The Rocks Duet: Fake Rocks & Real Rocks (a fake relationship rockstar romance)

by Julie Archer

  I glanced at the screen.

  Darren. What on earth could he want?

  Since the gig, we’d met up a couple of times for a beer and although I hadn’t managed to tell him the exact reasons as to why Saff and I broke up, he’d been sympathetic enough. I’d been glad of his support, even if there was nothing he could do about the situation.

  “Darren? Are you okay?”

  “Where are you?”

  “At home, at my aunt and uncle’s place. Why?”

  “You need to get here now.”

  My blood ran cold. I didn’t know exactly where ‘there’ was but I knew Darren wouldn’t have contacted me unless it was something serious. “What’s going on, Darren?”

  “It’s Saff. She’s with some bloke and I don’t think he’s good for her.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “And you think me turning up is going to stop her? This is Saff we’re talking about.”

  Darren’s silent disapproval of my last comment crackled over the line.

  “Okay, okay. I’ll come.”

  “Good, because I’ve already sent an Uber.”

  He cut the call, leaving me to wonder exactly what had gone on. But if I didn’t go, I wouldn’t find out. I pushed back the covers, dressing quickly in jeans and a sweater before shoving my feet into a pair of trainers. While I was doing that, my phone went again with a notification from Darren showing me the details of the Uber. It was almost outside.

  I barrelled out of my bedroom, almost bumping into Uncle Col on the landing.

  He yawned, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “You okay, Tris?” He spotted I was dressed. “Where are you going at this time of night?”

  “It’s Saff. She, um, needs me.” There seemed little point in making something up. And who else would want me at this time of night.

  “At one in the morning? Couldn’t it have waited until tomorrow?”

  I shook my head.

  “And how are you getting there?”

  As if on cue, the sound of a car approaching the house rumbled through the building.

  “I’m being picked up. I’ll be back… I don’t know when I’ll be back. But I’ll let you know what happens.”

  Without looking back, I dashed down the stairs and opened the front door, gesturing to the driver I was on my way. I sank into the backseat and messaged Darren to tell him the same thing. I hoped I wasn’t going to be too late.

  There wasn’t much in the way of traffic at that time of night and the car sped down the motorway, before driving through Central London. The whole journey, I wondered why Darren had called me. Why hadn’t he contacted Jonas instead? Surely he would have been more appropriate in this kind of situation? Saff had blanked me, she didn’t want anything to do with me. How was she going to react when I got there? I tortured myself with those thoughts until the driver pulled up outside the address he’d been given. It looked like any normal, Victorian terraced house, apart from the loud music coming from the inside. I bet the neighbours loved them.

  Darren was waiting. “Thanks for coming, mate.”

  “Where is she?”

  “Upstairs.”

  I pushed past him into the hallway, getting my bearings before heading up the stairs as he followed me. I called out Saff’s name as I knocked on a couple of doors, sticking my head in, then apologising to the couples I had disturbed. The last room was at the end of the corridor and I could hear voices chatting. One was definitely Saff.

  Without hesitation, I threw open the door. Saff was lying on the bed, wearing just her bra and jeans, while a guy had his head buried in her cleavage. The room stank of beer and God only knew what else. My gaze fell on the discarded foil. Anger and disgust ran through me. If this is what Saff had got herself into, I should walk away. But something stopped me.

  Perhaps it was the way he turned and winked at me, as if justifying his actions.

  Perhaps it was the fact I wasn’t prepared to turn my back on Saff, even if she had done the same to me.

  Perhaps my protective gene kicked in and I needed her to know I still had her back.

  “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I lunged at him, dragging him off Saff, who blinked as she stared up at me. Her pupils were so dark, the whole of her eyes looked black. What had she taken?

  He fought me, wrestling himself out of my grasp and faced me, looking me up and down. “I know you,” he said. “You’re one of her conquests.”

  I went for him again, but Darren put a restraining arm across my chest. “You don’t know me,” I hissed.

  He laughed. “Yeah, I do mate. You’re just another in the long line of people who shagged Saff Barnes. And it’s a very long line.”

  It was getting harder and harder to hold on to my temper. “But you thought you had to drug her to sleep with you.” I gestured to the foil, then the incoherent state Saff appeared to be in.

  “She wanted it. She wanted me.”

  My fists clenched beside me. I itched to punch his smart little face. “Look at her, she can barely focus, let alone consent to anything.”

  The corner of his mouth quirked up in a sly smile. “I thought you knew her? Then you’d know she’s up for anything and will take anything she’s offered. Saff didn’t need my encouragement.” He glanced over at Saff, contempt crossing his face. “And the pictures would have been worth it if you hadn’t turned up when you did.”

