Wonderwall

by Soars, M. H.

  I chance a fleeting, panicked glance at Oliver, but he’s just as stupefied as I am. Anger takes over. I should have suspected Hans was plotting something when he made no comment about the picture of Liv and me. How stupid was I for believing he would let another scandal involving me go by without repercussions.

  I curl my hands into fists by my side and clench my jaw. Gretchen stops in front of me with a smile that could light up the entire city of London after dark.

  “Surprise!” she says and maybe it’s my imagination, but her voice is too high pitched to be natural. She’s nervous.

  She kisses me on the cheek and the crowd goes wild. I do nothing; I just stand frozen on the spot. Gretchen’s expression falls when she notices my stony face. I glance to the side and even in the dark, I can see Hans’s partially hidden form, smirking at me. Fucking asshole.

  The TV presenter begins the countdown and when it’s over and fireworks explode in the sky, Gretchen grabs my face and pulls me to her, kissing me with an open mouth. I don’t reciprocate, but I don’t push her away either. Even if my mind is reeling, even if my only desire is to storm off the stage and punch Hans in the face, I stay put. I don’t want to cause a scene on live television. Then Liv is at forefront of my mind. Fuck! She’s probably watching this.

  I finally take a step back and glare at Gretchen. Her smile wilts immediately. “We need to talk. Now!” I say.

  I drag her backstage and whirl on her. “Why are you here?”

  Her eyes are round and bright with unshed tears, her face drained of color. “I thought you would be happy to see me. Didn’t you miss me at all?”

  “Answer the fucking question, Gretchen. Why are you here?”

  She winces and takes a step back. For once, I don’t feel badly for my behavior. “Hans invited me. He said I should make an appearance to put those rumors to rest.”

  “Put what rumors to rest?”

  “That we’re no longer together. That you’ve moved on.”

  In that moment I snap. I don’t care about the law suit, about the consequences. Michael can take all my money away and shove it up his ass.

  “I have moved on. We are over!” I shout, not giving a fuck if anyone is listening.

  Gretchen sucks in a breath and her tears fall freely down her face. I’m so angry that I can’t bring myself to feel guilty right now. It will come later, but my only concern is Liv at the moment. If she saw that spectacle, if she saw that kiss…I don’t even want to think about it.

  “You’re breaking up with me on New Year’s Eve?” Gretchen asks in a small voice.

  “We’ve been broken up way before this and you know it.”

  Her eyes flash with indignation before her open palm connects with my face. The sting of her slap burns, but I deserve it.

  “Good bye, Gretchen,” I say and leave her behind.

  I find the exit and take the stairs down, two steps at time. We’re supposed to sing a few more songs, but there’s no way in hell I’m going back on that stage. I need to find Liv and explain, apologize. Two huge security monsters stop me before I can cross the gate to the street and freedom.

  “Sir, your car is not here. You can’t go outside.”

  “Get out of my way!”

  “We can’t. You’ll get mobbed. Let us a call the chauffer. It will only take a couple of minutes.”

  He’s right, I can’t go out in the middle of a packed street like that. I’ll be killed if people recognize me. This fame is a fucking plague, I beginning to hate it with a passion.

  A few minutes later, one of the guards says, “Sir, the car is here.”

  “Where are you going?” Oliver asks behind me. “We’re supposed to resume the concert.”

  It took him long enough to catch up with me.

  “Fuck the concert. I gotta find Liv.”

  “What about Hans and Michael? What about the law suit?”

  “They can sue me all they want. I don’t care.” Big security guy number one opens the door and I quickly jump inside the waiting limo. Oliver follows me.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” I ask him.

  “I can’t let you rebel by yourself. I’m taking a stand.”

  Chapter 46

  Olivia

  Kool and the Gang is blasting through the speakers, and sweat covers my skin. The air is thick and warm, and the blend of contrasting smells is almost sensory overload. Around me, my friends dance, jump, and sing along to the lyrics of Celebration. It’s one of our favorite party songs, and even though my heart is not committed entirely to having fun, I can’t help it but to join them. Kennedy and Emma have forgiven me about Sebastian. Emma even apologized for being a crazy Boys Future fangirl. But I assure them everything is good now, at least I hope it’s true.

