Hollywood Heartthrob (4 page)

Alerted by the extra footsteps, Amy looked out of her classroom door but was too late and saw nothing.

Assuming she was hearing things she returned to the classroom but looked out of the window and frowned as she did.

She was certain that John’s car was in the parking lot.

She positioned herself directly by the window to make sure. Yes, it was definitely his car, there was no mistaking the private number plate of his BMW; ACE 1.

“What the hell is he still doing here?” she grumbled angrily to herself, reaching for her phone.

If he was lurking around the college she’d swiftly tell him to vacate the building before she was due to leave. The last thing she wanted was another awkward encounter with him.

His phone rang but went directly to his voice message, which was unusual, as normally he fell over himself to answer her calls.

Thinking nothing more of it Amy sat down and focused on the task at hand of grading papers.

****

Two hours passed, and when she eventually finished it had grown dark outside. She began to organize her papers when she suddenly remembered John’s car.

Walking over to the window she squinted to inspect the parking lot in the now dim light and saw that his car was no longer there.

“Good,” she thought, “at least he can’t harass me now as I leave.”

Gathering up all her things Amy went to leave, flicking off the lights and stepping out into the hallway.

The college was always eerily quiet at night when everyone had either gone home or returned to their dorms.

Usually Amy enjoyed this peace but today it troubled her. She found herself remembering all the old horror movies she used to sit up late and watch as a teenager, hugging against her friend and screaming as the masked killer inevitably caught up with his unawares victim.

Quickening her pace, Amy was glad to leave the creepy building and come out into the warm evening air.

She was about to head to her car when she caught sight of a large, dark lump on the pavement.

Hesitantly, she drew closer to it for a better look and shrieked when she realized it was a body.

For a moment Amy didn’t know what to do. Then her first aid training kicked in and she dropping all her papers to the floor, not caring as they scattered to the wind. She immediately fell to her knees to help the fallen figure.

Touching their back, a low groan sounded out. Amy was glad to hear the sound as it meant the person was alive.

“Oh my God, are you okay?” Amy asked anxiously.

“Are you hurt?”

All the body could do was groan in pain.

“Did someone run over you?”

“Owww!”

“Here let me move you,” Amy attempted to move the body to a more comfortable position as gently as she could, but the whole time they moaned and winced in pain.

She hadn’t yet looked directly at their face but she could see that there was a lot of blood; her hands were already covered in it.

“It’s okay, I’m here to help,” she reassured the fallen man.

“Just try and stay as still as possible.”

She left him briefly to rummage in her purse for her cell phone.

“Where is it?” she moaned as typically it falls to the bottom, beneath her hair brush, tissues, lip gloss and keys.

“Damn thing…” Amy moaned to herself as she delved deeper; trying to find the long, black sleek design of her cell phone.

“Ah!” Finally victorious and pulled it out and slid the keypad open with her finger.

“Everything is going to be alright,” she told the man.

“I’m going to call the ambulance and get you to the hospital.”

“No!” the voice protested, sounding rugged and hoarse.

“You need medical assistance!” Amy said, shocked that the man would refuse treatment.

“You’re bleeding everywhere! I’m calling an ambulance!”

“No!” the man said again.

“You can say no all you want but I’m calling 911!”

Amy typed the numbers in and raised her phone to her ear when a bloodied hand reached out and grabbed her arm, freezing it in place with frightening strength.

Angered, Amy was about to break free when she looked down and recognized the face of the injured man.

The same eyes had sparkled cheekily at her only a few hours earlier.

“Josh!” she gasped, dropping her phone and raising a hand to her mouth.

“Josh, what happened?”

Josh was barely recognizable. His face was covered in blood and deep lacerations and his nose looked badly bent out of her shape. He’d clearly taken a very severe beating.

“Aww,” Josh cried out, pain making him unable to speak.

“Josh, you need to get to the hospital,” Amy cried, feeling panic rising up inside her.

“No,” Josh wheezed.

“You’re a mess!”

“They can’t see me like this,” he spluttered, his breathing labored as he clutched his chest.

“Who can’t?” Amy asked, but she already knew the answer. The media. Josh lived to play their games, to be the man they wanted him to be.

“That’s just ridiculous!” Amy declared, picking her phone up off the floor and beginning to once more dial for an ambulance.

“Your health is more important than any image ever could be!” she declared angrily.

