Fic: Life Imitates Art 3/10; Robert/Kristen
Life Imitates Art 3/10
RPF. Robert Pattinson/Kristen Stewart. PG-13. 8,295 words.
Summary: Robert and Kristen struggle with keeping their relationship a secret.
Part One
Part Two
iii. Caught
Kristen opened the door to her new Vancouver apartment and tiredly dropped her travel bag on the floor. The suitcases she had sent ahead of her were lined up neatly against the wall in the entryway. She had the brief thought that she should unpack those now but collapsed on the couch instead.
She closed her eyes in exhaustion. She had just flown in from New York where filming had gone over schedule on The Runaways, which consequently made her a week late for pre-production on Eclipse. They had gone over schedule because the venues to film an important concert scene kept falling through and they had only recently managed to find a place that was both available and would fit all of their extras. Kristen had literally wrapped her last scene the night before and she had to be on set at six am the next morning because she was behind on wardrobe and make-up tests.
Kristen wanted so badly to crawl into her bed and sleep but there was one thing that she wanted much more. To see Rob.
They talked on the phone everyday since she was in New York and he came out to visit her once last month but still, it wasn’t the same as really being with him. She had known that being separated from him would be hard but she hadn’t expected it to be so…unbearable. It was nothing like being separated from Michael back when they were dating. With Michael, she could go about her day and hardly think of him at all then call him at night to talk about how their respective days went and go to bed completely content. With Robert, one phone call a night never seemed enough. Every time anything happened remotely interesting, she felt the urge to call him on the spot. She wanted to hear his voice, his exact reaction, she wanted to hear him laugh if it was funny or get angry on her behalf if it was something crummy. She once called him when the heel of her boot broke during a serious, emotional scene and completely derailed her momentum, forgetting that it was two am in London.
It wasn’t like she depended on him or that she couldn’t function without him by her side. When she was in character, she was completely there in that head space and the outside world couldn’t intrude. That was the way she worked and that hadn’t changed. But there were moments…when she was sitting in her trailer waiting to film her next scene or when she was in the make-up chair early in the morning, she’d get hit by little pinpricks of pain in her chest. She would wonder what Rob was doing at exactly that moment and the small, irrational part of her brain would wonder if he was thinking of her too.
Kristen remembered the day Rob had come to visit her. Before she left LA they had agreed that he wouldn’t visit. It was too risky, he could get pictured at the airport or spotted on the streets and it wouldn’t be difficult for the media and fans to put two and two together. He stayed in LA for a couple of weeks, attending meeting after meeting with various producers and movie studios, before finally giving in to his mum and his own homesickness and flying to London.
Everything had been going fine for Kristen. She was two weeks into filming and really felt like she was getting into Joan’s head. It helped that Joan herself was almost constantly on set and was more than patient and helpful with Kristen’s endless questions, even the most personal ones. Then a couple of days before the first concert scene was to be filmed, it all fell apart.
She had been rehearsing for weeks, she had performed onstage before, and Kristen honestly believed that she was ready. But the thought of performing in front of all of the extras, running around the stage with a guitar and singing. What she did for Into the Wild was nothing. That was like putting on a little play for your family compared to this. This was real. This was history being brought to camera. And the woman whose history it belonged to would be watching. How could she possibly do any of it justice? Just thinking about what she had to do made it difficult for Kristen to breathe and sent little tremors through her body. In a daze, she picked up her phone and dialed a number without thinking. The sound of his voice-accented, familiar, and so warm-sent her into a crying fit.
Kristen wearily opened the door of her hotel room, utterly exhausted from a long day of filming. She ran a hand through her hair, still not really used to the short and jagged Joan Jett haircut. What she needed at the moment was a long hot bath.
She walked into her bedroom and gasped, dropping her bag in surprise.
“Hey,” Rob said, smiling up at her as he sat comfortably on the edge of her bed.
“Wha-what are you doing here?”
“You were so upset last night when we talked that I had to come see you. I’m sorry, I know we agreed that I shouldn’t come here. But I was careful, I swear.”
He stood up and took a few steps towards her and Kristen launched herself into his arms. She clung to him tightly, breathing in his familiar scent, basking in the warmth that was spreading from his body to hers, soothing her aching bones. It felt like the first gulp of oxygen filling her lungs after holding her breath underwater for so long. Her body sagged into his and Rob carefully picked her up in his arms and laid her down on the bed. He settled in beside her and she curled into his body.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she said.
He kissed her forehead, his lips lingering there.
“I missed you,” Kristen whispered.
“I missed you too. More than you know.”
She could feel him playing with her hair and she realized that this was the first time he was seeing her with this hairstyle. She looked up at him to gauge his reaction, feeling self-conscious.
“I’m still not used to it,” she said. “I look in the mirror and all I see is Joan.”
He brushed her bangs off her forehead and just looked at her for a couple minutes. “I see Kristen. Kristen Jaymes Stewart. Born on April 9, 1990, has a cat that she adores, has a scar right here…” He fingered a line on the right side of her hip. “From the most ridiculous biking accident I’ve ever heard of. And who makes the most delicious sounding noise when I do this…”
Rob leaned into her neck and nibbled the spot right below her ear, eliciting a mewling sound from her. He chuckled, pulling up to look at her. She shoved his shoulder half-heartedly. His eyes darkened and he brushed her bangs off her forehead.
“Kristen…”
The way he said her name, so gently and reverently, made her chest constrict, the emotion she felt overwhelming her. She was Kristen. She never felt more like herself than when Robert was looking at her this way, the same way he had looked at her at their Twilight audition. He could see her, all of her and for the first time she felt that she could forget about shooting, being in character and the pressure of the upcoming concert. Right there in Robert’s arms she could just be Kristen again, if only for one night.
An urgent knocking interrupted her thoughts and she sat up, hoping it would be Rob. She had texted him on the way from the airport but hadn’t gotten a reply yet.
“Come in,” she called. She was about to get off the couch, a stupid grin on her face, when Nikki appeared. Kristen sat back down, trying not to let her disappointment show.
“Hi Stew!” Nikki said brightly, coming over to hug her. “I’ve come to pick you up.”
“Pick me up? I’m so tired, Nikki. I don’t feel like going out. I was just about to fall asleep before you came in.”
“Nonsense. We’re all at a bar downtown. I saw your text to Rob. Why did you text him and not me, by the way? But whatever, I offered to come get you.”
Kristen felt a stab of jealousy at the thought of Nikki being anywhere near Rob, let alone being close enough to read messages on his phone. But it was irrational, she knew. Rob had made it clear many times in the past that he was not at all interested in Nikki.
“So…everyone is there?” She asked, trying to sound casual and disinterested. But she could already feel her tiredness melting away at the thought of seeing Rob.
“Yes! And they all want to see you so come on.” Nikki grabbed her hand and pulled her off the couch though Kristen didn’t dream of resisting.
“I can’t stay long,” she said as they walked out the door. “I have to be on set early tomorrow.”
“Yeah sure. Just don’t be a party pooper.”
Kristen could swear she wasn’t imagining the irritation in her friend’s voice.
There was an SUV waiting for them outside the building and Kristen felt jittery, the anticipation of seeing Rob shooting adrenaline through her body.
“I’ve been keeping in touch with Michael,” Nikki informed her.
“That’s nice,” Kristen said absently, not really hearing her.
“I think he misses you. I mean, he hasn’t come out and said it but I feel it. The guy is lonely, Stew.”
“Uh-huh…”
“I was thinking…You guys are still trying to be friends, right? Maybe we should invite him up here.”
Kristen looked away from the window. “How far is this bar anyway?”
“Kristen! Have you been listening to me at all?” Nikki said in frustration.
“I’m sorry, Nikki. I’m just tired and distracted, I guess.”
“Fine, whatever,” Nikki muttered moodily and Kristen tried not to roll her eyes, she didn’t have much patience for her friend’s bad moods. “We’re here anyway.”
The car pulled to a stop and Kristen practically leaped out of it.
She walked into the bar, her heart thudding in her chest, matching the bass of the loud music that was playing. Her eyes quickly scanned the tables but she couldn’t see Rob or any of her castmates.
“This way,” Nikki said into her ear, linking her arm through hers and leading her to the back of the bar where she could now see there was a closed off area with an employee standing in front of a curtain. He smiled at them and let them pass through.
Nikki was right. Everyone was there. Kellan, Jackson, Ashley, Peter, Elizabeth, Rachelle, Taylor and his dad. They all sat at a long table and at the very end of it was the only person she really wanted to see. Kristen’s impulse was to walk straight over to him but unfortunately, everyone’s attention immediately turned to her.
“There’s the most hardworking girl in the world! They finally gave you back,” Peter exclaimed, standing up to hug her.
“Finally,” she laughed.
“I want to hug Joan Jett herself!” Kellan exclaimed, engulfing her in a big bear hug.
“Oof. You’ll have to go to New York to actually do that, Kellan.”
“Oh well. You’ll do.”
She rolled her eyes.
Rachelle was next and then Ashley. Kristen found that it really felt nice to be welcomed so warmly. She hadn’t realized how much she had missed all of them, it almost felt like coming home. Almost.
Finally, she was allowed to make her way to Rob. He stood up and enveloped her in his arms. She hugged him tightly, breathing in his scent. Now she was home.
He pulled away much too soon for her liking and she had to resist the urge to kiss him, perfectly aware that they had an audience. Robert pulled out the chair next to him and she smiled warmly at him, the simple gesture never failing to bring butterflies in her stomach even though he’s been doing it for her practically since they first met.
She couldn’t help but notice the displeasure on Nikki’s face and Kristen guessed that this was the seat that she had previously occupied. Nikki loudly announced that she was going to get the next round of beers and no sooner had she left that Kristen found herself the center of attention, everyone peppering her with questions of what filming was like and how it was working with Joan.
