It was after six. Kristen wasn't sure what time exactly. All she knew is she had put in a long day at the studio working on her new movie.
Now she was lying on her one and only piece of furniture on her balcony, a chaise lounge, and smoking a cigarette. Being cooped up all day in that studio, she hadn't been able to even step outside for a cigarette break. She'd been relegated to coffee breaks at the craft service table while crew, co-stars and the director sucked up every second of her time. There had been a span of five minutes where she'd tried to sneak a smoke, but had been caught and shown the no smoking sign five feet away.
Taking a long drag of her cigarette, she relished the feel of the evening air. It had been a horribly humid day, but the evening was nice.
Closing her eyes, she let her sense of hearing take over. Listening to the low din of traffic, people on the street below her and an occasional dog barking, she just enjoyed the city sounds. Then she targeted in on the sound of her TV in the living room. She'd turned it on as soon as she got home not liking to feel so alone. The sound was low, but she could still make out the words of the TV anchor man from the 6:30 news. She let the news of the day swirl around her for a moment and then tuned it out.
A few minutes passed as she kept her eyes closed and then she heard the lively music of the entertainment news show start. She grimaced and wished she hadn't left the remote on her coffee table. She hated those gossip shows with a passion especially since she and Rob had become the hot topic.
Deciding she'd just tune the thing out rather than leave the comfort of her chair and the evening air, she took another drag from her cigarette. However, the next thing she heard left her heart in her throat.
"Twilight star, Robert Pattinson, had a near collision with a taxi in New York City today..."
Kristen shot up from her chaise dropping her cigarette to the concrete floor in the process. She stared at the TV through the partially open glass door to her apartment. Images of Rob on the set of his new movie, Remember Me, flashed across the screen. They spewed information that Kristen knew was probably blown way out of proportion. That didn't make her worry any less, though.
Throwing open the door, she ran to where she'd left her cell phone on the coffee table next to the remote. While she hit the speed dial, she grabbed the remote and muted the TV.
As she listened to the phone ring, she tapped her foot anxiously. She watched the TV as they moved onto another story. What was going on over there, anyway? First a fan attack and now a near car accident? She had the overwhelming urge to raise some hell with the big wigs. Where was all the protection he was promised? If Summit wasn't thinking of Rob's safety, who was?
After what seemed like minutes, Kristen heard, "Hello," in that British accent she adored.
"Rob, are you okay?"
"Okay," he asked.
"The accident," she nearly screamed.
"Oh that."
"Rob!"
"I'm fine, Kris. It was nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Nothing. Everyone’s making a big deal out of it."
"Tell me what happened."
He let out a sigh and said, "I had just wrapped on a scene. The security guards were walking me to my trailer. A bunch of fans had been hanging around all day and when they got too close, the guards got a little freaked. They told them to back off and started guiding me into the street. The next second, there's this cab right in front of me."
"But you're okay?"
"I'm fine. It just sort of shook me."
"Do you need me there?"
"Love, I'll always need you."
Kristen smiled for the first time since hearing the news. "That's not what I mean, Rob."
"I know what you meant." He paused a moment as if considering his words and then said, "You have to work just like I do. And I'm fine. I'm in my hotel room where it's quiet and I plan to order a beer from room service and watch a movie. They have free HBO here."
Kristen smiled and finally sat down on her sofa. "I miss you," she said with a sigh.
"I miss you. So much."
"Are you sure you don't want me to come? I could be on a flight..."
"Kris, what I need is for you to stay put." This halted whatever it was she was going to say and she wasn't entirely sure how she was going to finish her sentence anyway. "I'll be back to you before you know it."
She was quiet for a moment as she thought this over. Pushing aside the urge to cry, she took a breath. "Rob?"
"Yes, Love?"
"Please call me next time."
"Next time?"
"If there is a next time and I hope to God there isn't."
"What next time?"
"If you're ever in any kind of almost accident again, call me. I hate hearing it from the annoying people on the entertainment news shows."
"All right, I promise."
"And Rob?"
"Yes?"
"Come home to me."
"Soon, Kris. Soon."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two weeks later Kristen was standing in line at the Los Angeles airport. Even though she was hours early just as they always recommend to customers, she was still anxious. This was supposed to be a surprise and the sooner she got past the security check point, the more secure she'd feel that Rob wouldn't know she was coming. Those moron photographers were lurking around every corner it seemed and one picture of her at the airport would be all it would take to ruin the surprise.
