Chapter Sixteen #2
“I asked. I figured if I escorted them out, I could get some kind of dirt on you. Maybe enough to finally get you to back off. I asked about you in high school. He told. It was that simple. ‘Chrissy is a sissy’ seemed to be a favorite high school chant. Then I uploaded it to a post trending on Austin’s account and it took off.
Exactly what happened with those boys the night ‘Chrissy is a sissy’ became a thing?
” Alicia said, a taunting lilt in her tone.
Matt and Austin came forward, eyes wide. Christine stopped them.
She still felt the sting of that chant, but she wasn’t going to let Alicia know. “Unlike when I was a teenager, I really don’t care what you think of me. Bye, Alicia,” Christine said, walking past her and toward Matt.
“On top of that, Alicia, did you read the comments?” Matt said. “They’re all in support of Christine. Nobody thinks that high school pain is fair game. Now they’re on Christine’s side, and you’ve got the haters. Have fun with that. Now leave before I have you thrown out.”
Alicia turned and walked down the hall. Matt called out to their security guy, told him to follow Alicia, and instructed him to escort her off the premises.
When she was gone, Christine exhaled a shaky breath. “How did you catch her?” she asked.
“I walked in here through the side door and she didn’t hear me. She was pretty intent on what she was typing on her phone. I walked up behind her to ask a merch question and happened to glance at what she was writing. She was adding a comment to her post. As soon as I saw it, I freaked,” Matt said.
“I’m so glad you caught her,” Julianna said.
“Me, too. We owe you one,” Austin said, putting his hand on Matt’s shoulder and grabbing his hand to shake it.
“Uh, hello?” Phoebe said, her voice rising in pitch and volume. “Are we all just going to ignore the fact that you blamed me for this shit about five seconds before Alicia got caught?”
Austin turned and reached for her. She stepped back.
“Phoebe, I’m so sorry. When you said the word ‘sissy,’ I just reacted. It was a hair-trigger response,” Austin said.
“Well, this isn’t. Consider us done. If you thought I could do something like that and would hurt somebody so viciously over you, then you need to get the fuck over yourself,” Phoebe said.
“I’m a total dick,” Austin said.
“No argument here,” Phoebe said. “Have a good concert. I’m out.”
“Phoebe, don’t leave,” Julianna said, walking up to her.
Phoebe put her hand up. “Not now. Christine, I’m glad they caught her.
Nobody should have to go through what you did.
I’m sure there were times you thought it was me, too.
But at least you weren’t sleeping with me.
I’ve got better things to do than stick around here. See you back at home, Julianna.”
Phoebe turned and, with her head held high, walked down the hall and out the door. The four of them stared at the door long after it had closed.
“Think sending her flowers would help?” Austin finally said.
“Yeah, no. I don’t think there’s any hope for you there,” Matt said.
Austin nodded. “Well, shit. How many women can I screw up?”
“You don’t really want me to answer that, right?” Matt asked, adding some levity to the moment.
“Rhetorical question,” Austin said, clapping his hands. “And for the record, those kisses Alicia referred to? Chaste. I kissed her on the cheek a couple of times and maybe gave one lip kiss but no tongue. It’s not like I made out with her. Hell, I’ve kissed Matt with that much passion.”
All eyes went to Matt.
“True story. He’s not very discerning when he drinks. And you do have soft lips, Austin. I can see why Alicia got confused,” Matt said, a sly smirk on his face.
“Am I the only one who hasn’t been kissed by Austin?” Julianna said, looking at each of them.
Austin gave her a wink. “Well, how you doin’?” he said.
“Seriously? After everything that just happened, you’re pulling a Joey Tribbiani?” Julianna said.
“Too soon?” he asked, a sheepish grin on his face.
“Way too soon,” Christine and Julianna said in unison.
“Okay, okay. I get it. Inappropriate of me. It’s been a weird day. I’m a little fucked up right now. We’ll talk in about six . . .”
“Months at minimum,” Julianna said.
“And she didn’t say no,” Austin said, his boyish grin taking over his face.
“You’re incorrigible,” Christine said, giving him a side hug.
“Welp, I’ve got a show to do,” Austin said.
“Yeah, you do. You’re due onstage in thirty,” Matt said.
“Seriously, are we not going to discuss any of this?” Julianna said, hands up, eyes wide.
“What’s there to say?” Christine asked. “Hopefully it’s over. I am sorry about Phoebe, though, Austin.”