She was aware that her shyness was ridiculous. These were her friends, she had been working with them for nearly two years now and yet she still found herself stuttering and stumbling over her words as if she were doing a press conference and not merely sharing stories with friends. She felt Rob’s hand grip her knee reassuringly under the table and with his other hand he pushed his half full beer towards her. She took a grateful gulp and answered their questions much more calmly, drawing comfort from Rob’s hand still on her knee. Finally the attention was diverted from her and Kristen slumped tiredly in her seat.
“Sorry love,” Rob said into her ear. “Nikki grabbed my phone when you texted.”
She chuckled humorlessly, not in the least amused by the older girl’s antics. “Good thing I didn’t write anything incriminating.”
“Good thing I got it back before she could see all those naughty texts you sent me,” he whispered.
Kristen flushed and then realized that Nikki was staring right at her from across the table and Rob was leaning in far too close. She scooted her chair away from him and reluctantly pushed his hand off her knee.
“Too obvious,” she muttered.
Robert wasn’t deterred however. He simply slung his arm over the back of her chair and angled his body so that he was completely facing her.
Ashley, sitting on the other side of her, looked at them curiously but returned to her conversation with Jackson.
“Rob, seriously,” Kristen said.
“Have you eaten yet?” He asked.
At the mention of it, her stomach grumbled in answer.
“Just airplane food,” she made a face. “Didn’t eat much of it.”
“I’ll get something for you.”
“You don’t have to-”
He looked at her and she stopped, knowing that it was pointless to argue. Her stomach didn’t want her to anyway. Robert got up and she felt his fingers brush the back of her neck as he walked past her. She suppressed a smile.
She tried to join in on the various conversations going around the table and listened in on a story that Peter was telling Mr. Lautner about his daughter but Kristen found that her energy had seemed to leave the room with Rob. She found it hard to focus and the exhaustion seeped back into her bones. She gave up the pretense and just laid her head down on her arms on the table.
“Poor thing,” Ashley said sympathetically, running a hand through Kristen’s hair. “You look so tired. Maybe you should go home and get some sleep.”
“I am tired. But I’m also hungry. Rob went to get me some food.”
Ashley frowned. “But the kitchen is closed now.”
“Great. I’ll go tell him.”
Kristen walked out into the main room and saw Robert sitting at the bar, looking deep in thought and tapping his fingers absentmindedly on the counter. She came up behind him, placing a hand on the small of his back. He turned, smiling when he saw that it was her.
God, it had been weeks since she last saw him and all she wanted was to burrow into his arms. She could see the same longing in his eyes, the way his hand clenched and unclenched itself into a fist on top of the counter.
“Hey,” he said. “They’re making a burger for you right now.”
“Ashley said the kitchen was closed.”
Rob shrugged. “My girl is hungry.”
She couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. “Will I sleep better tonight if I don’t ask how much my burger costs?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.”
“You’re much more agreeable when you’re tired,” he observed.
“I missed you,” Kristen whispered.
She see the emotion swirl in his eyes, the normally light irises turned a deep shade of blue. “Let’s get out of here right now.”
“We can’t leave together.”
He looked about to protest but he clamped his mouth shut and turned away, facing the bar completely. Robert’s entire body tensed up and she could see his jaw clench.
“There’s a girl taking pictures on her cellphone,” he muttered to her.
Kristen sighed and resisted the urge to turn around and glare at the girl in question. It seemed that so much of her energy and effort these days had to go to controlling her natural impulses. To say it was exhausting was an understatement.
“I should go back,” she said.
Right on cue, the door to the kitchen opened and out came the biggest, most delicious looking burger she had ever seen in her life. Well, she was pretty sure there was a man carrying the burger but Kristen was in love and couldn’t see anything else. The plate was placed in front of her and her stomach rumbled in anticipation.
“Thanks, Raul,” Robert said, shaking the cook’s hand and Kristen was too distracted to even try to peek at the money that was surely folded up in Rob’s palm.
“Do you two need a room?” He said with amusement once Raul, the god of burgers, had left. “I’m getting jealous here.”
“I’m pretty sure my true love is sitting on this plate.”
She slapped his hand away when he tried to steal a fry. “Don’t even think about it!”
“Oh, this is the thanks I get for literally begging the chef, on my knees, to come back and cook for you when he was about to get in his car to leave.”
Kristen looked at him. “You did not.”
“Well, not on my knees but the car part is true. It’s a good thing I caught him. And that his daughter is apparently a fan so that burger cost me a five minute phone call to a thirteen year old who kept begging me to go home with her dad and an autographed picture, which I will have to send.”
Kristen burst out laughing. “Oh my god.”
She picked up a single french fry and handed it to him. “Okay, I think you deserve this.”
“Your generosity will end world hunger, Ms. Stewart,” he said.
“It will end my own, in any case,” She picked up her plate and stood up. “Coming?”
“That is much too personal a question to ask of your co-worker, Kristen,” he said in mock offense.
“Shut up!” She laughed. He grinned at her and it eased Kristen to see that his earlier bad mood was now long gone. Robert lifted his chin in indication that she should go ahead and she happily carried her plate back to their private area.
“Oh wow, that looks so good,” Ashley said as Kristen resumed her place beside her. “How did Rob manage that?”
“By being Robert Pattinson,” Kristen grinned and told her the story, which sent her into hysterics.
“There’s nothing that boy wouldn’t do for you, huh?” Ashley said after awhile.
Kristen dropped her half-eaten burger. “Wha-what are you talking about?”
“Oh, don’t take offense. I know you guys aren’t like that. It’s just…Well, it’s pretty obvious that he cares about you, if you don’t mind my saying.”
Kristen looked at her, feeling emotion swirl in her chest. She and Ashley hadn’t been close during Twilight but they had come together during New Moon and Kristen now considered her a dear friend even though it caused more friction in Kristen’s already not so solid friendship with Nikki.
The weight of the secret she had been keeping for months pressed heavily on her and at this moment, there was nothing she wanted more than to be able to tell Ashley. What Kristen had with Robert was wonderful and unlike anything she’s ever experienced before and she longed to be able to just talk about it with someone. Someone who would be genuinely happy for her.
Robert walked into the room and was about to walk over to her when Nikki intercepted him, handing him a beer and pulling him down onto the seat next to her. Kristen could see the frustration in his eyes when he looked at her but she just smiled weakly and looked glumly down at her food, which she now had no more appetite for.
“Jackson and I are going to leave,” Ashley said, laying a hand gently on her shoulder. “Do you want to ride back with us?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I’d like that. Thanks.”
Nikki was obviously tipsy and well on her way to drunk, she was leaning in dangerously close to Rob with one hand on his shoulder while she pretended to listen raptly to his conversation with Kellan. Robert’s entire body was stiff and tense while he politely humored Nikki and at the same time tried to ignore her.
Kristen stood up with Ashley and Jackson. She caught Rob’s eye and tipped her head to the side, telling him that she was leaving. His forehead wrinkled and he begged her with his eyes to get him out of there but she could see no way of springing him without causing drama from a drunken Nikki. She shrugged helplessly and reluctantly followed Ashley and Jackson out.
Later, Kristen paced up and down her room. Her bed was calling to her but she was too wound up to even think of sleeping now. She needed Rob, she had already spent too many nights without him by her side.
There was a knock on the door and she rushed to get it. Rob was on the other side and drew her into his arms immediately.
“Finally alone,” he said into her hair.
“Finally,” she agreed, breathing him in and feeling that calming effect that only he seemed to have on her. “I was wondering if you’d even be able to get away.”
“Yeah, well, Nikki’s like a pincher crab. Once she’s got her claws in she doesn’t let go.”
Kristen sighed and followed him into the bedroom. “I’m really getting tired of her.”
Rob looked at her a moment and then, to her surprise, smiled. “Oh thank god. The truth is, I think Nikki is fucking annoying and I’ve never said anything because she’s your best friend.”
“But…Then how come you hang out with her so much? All those concerts and clubs you guys used to go to in LA?”
He shrugged. “I started inviting her to stuff because I thought she might bring you. By the time that I caught on that she never would, she’d already made friends with most of my friends over there.”
Kristen flopped onto the bed and started laughing. “Ohhh.”
He sat down beside her. “What?”
“Do you know how jealous I used to get whenever Nikki blabbered on about all of her outings with you, about how she was meeting all of your friends? She’d go on for hours about it,” she frowned. “God, looking back on it now, it was almost like she was rubbing it in that she was in your life and I wasn’t.”
Rob leaned over her and kissed her forehead. “Forget about it. You were always on my mind.”
“Really?” She asked in a small voice. God, she hated how insecure she got over him.
“Every minute, every day.”
Kristen pulled him down on top of her, kissing him fully for the first time, she realized, in over a month. As his soft, warm lips parted hers and his weight pressed her down onto the mattress, she knew that this feeling wasn’t something that she ever planned on taking for granted.
-
In retrospect, she could admit that they weren’t careful enough. They could even be called stupid and reckless. It certainly wasn’t the way she had ever pictured people finding out.
It happened gradually.
Two weeks into filming, Kristen barged into the make-up trailer out of breath. She had to rush to get to set because her morning shower with Rob went on a tad too long.
Ashley sat in one of the chairs, her wig in place, getting the finishing touches on her make-up done.
Kristen sank into the chair beside her.
“Never thought I’d see Kristen Stewart running late,” Ashley said, amusement glittering in her eyes.
“Yeah. I, uh, slept through my alarm clock.”
She fidgeted with the too long sleeves of her shirt, they completely obscured her hands. Ashley noticed.
“You and Rob really love plaid, huh?”
Kristen started. “What?”