  The inference of what he was saying slowly sunk in. He’d been planning to sleep with Saff, take pictures and then… The thought disgusted me. That he had such little respect for a woman he needed to take advantage of her. Someone like Saff.

  Already on edge from the whole evening’s events, I ground my teeth, contemplating my next move. Darren muttered in my ear he wasn’t worth it, I should walk away, get Saff, go home.

  He was right. That was exactly what I should do.

  Shame I didn’t agree.

  I wanted to wipe the smirk off that low life’s face.

  Letting out a hard breath, I tensed and drew my arm back; ready to strike. The satisfaction of catching him with a vicious upper cut to his jaw, made me lose concentration as he landed a punch on me.

  Reeling, I heard Darren tell me to stop but I ignored him, getting in another blow while I still could. He angled himself between the two of us, effectively ending the fight. Blood dripped from the guy’s nose as he spat a mouthful of phlegm onto the carpet.

  “Christ, is she really worth it?” He coughed.

  My gaze moved between him and Saff. “Every. Fucking. Bruise.”

  “Tris, stop!”

  Saff’s voice rang through the room loud and clear and all our heads swivelled around to face her. She tried to pull herself up off the bed but lost her balance. As she fell over the edge, her head hit the bedside table with an almighty crack then she slid to the floor out cold.

  “Jesus, Saff!” I shoved the guy out of the way and dashed to her.

  Her face was deathly pale and there was a streak of blood on her temple. I reached down to wipe it away.

  “Is she okay?” asked Darren, as he joined me at her side.

  She was definitely breathing, if somewhat erratically and her pulse was strong. “I don’t know.” I looked up, taking in the abandoned foil. It was just the three of us in the room. It would appear Saff’s new friend had done a runner. “I think we need to call an ambulance.”

  Darren already had his phone in his hand. “On it.”

  Gently, I stroked her face. “It’s going to be okay, sweetheart. I’m here.”

  Saff groaned. “Tris, is that you?” she managed, before turning on one side and throwing up all over the carpet.

  “Yes, it’s me. And I’m not going anywhere.”

  35

  Saff

  It hurt to move my head.

  It hurt to breathe, my throat was raw and scratchy.

  It even hurt to try and open my eyes. There was a bright, blinding light assaulting my vision and I wanted it to go away.
<
br />   And I needed the voices to stop too. I hoped they were in the room and not in my head.

  With great effort, I cracked open my eyelids. A nurse was peering down at me, a friendly smile on her face.

  “Hello, Saff. Do you know where you are?”

  “I’m guessing hospital?” It didn’t exactly take a genius to work it out.

  “And do you know why you’re here?”

  The pounding in my head made it difficult to think. I struggled to sit up, reaching around to touch my temple. Yep, could be the cause of this horrendous headache. “I hit my head?” I ventured.

  She smiled again. “Good girl. Anything else you can remember?”

  I screwed up my eyes, wondering why she was asking me. I searched the depths of my memory to try to remember. There was a party, Darren and I had argued about Tris, there was a guy called Carl who made me feel better. “I was drinking and smoking, Carl had some weed, so we went upstairs.”

  “And afterwards? Did Carl offer you anything else?”

  Although her tone was soft, it felt like an interrogation. I was the one in hospital, surely I wasn’t the one in the wrong. Something jolted my consciousness as I had a sudden recollection of what Carl and I had done. Bile rose in my throat as I retched and the nurse reached for a bowl. She stroked the back of my neck, just like Carl had done and the movement made me vomit harder.

  Shit. I’d taken heroin.

  The tears spilled down my cheers and I struggled to breathe as I had a flashback to that moment.

  How could I have been so stupid? What the hell was Jonas going to do when he found out?

  My voice shook as I answered her. “Heroin.” Never before had I been less proud of myself. I wanted to curl up into a ball and be left alone.

  The nurse’s expression changed to one of sympathy, although I was sure she was judging me. “It confirms what your friend told us might have happened. You realise mixing all those substances isn’t a good thing? You were very lucky. Have you ever done it before?”

  Friend? What friend? Was Carl here?

  The thought made me want to retch again. “Never.” I was adamant. Whether she chose to believe me was another matter.

  “Were you trying to harm yourself?”

  Her direct question hit me from left field. But it made me think. Had I done it to erase the past few days and to forget for a while? Or was there something deeper to it?

  I shook my head, then instantly regretted it as the pain stabbed through me.

  “Okay.” She nodded. “I need to get a doctor to check you out and to see what happens next. Try to get some rest.”

  I sagged back onto the bed and the dam of tears I’d been trying to hold back broke. I sobbed wondering how I’d ended up like this.

  Over the next few hours, I was prodded and poked, had my vital signs monitored a million times and had roughly the same amount of questions fired at me.