Just then a window opened and she hurried over with her one bag and went through the usual airport procedures.
"9:20 flight to New York City," the ticket agent asked her.
"Yes," Kristen replied handing over her passport.
"Your flight is on time today and you'll be leaving from United gate 16."
She sighed in relief at the news. The sooner she hit New York the sooner she'd be able to see and touch Rob. And the sooner she'd feel less like a basket case and more like herself. Rob just made her feel whole.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It had been a short film day. The director had called it a day after making incredible progress in the morning. They had almost all of their mandatory shots for the day. Then when the equipment began to malfunction, he'd told everyone to go home.
They'd pick back up on Monday morning. "Early," he'd emphasized.
That was fine with Rob. He'd been on set at six that morning, so a little nap would do him some good.
It had been a remarkably good day for him. Since arriving in New York, he hadn't found such great success at really anything except maybe the progress of the movie. He'd been attacked by rabid fans, almost hit by a cab and more recently bizarre packages had been dropped off at his hotel. This last incident had prompted the production company, his manager and everyone else who had any involvement to in his welfare to raise holy hell.
There had been a meeting. One which Rob had walked out on. He hadn't cared what decision they came to. He never read the letters or opened the packages anyway. He only looked at the fan mail that came through his agent's office. Mail which had already been screened before he'd laid eyes on it. The rest of it he didn't touch with a ten foot pole and he supposed that was his paranoia coming through. Who knew what these people were capable of? They were leaving notes on his windshield for Christ's sake! Who did that to a stranger?
He threaded his fingers through his hair and leaned back against the wall of the elevator and listened to the ding as the car passed each floor. When he reached 10, the doors swooshed open and Rob stepped out. His body guard stepped out first and then led him down the hall and right to his door.
Rob turned to the guy and said, "Thanks, Jeff."
The burly guy said, "When you want to leave, let me know."
"I'm not leaving," Rob answered pulling his key card from the pocket of his jacket.
"Well, if you do," he held up his phone and waved it in the air.
"I will," Rob said promising he wouldn't try to leave the hotel alone.
The guy headed back down the hall to the elevator and Rob placed the card into the slot and turned the handle.
As soon as he entered his room, he knew something was off. One, he could hear the TV on and he hadn't even turned it on that morning. Two, there was a light on in the bathroom and he knew he hadn't left it on. Three, a very familiar scent filled the air that reminded him of...
"Hello," he called out.
Kristen stepped into the doorway of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her hair and wearing a pair of loose-fitting gray sweats. "You're back early," she replied.
"What are you doing here?"
"Surprising you," she said with a smile. "Surprise."
Rob crossed the room to her and pulled her into his arms. For the moment, he didn't care why or how she was there. All that mattered is she was there.
After a few minutes of hugs, kisses and caresses later, Rob looked down at the woman he loved and said, "Want to fill me in?"
"We finished filming early and I wanted to come see you."
"You're here for the weekend?" She nodded her head with a smile. "You're all mine?"
"Always and forever," she whispered. "But," she added, "this weekend it's just us."
Rob gave her another kiss and when he pulled away from her, asked, “When did you get here?”
“About a half an hour ago. I was worried my timing would be off and I’d ruin the surprise. And that you’d run across pictures of me on my way here.”
“You know I don’t pay attention to that stuff.”
“I know, but I was worried just once you’d see something on the internet.”
“Kris, I haven’t had time to even check my voicemail.”
Kristen laid her head against his shoulder and said, “You must be exhausted.”
At that moment, Rob finally felt the exhaustion he truly felt and let out a yawn.
Kristen pulled away from him and said, “You’re tired. I bet you want a nap.”
“I don’t need one,” he replied with a smile. “I’d rather spend the day with you.”
She shook her head and then started to shove him toward the bed. “You’re tired. I can see it in your eyes. You need to sleep.”
“I don’t want to waste our time together.”
Kristen pushed him to sit on the bed and said, “It’s not wasting time as long as we’re together.”
“You’ll stay here with me? Take a nap with me?”
She then pushed him down onto his back and crawled onto the bed straddling his hips. Leaning over him, she said, “Where else would I be?”
Rob reached up and tucked his hand behind her head and pulled her down to kiss her. As much as Kristen wanted to launch immediately into some earth shattering, toe-curling lovemaking, it had been a month since they’d been together after all, she knew that wasn’t the first order of business. Rob needed some sleep. So, regretfully, she pulled away from his kiss.