“Your shirt looks familiar.”
She looked at her reflection in the mirror. In her hurry she had grabbed the first shirt she saw on the closet floor and of course it had to be the black and grey plaid shirt that Rob wore all the fucking time. Kristen could see the wheels turning in Ashley’s head, it had to be better to say something than to let her imagination run wild.
“It’s Rob’s,” she admitted. “We were rehearsing lines in his trailer the other night and I got cold so he let me borrow this.”
“Oh, that’s sweet.”
Kristen smiled wanly.
A week later Rob had been invited to a “boy’s night” with Kellan and Jackson. It normally wouldn’t be a big deal but Kristen had been working consistent late nights that past week with Taylor and his double and they weren’t doing scenes that she particularly enjoyed. It was her first night off in awhile and she really wanted to enjoy it with her boyfriend.
So she did something reckless and very stupid. She went up to Kellan and Jackson at craft services and asked if she could borrow Robert that night because they needed to rehearse some scenes. Kellan looked like he was going to protest but Jackson nudged him in the stomach with a knowing look.
A Cheshire grin spread across Kellan’s face. “And what do you plan to rehearse tonight, Kristen? The bedroom scene, perhaps? That’s supposed to be quite steamy from what I’ve read.”
“How about the proposal?” Jackson asked. “Oh no, wait. Rob’s been practicing that for two years, he should have it perfected by now.”
“He’s finally going to get her to say yes at least,” Kellan laughed.
“Yeah, only because she wants to jump his bones and he won’t do it unless she marries him first.”
“Now Kristen,” Kellan said, looking at her seriously. “You can tell us. Do you have the same problem with Rob? Will he not seal the deal until he’s hitched?”
“Yeah, because the way he’s been acting around girls lately makes us wonder,” Jackson put in.
“Dude, remember that blonde with the boobs that was practically throwing herself on him and he wouldn’t even look at her?”
“Yeah. He was staring into his beer bottle the whole night like this,” Jackson used his plastic cup to mime Rob staring impassively into his beer bottle.
“I’ve been telling you for the longest time,” Kellan shoved Jackson’s shoulder. “The guy is a eunuch. And that,” he turned back to Kristen. “Is why we cannot surrender him to you tonight. The guy obviously has a broken dick and as his friends, Jackson and I are determined to keep taking him out until he finds a girl hot enough to fix it.”
“Unless,” Jackson smirked. “You plan to offer your own services.”
Kellan sniggered.
Kristen stared them down until they stopped laughing.
“Two things,” she said when they had gone quiet. “One, you’re both disgusting idiots. Two, keep talking to me like that and I will tie your testicles together.”
Kellan started to laugh again but quickly stopped, turning it into a weak cough that pathetically tapered off. Kristen felt a deep satisfaction at the scared shitless looks on their faces. No one can say that she didn’t earn her bitch rep, at least.
“I get Rob tonight,” she said. “Enjoy your lunch boys.”
A few hours later Rob walked into her trailer.
“Why have I been disinvited to boy’s night?” He grinned.
Kristen pressed a pillow over her face. “I may have done something stupid,” she mumbled.
Rob grabbed the pillow and sprawled out on the couch with his head on her lap.
“You could have just told me you didn’t want me to go and I would have told them myself to fuck off.”
“And what would have been their response to that?”
“They’d take the mickey out of me for days for being a pussy.”
“Exactly. Isn’t it more suspicious for you to bail for no reason than for me to drag you away?”
“No, they’ll just think something crass either way,” Rob smirked.
“They won’t say anything though. I’ve got them by the balls,” she said confidently, her fingers running through his hair.
“So I heard. You scared the fuck out of them,” he propped himself up on his elbows to kiss her.
“I am a bitch,” she smiled against his lips. “And they did say something interesting.”
She maneuvered herself on top of him so that she was straddling his stomach. He groaned at her new position, placing his hands on her hips.
“What is that?”
“Something about a blonde with boobs and how you wouldn’t look at her?” Kristen placed her hands on either side of his head so that she was leaning over him completely.
He thought hard. “I don’t remember that.”
She rolled her eyes. “You don’t remember a girl throwing herself at you?”
“Honestly?” He reached up to tuck her hair behind her ears. “I know this is going to sound corny and lame but when I’m out with the guys, I’m just counting down the minutes until I can go home to you.”
Her chest swelled with emotion and she had to bury her face in his neck to hide the wetness pooling in her eyes. The thing about Robert was that he could say the cheesiest, corniest things and yet he was such an open, wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve type of person that she could never ever doubt his sincerity. His eyes always gave him away, the open adoration that he could never hide often baffled Kristen. And never failed to make her wonder just what she had done to deserve this man.
“Hey,” Rob said gently. “I can feel that, you know.”
He pulled her head up so that he could look at her. He brushed away a lone tear as it trickled down her cheek.
“What I said isn’t that bad, is it?” He joked.
“No,” Kristen whispered. “You’re perfect. Just…perfect.”
She captured his lips in hers, kissing him with everything she felt but couldn’t say. There were three words on the tip of her tongue, words that she knew that she felt with every fiber of her being but she was too scared to say. Every time she thought she was building the courage to say it, her palms got sweaty, her brain short circuited and stopped sending messages to her mouth which rendered her unable to speak without sounding like she had some mental deficiency. It was not unlike what happened to her during interviews or when she had to speak in front of crowds of people. Except that Kristen thought she’d rather face a dozen reporters or a thousand fans than risk laying herself on the line in front of Rob like that. She just couldn’t do it, not yet.
For now this would have to do. She couldn’t tell him what she felt but she could show him. As she peeled off her clothes and moved on top of him, she knew that all of the desire and adoration she saw in his eyes were perfectly reflected in hers.
Two days later Ashley walked into her trailer during a break in filming.
“Hey Ash,” she said. “Want to keep running lines?”
“No,” she sat down carefully on the counter, across from Kristen’s position on the couch. “I’m here to talk, actually.”
“Okay…” Kristen said slowly.
“Are you dating Rob?”
She felt like she had the wind knocked out of her. She stared up at Ashley, refusing to believe that she had just heard her ask what she did.
“I know it’s none of my business,” Ashley said quickly. “I’m just asking because I’ve been noticing some things and…well, I’m curious. And I thought that maybe you’d want to talk about it with someone, if you’re dating Rob. Or even if you’re not.”
Kristen rubbed her forehead. Her impulse was to say “No, I’m not dating Rob.” It was what she should say but somehow she couldn’t bring herself to lie. She didn’t want to deny Rob, she wasn’t ashamed of him, they weren’t doing anything wrong by being in a relationship. It was unprofessional, maybe, but it wasn’t wrong. And the truth was, Ashley was right. She did need someone to talk to. There are just things in life that a girl needs to be able to talk about with her friends. And having a wonderful, gorgeous, secret boyfriend was one of them.
“If I said no, would you believe me?”
“I could pretend to believe you. But if you really don’t want to talk about it then I’ll leave it alone and I won’t say anything. To anyone.”
“Okay. Then yes,” Kristen said, looking her in the eye. “I’m dating Rob.”
Ashley squealed and clapped her hands together. “Finally! Since when? Who knows? Who made the first move? Are you going to tell people?”
The questions came out in rapid fire speed and Kristen held her hands up against the barrage. Ashley took a deep breath.
“Sorry,” she said.
“I’ll answer your questions but first, I have one for you. What did you mean earlier when you said you’ve noticed things?”
Ashley smiled. “Just bits and pieces I’ve been putting together. Like how Rob lights up whenever you walk into a room. That’s not anything new, he’s always done that but I’ve noticed that your effect on him seems to be more long lasting now. Like before, whenever you left, whatever calming effect you had on him would leave with you but now he’s different. He’s more at ease. Kind of like he’s secure that you’ll be together again soon, you know?”
Kristen ran a hand through her hair, trying to hide her pleasure that someone could observe something like this.
“And then there’s the change between the two of you,” Ashley continued. “You guys have more in jokes than ever! Cryptic things that only the two of you understand. And you don’t argue so much anymore. You guys still bicker like an old married couple but that’s exactly it. An old married couple. I haven’t seen you get genuinely angry at Rob in awhile. When we were filming Twilight, you would get so mad at him and he would follow you around either groveling or just saying things to piss you off even more. I’m guessing that tension is being worked off in other ways now?” She smirked.
Kristen blushed.
“And I do have something conclusive,” Ashley said seriously. “Something that kind of confirmed my theory. It’s actually why I’m talking to you now. I wasn’t going to say anything because you guys haven’t said anything and if you want to keep it a secret then I’m sure you have your reasons. But I think you need to be more careful. The other day, I came over here to talk to you and I heard…things. Things that told me that you were otherwise occupied.”
“Oh god…” Kristen groaned, burying her face in her hands.
“Yeah, this trailer isn’t soundproof. Are you okay?”
“I’m just…mortified right now.”
“It could have been worse. I could have walked in on you.”
Kristen looked up at her and they just stared at each other for a couple of seconds before they both burst out laughing.
“Okay…” Ashley said. “I’d come over there but you’ve probably had sex on that couch and just…eww.”
Kristen blushed again but at the same time she couldn’t wipe the smirk off her face. This couch had seen much action, indeed.
“But, come on! You have to answer my questions now!” Ashley almost bounced with excitement.
“Fine, I’ll answer them. But you have to ask slowly.”
“When did it start?”
“When Rob came back to film his scenes for New Moon.”
Ashley’s jaw dropped. “Like, right when he came back?”
“He came over to my place before he even set foot in his own apartment. Michael and I had been over for a couple months.”
“I remember. But…this means you guys were together when we were in Italy!”
Kristen smiled, recalling their time in Italy and how romantic it had been. She and Rob had made a lot of good memories in their all too brief time there.
