part 3

Heather walked to and fro in the restroom. She hadn't received a call OR text from Marcus. She didn't know what was happening right now. Cause she was stucked in this stupid restroom. The adoring crowd outside wasn't helping the situation. She thought about just going outside and letting them tear her apart, but she couldn't. Maybe if they saw her face, they'd let her go? But everyone would want a piece of Miss H for themselves. And doesn't think they'd let her go. She just wants to find her Alex.

When Alex made it outside. The place was busy and full of people. He spotted Caius just a few steps away, heading toward a black car which just pulled over. This was it. His chance. He ran toward him, his small hand outstretched, ready to tug at Caius's coat.

"Whoa, buddy," Marcus's deep voice said as he held Alex firmly. "What are you doing?" Marcus's strong arms lifted him off the ground

"Let me go!" Alex shouted, wriggling in Marcus's grip.

He used his small fists to hit Marcus, but Marcus held him securely.

"I need to talk to him!"

Caius paused just as he was about to step into the car. He turned slightly, his eyes landed on the boy struggling with the security man.

"Daddy!" Alex yelled, "Daddy, help! Let go of me! I want to see my daddy!"

Daddy?

Caius's brow furrowed as he looked at the boy. For a moment, he couldn't take his eyes off this scene. At first, he thought it was a fan, that's why he paused, but the boy just called him daddy. He was only used to Asher calling him daddy.

Is this child confusing him for his father?

His security team murmured something to him, urging him to move. Caius blinked. His face returned to its usual stoic calm. He turned and stepped into the car without a word.

"Daddy!" Alex shouted again, his voice cracked as Marcus began carrying him away. "Daddy, wait!"

Marcus glanced at Caius's car briefly, then turned his focus back to Alex. "Come on, buddy," his tone was apologetic, "We need to go."

Alex continued to struggle. He watched the car pulled away. His small body went limp with disappointment and his arms fell to his sides.

Marcus sighed. He adjusted his grip as he carried him back into the building.

...

Heather was still upstairs. She assessed her options. She was still waiting for Marcus's text to come through. And so it did.

*He's with me.*

Heather exhaled deeply. She leaned against the restroom wall. Her heart pounded in her chest. She couldn't stay here much longer. The crowd outside grew louder. More persistent. She was thinking of a solution. She glanced at the restroom window. It was high and narrow, but it wasn't impossible. She moved closer, putting her head out. When she saw just how far the ground was, her stomach dropped. She couldn't jump. Not from this height.

Her eyes moved around the room until she spotted a vent near the floor. It was small but just large enough for her to crawl through. She bent down, pulling at the grate until it came loose. She slid into the vent. She hoped it would lead her to a safer exit.

She reached an opening and pushed the grate aside. She tumbled out, only to find herself just behind the crowd she'd been trying to avoid.

She froze. Her sunglasses slipped slightly down her nose. The fans were still near the restroom entrance. Heather took a deep breath, pulling her sunglasses back into place. She stepped out cautiously, tiptoeing to the opposite direction.

She turned to a corner, but accidentally bumped into a young girl holding an ice cream cone. The cold treat fell to the floor with a splat. The girl stared down at it, her lip quivering, before looking up at Heather. Her eyes grew wide, then turned back to the mess on the floor.

Luck wasn't on Heather's side

"My ice cream!" she screamed, pointing accusingly at Heather.

Heather winced.

"I'm so sorry," she said quickly, reaching for her purse. "Here, let me..."

The girl's cries already drew the attention of a nearby woman, her mother, who turned at the sound. Her eyes widened as they landed on Heather.

"Oh my!" the woman exclaimed, clutching her chest. "Miss H!"