“Sleep, Rob. Then you can do whatever you want.”
A mischievous light twinkled in Rob’s pale blue eyes and he said, “Anything? I can have anything I want?”
She grinned down at him and said, “Within reason.”
“No,” he protested, “You said anything.”
“We’ll see,” she replied and rolled away from him. “Come on, let’s get you out of these clothes.”
Rob quickly shucked his clothes starting with his shoes and ending with his worn, gray t-shirt. He leaned back against the pillows of the freshly made bed and looked at Kristen who sat there in her gray sweats. “Want to lose the towel and join me,” he asked.
Kristen realized she’d had her hair pulled up in a towel this whole time and hadn’t thought twice about it. “I completely forgot.”
“Well, I want to see this new do of yours.”
“Okay, ready?”
“Yep.”
She let the towel loose and the now shoulder length hair tumbled down around her face. Shaking her head, she loosened the dark locks and then ran her fingers through it. “Well?”
“I like it,” he said with a smile.
“I don’t. It’s not my hair. I like my hair.”
“It’s sexy.”
“You think so?”
“Yes. Very much so.”
She scooted over to him, but didn’t lie down with him. “At least it’s not forever.”
“Come here,” he said and held an arm out signaling for her to lie down with him. She smiled and then lay down with her head against his chest. “None of this is forever, Love. I’ll be back with you in LA soon. Your hair will grow back. All will work out.”
“Do you think we’ll ever stop getting strange mail?”
Rob chuckled and said, “Who knows.”
As they lay there together in the quiet, Kristen began running her hand along first his arms and then down his chest to his legs as if she were searching for something. Rob quirked a brow and said, “Looking for something?”
“Bruises. Are you sure you weren’t hurt?”
Rob sighed and said, “I’m fine. Scared the living shit out of me, but physically I’m fine.”
“What about those girls?”
Rob chuckled and said, “Are you kidding? Those body guard were on them too fast for them to do anything.”
“They were grabbing at you.”
“But they didn’t do anything.”
“Did security do anything besides usher you away to then almost get hit by a car?”
Rob could hear the sarcasm in her voice and he wanted to reassure her that he would be fine. Although, his paranoia was working into overdrive on a daily basis now since the succession of events of the past few weeks. All he wanted was for Kristen to feel at ease. “They were banned from the set.”
“Everyone without a little badge was banned, Rob. Didn’t they do ANYTHING?”
“What more can they do? It’s public property.”
“I don’t know, but I’d like to really give those girls something to think about,” and she lay her head against his chest right over his heart and squeezed him. “The last thing I want is a phone call that you’ve been hurt.”
Rob brushed his fingers through her hair and smoothed it away from her face. “I’m going to be fine. Two more weeks and then this will be over.”
Kristen was quiet a moment as if in thought. Rob was quiet too just savoring the feel of her in his arms. “Rob?”
“Yeah?”
“When you come back, will you be coming home?”
He knew what she was asking and he wanted to say yes. It was what he wanted, but things were complicated. How would they make it all work? Two people from two different countries falling in love.
He gave her the only answer he could give, “I don’t know.”
She tucked her head against his neck and kissed him. “I know it’s complicated.”
“I want to be with you officially, but…”
“I know, Rob. I understand.”
“You know I want nothing more than to be with you…”
She raised her head, looked into his eyes and said, “I know. It’s not easy you not having a home.”
“You have to understand, Kristen, London will always be my home. But I’m also home wherever I’m with you.”
“That’s enough.”
“No, it’s not. You deserve more.”
Kristen leaned into him and kissed him. When she pulled away, she said, “We’ll work it out.”
“I love you,” he said running his hand over her hair in such a loving and tender gesture, it made her want to cry.
Kristen replied with a kiss to the inside of his wrist. “Rest. We have much to catch up on.”
As she snuggled up next to him again, he gave a grin and said, “Yes, we do. Not to mention you’re wearing way more clothes than you should be right about now.”
Kristen laughed and Rob relished the feel of it as it vibrated against his chest. “Sleep,” she said through a smile. “Conserve your energy. You’ll need it.”
Rob settled back against his pillow and wrapped his arms around her. This was his woman. Nothing would ever change that. He didn’t care what happened. Productions companies, crazed fans and agents be damned. They would make this work. Somehow. Because he loved her and in her arms, this was his safe haven.
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