“How could I have missed it? Is that why you were never anywhere to be found whenever Dakota and I wanted to go sightseeing?”
“I guess I was just too busy enjoying other sights,” Kristen grinned.
“Oh!” Ashley made a face and covered her eyes, as if that would help her block out the mental picture.
Kristen found herself relaxing, enjoying being able to talk about this with someone.
“Do you have anymore questions? We’re going to be called back soon.”
“Who knows?”
“Just both of our families and, you know, our teams. No one else. None of our friends know.”
“That must be hard,” she said sympathetically.
“I won’t lie, it was exciting at first. It still is sometimes. Having this secret all to ourselves. But then, sneaking around does get tiring.”
“When are you going to tell people?”
“I don’t know. As tiring as it is to have to hide this, having to endure public scrutiny will probably just be worse,” Kristen sighed heavily. “I’m not sure we’re ready. Or that I’m ready.”
Ashley nodded in understanding.
“Do you think other people suspect?” Kristen asked.
“I think that some people wonder why the two of you haven’t hooked up yet since you and Michael have been broken up for awhile,” Ashley thought hard. “I don’t know…I really can’t say. I can tell you that the boys are really really dense,” she laughed.
“It’s funny because Jackson, Kellan and Cam actually made a bet back on Twilight on when you and Rob would hook up. Cam isn’t around anymore but I doubt that Jackson and Kellan even remember the specifics of what they bet on. Which is too bad, now that you think about it.”
“We’ve had problems with those two, actually. They keep insisting on taking Rob out. And I don’t mind that at all but with the schedules we have, our personal time together is already so limited…”
Ashley held up a hand. “Say no more. I can help you with that.”
“Ash, you don’t have to-”
“No no, I’ll take care of the doofuses. It’s no problem, they’re both incredibly easy to distract. Just tell me when they’re being a problem.”
Kristen smiled at her. “Thank you.”
Ashley waved her off.
“No, really. Thank you. It feels good to talk to someone about this,” she admitted.
“Just remember what I said about being careful,” Ashley said gently. “Next time it might not be me that hears you.”
Kristen swallowed, understanding her implication. A part of her still felt defensive of Nikki and almost felt compelled to say something. She had been a good friend to her during the most hectic, stressful period of her life and even though they were growing apart, Kristen still felt a sense of loyalty to her. But then, the bigger part of her knew that if Nikki found out about her and Robert, she would not be sitting here, happily pressing her for details like Ashley. She had a feeling that it would be the true end of her friendship with Nikki and she resented that because Nikki had no real claim on Rob. Sure, she crushed on him and Kristen knew that but it was also no secret between them that she had feelings for Rob, feelings that she couldn’t act on when she was with Michael. She shouldn’t have to shoulder the blame for Rob choosing her.
Ashley sighed happily. “I’m so happy for you guys! It really is about time.”
“Ash?”
“Yeah?”
“You should know, we’ve also done it on that counter.”
Ashley jumped up. “Ah!”
Kristen laughed.
“Is there anywhere in here that’s safe?”
She looked around. “No.”
“That good, huh?”
Kristen stood up. “And that is our cue to go back on set.”
“I will get you to spill details someday, Stewart,” Ashley warned, following her out of the trailer.
“Only if you return the favor, Greene,” she taunted.
Ashley actually blushed. A really bright red that she got scolded for in the make-up trailer. Kristen wasn’t the only one with a secret on set. Except that Ashley’s wasn’t really all that secret.
That weekend it all came crashing down. Kristen supposed that it was bound to happen sooner or later.
For weeks Rob had been excited about a show that his friends Sam Bradley and Bobby Long were doing. Sam had been living in Vancouver for awhile and Bobby was flying out and Rob was eager to introduce Kristen to them. He had arranged for them to watch the show from backstage because he didn’t want to cause a fuss by showing up.
The two of them often debated about whose fault it was. Kristen thought that if Rob had just paid a fraction of attention to what Nikki was saying then none of it would have happened. Rob argued that if she wasn’t looking so beautiful while talking to Taylor then he might have paid more attention. Possibly. It was Nikki after all and Rob kept saying that his patience for her was growing thinner and thinner everyday.
Nikki had come up to him during a break in filming. Rob could remember only the words ‘concert’ and ‘Saturday night’ before claiming that he got distracted by Kristen taking off her over overcoat a couple of feet away. He could see the dip of her cleavage in her v-neck shirt which set off fantasies that had made Kristen flush when he described them. Rob quickly made up an excuse to Nikki about why he wasn’t available Saturday night, walked over and stole Kristen away from Taylor and promptly forgot about the conversation.
Which brought them to that night.
They arrived early at the gig but they could see as they drove by that a line had already formed outside the club. Kristen was feeling jittery, she had never really met any of Rob’s friends before. At least not in a setting where she could actually hold a conversation with them. Rob had insisted on being able to introduce her as his girlfriend, saying that even if he didn’t, they would be able to tell anyway and assured Kristen that they could keep their mouths shut.
He directed the cab driver to the back parking lot and held her hand as they got out.
“Are you alright?” He asked. “You’ve been quiet.”
Kristen looked down at their intertwined fingers and then up at him. “Will they like me?”
Robert gently pushed her up against the wall of the building so that her back was pressed to it and he hovered over her, his hands on either side of her head.
“Stop being ridiculous,” he said. “They will love you. They’ll absolutely adore you…like I do.”
“So they’ve liked all your girlfriends?” She said skeptically.
“No…”
“But you just said that they’ll like me because you do but that’s not necessarily true because I assume you liked all of your past girlfriends and they haven’t liked all of them so that means there’s still a possibility they won’t like me…”
He cut her off by pressing his lips to hers, kissing her deeply. Kristen’s arms wrapped around his neck, one hand reaching up to clutch his hair. He kissed her until her knees gave way and she was gasping for breath when he pulled away.
“Relax,” Rob whispered. “They’ll love you, I know it.”
He held her until both of their breaths evened out.
“Ready to go in?”
She nodded.
He opened the backstage door and they walked into a lounge with a couch, a couple of armchairs and a long table by the wall that was filled with empty pizza boxes and beer cans. There were about a dozen people in the room and Robert led her straight to two guys on the couch. One of them was tuning a guitar while the other was talking to a girl who was practically sitting on his lap.
“Rob!” The guy with the girl jumped up and hugged him.
Kristen stood back and watched while Rob greeted his friends, it was like watching him come home. The way he talked to them, his smile, his laugh…She liked seeing him this happy. Rob turned to her and held out his hand, inviting her into his world. She smiled and let him pull her to his side.
“This is my girlfriend Kristen,” he said and she beamed at the pride in his voice. “This is Bobby,” he gestured to the guy who had the guitar. “This is Sam and his girlfriend Mary.”
“Girlfriend?” Sam said in surprise. He came over to hug her followed by Bobby.
“You bastard!” Bobby said to Rob. “You didn’t tell us she was your girlfriend!”
“I’m telling you now,” Rob shrugged. “In fact, I’m only telling you.”
“Forgive us,” Sam said to Kristen. “Rob has talked about you a lot but he didn’t us you were dating.”
“It’s a long story, Sam,” Rob said. “Settle down and we’ll tell you.”
He sat down in an armchair and pulled Kristen on his lap. She shifted a little, not used to public displays but he locked his arms around her waist, preventing her from getting up.
“It’s alright,” he whispered in her ear.
They spent the next half hour talking and catching up. Kristen soon relaxed and started to really enjoy herself. It was a different experience talking to people who knew Rob so well, who knew him long before she had even met him.
Sam and Bobby introduced them to the guys in the band and it wasn’t long before they had to start getting ready for the show.
“See,” Rob said when they had left. “You had nothing to worry about.”
She smiled. “Yeah, they’re great.”
“You should meet the rest of the guys in London.”
“I want to,” she turned to face him. “I’m serious, I want to.”
“You know that we’ll have to fly out to London, right?”
“Then take me to London,” she said.
His thumb rubbed her cheek, his eyes unbelievably tender.
“I mean, not right now,” she put in quickly. “We have to work, obviously. But soon. Whenever you’re ready.”
“Kristen, I would love nothing more than to take you home with me,” he said with such emotion that it made her heart skip a beat. “As soon as possible.”
She kissed him, losing herself in him as his lips parted beneath hers. She could ignore the progressively growing noise from the front of the club as all of the people were let in, she could ignore the flurry of busy movement all around them as the band got ready. Nothing else existed except the man beneath her.
Until she heard a familiar female voice exclaim “Oh my god!”, followed by an “Oh shit!” by an also familiar male voice.
Kristen reluctantly looked up to see Nikki, Kellan, Jackson, Ashley and Taylor staring down at them, expressions of pure shock on their faces. For a minute no one said anything.
“What are you guys doing here?” Rob asked.
“I told you that we’d be here, that we wanted to see your friends. I’d wondered why you didn’t seem to want to make the effort to do the same. I see now that you were just lying to me. You both were,” Nikki said, sparing Kristen a disdainful glance before walking away.
“Nikki, wait!” Kristen called out, jumping off of Rob’s lap and following her out of the back door.
“Nikki!”
She turned around and walked back to Kristen.
“How long?” She demanded.
“A couple of months.”
“Months?” She said disbelievingly. “Months and you kept this from me? Your best friend?”
“We couldn’t tell anyone, not really.”
“And yet you have no problem making out backstage. Obviously his friends know about you.”
“Nikki, I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what? Sorry for taking the guy you knew that I liked? Or sorry for not even having the decency to tell me about it?”
“I am sorry, Nikki,” she said softly. “But you know that if you were in my position you would have done the exact same thing.”
“But I’m not in your position, am I? Because I’m not perfect little Kristen.”