  We’re a large group. As promised, Kennedy’s friends from Milan, Chiara and Max, have come with her to celebrate New Year’s Eve in London. It was great to finally meet those two iconic people from Kennedy’s life. Lloyd, who told us about this party, can’t stop gawking at Max. Kennedy never mentioned that her friend was an internationally famous male model.

  “Man, I want to bite those full lips. And look at his biceps.” Lloyd says in my ear, referring to Max.

  I laugh. “You’re terrible.”

  I wish Max was interested in Lloyd. I know my friend could use a little pick me up in the romance department after the whole fiasco with Ryan. But I’m certain Max is strictly a lady’s man.

  Suddenly, the club starts to play Popular, Boys Future first hit. I stop dancing and can’t catch my breath. Saylor notices my reaction and touches my forearm. “Liv, are you okay?”

  No, I’m not okay and I don’t know why. It’s the first time I’ve heard a Boys Future song after reconciling with Sebastian and I’m surprised how it still affects me in the worst possible way.

  “Come on. Let’s find a less crowded room.”

  Saylor begins to drag me away, but Kennedy notices and shouts. “Where are you guys going? It’s almost midnight.”

  “Oh, shoot. We need champagne!” Emma shouts.

  We all head to the nearest bar and somehow we are able to get to the counter. I notice the television on the upper corner of the room and my stomach clenches painfully when I realize that the Boys Future concert is on. It seems I’ve just caught the end of it.

  Emma orders a couple of bottles of champagne, and a full glass of the bubbly drink appears in my hand. My gaze stays glued to the TV. I can’t hear a word the TV presenter is saying, but I don’t need to hear anything for the blood to freeze in my veins. Gretchen, Sebastian’s official girlfriend, appears on the stage, looking regal and stunning in a sparkly white gown. She stops in front of Sebastian and gazes at him in adoration. The camera focuses on their faces. My mouth tastes like ashes. Sebastian just stands frozen like a statue and lets Gretchen kiss his cheek. Did he know she was going to be there?

  The music in the club ceases, and the crowd begins to count. When the countdown ends, the whole room erupts in cheers, but it’s all white noise to my ears, for that’s when Gretchen kisses Sebastian fully on the mouth. I expect him to pull away, but when he doesn’t, my heart folds in on itself, bleeding like it has never done before.

  “What the hell!” Saylor shouts next to me while all around us everyone is saying Happy New Year.

  Tears blur my vision and I whisper to no one in particular, “I can’t believe he did that.”

  “Was that Sebastian kissing Gretchen on TV?” Kennedy asks.

  “Isn’t he your boyfriend?” Max turns to me and I can’t summon an ounce of anger at Kennedy for revealing my secret. All my emotions have turned into lead.

  “Hey! Snap out of it.” Saylor grabs my arm. “It’s fucking New Years’ Eve and you’re not going to let that asshole ruin your night. I won’t allow it.” She orders a round of tequila shots
, and numbly, I toss a couple back.

  “That’s my girl. Now, let’s kick this party up a notch.”

  I let Saylor take control. I feel like a puppet, no soul or will left in me. The only thing keeping the pain at the bay is the quantity of drinks I consume. I dance, and dance, until my feet begin to throb, but with the amount of alcohol I ingested, the pain is easily forgotten.

  I feel a pair of strong arms circle my waist from behind. I don’t even tense up. “He’s an asshole and he doesn’t deserve you,” Max whispers in my ear.

  He’s yanked from me. “Don’t even think about it!” Kennedy shouts at him.

  They begin to argue, I think. It doesn’t matter. I keep on dancing. We stay in the club until the party is over and they kick us out. It’s very late, or very early. I can’t decide, but I can feel it in my bones. Outside the stuffy club, the air is frosty and not even my warm coat can keep the cool air from seeping in.

