Chapter 4 #2
“Why do you even care?” He eyed me suspiciously. “You’re a literal rock star. Don’t you have more interesting things to talk about than the shit heap that is my life?”
“That’s the thing. Everyone always wants to talk about me.
” I lifted my hand up like I was holding a microphone.
“Are you and the band as close as you say you are? What’s it like to be on stage?
Do you like being famous? What’s the story with Kai and Silas?
Are they fucking or just close like they claim? ”
His lips twitched. “As a journalist, I’d love to know the answer to the last one.”
“No comment,” I said with a smirk. “Seriously though…there’s nothing going on there.”
Even if Kai so obviously wanted Silas. Everyone, including our fanbase, could see that. The only one who couldn’t was Silas himself. And until Kai got up the balls to confess how he really felt, nothing would change.
“But you see what I mean,” I said with a gesture. “Everyone always wants to talk about my life, and I’m so fucking bored with it. No one tells me anything about themselves. I can’t tell you the last time I had a conversation with someone about something other than music or the band.”
“So because I’m trapped here, you want me to fill that missing void for you?”
I bit my lip. I had a void he could fill, but I was ninety-nine percent sure that wasn’t what he’d meant. “Please, for the love of God, give me something. Anything normal.”
He tapped his fingers on his thigh. “That’s what you want? Normal?”
“Yes.” I gave a mock groan, and Ollie shifted slightly. “Please. It’s been so long that I can’t even remember what normal feels like.”
“Poor neglected rock star,” Ollie mocked. “I feel so sorry for you.”
I pouted. “You should. I’m spurned by the little people.”
Ollie tried to keep a straight face, but the longer I stuck my lower lip out, the more he struggled.
Eventually, his composure broke. His genuine laughter touched a place deep within, making me want to hear it again almost instantly.
“I know you’re teasing, but believe me, normal isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. ”
“Prove it,” I said. My legs were starting to cramp, so I stretched them out in front of me.
Because Ollie was sitting in a similar position, it took some manoeuvring to get comfortable.
Eventually, I got there by spreading my legs wide, bracketing his limbs between mine. “Tell me about your fucked-up morning.”
Ollie’s hands twitched on his trousers. “I don’t normally talk to people about this sort of stuff.”
“Like we just established, I’m not normal. Ergo, you can feel comfortable telling me.”
“Has anyone ever told you you’re a bit annoying?”
I grinned. “Not since I became rich and famous. People tend to put you on a bit of a pedestal. But you feel free to remind me as often as you like.”
“I’ll make sure to tweet you a weekly reminder,” Ollie smirked.
My good mood faltered slightly. That was right. Ollie wouldn’t be able to tell me to my face because once we walked out of this lift, I’d never see him again.
That shouldn’t matter. I met people on a daily basis who I would never cross paths with once the day was out.
So why did the thought of not seeing Ollie again make me want to punch something?
He fiddled with his tie, but I didn’t push him further. It was up to him now if he wanted to confide in me about whatever bothered him.
“I caught my girlfriend in bed with someone else this morning.”
My eyes bugged wide. “What? That bitch!”
He grimaced. “It gets worse. The guy fucking her? My best friend.”
“Man, you weren’t joking when you said it was fucked up. It’s one thing for your partner to cheat on you, but with someone you trust? That shit’s cold.”
“Right? It wouldn’t have been half as bad if it’d been a stranger, but Callum?” He shook his head in disgust. “He’s been by my side through everything.”
“What a fucking prick.” My blood boiled that someone could treat Ollie that way, but I only allowed mild sympathy to show. “I’m so sorry.”
Ollie blew out a breath, staring at the ceiling. The low lighting cast shadows over his features, hollowing out his cheeks and making his eyes appear darker. “It’s okay. To be honest with you, the relationship with Suzie had probably run its course anyway.”
I nudged his thigh with my foot until he looked at me. “That doesn’t make it okay. Cheating is never okay.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “Thanks. I do actually feel better now I’ve told someone.”
“Don’t you have someone else to confide in? Who would you normally go to?”
He met my gaze levelly. “Callum.”
“Well, shit.” Now I really wanted to thump the guy. “Want me to take out a hit on him? I’ve never done it before, but I’m pretty rich. I’m sure I can make it happen.”
As I’d hoped, my joke broke through Ollie’s tension as he hooted a laugh. “Nah, but thank you anyway. Imagine the headlines if that story broke: Rock star turned assassin: how Luca Weston took out a hit on a stranger to avenge the man he was trapped in a lift with.”
“You’re right. That’s a bit of a mouthful.” The amusement in my tone dried up as the phone call from earlier popped back into my head. “Although it might be a nice change from the recent articles about me.”
Ollie gave me a quizzical look. “What articles?”
