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He stands, and sucks on his swelling knuckles before turning and leaving. Grabbing his bottle on the way out, he slams through the studio door, crashing into an alarmed looking Steve as he leaves.
Steve surveys the scene, eyes flicking between the three of us. I swat at Honey who's staunching the blood from my nose with someone's jacket. Liam's probably.
"Now what?" He pulls himself straight, looking between us like an angry father. "Dylan?"
"Not my fault," I grumble.
"So he broke your nose for nothing? It's one fucking thing after another! Are you two back to sworn enemies again?" He hits his head with his palm. "Fucking great."
I pull myself upright, snatching the jacket from Honey. "Doesn't look like we'll do much today till I sort my face out and he sobers up."
As I slink off, the look Liam gives Honey, and then me, intensifies the situation further.
I should've stayed in fucking Broadbeach.
* * *
Jem tips his chair back,hand against the boardroom wall staring at the ceiling. I remain standing, while Steve sits with his arms crossed over his chest. The conversation has stalled, although we've not had much of one. Jem refuses to apologise to me; I have nothing to say to him. No change there.
"Can't you see he's going downhill again?" I ask Steve, indicating Jem.
Jem snaps his head around to me. "Fuck you."
"Can you say anything to me without using the word fuck?"
"No, I fucking can't."
Shaking my head, I turn back to Steve. "Steve?"
"Jem is okay. Once we're touring he'll settle down. There's plenty to keep him distracted."
"Like what? More alcohol and drugs? What if he kills himself this time?"
"Yadda, yadda, yadda," says Jem, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the table.
"He's okay," repeats Steve.
"Like hell he is!"
Steve flips his phone over in his hands, brow furrowed. "I'm more bothered about you and that Sky chick than you and him behaving like testosterone-fuelled teens."
I stiffen. "What's she got to do with the situation?"
"Dylan's lovely summer Sky," snickers Jem.
"She's a distraction you could do without right now; we've too much on in the next few months. Honey trailing around after Liam is bad enough."
"Sky is in my life now," I say through gritted teeth. "You don't make decisions about my personal life!"
He raises a brow. "Don't I?"
"Steve sorts your shit out, man," pipes up Jem. "Sorts all our shit out, don'tcha Mr Steve?"
Steve smiles at him in a patronising way that I spot but Jem doesn't. "Got your back, Jem."
The comment hits me. Jem is a fucking mess. He's spinning like a Catherine Wheel spitting sparks around and ready to burn out, and because of Steve. He feeds Jem's addiction, lets him have everything he wants then makes all his decisions. Steve keeps us all in line to maintain the Blue Phoenix brand.
Now I want something that doesn't fit Steve's plan and he's not allowing me.
