Page 91 of Ravaged For You

Lucas spins around from the front seat. He’s not here to joke around. I can tell from his eyes he’s purely business.

“Listen, we need to make a splash,” he says.

“A splash?” I ask.

“We need to get you both out there in the spotlight, especially today. It will be perfect for the first day on the tour to put you two center. Get your faces out on everything. Bombard social media and the tabloids.”

“Sounds pretty intense, man,” Axel whistles.

“Look, I’ve run the numbers – I’ve sure you’ve seen them as well, Maddie – and you are already proving yourselves a hit with the fans,” Lucas continues, ignoring the rockstar. “People love this new mysterious girl that Axel seems enamored with. Everyone loves you two. It’s a real kind of prince and the commoner type thing. People just love that you’re just a normal girl, Maddie, who’s been swept off her feet into this life. It’s like a fairytale come true. Cinderella and all that jazz. Ravaged’s social media is going crazy, and it’s time we feed it again.”

“Oh, God,” I whisper. “It’s all starting to feel so real.”

“That’s not all. There are even hashtags about you two. Axelsgirl.”

My fake boyfriend scoffs. “Axelsgirl?”

“I’m not the biggest fan of social media,” I say. Sure, I have an Instagram and Facebook account, but they’re mainly to keep up with family and friends from back home rather than scroll through all day.

“Trust me,” Axel tells me. “Don’t go on it.”

“Yeah, things are blowing up madly,” Lucas adds. “Most things seem to be positive about you, though. People love Maddie Leaver, even though they don’t know who the hell you are. See, Axel, didn’t I tell you she’s a good choice?”

Axel turns to look at me. “She was a good choice.”

There are butterflies in my stomach as the man stares me in the eyes. All I think about is the kiss last night. How much I wanted the man. But how I turned him away.

And then how much he was willing to fight for me at the airport this morning despite my rejection of him last night. How vicious he acted in the face of my humiliation by Tainted Lives. How far he was prepared to go to protect my honor.

“I think this fake relationship is going to work out wonders,” Lucas says. “I’m a genius. Don’t thank me all at once.”

“Okay, Lucas. Don’t let all this get to your ego,” Axel replies. “It’s big enough already; soon you’ll be asking for a pay rise.”

“My personal favorite is the nickname fans have come up for you both,” Lucas continues.

“What?” I ask, blinking. “A nickname?”

It’s all absurd, this.

“You know, like Rpatz or Kimye,” he explains. “Your one is Maxel.”

“I love it,” Axel says.

“I’m not too sure,” I reply. “Maxel? Sounds like a superhero. Or a type of dog.”

“So, what’s this splash you want to tell us about?” Axel asks as we reach downtown Vancouver. The tall skyscrapers rise up around us. I look outside. I’ve been to Canada once or twice, but never to this city. This must be what it’s like as a rockstar. So much travel. So many cities. I wonder if Axel even gets a chance to explore all these places or if it’s just a blur of arenas and hotels.

“We need to beat Tainted Lives,” Lucas says.

“I’m all on board with that,” I reply. “After what they’ve just done.”

Lucas raises an eyebrow. He was late to the plane this morning and didn’t witness that confrontation.

“Maddie had a run-in with the assholes at the airport today,” Axel helpfully clarifies. “They were their usual selves. And by that, I mean they were assholes.”

“I see.”

“So, what’s this plan you’ve made?” I ask the band’s manager. He’s being deliberately secretive, as if he wants to keep both Axel and me in suspense. He certainly likes a pinch of drama, Lucas.