But then she looked into Josh’s eyes and saw the pain and sadness there. It wasn’t about his image, it was about his pride. Someone had done this to him, had hurt him and reduced him to a bloodied wreck upon the floor. For most men it would be difficult to accept but Josh wasn’t most men, he was the most famous man in the world. Something like this could follow him around for the rest of his life.

Amy slowly lowered her cell and cancelled the call. She had no idea what she’d do with Josh, but knew that she’d at least respect his wishes.

Josh coughed and spluttered as he lay on the ground, his breathing becoming increasingly labored.

“I’m not just going to let you lie here and die!” Amy declared on the brink of tears.

“No…hospital,” Josh managed to say.

His skin was now deathly white as all the color had faded from his face and Amy began to be fearful for his life.

“I’ve got to do something!”

She fretted and tried to decide what to do. She kept glancing around the parking lot, hoping help would magically arrive, but no one came.

If Josh wouldn’t go to the hospital then where could she take him? It was obvious he needed medical help.

Finally she reached a solution – though it was a dubious one.

“I’m taking you to my cousin.”

“Huh?” Josh was starting to lose consciousness.

“He’s a vet,” Amy explained hastily.

“What?” Josh suddenly became more alert on hearing this.

“It’s alright.  He trained to be a doctor before deciding he’d rather save animals than people. He lives about twenty minutes away. Can you hold on that long?”

Unable to speak Josh just nodded.

Now all Amy had to do was get him in her car which was no easy task. Using all her strength she tried to lift him to his feet and move him across the parking lot.

Each movement made him scream out in pain but Amy had no choice but to move him, despite the discomfort it was causing.

“Jeeze, you’re heavy,” she gasped beneath his weight which was now fully resting upon her as she slowly tried to move the ten feet across the tarmac to her car. It felt more like ten miles.

After much panting and grunting on both their parts, Amy finally got to her car and laid Josh down across the back seats.

His eyes were now closed, locked in pain and Amy fretted over whether she’d done the right thing to move him. Maybe her cousin could have just met them there? It was too late now either way.

Retrieving her cell phone and taking a moment to catch her breath, Amy called her cousin to let him know she was coming. As usual she got his voicemail.

“Hi, Matt. It’s Amy. Look I’m coming in with an…emergency. But it’s a bit unusual. I’m sorry to put you out…I’ll explain more when I get there.”

Amy hoped that he got the message before she arrived and felt guilty about putting him out so late at night. She knew she’d definitely have to make it up to him.

****

Driving as quickly as she could, Amy headed for her cousin’s veterinary practice, hoping against hope that he was there working late as he did most nights. A strong work ethic seemed to flow in her family.

All the while Josh moaned and writhed on the back seat and Amy felt her heart racing at the terrifying prospect that either he’d pass out, or the police would pull her over and his cover would be blown.

Pulling up at the vets, Amy drove her car up on to the sidewalk not caring about any potential damage to the paint work.

She ran inside, knowing she didn’t have the strength to move Josh a second time.

“I got your message, what’s wrong?” Matt asked, already waiting for her in the modest lobby area. The bags beneath his eyes told her this wasn’t the only night he’d worked late that week.

“Come to the car,” Amy said quickly.

Matt followed, confused as to why his cousin was so flustered. As far as he knew she didn’t even own a pet.

“Can you help me get him inside?” Amy asked over her shoulder as she threw open the back doors to her car.

“Oh wait…” Matt began to back off, holding his hands out before him. “If you knocked this guy over I’m not helping you patch him up. You need to go to the cops.”

“I didn’t knock him over!” Amy said, appalled at the suggestion. “And if I had, I certainly wouldn’t bring him here to be patched up! You’ve been watching too many TV dramas!”

“So what happened to the guy?” Matt cautiously approached the car and glanced inside.

“I don’t know. I just found him like this on the parking lot at college. I think someone beat him up.”

“Pretty badly by the looks of it.”

Peering in, Matt attempted to make a brief assessment before glancing at the victims face and quickly pivoting around to be level with Amy.

“Is that?” he asked his voice high and excited.

“Calm down!” Amy ordered. “Yes it is. That’s why I’m here. He doesn’t want any publicity.”

“Wow, wait till the kids hear about this!”

“You can’t go telling anyone!” Amy berated. “Not even Jerry and Luca. Can I trust you?”

“Yes, of course.”

Together Amy and Matt carried Josh out of the car and into the veterinary practice. He barely moaned now, his head lolling back and forth lifelessly, like a rag doll as he was maneuvered.

Once in the examination room they lay Josh down on the hard table in the center and Matt hastily began to wash his hands in preparation.