Slamming the door in frustration, I don’t even know if I will make it off the street. My nerves are frayed, and it’s taking all my being not to cry. Even if he didn’t want to hear it, David would have tried to fill in all the blanks, and now Reece would know all about me. What happened and who I am. Everything I’ve been working so hard to cover up was going to be open for inspection once again. I really shouldn’t be surprised. Who I was going to end up with would have found out anyway. I was stupid to think that he would accept what happened to me. He will run a mile when he learns the truth.
I quickly realise that I’m mostly disappointed that I didn’t get to tell him myself. All he’s going to hear is another person’s version and not how I was set up and betrayed. It wasn’t about deceiving him, but I knew our time was going to be limited, and I didn’t want to have it weighed down by things that were out of our control. If I can look past his former life, surely he could do the same for me. The tears have found a way to overflow and are now running down my cheeks. It would take me about half an hour to get to Trent, or I can go back inside my apartment.
I choose the latter and lock the door on the outside world. Just when I was starting to get strong enough to face it all again. I turn my phone back on with the intention of ringing Trent. Even as I’m dialing his number, the alerts to say another message has been received.
Trent answers on the third ring, and my voice is barely recognisable.
“I think he knows about me. I think he heard it from David. Reece is living in David Steel’s house. He was here. He was here today, I stood face to face with him.”
Listening to Trent swear, he does his best to reassure me that everything is going to be alright. I really wish I could believe him. I didn’t expect to fall for Reece, but I have. I have fallen hard. We’ve had our moments, but if I said that I didn’t think about him in a way that had me wanting more, I’d be lying. I hear Trent talking, but I’m not really listening. I know it’s silly of me to go off into fantasyland to think there could be anything long-term with Reece, but once again, something has been ripped from me.
Trent calls my name, and when I finally respond, he tells me that he wants me to stay at the pub’s residence tonight. I mutter something about my car not working, and he tells me not to cry. I hang up the phone, and I know he asked me not to, but that’s all I can manage. I feel sick at the thought of David telling or worse, showing Reece the video that’s still circulating. My father’s legal team were quick to try and stop the videos from coming up, but once they are up, they are downloaded thousands of times. It’s like trying to get all the parts of venom back into a snake’s fang once it’s bitten you. It’s impossible to stop it from spreading.
I haven’t had a panic attack since I moved here. My eyes are stinging, and I’m still struggling to get a breath in. My phone chimes incessantly with another message from Reece pleading for me to talk to him. I choke on my tears as I turn the phone off once more. I sit on the floor and hold my head in my hands as sobs wrack through me.
How do you tell the man you are falling for that you are just as famous as him, but for all the wrong reasons?
Chapter Thirty
REECE
“What the fuck is Madelyn Worthrington doing here? You do know who that is right?” David’s got a happy shrill to his voice as he follows me back inside that unsettles me. He’s beyond excited with this revelation as he paces the room, clapping his hands together. I stood out on the street watching in the direction she drove her car. I remained out there trying to ring her and text her.
“She’s my friend.” That’s all I’m going to give him. “How do you know her? Actually, you know what, don’t tell me. I want her to tell me, but she’s not answering her phone.” I look around for where my phone landed after I threw it. I snatch it off the lounge and fire off a text asking her if she’s okay. That message hasn’t even fully sent before I start typing out the next message.
“Look Reece, man. I have never given you love advice before but this one. This one, I can’t keep my mouth shut. Doesn’t the name alone ring any bells? Madelyn … Worthrington.”
“I know her name, David.” Well, I know her full name now. “And even then, how do you know her? Do you know her personally or do you know through other people?” His face falters slightly, but I see it. I’ve managed to hit home. “Just like you thought I wouldn’t survive out here on my own?” I can’t help but hope the barb stings.
“Do I need to bring up the washing in the dishwasher?”
“Fuck off man. Seriously. I was only just getting to know her, and now you’ve gone and frightened her away. Why? Why is she scared of you, David? I don’t want to know what she did. I want to know your part in all of it.”
David runs his hand through his hair and sighs. All signs of glee are now gone when I don’t share his enthusiasm and actually move into protection mode. “Google her. That’s all you need to do. Google her.” He lowers his hand and looks at his watch. “I have to get going. Take my advice. Look into her. See if she’s going to help or hinder your career then see if you want her in your life. I’ll talk to you soon okay.”
I let him see himself out as I stand rigid in the kitchen. I’m waiting for my phone to chime telling me she’s replied and when it doesn’t, I send another while my mind races. ‘Look into her’. What the actual fuck. What I’d prefer to do is to talk to her directly. Give her a chance to explain. I resist the advice given to me. Jesus. If every one of my sexual partners were to be believed, I would be a walking, talking, twenty-four hours a day erection. That’s one lesson I learned very quickly in this industry. Unless you hear it from the person or the horse’s mouth, take it with a grain of salt.
The only reason I keep hold of my phone is to keep redialling. It’s cutting straight to message bank, so I know she’s got the phone turned off. This is like Sean all over again, and I fight against that stomach-sinking feeling. I want to give her her space, I also don’t want her to run from me. I spend time weighing up the pros and cons when there’s a message chiming on my phone.