Ah. With everything he’d had happening today, he probably hadn’t seen that I was blowing up on social media. Again. “Let’s just say you aren’t the only one who’s been through a breakup in the last twenty-four hours.”
“Jorge? I always got the impression things weren’t that serious between you.”
“What made you think that?” I was genuinely curious.
Even though we hadn’t been anything more than fuck buddies, Jorge had milked our ‘relationship’ for all it’d been worth in the press and on social media.
Given that it was good exposure for his career, I hadn’t felt inclined to stop him.
“And just how carefully have you been following my career?”
Ollie gave me a withering look that made me chuckle. “Not me. Suzie. She’d definitely be one of those fans who’d pay through the nose for a lock of your hair.”
Still chuckling, I nudged his leg with my foot. “You need better taste in your partners.”
“That’s true,” Ollie said before considering my earlier question.
“I’m not sure really…I think it was the photos from your trip to Mykonos that first made me suspicious.
Jorge was always pouting for the camera like he was on a shoot, while you looked like someone was standing just outside the frame pointing a gun at you until you smiled. ”
I winced, remembering the trip well. “God, that might’ve been better than what actually happened.
Jorge bitched and whined the whole trip.
It was supposed to be a relaxing break away between albums, but he kept insisting we ditch Kai, Silas, and Arlo to do impromptu photo shoots.
I think he was one request away from Kai dumping him in the ocean. ”
“Funnily enough, that doesn’t surprise me,” Ollie said with a smirk. “Jorge strikes me as being…high maintenance.”
“Understatement of the year,” I said before catching myself. “All of this is off the record…right?”
Ollie’s forehead creased. “I’ve already told you it is. You can trust me.”
“Sorry,” I muttered. “Maybe if I tell you the rest of the story, you’ll understand why I’m not feeling so favourable towards the press right now.”
And so I did. Everything from meeting up with Jorge to the way he’d dramatically flung his drink in my face.
“So now I have my management breathing down my neck. Again.” I shook my head in frustration.
“Fucking Jorge. He even had the nerve to tell everyone I have a tiny dick. Which was a pointless move, given how many of my nudes have been leaked over the years. Still, you can guess which part the articles ran with.”
Ollie’s ears had turned red again. “Indeed. I’m sorry you had to go through that. It’s bad enough dealing with situations like that in private…but knowing they’re going to be scrutinised by billions of people? I don’t think I’d like that either.”
“No,” I agreed. “It’s something I knew would happen if we became successful, but I’d kind of pushed it to the back of my mind. I told myself that living in the spotlight couldn’t possibly be as bad as everyone says it is. That it’d be worth it to live the life I’d always dreamt about.”
“And now? Is it worth it?”
“No.” I hadn’t even realised how true that was until I said it.
“No, I’m not sure it is. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job.
But how can I be myself with someone without wondering if one day, down the line, they’ll be selling their story?
Is it too much to ask that I find someone who wants me for me? ”
“No, that’s not too much to ask,” Ollie said quietly. “Everyone deserves to be happy. To find that person who completes us. Who holds us up when we’re falling down. Who cheers us on and pushes us to do better. Who lets us care for them when we need it. Who we can trust without question.”
“Is that how you felt about Suzie?”
He snorted. “If only. When we first met at uni, I thought maybe one day we’d get there. But that day never came. Who knows, maybe Callum will be that guy for her.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“I think I do.” He gave me a tight smile. “Don’t get me wrong. I won’t ever forgive them for what they did to me…but I saw the way they looked at each other this morning. They might actually have a chance of making everything work now that I’m out of the way.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” His shaky breath said it obviously wasn’t.
“You know the worst thing though? The thing I can’t get past?
I kissed her this morning. Before I left, I leaned down and kissed her full on the mouth.
Was she thinking about him then? Wishing it was his lips on hers instead?
Or maybe she wanted to get it over with so I’d leave, and he could come over.
” He rubbed at his chest. “It hurts knowing that while I was thinking of her, she was picturing someone else. I know it’s stupid, but all I can focus on is that was my last kiss for who knows how long… and she was thinking of him.”
I moved onto my knees. What I was about to do was very, very stupid.
But I was going to do it anyway.
Anything to wipe that morose look from Ollie’s face.
Ollie stared at me, his brows drawn in confusion. “What are you doing?”
I scooted a little closer and swung my leg over Ollie’s lap so I was straddling him. I didn’t put any weight on him, being careful to touch him as little as possible. “Something pretty idiotic. But let’s face it, I’m not known for being clever.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Listen, I know you’re straight.” I leaned in slowly, resting my hand on the wall beside Ollie’s head. I kept moving until my mouth hovered only inches from Ollie’s, not missing how his breathing hitched. “But why don’t I kiss you?”
“What?” Ollie whispered, his eyes wide.
“Let me kiss you, Ollie. I’ll kiss you, and I promise, you’ll be the only one I’m thinking about.”