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“Rumor has it we’re sharing a clip from a new song with you today, Joanie.” Flynn smiles at her, and Joanie’s cheeks heat. She hangs out with celebrities often—it’s a perk of her position here at the station—but there’s something about the way she looks at Flynn that tells me she’s got a soft spot for him. Flynn, with his blond hair up in a man bun that the women swoon over, and Joanie is no exception.
“A little birdy did mention you may have a clip from a song for me, but first… I want to play our favorite game with the four of you. Do you remember it from last time?” Joanie asks, flashing a smile and pulling a few flash cards out from under the table.
My stomach drops as I remember the game.
Fact or Fiction. A game where the host tells us the word on the street, as it applies to us, and we have to tell her if it’s a fact or if it’s gossip.
“Let’s get right into it so we don’t run out of time. There’s some juicy ones in here for you guys.” She arches her eyebrows and winks at us, then pulls from her first flash card. “First up, Bordeaux, fact or fiction: you and Isla Robles got married in a secret ceremony last month.”
A smile breaks out on my face as I glance at Bordeaux because I know he’ll get a kick out of this one.
“Fiction. Although I wish it were a fact because that woman is my fucking soul mate.” Bordeaux turns to Isla, and she smiles at him. I love the two of them together—they complement each other so well. He’s cocky, and she puts him in his place. They’ve already been talking about their babies one day, and they are going to have the cutest freaking babies. Isla’s Puerto Rican heritage, her black curly hair and dark eyes, to Bordeaux’s blue eyes and brown hair. The way they look at each other makes me desperate for that type of love.
“Fair enough,” Joanie says, a mischievous smile stretching out on her face. “Next question is for Flynn.”
My heart picks up pace, and my brain automatically goes to last year.
Realistically, I know she can’t possibly know.
No one does. No one knows what happened with Flynn aside from our band and those closest to us, and Hellfire, of course.
But you never know when someone will break their silence for a payday.
“Hit me, Joanie.” Flynn gives his million-dollar smile, not looking even a smidge as uncomfortable as I feel right now.
“Fact or fiction: you’re getting a guest role on ABC’s new hit drama Back for More?” Joanie asks, a sparkle in her eyes when she looks at him. She’s definitely crushing on Flynn, and it shows that she’s a radio host. She isn’t used to having to hide her facial expressions because she sits behind a microphone for a living.
“Fact!” Flynn beams, and I let out the breath I’ve been holding. “I wanted to be an actor when I was a kid. I used to put on little plays for my parents and friends all the time, so this is like my second wildest dream coming true. I can’t promise I’ll be any good, but yes, I’ll be on your television screens next season.”
Joanie rapid-fires a few more questions, asking Miller if he really talked his way out of a speeding ticket in Florida and hitting Bordeaux with one about The Vinyl Kitty, his grandmother’s record shop.
“My last one is for Miss Declan, the hottest female in rock.” Joanie pauses as my cheeks warm at her words. “It’s true, you guys. She’s doing a magazine spread for Rock Queens, and their manager confirmed it. Our girl Declan was crowned this year’s Hottest Female in Rock. I’m not making that up, it’s a fact. And if you were sitting across from her right now like I am, you’d see exactly why they handed her that title. She’s fucking gorgeous, Chicago.”
“All right, Joanie, you’re going to give our girl a big head,” Miller says into his microphone, nudging me playfully.
“I’m just speaking the truth.” Joanie laughs. “You know we’ve gotta talk about recent events, right?” Joanie looks at me with a somber smile, like maybe she doesn’t want to ask this next question at all. “Fact or fiction, Declan: you literally ran from your wedding venue a few weeks ago after a mystery man objected to you marrying your now ex-fiancé, Lucas Neal.
My heart sinks before it starts to beat rapidly, and then sinks a bit more. Fuck. Miller nudges me and I force myself to quickly recover—it is my job to be on my toes. I push away the gnawing, gut-ripping feeling in my stomach and take a deep breath to center myself.
“That is definitely fact,” I say, and Joanie’s eyes widen. She probably expected me to deny it, but what’s the point? It was leaked. Everyone knows. I refuse to make up some grand lie and deceive the people who support me and my music. “There was a man who stood up and objected to the wedding. I can’t tell you that I know why he did it, but what I can tell you is that it made me realize what I was doing wasn’t fair to Lucas or to myself.” I shrug and sit back from the microphone before quickly thinking better of it. “But before anyone gets the wrong idea, no, I was not secretly seeing that guy. My relationship with Lucas was a good one. Neither of us cheated, neither of us wronged each other. We just weren’t right for each other.”
“If you say so, I believe you, queen,” Joanie says with a wink. “One last question for you, Declan. We have a few super sleuth fans who said you actually used to be an item with the man who stopped the wedding. Is that fact or fiction?”
This is the fucking downside to being a celebrity.
These people will stop at nothing to dig up skeletons you wish would stay buried.
This should absolutely fucking stay buried.
“Fact.”
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7
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SPENCE
