AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Will’s next to him; he and Nate are either side of a couple of blonde girls, their legs touching. A distinctly unimpressed looking actress sits next to Ruby, and their sour faces rival each other for who wants to be there the least.
Why was this was uploaded?
The host takes a handheld mic and walks over to the eager audience. Next, he makes a big deal of choosing one of the excited members to talk to. Once full dramatic effect is achieved, he asks a question in Dutch to a breathless girl clutching a picture of Jax. I cringe for her. She responds in excited chatter and the man nods.
“Question for the boys. Lieke wants to know if you have girlfriends,” the host says, turning back to his guests.
“Nah,” replies Nate.
“I see you've found ladies though,” the man says, pointing at Will and Nate.
I laugh to myself at the term 'lady' used on the girls next to them.
“Form an orderly queue, we’ll try and get to you all,” says Nate and the look Ruby gives him would be lethal if it were as poisonous as the expression.
What a douche. I bet they’re all high.
“And you, Jax?” asks the host. “Do you have a girl in your life?”
My heart thumps as confusion crosses his face. “Huh. No. Nobody. Waiting for someone special.”
No.
I watch in disbelief as the host replies to the girl, but her English is good enough that she heard and understood his answer. With a squeal, she blows him a kiss and the camera pans back to Jax who throws the girl a smile and blows a kiss back.
“You heard it first, ladies! No girl for Jax!” the host calls out, with a grin.
For a moment Jax frowns, before he’s distracted by new questions about the tour. The clip ends.
Under the link on the entertainment site is the headline. 'Jax Lewis and Tegan Hughes — it's over'.
Glutton for punishment, I replay the clip, studying Jax carefully. He's clearly drunk — or stoned — and dazed by his surroundings, but loving the reaction from the girls in the studio. I bristle at the smiles, waves, and at the twins' dumb remarks. I hope Ruby smacked one — or all — of them once they left the studio.
Jax’s words echo:'No. Nobody'. He could’ve put the host straight, mentioned me, but he didn’t.
Anger grips and I grab my phone, stab in Jax's number and wait. The phone rings out. I don’t leave a voicemail and hang up instead. I bet this was bloody PR telling him to deny our relationship because the situation suits them.
Maybe it bloody suits him too. A night out in Amsterdam, no girlfriend to constrain him, Jax could easily forget and give in to his old ways. Several hours since we spoke and I'm forgotten about, his memories of me and our relationship drowned at the bottom of a beer glass.
I catch sight of the other pictures below the talk show footage. Jax having an awesome time in Amsterdam surrounded by girls. Sure, I've seen many pictures of Jax and girls since I arrived back in Wales, but trusted him. Now he's on tape as denying our relationship; that trust has gone.
For a few minutes, I sit numbed, disgusted with myself for falling for his spin.
I will not cry over him.
I change and head out for a long run, and switch off.
* * *
JAX
I stare at the plate of toast and glass of orange juice, convincing my stomach that eating is the way to go here. Bile rises again and I swallow. My head aches as if somebody stomped on it last night. Hell, maybe they did, I don't remember past the first club after the TV appearance. To be honest, I barely remember my debut in front of TV cameras either.
I do remember the reason I don't drink and smoke weed at the same time. It makes me puke. I pick at the toast and slump down in my chair, closing my eyes. Nope. Can't touch this. Mid-afternoon, I can't stay in my hotel room anymore and have taken refuge in the quiet restaurant. No sign of Will or Nate, unsurprisingly. Last I remember was trying to figure out which twin was which — the girls and them.
“Jax, you dick.” I snap my head up at Ruby's voice. She heads across the restaurant and pulls out a chair. “Nicely done.”
Oh, shit.“What? Fuck.” I scramble for my phone and Google my name. What happened? I can’t remember any girls or arrests last night. Before I have a chance to look, Ruby takes my phone and sets it on the table.