  We stand outside, not making a move to find a way back to the hotel. Securing a cab will be almost impossible, and we need two. I foresee walking, but I don’t want to go home yet because then I’ll have to deal with the gnawing pain in my chest. There’s a crowd milling about. I don’t think anyone is ready for the evening to be over. Then, a group approaches us.

  “Hey, do you know where we can go? In Spain, we party until ten in the morning,” a girl as pale as the moon with blonde dreadlocks and a nose ring asks.

  “I heard there’s an underground club a few blocks from here,” some guy to my left says.

  There is a contagious feeling of euphoria in the air. Usually, I would never party with strangers, but this is London and the night is still young. Plus, I’m not alone. We start to walk, laughing and singing, without a care in the world. Someone produces a bottle of vodka, and we all take turns sipping from it. I’m not a vodka drinker, but I’m beyond being picky and the potent liquid helps keep me warm. No one knows which direction we are supposed to go, but it doesn’t seem to matter.

  In my foggy state, I notice when a limo stops ahead of us by the curb. I only rode in a limo once, with Derek, and that ended in disaster. A shudder runs down my spine. The door opens and Sebastian emerges from it.

  “Liv!” he screams and everyone turns to look at him.

  “Oh my God. It’s Sebastian Coleman,” dreadlock girl says.

  “And Oliver Best. I cannot believe it,” her friend continues.

  Red clouds my vision. I replay the scene of Sebastian kissing Gretchen and instead of feeling miserable, I’m livid. I break away from the group and begin walking in the opposite direction.

  “Liv, please wait.” He catches up and grabs my arm, spinning me around.

  I try to break free from his grasp, but his hold doesn’t waver. “Let go of me. Where’s Gretchen?”

  “I had no fucking clue she was going to be there. Hans set me up.”

  “Did he force you to kiss her, too?”

  “I didn’t kiss her, she kissed me.”

  Max appears behind Sebastian, grabs the back of his jacket, and yanks hard. “Let go of Liv.”

  Sebastian stumbles back and once he recovers, he glares at Max. “Who the fuck are you?”

  I can see this situation going from bad to disastrous pretty fast, so I put myself between Sebastian and Max.

  “He’s Kennedy’s friend. Why are you here, Sebastian?”

  His gaze meets mine and it’s desperate, broken. “To explain, to beg for forgiveness.”

  I don’t say anything, my brain struggles for words. My anger is dissolving like salt in water and I’m mad at myself for being so pathetic. Sebastian places his hands on my shoulders and lowers his head. His mouth is inches from mine. “Liv, I love you. Please believe me. I had no idea she was going to be there.”

  Without waiting for my response, his lips find mine. There’s a faint flavor of whisky on his tongue, but it doesn’t matter, nothing matters when our lips meet, when our tongues dance. We kiss and kiss, like there’s no tomorrow, like it’s the only thing that can keep us alive.

  We finally break apart and stare each other, but movement on my peripheral catches my attention. I turn and realize we’re surrounded by a circle of stunned spectators, most with their phones pointed at us.

  “Mate, we need to get out here,” Oliver says with Saylor by his side.

  We move fast, back to the parked limo, as the crowd just stares at us. I hear murmurs behind me, and I know we are moments away from the madness, from the stunned fans to realize Sebastian and Oliver are leaving. Kennedy, Emma, Max, and Lloyd are already next to the limo, and after a hand gesture from Oliver, they enter the vehicle. I hear a couple of people shout Sebastian’s and Oliver’s names, but it’s too late. Sebastian ushers me inside and then follows me.

  The limo is not big enough for our large group, it can only accommodate six passengers, which means I end up sitting on Sebastian’s lap. Across from me, I see Saylor in the same situation, sitting on Oliver’s lap. He leans closer to her ear and whispers something, making her spine stiffen. I stop paying attention to them when Sebastian’s warm hands stroke my thighs up and down, turning my brain cells useless all at once.

