Fatal Temptation (12 page)

Now, she feels at home.

One year later…

“Oh my god, how do you even handle this?” Valerie leans over to whisper to Sadie, sitting beside her nervously in the auditorium seat. “I’m pissing myself over here!”

Sadie laughs and playfully punches her in the leg. “Just relax. You’re going to
cause a scene.”

“Me? Cause a scene? Girl, you know it takes me half a bottle of tequila to cause a scene. Until then, I will keep my clothes. I promise.”

Sadie nearly laughs out loud, having to restrict her laughter as people around them start shushing them with their fingers. The two women sit anxiously in the middle of the packed Downtown Opera House, waiting for the next performance.

“When do they go on?” Valerie asks again, for the hundredth time now in the past thirty seconds.

“Will you just relax?” Sadie is quick to shut her up, feeling the nerves swell in her body all thanks to her scatterbrained friend. “Now, you’re making me nervous.”

“So, how are things?”

Sadie starts laughing at Valerie’s constant changes in behavior. “So, we are doing small talk now?”

“Shut up,” Valerie is quick on her heels. “I’m just so bloody nervous, I could use some distraction. How’s downtown living?”

“Great,” Sadie begins, her eyes darting between the stage and Valerie. “Ling loves it.”

“Everything with Chris is smoothed over?”

Sadie nods, breathing a huge sigh of relief. “House is sold, papers are signed. We are done. Life couldn’t be more perfect.”

“
Yeah, no shit,” Valerie playfully teases, pinching at Sadie’s cheeks. “I swear, you constantly wear sex glow like every freaking time I see you. Must be nice having the perfect life.”

Sadie can feel her cheeks reddening as Valerie teases with her, rubbing
away the sweat forming on her brow from being grilled by her bestie. “It’s nice. Really nice.”

“I’m happy for you, Sade. You really do deserve it.”

Sadie looks at her, placing her hand on Val’s leg.

Val smiles, wrapping her fingers around Sadie’s hand, feeling closer to her than she ever has before.
“Doesn’t everything feel amazing?”

Sadie nods again, putting her attention onto the stage. “It couldn’t be better.”

Then, the lights dim low and the announcer comes on over the PA system, a familiar voice to Sadie and one that started it all for their daughter.

“And now, for our grand finale. Please, welcome to the stage, award-wining performer, Miss. Ling Cooper, accompanied on the piano by her father, Mr. Asher Banks.”

Sadie and Valerie clap as loud as they can, Valerie even blows an obnoxious whistle through her fingers and lips, Sadie quick to stop her and shush her again.

Ling walks onto the stage, looking much taller than she did the firs
t time she ever graced the spotlight and Asher follows her, looking rather dapper in his finest tuxedo.

“Holy shit,” Valerie whispers to Sadie as they both take their seats. “You are seriously engaged to the hottest man in the world.”

Sadie blushes again, ignoring Valerie and instead, admiring her family up on that stage, love radiating from every ounce in her body.

Ling steps up the microphone, bowing before the audience one last time. “
Thank you all for coming tonight. This song is dedicated to my mom, because without her, my dad and I wouldn’t know what real love is.”

The crowd applauds as Sadie does her best to fight back the tears, but the same cannot be said for Valerie, who is nearly a bawling, babbling mess.

Sadie looks towards her, a look of annoyance on her face, when she catches something out of the corner of her eye that makes her blood run cold.

There, in the corner of the theater, all dressed in black with a camera is a familiar figure, his lens focused on her.

Sadie can feel her blood pressure drop the moment her eyes are laid on him. She thought this was over the moment her and Chris ended things. She thought from that point forward, she would always be safe.

The figure stares her down, loweri
ng the camera from his face, even though he is too far away for Sadie to make out his appearance. They lock eyes, momentarily, before the figure darts off, fleeing her sight.

Valerie notices Sadie’s direction change and becomes worried. “What is it Sadie? You look like you have just seen a ghost?”

Sadie is unable to speak, her eyes watching the man dart off into the lobby. “I think I did,” she replies to Valerie.

“I think I did.”

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I’m Ella Morris and I am a mother of two beautiful baby girls. When I’m not pursing my greatest passion of writing, I can usually be found playing house, or being out in the garden with the company of my furry friends, Simon and Garfunkel – my two dogs. I am very family oriented and love spending time with those closest to me. I have a mad chocolate addiction and in my spare time, which feels non-existent, you can find me at any coffee shop trying the latest concoction with extra whipped cream.