“That’s on me,” he said. “I should never have accused her. But it says something about her and me as a couple that I did. Guess that relationship wasn’t meant to be.”
“Sorry, dude,” Matt said.
“Yeah. Me, too. She was fun. But not the one, I guess. I do see us hanging out as friends in the future.”
“The way future, maybe,” Matt said.
“It’ll take some time, but I’ll mend that one. We’ll be friends,” Austin said.
“Good. She’s worth it,” Julianna said.
“Yes, she is,” Christine agreed, causing Julianna’s eyebrows to go up.
Christine looked at her friends and smiled at how they supported each other.
She thought about everything that had happened in the last year, the last few months, and the last half hour.
Would she do it all again? Would she go through so much pain to be sitting here in this moment with these three people?
Yeah, she would. Great gains often come at great expense.
It was hell, but these were her people, and she loved them.
Even Phoebe. And hearing Matt say he was in love with her had made it worth it a thousand times over.
“I’m off to the bus to get ready. Matt? You coming?”
“In a minute,” Matt said, looking at Christine.
Julianna’s eyes moved between Matt and Christine. “Uh, yeah. I need to . . . um . . . do something. I’ll be back.” She turned and followed Austin.
Once Christine was alone with Matt, her heart rate quickened. Was there a chance he had said that part about being in love with her just to steer Alicia in another direction, away from what she perceived Austin’s feelings to be? She held her breath, afraid to speak first.
“I guess you heard what I said?” Matt asked, reaching for Christine’s hand. She laced her fingers through his.
“I did. Did you mean it?” She peered up at him from under her lashes.
“Every word,” he said, looking into her eyes and pushing a stray curl off her forehead.
“What about Cait?” she asked.
“Oh, we broke it off a while back. It wasn’t going anywhere. Hard to move forward when you’ve got feelings for someone else,” he said. “Did you mean what you said?”
“Since the night I met you.” She tightened her grip on his hand.
“Why didn’t I know that?” he asked.
“I thought you had a girlfriend. Why didn’t you tell me how you felt?” she asked, her eyes boring into his.
“I thought you and Austin had a thing.”
“How could you think—” She stopped and thought about all the times Matt had come across them.
When she’d spent the night at Austin’s house and he found her there in the morning.
When he saw her in the dressing room with Austin’s hands all over her.
The many times Austin had laid claim to her. “But he was with Phoebe.”
“And he’s never been a one-woman man. Women seem to accept that crap when it’s a famous singer.
I wasn’t going to put myself out there and risk the discomfort all of that would have brought.
I had visions that I’d tell you how I feel, you’d friend-zone me and tell me you’re holding out for Austin, and I’d have to quit my job due to extreme embarrassment. Not a good visual.”
“But you did today,” she said. “Why?”
“So Alicia would know that you’re worthy of love. Not just Austin’s, but mine, too.”
“Austin doesn’t love me,” Christine said, snorting. She found the idea hilarious.
“I wouldn’t be so sure.” He paused. “We need to talk more, but I’ve got to get him to the stage. I’d really like to spend time with you after the show.”
“Julianna and I are staying nearby at a hotel, but you’re heading out on the bus tonight, right?”
“Hmmmm. Maybe I don’t have to.” He put his hands on either side of her face and drew her in for a kiss. “I’m sure Austin will understand.”
The kiss wasn’t long, but it was thorough. Christine’s entire body tingled. She leaned in, wanting more.
His walkie-talkie crackled with the countdown to the show. “You have to go,” she said, pulling back.
“I do. See you side stage?”
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” she said.
He left the room and Julianna walked in.
“So . . .” she said.
“Yeah. So.” The smile on Christine’s face was so big she couldn’t see past her cheeks.
THE SHOW WAS THE BEST CHRISTINE had ever seen.
The stress of the past year had lifted off all of them.
Austin was electric, connecting with the audience even more than usual.
He was at ease, natural, laughing when he forgot lyrics and encouraging fans to post his bloopers.
They loved it. The people in the pit rushed the stage, singing along with him.
They reached out to touch him, and he reached back.
Christine stood beside Matt, her love, and Julianna, her best friend, the three of them watching the person who personified their crazy lives.
A star, an artist, someone whom millions adored.
In some way, they all depended on him—but it was more than that.
They loved him. Not because he was famous but because he was their friend, and they liked him for who he was.
Now, Christine could openly express her affection without it being a source of fear and pain. The future was looking bright.