Nikki walked away and she let her go. The secret was officially out.
RPF. Robert Pattinson/Kristen Stewart. PG-13. 8,295 words.
Summary: Robert and Kristen struggle with keeping their relationship a secret.
Part One
Part Two
iii. Caught
Kristen opened the door to her new Vancouver apartment and tiredly dropped her travel bag on the floor. The suitcases she had sent ahead of her were lined up neatly against the wall in the entryway. She had the brief thought that she should unpack those now but collapsed on the couch instead.
She closed her eyes in exhaustion. She had just flown in from New York where filming had gone over schedule on The Runaways, which consequently made her a week late for pre-production on Eclipse. They had gone over schedule because the venues to film an important concert scene kept falling through and they had only recently managed to find a place that was both available and would fit all of their extras. Kristen had literally wrapped her last scene the night before and she had to be on set at six am the next morning because she was behind on wardrobe and make-up tests.
Kristen wanted so badly to crawl into her bed and sleep but there was one thing that she wanted much more. To see Rob.
They talked on the phone everyday since she was in New York and he came out to visit her once last month but still, it wasn’t the same as really being with him. She had known that being separated from him would be hard but she hadn’t expected it to be so…unbearable. It was nothing like being separated from Michael back when they were dating. With Michael, she could go about her day and hardly think of him at all then call him at night to talk about how their respective days went and go to bed completely content. With Robert, one phone call a night never seemed enough. Every time anything happened remotely interesting, she felt the urge to call him on the spot. She wanted to hear his voice, his exact reaction, she wanted to hear him laugh if it was funny or get angry on her behalf if it was something crummy. She once called him when the heel of her boot broke during a serious, emotional scene and completely derailed her momentum, forgetting that it was two am in London.
It wasn’t like she depended on him or that she couldn’t function without him by her side. When she was in character, she was completely there in that head space and the outside world couldn’t intrude. That was the way she worked and that hadn’t changed. But there were moments…when she was sitting in her trailer waiting to film her next scene or when she was in the make-up chair early in the morning, she’d get hit by little pinpricks of pain in her chest. She would wonder what Rob was doing at exactly that moment and the small, irrational part of her brain would wonder if he was thinking of her too.
Kristen remembered the day Rob had come to visit her. Before she left LA they had agreed that he wouldn’t visit. It was too risky, he could get pictured at the airport or spotted on the streets and it wouldn’t be difficult for the media and fans to put two and two together. He stayed in LA for a couple of weeks, attending meeting after meeting with various producers and movie studios, before finally giving in to his mum and his own homesickness and flying to London.
Everything had been going fine for Kristen. She was two weeks into filming and really felt like she was getting into Joan’s head. It helped that Joan herself was almost constantly on set and was more than patient and helpful with Kristen’s endless questions, even the most personal ones. Then a couple of days before the first concert scene was to be filmed, it all fell apart.
She had been rehearsing for weeks, she had performed onstage before, and Kristen honestly believed that she was ready. But the thought of performing in front of all of the extras, running around the stage with a guitar and singing. What she did for Into the Wild was nothing. That was like putting on a little play for your family compared to this. This was real. This was history being brought to camera. And the woman whose history it belonged to would be watching. How could she possibly do any of it justice? Just thinking about what she had to do made it difficult for Kristen to breathe and sent little tremors through her body. In a daze, she picked up her phone and dialed a number without thinking. The sound of his voice-accented, familiar, and so warm-sent her into a crying fit.
Kristen wearily opened the door of her hotel room, utterly exhausted from a long day of filming. She ran a hand through her hair, still not really used to the short and jagged Joan Jett haircut. What she needed at the moment was a long hot bath.
She walked into her bedroom and gasped, dropping her bag in surprise.
“Hey,” Rob said, smiling up at her as he sat comfortably on the edge of her bed.
“Wha-what are you doing here?”
“You were so upset last night when we talked that I had to come see you. I’m sorry, I know we agreed that I shouldn’t come here. But I was careful, I swear.”
He stood up and took a few steps towards her and Kristen launched herself into his arms. She clung to him tightly, breathing in his familiar scent, basking in the warmth that was spreading from his body to hers, soothing her aching bones. It felt like the first gulp of oxygen filling her lungs after holding her breath underwater for so long. Her body sagged into his and Rob carefully picked her up in his arms and laid her down on the bed. He settled in beside her and she curled into his body.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she said.
He kissed her forehead, his lips lingering there.
“I missed you,” Kristen whispered.
“I missed you too. More than you know.”
She could feel him playing with her hair and she realized that this was the first time he was seeing her with this hairstyle. She looked up at him to gauge his reaction, feeling self-conscious.
“I’m still not used to it,” she said. “I look in the mirror and all I see is Joan.”
He brushed her bangs off her forehead and just looked at her for a couple minutes. “I see Kristen. Kristen Jaymes Stewart. Born on April 9, 1990, has a cat that she adores, has a scar right here…” He fingered a line on the right side of her hip. “From the most ridiculous biking accident I’ve ever heard of. And who makes the most delicious sounding noise when I do this…”
Rob leaned into her neck and nibbled the spot right below her ear, eliciting a mewling sound from her. He chuckled, pulling up to look at her. She shoved his shoulder half-heartedly. His eyes darkened and he brushed her bangs off her forehead.
“Kristen…”
The way he said her name, so gently and reverently, made her chest constrict, the emotion she felt overwhelming her. She was Kristen. She never felt more like herself than when Robert was looking at her this way, the same way he had looked at her at their Twilight audition. He could see her, all of her and for the first time she felt that she could forget about shooting, being in character and the pressure of the upcoming concert. Right there in Robert’s arms she could just be Kristen again, if only for one night.
An urgent knocking interrupted her thoughts and she sat up, hoping it would be Rob. She had texted him on the way from the airport but hadn’t gotten a reply yet.
“Come in,” she called. She was about to get off the couch, a stupid grin on her face, when Nikki appeared. Kristen sat back down, trying not to let her disappointment show.
“Hi Stew!” Nikki said brightly, coming over to hug her. “I’ve come to pick you up.”
“Pick me up? I’m so tired, Nikki. I don’t feel like going out. I was just about to fall asleep before you came in.”
“Nonsense. We’re all at a bar downtown. I saw your text to Rob. Why did you text him and not me, by the way? But whatever, I offered to come get you.”
Kristen felt a stab of jealousy at the thought of Nikki being anywhere near Rob, let alone being close enough to read messages on his phone. But it was irrational, she knew. Rob had made it clear many times in the past that he was not at all interested in Nikki.
“So…everyone is there?” She asked, trying to sound casual and disinterested. But she could already feel her tiredness melting away at the thought of seeing Rob.
“Yes! And they all want to see you so come on.” Nikki grabbed her hand and pulled her off the couch though Kristen didn’t dream of resisting.
“I can’t stay long,” she said as they walked out the door. “I have to be on set early tomorrow.”
“Yeah sure. Just don’t be a party pooper.”
Kristen could swear she wasn’t imagining the irritation in her friend’s voice.
There was an SUV waiting for them outside the building and Kristen felt jittery, the anticipation of seeing Rob shooting adrenaline through her body.
“I’ve been keeping in touch with Michael,” Nikki informed her.
“That’s nice,” Kristen said absently, not really hearing her.
“I think he misses you. I mean, he hasn’t come out and said it but I feel it. The guy is lonely, Stew.”
“Uh-huh…”
“I was thinking…You guys are still trying to be friends, right? Maybe we should invite him up here.”
Kristen looked away from the window. “How far is this bar anyway?”
“Kristen! Have you been listening to me at all?” Nikki said in frustration.
“I’m sorry, Nikki. I’m just tired and distracted, I guess.”
“Fine, whatever,” Nikki muttered moodily and Kristen tried not to roll her eyes, she didn’t have much patience for her friend’s bad moods. “We’re here anyway.”
The car pulled to a stop and Kristen practically leaped out of it.
She walked into the bar, her heart thudding in her chest, matching the bass of the loud music that was playing. Her eyes quickly scanned the tables but she couldn’t see Rob or any of her castmates.
“This way,” Nikki said into her ear, linking her arm through hers and leading her to the back of the bar where she could now see there was a closed off area with an employee standing in front of a curtain. He smiled at them and let them pass through.
Nikki was right. Everyone was there. Kellan, Jackson, Ashley, Peter, Elizabeth, Rachelle, Taylor and his dad. They all sat at a long table and at the very end of it was the only person she really wanted to see. Kristen’s impulse was to walk straight over to him but unfortunately, everyone’s attention immediately turned to her.
“There’s the most hardworking girl in the world! They finally gave you back,” Peter exclaimed, standing up to hug her.
“Finally,” she laughed.
“I want to hug Joan Jett herself!” Kellan exclaimed, engulfing her in a big bear hug.
“Oof. You’ll have to go to New York to actually do that, Kellan.”
“Oh well. You’ll do.”
She rolled her eyes.
Rachelle was next and then Ashley. Kristen found that it really felt nice to be welcomed so warmly. She hadn’t realized how much she had missed all of them, it almost felt like coming home. Almost.
Finally, she was allowed to make her way to Rob. He stood up and enveloped her in his arms. She hugged him tightly, breathing in his scent. Now she was home.
He pulled away much too soon for her liking and she had to resist the urge to kiss him, perfectly aware that they had an audience. Robert pulled out the chair next to him and she smiled warmly at him, the simple gesture never failing to bring butterflies in her stomach even though he’s been doing it for her practically since they first met.
She couldn’t help but notice the displeasure on Nikki’s face and Kristen guessed that this was the seat that she had previously occupied. Nikki loudly announced that she was going to get the next round of beers and no sooner had she left that Kristen found herself the center of attention, everyone peppering her with questions of what filming was like and how it was working with Joan.