  Chapter 47

  Olivia

  I don’t spend the night with Sebastian. Once the limo stops in front of the Hollingsworth, my friends save me from a very bad decision. The consequences of Sebastian’s careless actions don’t take long to catch up with me. Photos of us kissing in the middle of the street are soon in every single tabloid, plus there are videos of us on YouTube. There’s no hiding my identity this time. The entire world knows who I am. They know my name and where I work. I don’t know how they’ve managed to get that information so quickly, but they’re nothing if not resourceful. What they conveniently forgot to mention was that I was Sebastian’s high school sweetheart. The gossip outlets are not interested in that. To them, I’m a slut, the homewrecker responsible for tearing Britain’s favorite couple apart.

  I spend the entire weekend curled up in bed, crying my eyes out. I avoided calls from my parents and Kimmy. Saylor talks to them, and by the hushed conversation, I know the news has crossed the Atlantic. Kennedy and Emma try to cheer me up, convince me the situation is not so bad, and that soon the tabloids will find someone else to exploit. But it doesn’t matter. I’m tarnished. And worse, I can kiss my internship goodbye.

  Sebastian calls me several times, and every time I see his name flash on the screen, I cry harder. On his umpteenth attempt, Saylor picks up the phone and threatens to cut his balls off if he so much as dares to show his face at the Hollingsworth.

  “Haven’t you done enough?” she asks.

  He doesn’t call again after that and a part of me dies. It has only taken a threat from Saylor for him to give up. Am I worth so little to him? I stare at the promise bracelet he gave me, and it feels heavy against my wrist. I want to tear it off, break it to pieces, but the effort is too much. I don’t know where I put the key. It seemed inconsequential to remember its location for I believed with my whole soul that he wouldn’t break his promise. How foolish of me.

  On Monday morning, I report back to work looking like hell. My eyes are puffy and red, and there’s no amount of make-up in the world that can conceal the vestiges of my pain.

  “Liv, I had no idea,” Mellie says.

  I sit behind my desk and stare at the black screen. I don’t turn my computer on. What for? I know what’s in store for me.

  “It doesn’t matter anyway. It’s over.” My voice is flat, devoid of any hint of emotion. I have nothing left to give. All of my feelings have leaked from my bleeding heart, leaving it empty and as hard as stone.

  “But why? He declared his love for you in front of a bunch of strangers. Wasn’t that what you wanted, to be able to love him out in the open, without fear?” Lloyd says.

  I glance at my friend and he’s looki
ng at me with such hope, that my mangled heart shatters a little more. “You don’t understand. He wrecked my life and he walked away.”

  “What do you mean he walked away?” Lloyd is frowning at me now.

  I don’t get the opportunity to explain. Patsy arrives in the office and without glancing my way, she says, “Olivia, could you step into my office, please?”

  Despite the polite tone, her voice is ice cold. I stand up on shaky legs and the lump in my throat threatens to choke me to death.

  “Close the door, please,” she says as she sits down.

  I take a seat and brace myself for the blow. Her gaze is hard as she stares at me, and I want to disappear.

  “Weren’t you told upon the start of this internship that the Hollingsworth does not tolerate employees mingling with guests?”

  “Y-yes.”

  “And yet, you not only got involved with one, you managed to get caught with said guest and drag the Hollingsworth reputation through the mud.”

  “You don’t understand, let me explain. Sebastian was my boyf─”

  “Silence!” She smacks her open palms on the desk, making me jump on my seat. “I don’t care how you came to get involved with him, only that you did.”

  Tears gather in my eyes, I have no rebuff for that. She continues with her tirade. “And here’s the result.” She retrieves a stack of magazines and newspapers from her purse and dumps all of them on her desk. Then she proceeds to pick them up one by one and read the headlines.

  “Hollingsworth’s employee seduces Sebastian Coleman. Gretchen shocked to discover Sebastian cheated on her with Hollingsworth events coordinator. Is the prestigious Hollingsworth hotel a front for a high-class escort service? Shall I continue?”

  “No.” I try to fight back the tears, but they escape my eyes nonetheless.

  “You, Miss Dawson, single handedly tarnished the hundred-year reputation of this hotel.”