3. April

THREE

APRIL

Larry called me on Friday to let me know the security system had been installed and all the furniture had been moved in. I nearly squealed at having a place all to myself again.

"Gotta tell you, Fiona—shit, sorry, April—I gotta say, that place is kind of a dump. You deserve better than that. You sure I can't find you a bigger house or something? At least a place with a pool or hot tub?"

"Larry, seriously, I love it. It's perfect. Please don't worry about me."

He sighed. "All right, I'll back off. Listen, the new ad you shot for Audi starts tomorrow. I wasn't able to get them to hold it any longer. Your face is gonna end up in more magazines for a little while, but everything else has been taken care of. As far as anyone is concerned, Fiona Steele's career is on official hiatus."

"Thanks, Larry. I'll call if I need anything."

"You'd better, sweetie. Take care."

The guy really was a dick most of the time, but he did have a heart in there. It was encased in a thick layer of show-business mentality, but he'd always tried to help me. Even when I was at my lowest, he'd attempted to get me help, but I'd ignored him. And I wished he was a little less aggressive with his way of dealing with people.

Moving into my own place excited me. Staying with Kellan and Aiden was great, and I'd grown closer to them and Kris in the last couple weeks than I would have ever thought possible. Staying with them would be nice, but I didn't want to wear out my welcome.

I went into the kitchen and told Kellan my new place was ready. He was happy for me, but I could tell he was a little disappointed too.

"April, you know you could stay here as long as you want, right?"

"I do, and I'll be in town. I'll be here all the time visiting you guys. I just need my own space. I don't want us to get tired of each other."

"Never gonna happen." He looked me in the eyes. "We've missed you so much. We don't want to lose you again."

I had to swallow hard to tamp down the tears that threatened. For the millionth time, I thought about how crappy of a family member I'd been over the years. "Kellan, you don't have to worry about that. I'm back. You won't lose me again, okay?"

He smiled as he nodded, but I could tell he was still worried I would fly back to Hollywood and leave them all behind again. That burned. Not because he thought it, but because the chance was still there. Was I strong enough to go back to that life and still keep my ties with family? I had a lot to think about while I was back in Lilly Valley.

"Did that Larry guy get your security system all set up? That's another thing, if you're by yourself, I'd want to know you were safe."

I nodded. "He did. Top of the line, from what he says. Plus, it looks like there are neighbors close by."

My brothers had been watchful since I'd been home. I used my given name on everything and had flown in privately. There was very little anyone could use to track me back here, but the threat of media hounds following me were always present. My brothers knew it, and I could tell they were concerned even though they didn't say anything outright.

"Cool, well, since Aiden is at a sleepover tonight with friends, how about you come have a night out with your big brothers? Come hang at the bar with us." His smile fell, and he added, "Shit, I mean if you're okay doing that."

Luca's story had made it seem like I was always drunk or coked out of my mind. The truth was, I'd already stopped partying for a few months before the story hit. It was part of why I'd broken up with him. He couldn't leave that lifestyle behind. I'd never been a drunk or addict, I'd fallen into doing things at parties where it was so ubiquitous that it seemed weird not to be doing those things. I could drink and enjoy myself, but I no longer drank to get drunk or did anything harder. My brother was still trying to watch over me.

I smiled. "I'll be fine, Kellan. I'll come out, have some fun. Maybe one or two drinks, nothing more than that. It'll be cool."

"Okay, great. I'll let Kris know." Kellan looked relieved.

A few hours later, after dropping Aiden off at his friend's house for the sleepover, we headed to the bar. The place was already packed. It looked like Kris had called all the regulars in for a party. There were even a few people from high school who I hadn't seen since leaving.

We walked in, and Kellan shouted, "A round of beer on the house, in honor of our baby sister coming home."

The building seemed to shake with the cheers. I laughed despite myself and got swept into the crowd. It was weird. In the life I'd had, parties like these in New York, Paris, or Tokyo were different. There, everyone was trying to show off. No one really cared to hear your story or what you were doing with your life. It was always this strange contest. Who had the most exciting career, who was fucking the most famous person, who could do the craziest thing. It invariably descended into hollow debauchery. I couldn't even describe some of the stuff that had gone on at those parties. Here, it was different. People were actually having fun, not some pretend performance of fun.