My heart feels like it fucking stops when I read the message.
We need to talk. I know what you think of me, I just need a chance to explain.
I thought it was from Madelyn.
No. This message was from Sean.
Chapter Thirty-One
MADELYN
I’m woken with a start as the pounding on my front door continues. I don’t remember moving to the bed, and with a foggy mind, I quickly get to my feet and move towards the door. I’m relieved when I hear Trent calling my name.
I barely get the door open when he pushes past me in a huff, kicks the front door closed and pulls me into a tight hug. He holds me while I cry silently into his chest. We stand there for a few minutes before he drags me into the living room.
“Get your things. I can’t be worrying that you are going to go down the same shitty road you went down before. I can’t. So, get your things and come and stay with me.” I can see that this is not open for discussion as I pull my suitcase from under my bed. Everything feels like it’s been slowed to half speed. My movements are sluggish at best. “Clothes. Books. What else? Nothing in the kitchen I see. Fuck Mads. Why won’t you let me help you?” I stop pulling clothes from the wardrobe and burst into tears. I know my life isn’t flashy, it’s simple, and it’s mine, my stupid pride will have me go hungry before I ask for help. “You are not what they call us. You are smart and the strongest person I know. So, don’t cry over the douchelord, David. I know enough stories about that scheming bastard to put him behind bars for a long time, so even if he had the smarts that you hold in your pinkie, he wouldn't do anything. And who says … what’s his name?”
“Reece.” I sniffle and reach for a tissue to wipe my eyes and go back to filling my suitcase.
“Yeah, Reece. Who says he even knows? Did David actually see you?” He holds up his hand and waves it as if to clear the question away. “You know what? It does
n’t even matter. If this Reece guy is worthy of the attention you’ve been giving him, then he should know better.”
I scoff at his comment. “Yeah, but you and I both know what that world is like. I was stupid to think that we could be anything more than a casual fling.”
“Did you want it to be more than a fling?”
“I … yes … maybe? I was hoping that it would be more, I had to tell myself over and over that it’s just a fling. He will eventually go back to his world, and I’ll be here. Working two jobs and hiding from the world.” Trent pulls me into his arms as I start to sob again. “He was making me feel again.”
Trent crosses my small apartment in two steps and pulls me in for another hug. “As in, ‘he and life, in general, were making you feel again’ or ‘he and his world were making you feel again’?”
I instantly stop crying and pull back from his hug. “How can you ask me that? He could be a nobody, and I would enjoy his company. He’s only just finding out who he is without his world, Reece doesn’t know who he is let alone anyone else in the world. It’s been nice to see, and I really do like the guy behind the persona. He’s made me want better things for myself. I started out thinking I had to help him, but he’s helped me see so much about myself and how much I’ve changed.” It was Trent’s turn to flinch at my words. “You know what I mean. I didn’t think I would ever open up to a guy again. I never thought I’d trust another guy again, let alone hand over part of my heart to him.” My own words hit me hard in the chest. In the short time that I’ve known him, he’s changed so much. He’s grown into someone who is totally unrecognisable to his former self, and I really like that person. Really like him. I do believe in insta-attraction, but insta-love, that’s for romance novels.
“So not what I want to hear about my baby sister, but, it’s not him that makes you feel, it’s the experiences you’ve shared. So, you’ll come back with me. Get a decent feed, have a nice long shower ...” I’m about to cut him off when he pulls me away and lowers to be at my eye level. “And if it makes you feel any better, you can work a few shifts. Just fit them in when you are not at the store or at school or sleeping. So come on. You’re all puffy eyed and look like you need a good sleep. Leave your car, you can use mine. I’ll sell yours for parts and put that money towards school. You can pay me back later. Time for us to go. I can talk to your landlord. As for Reece, when he does find out the truth, and believe me, he will—this will really show what kind of character he is. Guard your heart for just a little bit longer.”
Within the hour, I’m walking the stairs in the residence at the pub and falling face first onto the bed. I’m having a terrible sense of déjà vu. This was the room Trent offered me when I first arrived here.
“I’ll let you get settled in. I’m going to get some more things done around here.”
I don’t even bother getting changed. I just curl up on my side and try to let the darkness take me, that is 'til I stupidly turn on my phone to check my emails.
Hope you are free at midday on Wednesday for lunch – Dad.
Wednesday is tomorrow. This is his attempt at giving notice. I’m hoping he means the following Wednesday, but as I power down my phone, I know he means tomorrow.
Fuck. I just want to flush my life away ‘cause that’s exactly where it is. The shitter.
Chapter Thirty-Two
REECE
I’ve been waiting for a response for the last forty minutes from Sean and there’s been nothing. I’ve checked and rechecked that my message went through to him. My heart leaps into my throat when two loud knocks on the door echo along the hallway. Holy shit, he’s here. I wasn’t expecting this. I jog down the hallway trying to hold the words in about how I don’t care about her past, and I don’t even want her to walk away from me again without talking to me. I pull open the door at the same time as my mouth, but only my mouth shuts.
