AllFreeNovel
Share Us
13
LIAM
I donotwantto be here. A week away from the craziness of my real world wasn’t enough, definitely not when I’m dragged into the worst Blue Phoenix scandal we’ve faced. Now I’m in Dylan’s house, with Dylan, Bryn, and our manager Steve. We sit around his kitchen table, and I’m unable to believe what the fuck just happened.
Following a restless night filled with images of Cerys in various positions, naked, with me, I crawled out of bed having slept until early afternoon. My phone rang incessantly for an hour before I gave in and answered. Steve, calling me when I told him I was to be left alone over Christmas pissed me off.
Until he told me why he was calling, and the real world outside gatecrashed my magical Welsh Christmas in the snow and time with Cerys. Jem’s girlfriend Liv, the heiress six years younger than him with connections to British nobility, is dead.
Summoned to discuss how we’ll deal with the media fallout, I had no choice but to join them at Dylan’s.
“Where is he?” I ask Steve.
“Jem finally agreed to talk to the police, so he’s still with them,” says Steve.
Our manager’s hair greys more every week, I swear. Today his lined, pale face looks older. Understandably. An heiress died of a drug overdose in a hotel room she shared with the infamous Jem Jones. Even by Blue Phoenix standards this is an off-the-scale scandal.
Dylan sits with arms tightly crossed over his chest, mouth set in a thin line. I heard him talking to Steve in terse tones about dragging himself into the circumstances around Liv’s death. Dylan spent time at the police station too—guilt by association—but he was with Sky when Liv died. Apparently, Sky is around the house somewhere too, which surprises me.
“Tina will be here soon. She needs to put out a press release ASAP. I need firm statements on where you all were last night.” He glances at Dylan. “I know you’ve already made yours to the police.”
“Jem said he had nothing to do with the death,” says Dylan. “I believe him.”
Steve sighs. “I bloody hope so. Bryn and Liam, we need to know everything you’ve done over the last week or so. The press is on our backs and you can guarantee any dirt they can dig will make a nice side story to Jem’s fuck up.”
Shit. Cerys?
“Dylan, if this Sky chick is back in the scene, I suggest you hang around here until things die down,” continues Steve. “Unless you feel like deflecting some attention by announcing your relationship.”
Dylan stiffens. “What the fuck, Steve? No way. Things with Sky are shaky.I don’t want her running for the hills again!”
Steve huffs. “Bryn?”
Bryn wrinkles his nose. “Nothing juicy happening in my life. Nothing anyone knows about, anyway.”
“This isn’t funny, Bryn,” snaps Steve.
“I’m not being funny. I just know how to keep under the radar.”
Steve turns to me. “Liam. I kept out of this, but what the hell happened between you and Barbie? We saw the pictures. You’re here; she’s in the US. Is the wedding off?”
I knew this question was coming. Three pairs of eyes train on me and I rub my hand over my face. “I ended the engagement and went back to Wales to get my head together. I haven’t spoken to her for over a week.”
“So it is off?” asks Steve brusquely.
Wales and Cerys are a world away from this weird shit. All I wanted was a quiet few days away from my job like anyone else at Christmas. Then this happens and I realise this isn’t a job or something I ever take a break from. I’m Liam Oliver, bass player of Blue Phoenix and public property. I cope with this better than Dylan and Jem since I don’t face exactly the same scrutiny, but I really haven’t put thought into how my break-up with Honey will bring attention I don’t want. A vengeful part of me pictures myself and Cerys in pictures on the internet, pissing off Honey and showing her I can do behave in the same way. But that cheapens Cerys, and belittles what’s between us.
I stun myself.Between us?
“Yeah, it’s over with Honey.”
Nobody responds and I don’t want them to. I don’t care about their opinion.
“He has a new girl in his life,” says Bryn and I snap my head up.
“What the fuck?” I say.
“Yeah, how old is she? Three?”