She was aware that her shyness was ridiculous. These were her friends, she had been working with them for nearly two years now and yet she still found herself stuttering and stumbling over her words as if she were doing a press conference and not merely sharing stories with friends. She felt Rob’s hand grip her knee reassuringly under the table and with his other hand he pushed his half full beer towards her. She took a grateful gulp and answered their questions much more calmly, drawing comfort from Rob’s hand still on her knee. Finally the attention was diverted from her and Kristen slumped tiredly in her seat.
“Sorry love,” Rob said into her ear. “Nikki grabbed my phone when you texted.”
She chuckled humorlessly, not in the least amused by the older girl’s antics. “Good thing I didn’t write anything incriminating.”
“Good thing I got it back before she could see all those naughty texts you sent me,” he whispered.
Kristen flushed and then realized that Nikki was staring right at her from across the table and Rob was leaning in far too close. She scooted her chair away from him and reluctantly pushed his hand off her knee.
“Too obvious,” she muttered.
Robert wasn’t deterred however. He simply slung his arm over the back of her chair and angled his body so that he was completely facing her.
Ashley, sitting on the other side of her, looked at them curiously but returned to her conversation with Jackson.
“Rob, seriously,” Kristen said.
“Have you eaten yet?” He asked.
At the mention of it, her stomach grumbled in answer.
“Just airplane food,” she made a face. “Didn’t eat much of it.”
“I’ll get something for you.”
“You don’t have to-”
He looked at her and she stopped, knowing that it was pointless to argue. Her stomach didn’t want her to anyway. Robert got up and she felt his fingers brush the back of her neck as he walked past her. She suppressed a smile.
She tried to join in on the various conversations going around the table and listened in on a story that Peter was telling Mr. Lautner about his daughter but Kristen found that her energy had seemed to leave the room with Rob. She found it hard to focus and the exhaustion seeped back into her bones. She gave up the pretense and just laid her head down on her arms on the table.
“Poor thing,” Ashley said sympathetically, running a hand through Kristen’s hair. “You look so tired. Maybe you should go home and get some sleep.”
“I am tired. But I’m also hungry. Rob went to get me some food.”
Ashley frowned. “But the kitchen is closed now.”
“Great. I’ll go tell him.”
Kristen walked out into the main room and saw Robert sitting at the bar, looking deep in thought and tapping his fingers absentmindedly on the counter. She came up behind him, placing a hand on the small of his back. He turned, smiling when he saw that it was her.
God, it had been weeks since she last saw him and all she wanted was to burrow into his arms. She could see the same longing in his eyes, the way his hand clenched and unclenched itself into a fist on top of the counter.
“Hey,” he said. “They’re making a burger for you right now.”
“Ashley said the kitchen was closed.”
Rob shrugged. “My girl is hungry.”
She couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. “Will I sleep better tonight if I don’t ask how much my burger costs?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.”
“You’re much more agreeable when you’re tired,” he observed.
“I missed you,” Kristen whispered.
She see the emotion swirl in his eyes, the normally light irises turned a deep shade of blue. “Let’s get out of here right now.”
“We can’t leave together.”
He looked about to protest but he clamped his mouth shut and turned away, facing the bar completely. Robert’s entire body tensed up and she could see his jaw clench.
“There’s a girl taking pictures on her cellphone,” he muttered to her.
Kristen sighed and resisted the urge to turn around and glare at the girl in question. It seemed that so much of her energy and effort these days had to go to controlling her natural impulses. To say it was exhausting was an understatement.
“I should go back,” she said.
Right on cue, the door to the kitchen opened and out came the biggest, most delicious looking burger she had ever seen in her life. Well, she was pretty sure there was a man carrying the burger but Kristen was in love and couldn’t see anything else. The plate was placed in front of her and her stomach rumbled in anticipation.
“Thanks, Raul,” Robert said, shaking the cook’s hand and Kristen was too distracted to even try to peek at the money that was surely folded up in Rob’s palm.
“Do you two need a room?” He said with amusement once Raul, the god of burgers, had left. “I’m getting jealous here.”
“I’m pretty sure my true love is sitting on this plate.”
She slapped his hand away when he tried to steal a fry. “Don’t even think about it!”
“Oh, this is the thanks I get for literally begging the chef, on my knees, to come back and cook for you when he was about to get in his car to leave.”
Kristen looked at him. “You did not.”
“Well, not on my knees but the car part is true. It’s a good thing I caught him. And that his daughter is apparently a fan so that burger cost me a five minute phone call to a thirteen year old who kept begging me to go home with her dad and an autographed picture, which I will have to send.”
Kristen burst out laughing. “Oh my god.”
She picked up a single french fry and handed it to him. “Okay, I think you deserve this.”
“Your generosity will end world hunger, Ms. Stewart,” he said.
“It will end my own, in any case,” She picked up her plate and stood up. “Coming?”
“That is much too personal a question to ask of your co-worker, Kristen,” he said in mock offense.
“Shut up!” She laughed. He grinned at her and it eased Kristen to see that his earlier bad mood was now long gone. Robert lifted his chin in indication that she should go ahead and she happily carried her plate back to their private area.
“Oh wow, that looks so good,” Ashley said as Kristen resumed her place beside her. “How did Rob manage that?”
“By being Robert Pattinson,” Kristen grinned and told her the story, which sent her into hysterics.
“There’s nothing that boy wouldn’t do for you, huh?” Ashley said after awhile.
Kristen dropped her half-eaten burger. “Wha-what are you talking about?”
“Oh, don’t take offense. I know you guys aren’t like that. It’s just…Well, it’s pretty obvious that he cares about you, if you don’t mind my saying.”
Kristen looked at her, feeling emotion swirl in her chest. She and Ashley hadn’t been close during Twilight but they had come together during New Moon and Kristen now considered her a dear friend even though it caused more friction in Kristen’s already not so solid friendship with Nikki.
The weight of the secret she had been keeping for months pressed heavily on her and at this moment, there was nothing she wanted more than to be able to tell Ashley. What Kristen had with Robert was wonderful and unlike anything she’s ever experienced before and she longed to be able to just talk about it with someone. Someone who would be genuinely happy for her.
Robert walked into the room and was about to walk over to her when Nikki intercepted him, handing him a beer and pulling him down onto the seat next to her. Kristen could see the frustration in his eyes when he looked at her but she just smiled weakly and looked glumly down at her food, which she now had no more appetite for.
“Jackson and I are going to leave,” Ashley said, laying a hand gently on her shoulder. “Do you want to ride back with us?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I’d like that. Thanks.”
Nikki was obviously tipsy and well on her way to drunk, she was leaning in dangerously close to Rob with one hand on his shoulder while she pretended to listen raptly to his conversation with Kellan. Robert’s entire body was stiff and tense while he politely humored Nikki and at the same time tried to ignore her.
Kristen stood up with Ashley and Jackson. She caught Rob’s eye and tipped her head to the side, telling him that she was leaving. His forehead wrinkled and he begged her with his eyes to get him out of there but she could see no way of springing him without causing drama from a drunken Nikki. She shrugged helplessly and reluctantly followed Ashley and Jackson out.
Later, Kristen paced up and down her room. Her bed was calling to her but she was too wound up to even think of sleeping now. She needed Rob, she had already spent too many nights without him by her side.
There was a knock on the door and she rushed to get it. Rob was on the other side and drew her into his arms immediately.
“Finally alone,” he said into her hair.
“Finally,” she agreed, breathing him in and feeling that calming effect that only he seemed to have on her. “I was wondering if you’d even be able to get away.”
“Yeah, well, Nikki’s like a pincher crab. Once she’s got her claws in she doesn’t let go.”
Kristen sighed and followed him into the bedroom. “I’m really getting tired of her.”
Rob looked at her a moment and then, to her surprise, smiled. “Oh thank god. The truth is, I think Nikki is fucking annoying and I’ve never said anything because she’s your best friend.”
“But…Then how come you hang out with her so much? All those concerts and clubs you guys used to go to in LA?”
He shrugged. “I started inviting her to stuff because I thought she might bring you. By the time that I caught on that she never would, she’d already made friends with most of my friends over there.”
Kristen flopped onto the bed and started laughing. “Ohhh.”
He sat down beside her. “What?”
“Do you know how jealous I used to get whenever Nikki blabbered on about all of her outings with you, about how she was meeting all of your friends? She’d go on for hours about it,” she frowned. “God, looking back on it now, it was almost like she was rubbing it in that she was in your life and I wasn’t.”
Rob leaned over her and kissed her forehead. “Forget about it. You were always on my mind.”
“Really?” She asked in a small voice. God, she hated how insecure she got over him.
“Every minute, every day.”
Kristen pulled him down on top of her, kissing him fully for the first time, she realized, in over a month. As his soft, warm lips parted hers and his weight pressed her down onto the mattress, she knew that this feeling wasn’t something that she ever planned on taking for granted.
-
In retrospect, she could admit that they weren’t careful enough. They could even be called stupid and reckless. It certainly wasn’t the way she had ever pictured people finding out.
It happened gradually.
Two weeks into filming, Kristen barged into the make-up trailer out of breath. She had to rush to get to set because her morning shower with Rob went on a tad too long.
Ashley sat in one of the chairs, her wig in place, getting the finishing touches on her make-up done.
Kristen sank into the chair beside her.
“Never thought I’d see Kristen Stewart running late,” Ashley said, amusement glittering in her eyes.
“Yeah. I, uh, slept through my alarm clock.”
She fidgeted with the too long sleeves of her shirt, they completely obscured her hands. Ashley noticed.
“You and Rob really love plaid, huh?”
Kristen started. “What?”
“Your shirt looks familiar.”
