Read Black Lily Petals Page 8


  ***

  Two weeks later

  I was in Europe, back on the promotional tour. I was not going to let one hospital visit keep me from working. Every interview I gave soon annoyed me—my hospital incident, was more popular than the film I was promoting.

  “So, tell us why you were in the hospital, Lily?” asked a European interviewer.

  “Hum...”

  “So, police say drugs were a result, is this true?”

  “Um,” I bit my lip puzzled on what to say. I knew nothing about the whole hospital or police event.

  “Well…” When I looked out to the crowd of screaming fans, my heart began to feel heavy—heavier than usual. I never felt that pain before. It was like a stone pushing down—kind of like guilt—but what for. “Well,” was all I could say.

  “Okay then, Carl, back to you.” The cameras shut off and the European interviewer rolled her eyes at me and stormed off into the warm building. “Thanks for saying nothing, Lily.”

  “You did well, baby,” Paul pulled me to go inside.

  “Are you being sarcastic?” I said.

  “No seriously. It’s no one’s business, right?”

  “Right…maybe I should just go home.”

  “No, Lily. Don’t do that.”

  “Fine, I’ll stay here, as long as you stay with me.”

  “Of course,” Paul whispered as he kissed my forehead.

  The rest of the evening, I felt awkward. I did four interviews that day and the same question about my hospital stay came up six times. In addition, the stone in my heart did not go away. I just went to my hotel room and tried to get some sleep. I did not remember any dreams I had, which was good; I just kept on feeling that stone thumping and moving in my heart.

  “What’s wrong?” Paul said when he entered my hotel room.

  “I’m just really under the weather. I’m going to sleep some more,” I said, as my eyes got heavier.

  “Well, I’m going out to eat then. You want something?” he asked as he handed me his leftover coffee.

  “Nah, I’m not hungry.”

  Paul handed me my cell phone and locked the hotel room shut. I listened to him shout for someone down the hall as he left. His words soon became a blur as I went into a deep sleep…