran over because, I mean, you obviously needed help... and I didn't know where Nick had one off to, but I got Hugh and --"

"Hugh?" I said, looking up. "Wait, what?"

"Hugh, you know -- Hugh Walters? He helped me load you into a taxi."

I stared at Addison. "But -- Hugh Walters helped load me into a cab?"

Addison nodded. She gave me a funny look.

"But... but Nick said --" and then I remembered I wasn't supposed to tell anyone ever what he said. I felt like I'd been mind-fucked.

"What did Nick say?" Addison looked confused.

"Maybe it was a dream," I muttered, more to myself than to her. She was cocking her head like an inquisitive dog. I looked at her. "Addie, are you sure it was Hugh that helped?"

"Yeah..." she looked at me like I had seven or eight heads growing off my shoulders.

I strained and vaguely remembered a booming, familiar voice saying, "its time you went home," but it didn't make sense... "Addie," I said, breaking my promise, "Nick told me Hugh Walters was dead."

Addison's eyes registered surprise, "When?"

"Last night. Before I drank. He told me I should leave because I'd been seen fighting with him earlier and he was dead."

"But he put you in the cab after that so obviously that's not right," Addison said, her eyebrows cinching together.

"But why would Nick say that?"

"Maybe you dreamt it."

"But I wasn't drunk when he said it," I argued.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive," I replied. "I only drank one flute of champagne before that and to be honest I didn't even finish that because you and Cora and Hugh arrived and Nick had a little bit of a breakdown in the kitchen and I misplaced my glass."

"A break down?"

"Hugh confronted him about sleeping with Cora," I explained, "Right after you left, Hugh pulled him up, got right in his face, and threatened to kill him if he found out that he'd been with Cora..." my mouth went dry. "Oh fucking hell, I need to call Nick."

"Why?"

"I need to see if he's okay, if Hugh's alive then I need to make sure Nick is alive... Hugh was pissed, he was ready to go in the house and kill Nick last night, that's what I fought with him about on the steps..."

Addison's eyes were wide. "They're all psychotic," she muttered.

"What?"

"Hugh, Nick, Cora... they're all fucking psychotic," she said. Suddenly Addison's eyes filled with tears. "Sam, I'm so sorry I've been a bitch. I'm sorry I left you when you needed me most. I'm sorry. I just got so... caught up... in fame, in Cora, in lies." She shook her head. "Sam, I think Cora and Nick are up to no good though. I know you're in love with him, and I know you think he loves you back, but Sam, I don't know. I don't think he's in it for the right reasons. I don't know what exactly, but they're not into anything good."

"Why?"

"They met up in New York and we went to this record company and Nick kept arguing with Cora if it was a good idea or not because there were pictures being taken of us all there and he said that people might catch on if they were seen switching labels."

"Catch on to what?" I asked, confused.

"I don't know," Addison replied.

"Did he sleep with her?" I asked, afraid of the answer.

"They were never alone," Addison said. "I was there the entire time. But Cora kept asking questions about you and I could tell Nick was uncomfortable."

"What kinds of questions?"

"Just, you know, if he'd slept with you, if he was with you or if you were his assistant, those kinds of things," Addison answered.

"What'd he say?"

"He usually answered with something cryptic, like you know me or I told you what she is to me and things like that."

I felt sick. I suddenly felt supremely, royally, colossally blindsided. Tears sprang to my eyes, I could feel them burning, begging to escape. "What in hell have we landed in the middle of?" I choked.

"I don't know," Addison said.

"I need to call Nick," I said, "I gotta find out if I dreamt that, if he's okay, what the hell is going on..." I struggled to my feet and Addison followed me out into the hallway to the living room where the TV was on, muted, and my purse was laying on the couch. I grabbed my bag and rooted for my cell phone. I had a couple missed calls from Nick blinking and flashing. I was staring at my phone, typing in the passcode when Addison let out a shriek and dove for the remote control.

The volume turned up.

"This just in, more news on the developing story coming out of West Hollywood near Malibu where authorities say they've identified the body of music business mongrel, Hugh Walters, husband of Pop Queen Cora Walters. Walters was found this morning a quarter mile down the beach from Nick Carter's home, where he was attending a party premiering pop's newest princess, Addison Mueller. Walters was shot twice in the back, authorities say, but no weapon was found in the area. Experts are working on testing ballistics to identify the gun and trace it back to its registered owner. We'll keep you updated on this tragic, developing story."

I froze holding the phone in my hands.

Addison looked over at me, eyes wide. "Sam," she said, her voice shaking, "How in hell did Nick know Hugh Walters was dead before Hugh Walters was dead?" she asked.

I was too numb to answer.