Page 16 of Before the Encore

The pictures from the article flashed behind her eyelids.

The shocked expressions after Bailey’s not-so-subtle threat.

A single sob burst from her chest, tears falling silently down her cheeks. Bonnie didn’t mean to be ungrateful. She didn’t want to cause a fuss, but this felt a step too far. Working with Madison was one thing. Pretending to date her was something else entirely. Didn’t her opinion count for anything?

“Minnie,” she said softly, trying to keep the tremors from her voice. “Please, take me home.”

Chapter Five

Madison

Madison sighed, sinking into the leather sofa, fresh coffee hot between her fingers. The studio session had taken it out of her yesterday. Despite smoking a few joints and spending a quiet night in with the band after the day’s events, a fog still lingered over her. It was a lot—the pressure to do well, Bonnie saving her arse, the leaked media pictures. Then the showdown that resulted in the pop princess storming out of the studio.

And she hadn’t seen her since. It was…weird without her. Quiet.

Madison half-expected her to call the whole thing off, but then Bonnie’s look of utter helplessness replayed in her mind. Bonnie’s sunken shoulders, the sadness in her eyes. Bailey was an arsehole to call her out like that in front of everyone.

He’d laughed it off after Bonnie’s exit, but Madison glimpsed the worry behind that forced bravado and stupid combover. She glanced at the clock, sipping her smooth coffee. Considering it was half past nine, and Bonnie still hadn’t arrived, the worry had been justified. Bonnie was such a control freak; even Madison was surprised when she hadn’t shown this morning.

Maybe she was taking a leaf out of Madison’s book. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d been a bad influence. Funny, she hadn’t pinned the nepo baby for a rebel.

Bonnie’s absence pinched at the back of her mind. If she pulled out of the arrangement, what would that mean for the band? For her?

The opening beats of ‘Dreams’ by Fleetwood Mac played through her earphones. A slow smile spread across her face. She sank lower, letting Stevie’s hypnotic vocals wind through her bloodstream. It’d taken her a long time to understand her mum’s obsession with the band. Madison always thought they were overrated and boring, but this song made her pause. The chord progression was simple, but it was the mood, the raw emotion, that pulled the listener in. It opened her eyes to a whole other side of music. And now, she was recording in the same studio. She should shove that fact in her mum’s stupid face.

Her phone vibrated four times. Then another three. With a grumble, she pulled it from her back pocket. Since the pictures leaked, Madison had been getting lots more tags on her social media.

‘WHO IS BLOOM’S MYSTERY LOVER?’

‘BLOOM’S BIG BUST UP’

And Madison’s least favourite—

‘BONNIE BLOOM GONE GOTH’

Just because she preferred black to most colours and wore eyeliner didn’t make her a goth. But the media loved to put everything into boxes. She knew how quickly something could steamroll too, like the posts ex-lovers made about her or the not-so-subtle comment Madison made about Bonnie at the Grammys.

But instead of another article hinting at her involvement with Bonnie, a thread of messages flashed across her screen from her younger sister, Ruby.

Ruby: OMG!!!

IS IT TRUE?

ARE U DATING BONNIE BLOOM?

I’m going to kill u for keeping this a secret

I will spam u until u answer me

MADDY

HELLO?!?

ANSWER ME!!

Madison: woah woah calm down

no ofc it’s not true