Chapter 50
FIFTY
“I don’t like this,” I grumble, climbing into the car we rented to go to the event center. It’s just a big spare room on Main Street that they have town hall meetings in.
Haven is small as fuck.
“We have to.” Reis grits his teeth, spinning the keys on his finger and climbing into the driver's seat before starting the car and peeling away from the curb quickly.
“We know what we’re going to say?” Kai asks, and I know he just wants to make sure that we’re not accidently exposing Melody more than we already have. People can be nasty, and this dynamic we’re in? It’s unconventional, untraditional and we know people are going to have opinions.
I don’t mind everyone knowing.
We don’t have to listen to any of the haters.
I only care about how she feels.
Reis nods curtly. “Yeah, we’re going to tell our truth, and leave her out of it. If she wants to in a while, when everything’s blown over, we can let the public know, but right now? Right now, I want to keep her for ourselves.”
“Exactly,” I nod. “Bare minimum while telling the world and Melody that we’re hers. Completely and totally hers.”
“Hello and welcome back to XYZ News! My name is Christopher Kowalski and I’m here with the band members of the very popular rock band, On The Edge , for an exclusive interview.
” Christopher speaks directly into the camera with his overly friendly smile that feels like he’s hiding a million terrible things behind the falseness.
We sit in a line in those folding chairs that actors sit in, looking at each other and then nodding in appreciation to the reporter. This is the job, the less fun part of the job now, but necessary.
“Thanks for having us,” Reis replies, taking point like always, and we all nod in agreement.
“We’re so excited to have you on. You guys are notorious for not giving many interviews, especially as your popularity has grown. That’s not typical, usually it’s the other way around. We recognize that and appreciate you taking the time to talk with us as a unit.”
Yeah, because we’d be doing this if it wasn’t forced on us by our management. I so badly want to roll my eyes, but I’m very aware we’re on camera and live.
He goes on to ask a few questions about how the UK tour went, what our favorite parts were, etc.. We’re used to this game by now, and take turns answering so each of us get exposure and breaks. It goes on for a good fifteen minutes where we talk about our music, our talents, our muses.
But then comes what the question we were waiting for, because it opens the door to our real motive.
Showing her we love her.
Christopher looks down at his notes before looking back up to us. I can see it. He wants to ask and I want him to.
“At your last show in London, you guys did something that you haven’t before.
You pulled the mask off on your personal lives a little.
‘Songbird,’ ‘Echo,’ ‘Sync,’ and ‘Reverb.’ You had messages for those people.
You all had to know that saying those things so publicly would bring about these questions and attention.
” He speaks with his hands and I take a deep breath.
I suddenly worry that maybe we’re making a mistake. Exposing too much. But then I remember the silence on the other side of the door this morning and clench my teeth. I can’t live without her.
Kai sits back in his canvas seat more and gives that easygoing smile he’s always flashing to paparazzi and to the crowd.
“Who said they’re separate people?” he asks, dropping the truth bomb quickly.
The look on Christopher’s face is hilarious. His jaw drops and I swear he stops breathing for a moment before his whole body fidgets like he’s trying to remain professional at the same time.
“Oh,” he says, his mouth opening and closing like he’s a fish out of water before making eye contact with each of us. When he gets to me, I smirk, nodding, letting the pride shine on my face.
“That’s great,” he adds quickly, clearing his throat and I cover my laugh with a cough. “You all said some very emotional things. You know everyone wants to know. Did you find her?”
I nod with a smile. “We did.”
“Do you, well, forgive me for asking so bluntly, but are you all in a relationship with her?”
My eyebrows shoot up because damn, that’s a very forward question. Something that if we weren’t trying to win her back, I wouldn’t answer.
“We are. We each have a unique relationship with her, not with each other. She’s ours and we’re aware that people might not understand our dynamic—” Adam says quickly, but Reis finishes his sentence.
“But frankly, it’s no one’s business but ours. We love her and we hope that she still loves us.”
The reporter sits stunned, mouth open, confusion coloring his eyes. I can see him trying to figure out the sex, and just knowing that makes my fists clench on my lap.
“You know that this kind of…information, might divide a fanbase,” he insinuates, not asking, not telling, but I can hear the whisper of a question. Maybe it’s a threat. But it’s something we’re prepared for.
“If it does, it does. It’s no one’s business, but we understand with this job—this amazingly wonderful and creative job—comes with our lives being in the public eye.
Not only that, but we understand we ‘started it,’” Kai uses air quotes with his fingers before putting his hands on his knees looking at Christopher with a dangerous look.
One that says tread carefully. “But I’ll tell you this: our girl, she’s worth everything.
She is everything, and we’d give it all up if it means she’s by our side. ”
The interviewer blinks a few times, like he doesn’t know how to process what Kai just said. I put my arm back behind the chair, giving a confident smile to the camera.
And for the first time since we figured out what happened, I feel like I can breathe easier.
There’s no secrets, nothing to hide. Our relationship status out in the open and, hopefully, Melody on our arm.
“Well…” Christopher clears his throat again and looks into his camera.
“You heard it here first, On The Edge is officially off the market. Sorry, ladies.” He gives a mock sad face to the camera, before turning back to us.
“Thank you so much for joining us today, gentlemen. I’m Christopher Kowalski with XYZ News.
” We all hold our smiles until the red ‘LIVE’ light on the top of the camera shuts off, our shoulders hunch and we start pulling the mics off.
Christopher comes over after he’s de-mic'd and it’s awkward. He just stands there, staring at us in surprise, before opening his mouth and tilting his head.
Please don’t say something stupid, please don’t say something I have to beat you up for, runs through my head.
“I, uh, I won’t say that I’ve ever been in the situation you’re in, and I also don’t want to assume that you want advice from someone you’ve never met and probably never will again,” he begins, putting his hands in his pockets.
“But I want to say, people are going to be up in arms. They’re going to say some nasty things, but don’t let it touch you.
Don’t let it touch her. When the next big scandal happens, this will be forgotten and you’ll be able to live in peace. ”
The knot of anxiety starts to unwind in my chest, but not all the way.
We’ve started something that’s going to echo, but it’s going to our job to protect her. To keep our relationship sacred.
Looking at the guys, I know that we’re all up to the challenge.
Because she’s our past, present, and future.