AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And another.
Gay Grayson wedding farce.
No matter what the headline was, the photos were the same. The three of us, standing together at the ceremony last night, promising ourselves to each other. I ran to the kitchen sink and threw up, my stomach heaving from the invasion of our privacy. Someone stole last night from us and showed it to the world.
“I don’t know what to be more fucking angry about, Gray. That you left the penthouse without security, even though I told you how dangerous it was. That you took the whole band with you, exposing them all. Or that you got fucking married to two people, knowing what it could do to the band, and you didn’t tell me any of it.”
I twisted the center of my wedding ring, so fucking grateful that Ethan designed something to comfort me, even when my head was spinning, and they weren’t close enough to grab onto. I took a deep breath and let my feelings out.
“I didn’t tell you because you’ve made it clear what you think about me and my relationship. It’s not good for the band, it’s not good for record sales, that it’s not a good idea. And strangely enough, I don’t fucking care, Addi. I don’t care what you think. I’ve given years to this band, and I love what I do, but I will not let you tell me how to live my life.”
“You have no idea what you’re doing, Gray. You’re thinking with your dick. I’ve spent so long trying to sort out Tanner, and now you’re out to destroy it all. It’s gone too far. I can’t protect you anymore, because you’re going behind my back. You’re fucking up and I don’t even know about it and now the record label has had enough. Record sales have slumped in the last few weeks, and they are putting it down to you. Your behavior, your questionable sexuality. Whether it's true or not, whatever I believe personally, they hold all the cards. They want it to stop. They wantyouto stop. This ends now."
She paused for a minute, her face softening. "Send them home," she said, her voice calmer now. "Do what you want after the tour, in the privacy of your own home, but they've brought in new rules, and I don’t have any way to argue with them because you got married without even telling me.” She stepped toward me, looking hurt. “I thought we were friends, Gray. Family even. You not telling me hurt the band, but it hurt me.”
“What, you would have approved, given us your blessing, and come along to witness me marrying two people?”
“Well, I couldn’t have… I can’t give you my blessing, Gray. Our jobs, the band, it’s on the line here. The label is threatening to pull your contract. Cancel the tour.”
Her words felt like a knife to my heart, my skin itching with pain and frustration.
“That’s what I thought, Addi. All you care about is what the label wants. That’s not friendship. I’m off today, so I’m going back to bed, where my husband and wife are waiting for me. I can’t even look at you right now, Addison. You’re not the person I thought you were. I am so fucking disappointed in you. You can’t ever take back the things you’ve said to me this morning.”
“Gray, you need to stay. I need to tell you what’s going on. Things around here need to change. The label's demanding it.”
I span on my heels. “Don’t we employ you to manage the band, Addi? That doesn’t mean you get to tell us how to live our lives.”
I stared at Addi, who was right. She was a friend… family. She'd been with us since the beginning when we got our first recording contract. Given to us by the label because of her experience. She was older than us, probably about the same age as Ethan and Ivy, but right now she looked older—tired, stressed, her already thin face drawn. However angry I was, I saw how much of a toll this tour was taking on her. First Tanner and his stalker and now me.
“Addi, I don’t want to fight. I care about you, you know I do, but you don’t get to tell me who I can love or who I get to have on tour with me. They're staying and if they leave, I'll go with them. Try explaining that to the press. Let’s think about what those headlines would look like, shall we? You and the label can tell me how to behave around the band but you have no right to tell me what to do with my personal life.”
“And that is where you’re wrong, Grayson,” a shrill American voice fired out.
Addi sighed, rubbing her fingers against her temples before her eyes met mine again, and I didn’t like the look I saw hiding there.
“That’s what I needed to explain to you Gray. Shit’s gotreallyserious. My hands are tied. I don’t have a say anymore. This is Hazel Dowling.” She pointed at the woman I now noticed standing in the shadows, staring at me, obviously having watched the whole conversation with Addi unfold. “The label sent her because they're so fucked off with you all and how you’re behaving. You might be one of the most successful bands in the world, but that will be short lived if you don’t fucking behave. She’s here to manage your PR. Your image, your behavior, your relationships, the things you’re saying in interviews.Everything.”
“The band’s or just mine?” I spat back, my blood boiling with anger.
“The whole band, but right now, most of the bad press involves you and who you might be fucking and now marrying. The press is obsessed and these headlines are throwing fuel on what already feels like an inferno. When we caught wind of the headlines late last night, they called me to a crisis meeting. Hazel is the result of that meeting. They have come up with a plan to manage the fallout of this…” she pointed at the door, clearly meaning Ethan and Ivy and my hand unconsciously moved to my pendant, wrapping it in my hand as if I was trying to physically protect them from this backlash, while the itch under my skin burned with a need to wash it away. “If you don’t do exactly what they want, then you’re in breach of contract.”
“That’s fine, I quit. I’ve just told you, I’ll always choose them. Always.” Addi let out a soft cry as her head dropped, unable to look me in the face.
Hazel stepped forward. She must have been in her fifties, silver-gray hair pulled into a harsh bun, her lips pinched into a pout as she looked me up and down. Dressed in a white blouse, black calf length pencil skirt, and flat shoes, she looked less like she should be around a rock band than anyone here. “Grayson—”
“You can call me Gray. There is only one person who gets to call me Grayson and you’re not her.”
“Apologies.Gray, you can’t quit. You are under contract and to break it would cost you substantially.”
“I don’t give a shit about the money. Do you think that’s why I do this? I do it because I love to play and I love the band, but I love them more.”
“The label won’t just end your contract, Grayson. They will end the band. They will end the band’s contract, take you all to court and make sure each and every member pays foryourindiscretions,” Hazel informed me, her words making the itch under my skin worsen. I pressed my hand, still holding my chain, to my chest, trying to stay calm so Ivy and Ethan couldn’t hear, but also so I wouldn’t spiral into a full blown breakdown in front of these two women.
“We will just go find another label. We get offers all the time.”
“What will you play, Grayson?” Hazel questioned.
I stared at her, confused. “What? What do you mean?”
