Chapter Forty-Five #3
Unconscious on a couch.
An open pill bottle sits on the table beside her, and the headline beneath it reads…
Lead guitarist of Staked, Annie Slade,
follows in her father’s footsteps.
High and wasted after another wild night out.
“Fuck.”
I sprint to my car.
Now I know why we’ve been called in.
The drive to Oxfordshire feels twice as long as it actually is. My Mercedes eats up the motorway, and I’m grateful there isn’t a police car in sight because I probably would’ve lost my license today. Again. By the time I pull through the gates of the manor, Chad is right behind me.
We climb out at the same time.
“You’ve seen it?” he asks.
I nod. “Yeah.”
Neither of us says anything else.
We don’t need to.
A drug scandal and compromising photographs are the last thing this band needs.
Dee opens the front door before we’ve even knocked properly, and she looks exhausted.
“Hey, Dee.”
“Morning.”
“How’s Annie?”
She tilts her head ever so slightly.
She doesn’t need to answer.
I already know.
Chad and I make our way to the music room in silence.
“Hey, boys,” Colt says as we walk in.
I nod to him before crossing straight to Annie.
She looks god-awful. Dark circles shadow her eyes, and she hasn’t even attempted to hide the guilt written all over her face.
I sit beside her and wrap an arm around her shoulders. “Hey, Annie,” I say, crossing the room and sitting beside her. I wrap an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a quick side hug.
“I’m okay,” she mutters. “Just feel like a complete idiot.”
I let out a quiet laugh. “Yeah, not your best moment. But I know you didn’t mean for any of this to happen. And I know you wouldn’t have wanted those pictures out there.” My tone softens. “I’m sorry this has happened to you.”
“Thanks,” she says, swallowing hard. “I just wish I’d never gone out. I was stupid.”
“You’re not stupid, Annie,” I say. “You just made a bad call. Big difference. And I’m guessing you’ve learned from it?”
She nods quickly. “Yeah, definitely. I’m never drinking again.”
I raise a brow. “Or taking anything else?”
“That goes without saying. I’m done with all of it.”
“Good.” I nudge her shoulder. “And next time you’re in trouble, call me. Anytime.”
“I know. I think I was trying to… before I passed out.” She shudders at the memory. “That’s probably when he took the photos.”
My jaw clenches thinking of how much worse this could have been. “Well, hopefully there isn’t a next time. But remember, you’ve got people. You don’t have to handle things on your own.”
“Thanks, cuz. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
Colt clears his throat. “We’re just waiting for Aston and Rob. Then we’ll figure out how we’re handling this.”
I reluctantly let Annie go and lean back in my chair. “How bad do you think this is going to get?”
Colt doesn’t sugarcoat it. “It could be serious. Drugs, plus a photo scandal? That’s not something people forget quickly.” His gaze flicks to me. “I just hope Annie understands the position she’s put all of you in.”
Annie stiffens. “I know, Dad.” She sighs. “You don’t need to keep going on about it.”
Colt stands, and the argument between them begins before I can stop it.
I tune most of it out until movement at the doorway catches my attention.
Aston.
Rob.
Both of them stand there listening.
Annie notices them too. “You know what?” She pushes herself to her feet.
“Why don’t you all decide what happens without me?
” She looks around the room. “After all, I am the reason you’re h-here.
” Her voice cracks, and her eyes fill. “If throwing me out of the band saves Staked…” She shrugs.
“Then do it.” Nobody says a word. “I already hate myself enough.” She storms past Aston and Rob before anyone can stop her.
“Annie!” Colt calls after her, but she doesn’t even slow down.
The room falls silent again, and I glance at Aston.
He watches the doorway she just disappeared through, his expression saying everything he isn’t.
If that had been Indi… I don’t think I’d have handled it half as well.
Finally, Aston clears his throat. “I’ll go.”
Colt hesitates for a moment before nodding. “Okay.”
Aston disappears after her.
The silence that follows is almost unbearable.
Rob exhales slowly. “I think we’ll get through this.”
Hearing those words lifts a little of the weight from my shoulders. If anyone can steer us through this mess, it’s Rob.
Across the room, Ella sits quietly by herself while Chad scrolls aimlessly through his phone. None of us knows what to say, so we simply wait.
For what seems like forever.
With everything that’s happened to Annie, I can’t help thinking about my own secrets.
If the truth about Sasha ever surfaced…
Or the fact that Indi and I are back together…
It could create another media storm before we’ve even recovered from this one.
The sound of footsteps breaks through my thoughts, and I look up.
Aston walks back into the room.
Annie is beside him.
Every conversation stops.
Every pair of eyes fixes on the one thing none of us ever thought we’d see again.
Aston…
And he is holding Annie’s hand.