Silver Springs // Fleetwood Mac

My phone rings from across the hotel room as I'm getting out of the shower. I'm halfway dried off as I wrap the towel around my waist and rush to grab it. Colleen's name flashing has my heart racing. She doesn't call me, I call her. Something's wrong.

"Hello?" My voice is strained needing to know what the problem is so I can get to solving it. Fixing it. My mind is already racing with plans for flights and calls to the local police. I don't tense under pressure the way I'm tensing right now. My training keeps me calm. Logical. But this is different.

"Is your caller ID not working?" She teases with a hint of laughter in her voice. "Didn't you see it was me?" Colleen's voice is the opposite of mine. Light and airy. Like bells.

"Um, yeah I saw." I roll my neck, stretching the tension away so I can gain control over these runaway thoughts. Stop freaking the fuck out. What the hell is wrong with me? "That's why I was shocked. You don't usually call me."

"Because I never know if you'll be available." She laughs again. Bells. "My schedule is wide open working here alone all day so you can call whenever you have a chance. And with Brianna on this tour as well, there's really no one around. I thought I'd try and see if I got lucky."

That last line is quiet. I feel her loneliness through the phone, and it kills me. Finally forcing levity in my voice, I attempt to joke with her.

"Hmm, you got lucky all right." I wander back into the bathroom to finish drying off, now that my heart rate has returned to normal and my fight or flight has shut off. Cradling the phone against my shoulder, I turn on the faucet. I feel like a fucking idiot.

"Is this an okay time to talk?"

"Sure, why do you ask?" And here's the fight or flight making a return. What does she need to talk about? That's never good, is it?

"Oh, it sounded like you might have been in the bathroom. I heard the water running."

"Well, yeah. I just got out of the shower. But I can talk."

"Oh." Colleen clears her throat. "Yeah, so how's it going? Are things crazy? Did you apprehend any stalkers, yet?"

"Yet? Do you know something I don't?"

"Haha, no. But with Brianna's history..." Colleen leaves the rest unspoken but we both know what she's talking about.

"Right. It's not exactly a stretch is it." I put the phone on speaker and lean it against the mirror so I can dry my hair with my towel.

"No. Occupational hazard, I guess. I could never."

Good point.

"In my professional opinion, it really is an occupational hazard. One that keeps me paying my mortgage." Her comment makes me think of her safety, especially with the dark mental tornado her call sent me through. I should hesitate to ask, knowing what I have Frank working on, but end up saying it anyway.

"Has anyone ever had stalker tendencies with you?" I don't want to think Rosshole is actually a threat, but I don't want to brush off the gut feeling I have about the guy.

"Well, no. Not really."

Fuck.

"Not making me feel better, Colleen."

I hear her deep sigh. It eats away at the remaining doubt Ross is an issue.

"My ex had a hard time accepting when we were done. But it's fine. He got the message, finally."

"Still not making me relax." Instead, now I'm pretty much adding his mugshot to my L.A. team's list of faces to watch out for. "When exactly did he 'finally' get the message?"

"When I moved here. I'd come home from college and he thought that was the sign I should give him a second chance. I turned him down a few times and then didn't need to because now I live here."

I drop a weighted silence which says everything I'm not physically able to say. Colleen may have just created a monster. Me.

"It's fine. I promise. He hasn't tried again. Really."

Too much protesting, in my opinion. She's holding something back and part of me wants to push her to tell me what it is. But a bigger part of me realizes she needs to feel safe telling me and that's what I want most.

I want her trust as much as I want her safe.

"Will you promise me something?" I lean closer to the phone, pressing my elbows onto the bathroom counter as though it will bring me closer to her. "Tell me if anything comes up. If he calls or tries contacting you, somehow."

"Of course. But he's old news, really."

"If you say so."

But I don't feel any better. In fact, I might even feel a little worse.

***

Two days later I'm lying in bed with my head spinning. My brain is spiraling with all the possibilities where Rosshole is concerned. When I checked in with Frank, he said Ross has stayed quiet, not throwing any red flags. But in my opinion, silence in itself is a red flag. A guy who acts entitled in every part of life goes radio silent? That spells trouble.

I should be sleeping but I'm too wired. It's early enough back home I decide to give Colleen a call, reassure myself.

It rings a few times before she answers. Her muffled hello has me sitting up.

"Colleen? What's wrong?"

"What?"

"Are you okay?

"Hmm, yeah. Fine."

I look at my phone as if I can see her through it. I hit the video call button because I need to see for myself.

"Accept the call." I mutter as it waits to connect. Finally, the chime rings to signal the switch.

"What's wrong?" Colleen's voice comes through, but the picture is dark and grainy.

"That's what I want to know. Where are you?"

"Sleeping."

Oh shit. "Damn, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." I check the time and do the math. It's still early there. Much earlier than she usually goes to sleep.