“Oh.” It’s Trent. This is the closest I’ve been to him, and I can see some similarities. His eyes are shaped and coloured the same. They have the same pissed off stance too. “How can I help you?”
“It’s not me who needs help. I’m here to help you by telling you to wake the fuck up to yourself and stop dicking around with my sister. I know you had a visit from David Steel and I want to make sure he hasn’t filled your head with lies about my sister.”
How the fuck does he know David? “You wanna have this conversation here or inside?” I move back to give him space to come inside.
Trent eyes flick behind me, and he takes in the hallway. “David own this house?”
“Yeah.” I’m not sure why it matters.
“Then no. I’ll make it short. That fucker helped ruin my sister’s life. She’s getting back on board now…”
“How do you know each other?”
Trent narrows his eyes at me and shifts his stance. “He didn’t tell you?”
“When I found out that he knew of her, I told him I didn’t want to hear it from him.”
Trent lowers his head, and his shoulders drop with a breath. “Maybe it’s better that I come in then. It’s not like him. He’s not one to allow ‘hoes before bros’.” His waving hands come up in front of him, palm side up. “His mindset, not mine. The David Steel I know will have a field day with this information, and I’m here, begging you to be very careful with what you tell him.”
I ask him to come inside so we can discuss it further, as I close the door behind us, I say, “And don’t ever call your sister a hoe, man. I’ll kick your arse for that.” Trent follows me into the back room off the kitchen, and I sit on the arm of the lounge. “He’s been my manager for years. I’d like to think I can trust him.”
“David and trust are never used in the same sentence. You might have known him for years, but only as a manager. I’m sure you’ve seen and been subjected to his standover tactics.” To be honest, David used to push Sean more than me. I was the frontman. The one that he was happy to see on the covers every week. In fact, he encouraged it. “You mark my words when he’s pushing you under the bus, Reece. The time will come, mark my words. My sister might not have looked into you, but I have. Everything seems disposable to you. I’ll be honest. I’ve tried to talk Madelyn out from pursuing anything further.” Well, that fucking stings, I’m pretty happy that she wants things to go further. “She seems to think that you’re a decent human being. I know you don’t need to impress me, you do need me on your side. If I know Madelyn like I know Madelyn, she’s going to put some distance between you two, and if you don’t act and try and stop this, you may as well say goodbye. She won’t let you in her life. The reason for that is partly David’s fault. I’m also asking you to give my sister her dignity. Don’t watch the video of her online. She’s in a vulnerable and compromising situation that should never have left the bedroom.” Oh no. The thought of Madelyn with another guy makes me feel physically ill. “His name is James. Madelyn and I grew up with their family. He betrayed her in the worst possible way. You wonder why Madelyn is guarded? Why do you think she never mentions family?”
“She’s only really mentioned you.” We both hear another knock at the front door, and I look to Trent with surprise.
“Madelyn?” he asks.
“Maybe. Hopefully. Look. I like your sister, a lot and not just in a passing way. I’m sick of thinking that our time has a deadline. I don’t want it to. I really want to sit down and have a long, honest talk with her, and I hope she would do the same in return.” The knocks come again, and I get to my feet. I’m hoping like hell that’s Madelyn on the other side of the door so we can sort this out.
I pull the door open quickly while trying to find the words I’d prepared to say earlier when I see Sean and his bride standing behind him. In another surreal, out of body experience type way, I can’t really recall much between me seeing him to why my hand was stinging like a mother fucker. I look up from my hand to see Sean sprawled on his back and blood coming from his nose. The yelling brings back my attention. Everyone
seems to be yelling and I feel a hand grip tight about my bicep. I glance over my shoulder to see the hand belongs to Trent. I forgot all about him while Hannah’s scream brought me out of the daze. Sean’s holding his face and rolling on the ground, surprisingly I don’t have the urge to hit him again. I need him conscious and answering my questions. He reassures Hannah that he’s fine and that he deserved it. Trent lets go of my bicep, remains silent behind me. Everyone falls silent while Sean and I stare at each other.
I take a small step out of the doorway as I speak. “Now that that’s out of the way. Do you want to come inside and talk about how you’ve fucked up my life completely?”
Sean rolls to sit up, and Hannah grabs hold of his arm to help him. I like her already as she stands between us. She’s clearly got his back, and I couldn’t help to think if Madelyn would do the same for me.
“We’ll come in and discuss, but only if you promise not to punch him anymore.”
I flex my fist. “I’m not making any promises.”
Hannah looks over my shoulder to Trent. “Will you help keep your friend in line.”
“He’s not my friend,” Trent and I say at the same time.
“Still got a winning personality I see,” Hannah says.
Trent bursts out laughing. “She’s got you nailed.” The sting of his slap on my back takes me by surprise. “Think I might stick around just to make sure no one gets put in jail for assault.”
Sean steps around Hannah and looks me up and down. “You look good, Reece.”
“Why does everyone seem surprised that I’m not dead or half-starved? I’ve managed since you left me fucking high and dry.”
Trent steps forward and takes hold of my bicep but without the grip of the first time. “Look, how about you move this inside, or you might be giving the neighbourhood a free concert.”
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