She looked at her reflection in the mirror. In her hurry she had grabbed the first shirt she saw on the closet floor and of course it had to be the black and grey plaid shirt that Rob wore all the fucking time. Kristen could see the wheels turning in Ashley’s head, it had to be better to say something than to let her imagination run wild.
“It’s Rob’s,” she admitted. “We were rehearsing lines in his trailer the other night and I got cold so he let me borrow this.”
“Oh, that’s sweet.”
Kristen smiled wanly.
A week later Rob had been invited to a “boy’s night” with Kellan and Jackson. It normally wouldn’t be a big deal but Kristen had been working consistent late nights that past week with Taylor and his double and they weren’t doing scenes that she particularly enjoyed. It was her first night off in awhile and she really wanted to enjoy it with her boyfriend.
So she did something reckless and very stupid. She went up to Kellan and Jackson at craft services and asked if she could borrow Robert that night because they needed to rehearse some scenes. Kellan looked like he was going to protest but Jackson nudged him in the stomach with a knowing look.
A Cheshire grin spread across Kellan’s face. “And what do you plan to rehearse tonight, Kristen? The bedroom scene, perhaps? That’s supposed to be quite steamy from what I’ve read.”
“How about the proposal?” Jackson asked. “Oh no, wait. Rob’s been practicing that for two years, he should have it perfected by now.”
“He’s finally going to get her to say yes at least,” Kellan laughed.
“Yeah, only because she wants to jump his bones and he won’t do it unless she marries him first.”
“Now Kristen,” Kellan said, looking at her seriously. “You can tell us. Do you have the same problem with Rob? Will he not seal the deal until he’s hitched?”
“Yeah, because the way he’s been acting around girls lately makes us wonder,” Jackson put in.
“Dude, remember that blonde with the boobs that was practically throwing herself on him and he wouldn’t even look at her?”
“Yeah. He was staring into his beer bottle the whole night like this,” Jackson used his plastic cup to mime Rob staring impassively into his beer bottle.
“I’ve been telling you for the longest time,” Kellan shoved Jackson’s shoulder. “The guy is a eunuch. And that,” he turned back to Kristen. “Is why we cannot surrender him to you tonight. The guy obviously has a broken dick and as his friends, Jackson and I are determined to keep taking him out until he finds a girl hot enough to fix it.”
“Unless,” Jackson smirked. “You plan to offer your own services.”
Kellan sniggered.
Kristen stared them down until they stopped laughing.
“Two things,” she said when they had gone quiet. “One, you’re both disgusting idiots. Two, keep talking to me like that and I will tie your testicles together.”
Kellan started to laugh again but quickly stopped, turning it into a weak cough that pathetically tapered off. Kristen felt a deep satisfaction at the scared shitless looks on their faces. No one can say that she didn’t earn her bitch rep, at least.
“I get Rob tonight,” she said. “Enjoy your lunch boys.”
A few hours later Rob walked into her trailer.
“Why have I been disinvited to boy’s night?” He grinned.
Kristen pressed a pillow over her face. “I may have done something stupid,” she mumbled.
Rob grabbed the pillow and sprawled out on the couch with his head on her lap.
“You could have just told me you didn’t want me to go and I would have told them myself to fuck off.”
“And what would have been their response to that?”
“They’d take the mickey out of me for days for being a pussy.”
“Exactly. Isn’t it more suspicious for you to bail for no reason than for me to drag you away?”
“No, they’ll just think something crass either way,” Rob smirked.
“They won’t say anything though. I’ve got them by the balls,” she said confidently, her fingers running through his hair.
“So I heard. You scared the fuck out of them,” he propped himself up on his elbows to kiss her.
“I am a bitch,” she smiled against his lips. “And they did say something interesting.”
She maneuvered herself on top of him so that she was straddling his stomach. He groaned at her new position, placing his hands on her hips.
“What is that?”
“Something about a blonde with boobs and how you wouldn’t look at her?” Kristen placed her hands on either side of his head so that she was leaning over him completely.
He thought hard. “I don’t remember that.”
She rolled her eyes. “You don’t remember a girl throwing herself at you?”
“Honestly?” He reached up to tuck her hair behind her ears. “I know this is going to sound corny and lame but when I’m out with the guys, I’m just counting down the minutes until I can go home to you.”
Her chest swelled with emotion and she had to bury her face in his neck to hide the wetness pooling in her eyes. The thing about Robert was that he could say the cheesiest, corniest things and yet he was such an open, wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve type of person that she could never ever doubt his sincerity. His eyes always gave him away, the open adoration that he could never hide often baffled Kristen. And never failed to make her wonder just what she had done to deserve this man.
“Hey,” Rob said gently. “I can feel that, you know.”
He pulled her head up so that he could look at her. He brushed away a lone tear as it trickled down her cheek.
“What I said isn’t that bad, is it?” He joked.
“No,” Kristen whispered. “You’re perfect. Just…perfect.”
She captured his lips in hers, kissing him with everything she felt but couldn’t say. There were three words on the tip of her tongue, words that she knew that she felt with every fiber of her being but she was too scared to say. Every time she thought she was building the courage to say it, her palms got sweaty, her brain short circuited and stopped sending messages to her mouth which rendered her unable to speak without sounding like she had some mental deficiency. It was not unlike what happened to her during interviews or when she had to speak in front of crowds of people. Except that Kristen thought she’d rather face a dozen reporters or a thousand fans than risk laying herself on the line in front of Rob like that. She just couldn’t do it, not yet.
For now this would have to do. She couldn’t tell him what she felt but she could show him. As she peeled off her clothes and moved on top of him, she knew that all of the desire and adoration she saw in his eyes were perfectly reflected in hers.
Two days later Ashley walked into her trailer during a break in filming.
“Hey Ash,” she said. “Want to keep running lines?”
“No,” she sat down carefully on the counter, across from Kristen’s position on the couch. “I’m here to talk, actually.”
“Okay…” Kristen said slowly.
“Are you dating Rob?”
She felt like she had the wind knocked out of her. She stared up at Ashley, refusing to believe that she had just heard her ask what she did.
“I know it’s none of my business,” Ashley said quickly. “I’m just asking because I’ve been noticing some things and…well, I’m curious. And I thought that maybe you’d want to talk about it with someone, if you’re dating Rob. Or even if you’re not.”
Kristen rubbed her forehead. Her impulse was to say “No, I’m not dating Rob.” It was what she should say but somehow she couldn’t bring herself to lie. She didn’t want to deny Rob, she wasn’t ashamed of him, they weren’t doing anything wrong by being in a relationship. It was unprofessional, maybe, but it wasn’t wrong. And the truth was, Ashley was right. She did need someone to talk to. There are just things in life that a girl needs to be able to talk about with her friends. And having a wonderful, gorgeous, secret boyfriend was one of them.
“If I said no, would you believe me?”
“I could pretend to believe you. But if you really don’t want to talk about it then I’ll leave it alone and I won’t say anything. To anyone.”
“Okay. Then yes,” Kristen said, looking her in the eye. “I’m dating Rob.”
Ashley squealed and clapped her hands together. “Finally! Since when? Who knows? Who made the first move? Are you going to tell people?”
The questions came out in rapid fire speed and Kristen held her hands up against the barrage. Ashley took a deep breath.
“Sorry,” she said.
“I’ll answer your questions but first, I have one for you. What did you mean earlier when you said you’ve noticed things?”
Ashley smiled. “Just bits and pieces I’ve been putting together. Like how Rob lights up whenever you walk into a room. That’s not anything new, he’s always done that but I’ve noticed that your effect on him seems to be more long lasting now. Like before, whenever you left, whatever calming effect you had on him would leave with you but now he’s different. He’s more at ease. Kind of like he’s secure that you’ll be together again soon, you know?”
Kristen ran a hand through her hair, trying to hide her pleasure that someone could observe something like this.
“And then there’s the change between the two of you,” Ashley continued. “You guys have more in jokes than ever! Cryptic things that only the two of you understand. And you don’t argue so much anymore. You guys still bicker like an old married couple but that’s exactly it. An old married couple. I haven’t seen you get genuinely angry at Rob in awhile. When we were filming Twilight, you would get so mad at him and he would follow you around either groveling or just saying things to piss you off even more. I’m guessing that tension is being worked off in other ways now?” She smirked.
Kristen blushed.
“And I do have something conclusive,” Ashley said seriously. “Something that kind of confirmed my theory. It’s actually why I’m talking to you now. I wasn’t going to say anything because you guys haven’t said anything and if you want to keep it a secret then I’m sure you have your reasons. But I think you need to be more careful. The other day, I came over here to talk to you and I heard…things. Things that told me that you were otherwise occupied.”
“Oh god…” Kristen groaned, burying her face in her hands.
“Yeah, this trailer isn’t soundproof. Are you okay?”
“I’m just…mortified right now.”
“It could have been worse. I could have walked in on you.”
Kristen looked up at her and they just stared at each other for a couple of seconds before they both burst out laughing.
“Okay…” Ashley said. “I’d come over there but you’ve probably had sex on that couch and just…eww.”
Kristen blushed again but at the same time she couldn’t wipe the smirk off her face. This couch had seen much action, indeed.
“But, come on! You have to answer my questions now!” Ashley almost bounced with excitement.
“Fine, I’ll answer them. But you have to ask slowly.”
“When did it start?”
“When Rob came back to film his scenes for New Moon.”
Ashley’s jaw dropped. “Like, right when he came back?”
“He came over to my place before he even set foot in his own apartment. Michael and I had been over for a couple months.”
“I remember. But…this means you guys were together when we were in Italy!”
Kristen smiled, recalling their time in Italy and how romantic it had been. She and Rob had made a lot of good memories in their all too brief time there.