I was asked questions about what I'd been doing with my life, and it seemed like they actually wanted to know. Strangely, no one even asked about my career as a supermodel, they were more interested in my life in general. It was all very… normal, and I loved it. A few people offered to buy me drinks, but I declined most of them, settling for a couple of glasses of wine. The evening went well, and I had a happy buzz, not from alcohol, but from being around real people. It was becoming more and more evident that the people I'd shared my life with the last few years had been anything but real.

Kris eventually climbed onto a table and raised his hands for quiet. The crowd fell silent, and we all turned to watch him. None of us were sure what he was going to say.

"I want to thank everyone for coming out to celebrate the return of the prodigal daughter, April Knight." Everyone laughed and cheered as Kris continued. "For as long as we've been alive, Kellan and I have watched out for her. From the moment she was born, she was our baby sister. She is family, we love her, and have always loved her. Distance and time do nothing to the love between brothers and sisters." He raised a glass to me. "Welcome home, sis."

It was all I could do not to cry. I raised my wine glass to him and nodded, not trusting myself to speak. Everyone clapped and whistled, and then the night truly commenced. Kellan turned the music up louder, and the atmosphere became pleasantly raucous.

My brothers kept an eye on me. They knew most of the people in the bar, but they hadn't shut it down as a private event, so strangers mingled with the crowd. The odds were slim, but there was always the slight chance a stalker or someone had found me. They wanted to ensure that I was safe, even here. Better safe than sorry.

I took a seat at the bar to rest my legs after making the rounds multiple times. Kellan was working the bar, and I asked him for a club soda with lime. While he went to grab it, a guy took the stool beside me. Unlike almost everyone else in the place, he didn't pay any attention to me. Instead, he was focused on his beer and his phone.

After I got my drink, a group of people came up to welcome me back home. Another group sidled up not long after and showered me with praise about how proud they were of me. It took a second before I realized they were three of my teachers from elementary school. I laughed and hugged them. After another gaggle of friends stopped to talk to me, I noticed the stranger next to me was now watching. The look on his face was one of bemused confusion.

Once I was free and had turned back to the bar, he leaned over and asked, "Are you like a celebrity or something? It's like you have your own fan club."

Raising an eyebrow, I scanned his face to see if he was messing with me. His frown seemed genuine. Was he serious? Did he truly not recognize me? It would be sort of refreshing to meet someone who had no idea who I was for once.

I shook my head. "No, not a celebrity, just someone who hasn't been home for a while."

He chuckled. "Well, I've only been in town a couple months. I don't really know that many people. If I hang around long enough, will I get a party like this one day?"

"Who knows, maybe. It all depends on who you know, I guess. What brought you to Lilly Valley? Not a very big spot on the map."

"I'd love to say I have a really dramatic and exciting story. Secret agent, searching for aliens, gold prospector? But… I'm the new math teacher at the high school. Pretty boring, really. I grew up in Burkesville, about an hour away." He extended his hand, "My name's Ryland Fields. It's nice to meet you."

Smiling, I shook his hand. "April Knight. My brothers own this place." I gestured around the building.

We fell into a comfortable conversation. Ryland was easy to talk to and really didn't seem to know who I was. He told me about becoming a teacher and how he enjoyed working with kids. I kept my real job a secret, instead telling him I was a fashion designer. It was the closest I could come to my actual career. It was honestly the best thirty minutes I'd had with a man who wasn't my brother in a while.

"Listen, I have to head out in a second. Can I give you my number?" Ryland asked.

"Uh… yeah, sure," I said, pleasantly caught off guard.

Ryland grabbed a napkin and pulled a pen from his pocket. He scribbled his number and name on it, then handed it to me. "Call me sometime. I could always use some new friends."

Blushing, I nodded and tucked the napkin into the pocket of my jeans. "Yeah, maybe I will. Uh, here." I took another napkin, put my own number on it, and handed it to him. "It really was nice meeting you."

He took my number and slipped it into a pocket. "You too, April." He grinned at me and turned to leave.

I glanced over his shoulder, and my heart fluttered. Steff stood at the door. Why had he come here? He had to know Kellan and Kris owned the bar now. He also knew how much they hated him for what he'd done to me. And why did he have that look on his face?

Steff wasn't even looking at me. He was glaring at… Ryland? The expression on his face chilled me to the bone. Rage, unlike anything I'd ever seen before. He looked like he wanted to kill him. If Ryland noticed, he didn't react. In fact, from behind, it looked like he returned Steff's gaze and nodded as he went out. He brushed past Steff and went outside. Steff clenched his fists and spun on his heel to follow. What the hell?