"It's okay. I fell asleep reading. Wild times over here."

I lay back down on my side, propping the phone against a pillow and gazing at the top of her head. I can barely make out the rumpled sheets covering her up.

"Are you sure you're in there somewhere? All I see is a pile of pillows and blankets."

A hand rises from the blankets through the screen, pulling them down and away from her face just enough for me to make out her eyes and forehead.

"What are you hiding under all that?"

Colleen rolls her eyes, pulling the blankets all the way off. "I have sleepy face and bed head."

"And?"

"And I didn't want you to see it."

I tilt my head. "What's wrong with sleepy face and bed head?"

"Ugh, fine." Colleen pulls everything away and gives me a bug-eyed, puffer face.

"Ah, there she is." I laugh.

"Funny. There should be a law against a guy friend forcing a girl to show her sleep face." Colleen shakes her head before throwing it back against her pillow. Her casual reference to me as a guy friend hits like brick. I don't like it on instinct, but how can I complain? That's what I am.

A friend.

But my feelings lately are not very friendly.

I can admit I'm feeling protective. Possessive. Even a little needy. And I don't know how to reel it all back in.

I'm not sure I even want to.

"That's exactly who a girl should feel okay showing her sleep face to, though. A friend." I wonder if she hears the unspoken part of my declaration. That I'm more than a friend if she's having a hard time looking a little disheveled around me.

"Maybe," she mumbles. I turn on my side to prop the phone against the pillow. Almost immediately, Colleen does the same. It's like we're lying next to each other in bed, late at night, having a quiet and highly private conversation.

My heart races at the realization that I want it to be true. Damn it, I want that more than I dare admit to her. I can barely admit it to myself.

"What's got you up so late," she asks with a yawn. I feel bad for waking her.

"Couldn't shut off my brain. I figured you'd be up. I'm sorry I woke you."

I make out a hint of a smile in the dim light of her room.

"I really don't mind. Wake me anytime."

Both of us fall silent, our eyes making contact through the cameras of our phones. Weighted, serious, poor decision making eye contact. I'm hit with the words Ryan said not long ago about questionable phone sex and suddenly I'm imagining it. I close my eyes on reflex, needing to break the connection before I step over the line.

The line that's practically invisible.

"Where'd you go?" she asks.

"I'm here." I whisper, eyes still closed.

"I wish you were."

I open my eyes. "What?"

This time, Colleen closes her eyes. "I wish you were here." Then even quieter. "I miss you so much." The picture on my phone is too grainy to tell, but I think I see a tear slip across her nose while she's still lying on her side.

"Baby." I don't even try to stop the term of affection from spilling out. "You'll be here soon. Just another couple weeks until the mid-tour break. You and Katie will be on that plane before you know it."

She nods, eyes still closed. More tears run across her nose and onto the pillow.

"What if," she starts but then nothing more.

"You come now." I finish for her. "I'll send you a ticket. Fly out tomorrow. Ride with me." Brianna will be fine with it and now, out of the blue, I need this woman on a plane to me.

Her eyes fly open. "Are you serious?" I see fear where I should see acceptance.

"Do you not want to come?" And now I'm fucking nervous. Did I jump to conclusions?

She rolls to her back, pushing her chin up as her head drops down. "I do. I want to fly to wherever," she pauses. "To meet up with you all. Is that crazy? Is that...too desperate?"

The clue I needed. She's wondering if I'm inviting her out of pity.

"Look at me." I demand. Colleen shifts her eyes to me but not her body. "Fully, baby. Turn all the way toward me."

Colleen complies but I sense her reluctance. Although I think it's more out of self-preservation than anything else. I decide I'm going to say the most vulnerable thing I've ever said to anyone. I've jumped so far over the line at this point there isn't one anymore.

"I fucking need you to get on that plane. Do you hear me?"

Colleen nods, a look of disbelief in her eyes.

"We'll figure out the rest when you get here. But get on the damn plane tomorrow and I'll be waiting for you when you get here."

She doesn't say another word, but the look of relief in her eyes tells me I made the right call.

I just hope I don't fuck this up before it even starts.

Told you things would start getting warmer. The heat is on its way. I'm talking tension, angsty wanting...GAH! I can't wait to get to the next chapter. WHEN SHE GETS OFF THE PLANE!

Okay, I took a few deep breaths after picturing what's about to go down (pun intended lol). I might get a little spicy with this one y'all. Be warned.

And hear me out. Silver Springs is what Clinton is trying to avoid. He doesn't want to lose the woman he's just figuring out he can't live without. Silver Springs is his nightmare. That's the motivation to jump the line.

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To @agggt_reading  thank you so much for including the Not Another Hollywood Story in your IG reel of favorite Wattpad books! This chapter is especially for you!