“How could I have missed it? Is that why you were never anywhere to be found whenever Dakota and I wanted to go sightseeing?”
“I guess I was just too busy enjoying other sights,” Kristen grinned.
“Oh!” Ashley made a face and covered her eyes, as if that would help her block out the mental picture.
Kristen found herself relaxing, enjoying being able to talk about this with someone.
“Do you have anymore questions? We’re going to be called back soon.”
“Who knows?”
“Just both of our families and, you know, our teams. No one else. None of our friends know.”
“That must be hard,” she said sympathetically.
“I won’t lie, it was exciting at first. It still is sometimes. Having this secret all to ourselves. But then, sneaking around does get tiring.”
“When are you going to tell people?”
“I don’t know. As tiring as it is to have to hide this, having to endure public scrutiny will probably just be worse,” Kristen sighed heavily. “I’m not sure we’re ready. Or that I’m ready.”
Ashley nodded in understanding.
“Do you think other people suspect?” Kristen asked.
“I think that some people wonder why the two of you haven’t hooked up yet since you and Michael have been broken up for awhile,” Ashley thought hard. “I don’t know…I really can’t say. I can tell you that the boys are really really dense,” she laughed.
“It’s funny because Jackson, Kellan and Cam actually made a bet back on Twilight on when you and Rob would hook up. Cam isn’t around anymore but I doubt that Jackson and Kellan even remember the specifics of what they bet on. Which is too bad, now that you think about it.”
“We’ve had problems with those two, actually. They keep insisting on taking Rob out. And I don’t mind that at all but with the schedules we have, our personal time together is already so limited…”
Ashley held up a hand. “Say no more. I can help you with that.”
“Ash, you don’t have to-”
“No no, I’ll take care of the doofuses. It’s no problem, they’re both incredibly easy to distract. Just tell me when they’re being a problem.”
Kristen smiled at her. “Thank you.”
Ashley waved her off.
“No, really. Thank you. It feels good to talk to someone about this,” she admitted.
“Just remember what I said about being careful,” Ashley said gently. “Next time it might not be me that hears you.”
Kristen swallowed, understanding her implication. A part of her still felt defensive of Nikki and almost felt compelled to say something. She had been a good friend to her during the most hectic, stressful period of her life and even though they were growing apart, Kristen still felt a sense of loyalty to her. But then, the bigger part of her knew that if Nikki found out about her and Robert, she would not be sitting here, happily pressing her for details like Ashley. She had a feeling that it would be the true end of her friendship with Nikki and she resented that because Nikki had no real claim on Rob. Sure, she crushed on him and Kristen knew that but it was also no secret between them that she had feelings for Rob, feelings that she couldn’t act on when she was with Michael. She shouldn’t have to shoulder the blame for Rob choosing her.
Ashley sighed happily. “I’m so happy for you guys! It really is about time.”
“Ash?”
“Yeah?”
“You should know, we’ve also done it on that counter.”
Ashley jumped up. “Ah!”
Kristen laughed.
“Is there anywhere in here that’s safe?”
She looked around. “No.”
“That good, huh?”
Kristen stood up. “And that is our cue to go back on set.”
“I will get you to spill details someday, Stewart,” Ashley warned, following her out of the trailer.
“Only if you return the favor, Greene,” she taunted.
Ashley actually blushed. A really bright red that she got scolded for in the make-up trailer. Kristen wasn’t the only one with a secret on set. Except that Ashley’s wasn’t really all that secret.
That weekend it all came crashing down. Kristen supposed that it was bound to happen sooner or later.
For weeks Rob had been excited about a show that his friends Sam Bradley and Bobby Long were doing. Sam had been living in Vancouver for awhile and Bobby was flying out and Rob was eager to introduce Kristen to them. He had arranged for them to watch the show from backstage because he didn’t want to cause a fuss by showing up.
The two of them often debated about whose fault it was. Kristen thought that if Rob had just paid a fraction of attention to what Nikki was saying then none of it would have happened. Rob argued that if she wasn’t looking so beautiful while talking to Taylor then he might have paid more attention. Possibly. It was Nikki after all and Rob kept saying that his patience for her was growing thinner and thinner everyday.
Nikki had come up to him during a break in filming. Rob could remember only the words ‘concert’ and ‘Saturday night’ before claiming that he got distracted by Kristen taking off her over overcoat a couple of feet away. He could see the dip of her cleavage in her v-neck shirt which set off fantasies that had made Kristen flush when he described them. Rob quickly made up an excuse to Nikki about why he wasn’t available Saturday night, walked over and stole Kristen away from Taylor and promptly forgot about the conversation.
Which brought them to that night.
They arrived early at the gig but they could see as they drove by that a line had already formed outside the club. Kristen was feeling jittery, she had never really met any of Rob’s friends before. At least not in a setting where she could actually hold a conversation with them. Rob had insisted on being able to introduce her as his girlfriend, saying that even if he didn’t, they would be able to tell anyway and assured Kristen that they could keep their mouths shut.
He directed the cab driver to the back parking lot and held her hand as they got out.
“Are you alright?” He asked. “You’ve been quiet.”
Kristen looked down at their intertwined fingers and then up at him. “Will they like me?”
Robert gently pushed her up against the wall of the building so that her back was pressed to it and he hovered over her, his hands on either side of her head.
“Stop being ridiculous,” he said. “They will love you. They’ll absolutely adore you…like I do.”
“So they’ve liked all your girlfriends?” She said skeptically.
“No…”
“But you just said that they’ll like me because you do but that’s not necessarily true because I assume you liked all of your past girlfriends and they haven’t liked all of them so that means there’s still a possibility they won’t like me…”
He cut her off by pressing his lips to hers, kissing her deeply. Kristen’s arms wrapped around his neck, one hand reaching up to clutch his hair. He kissed her until her knees gave way and she was gasping for breath when he pulled away.
“Relax,” Rob whispered. “They’ll love you, I know it.”
He held her until both of their breaths evened out.
“Ready to go in?”
She nodded.
He opened the backstage door and they walked into a lounge with a couch, a couple of armchairs and a long table by the wall that was filled with empty pizza boxes and beer cans. There were about a dozen people in the room and Robert led her straight to two guys on the couch. One of them was tuning a guitar while the other was talking to a girl who was practically sitting on his lap.
“Rob!” The guy with the girl jumped up and hugged him.
Kristen stood back and watched while Rob greeted his friends, it was like watching him come home. The way he talked to them, his smile, his laugh…She liked seeing him this happy. Rob turned to her and held out his hand, inviting her into his world. She smiled and let him pull her to his side.
“This is my girlfriend Kristen,” he said and she beamed at the pride in his voice. “This is Bobby,” he gestured to the guy who had the guitar. “This is Sam and his girlfriend Mary.”
“Girlfriend?” Sam said in surprise. He came over to hug her followed by Bobby.
“You bastard!” Bobby said to Rob. “You didn’t tell us she was your girlfriend!”
“I’m telling you now,” Rob shrugged. “In fact, I’m only telling you.”
“Forgive us,” Sam said to Kristen. “Rob has talked about you a lot but he didn’t us you were dating.”
“It’s a long story, Sam,” Rob said. “Settle down and we’ll tell you.”
He sat down in an armchair and pulled Kristen on his lap. She shifted a little, not used to public displays but he locked his arms around her waist, preventing her from getting up.
“It’s alright,” he whispered in her ear.
They spent the next half hour talking and catching up. Kristen soon relaxed and started to really enjoy herself. It was a different experience talking to people who knew Rob so well, who knew him long before she had even met him.
Sam and Bobby introduced them to the guys in the band and it wasn’t long before they had to start getting ready for the show.
“See,” Rob said when they had left. “You had nothing to worry about.”
She smiled. “Yeah, they’re great.”
“You should meet the rest of the guys in London.”
“I want to,” she turned to face him. “I’m serious, I want to.”
“You know that we’ll have to fly out to London, right?”
“Then take me to London,” she said.
His thumb rubbed her cheek, his eyes unbelievably tender.
“I mean, not right now,” she put in quickly. “We have to work, obviously. But soon. Whenever you’re ready.”
“Kristen, I would love nothing more than to take you home with me,” he said with such emotion that it made her heart skip a beat. “As soon as possible.”
She kissed him, losing herself in him as his lips parted beneath hers. She could ignore the progressively growing noise from the front of the club as all of the people were let in, she could ignore the flurry of busy movement all around them as the band got ready. Nothing else existed except the man beneath her.
Until she heard a familiar female voice exclaim “Oh my god!”, followed by an “Oh shit!” by an also familiar male voice.
Kristen reluctantly looked up to see Nikki, Kellan, Jackson, Ashley and Taylor staring down at them, expressions of pure shock on their faces. For a minute no one said anything.
“What are you guys doing here?” Rob asked.
“I told you that we’d be here, that we wanted to see your friends. I’d wondered why you didn’t seem to want to make the effort to do the same. I see now that you were just lying to me. You both were,” Nikki said, sparing Kristen a disdainful glance before walking away.
“Nikki, wait!” Kristen called out, jumping off of Rob’s lap and following her out of the back door.
“Nikki!”
She turned around and walked back to Kristen.
“How long?” She demanded.
“A couple of months.”
“Months?” She said disbelievingly. “Months and you kept this from me? Your best friend?”
“We couldn’t tell anyone, not really.”
“And yet you have no problem making out backstage. Obviously his friends know about you.”
“Nikki, I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what? Sorry for taking the guy you knew that I liked? Or sorry for not even having the decency to tell me about it?”
“I am sorry, Nikki,” she said softly. “But you know that if you were in my position you would have done the exact same thing.”
“But I’m not in your position, am I? Because I’m not perfect little Kristen.”
Nikki walked away and she let her go. The secret was officially out.