  No, I hadn’t been trying to kill myself.

  Yes, I had taken the drugs willingly.

  Yes, I did understand mixing drugs was dangerous.

  No, I wouldn’t do it again.

  They wanted to keep me in for observation for a little while longer, although I seemed fine. Apparently, I couldn’t be released until they knew I had someone to look after me, so reluctantly I gave them Jonas’ number and waited for the fallout.

  Most of the time, I’d been there alone, curtains closed around the cubicle. I wasn’t able to see the comings and goings of the emergency department, but I heard a lot. And not all of it was good. I was counting the tiles in the ceiling for about the hundredth time when the nurse poked her head in.

  “Are you up for visitors?” she asked.

  I let out a heavy sigh. Jonas hadn’t exactly been slow in getting there. “I guess so.” A thought struck me. “It’s not Carl, is it?”

  “No, it bloody well isn’t!” I recognised Darren’s voice immediately. “As if I’d let that bastard anywhere near you again.”

  He came into the cubicle followed by Tris. Somewhere in the depths of my memory, I remembered Tris in that room. He’d laid into Carl and I’d stopped him. Although in retrospect, maybe I shouldn’t have done.

  “Hey. How are you feeling?” He hung back, seeming unsure as to whether to come in.

  “Like I’ve gone several rounds with…you.” I remembered him laying into Carl, making the guy’s nose bleed. I caught my breath. He’d been trying to protect me. Exactly as he had done the night of the gig.

  And stupidly, I’d let him walk away.

  No.

  I’d pushed him away.

  The thumping in my head intensified.

  I’d been an idiot.

  “Tris, can we…?” The end of my sentence was cut off by Jonas’ arrival.

  He pushed his way into the small space, already occupied by two pretty big guys, and took over.

  “Right, I’m here now,” he announced. He took in the sight of Darren and Tris there and immediately demanded the two of them leave.

  “No, I want them to stay.” I reached out and grabbed Jonas’ wrist. “They were there for me when I needed them.”

  Jonas snorted. “I doubt that very much.” He fixed Tris with a glare. “What the hell are you doing here anyway? I thought I told you to stay away.”

  Tris hung his head. “I’m sorry, I’ll go.” He turned to leave.

  “No!” My voice came out louder and stronger than I anticipated and the three men stopped stock still. “I want you to stay. If I’d have asked you to stay earlier, I wouldn’t be here now.” It was the absolute truth. An overwhelming sense of exhaustion hit and any traces of adrenaline which had been keeping me going left my body.

  A frown flitted across Tris’ handsome features as he realised what I was trying to say.

  “If I’m going to stay, I owe you an explanation.” He glanced at Jonas and Darren, both of whom eyed him suspiciously. “Hell, I owe you all an explanation. I never realised my lies would compromise the contract we had.”

  “Contract? What contract?” Darren asked, puzzled.

  “I’ll tell you another time,” I chipped in. “Let Tris finish.”

  “I recently spent three months in prison. It was the worst three months of my life.”

  His face fell and he seemed so vulnerable, all I wanted to do was kiss him. And he hadn’t even finished his explanation.

  “I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’d been out for the evening with some friends, drinking and clubbing until the early hours. When it came time to leave, I spotted a guy being hassled by a group of men and stepped in to try and stop it. The ringleader began taunting me and I lashed out. I landed one punch and broke his nose. He pressed charges and despite the fact I was trying to protect someone I barely knew from getting a good kicking, I ended up with a record for common assault and a six-month prison sentence. Good behaviour meant I was out in three.”

  I closed my eyes. He was one of the good guys after all. “Tris, you should have told me.” I stretched to touch him, but he stood just out of reach.

  “You should certainly have told me.” Jonas let out a hard breath. “All this could have been dealt with sooner.”

  “But your dad?” I frowned, wondering why he’d turned up when he did.

  “Is nothing but a money grabbing lowlife. He couldn’t wait to find me when he thought I’d hit the big time dating you. In the three months I was inside, I didn’t see him once. We had no contact. I was alone in there. Can you understand what that feels like?” His hazel eyes were glassy, and I wanted to hold him, to tell him it was going to be okay.

  “Can you give us a minute?” I begged Jonas and Darren.

  Neither of them appeared particularly happy about it, although they reluctantly did as they were asked, Jonas muttering under his breath about getting my release sorted out.

  When we were alone, neither of us spoke for a moment.

  “I’m sorry.”

  We spoke the words at exactly the same ti
me, then each gave a small laugh.

  I held up my hand. “Let me go first. I should have listened to you the night of the gig. I get now you were trying to protect me, exactly like you did tonight. I should have let you explain instead of being selfish and walking away.” Admitting my self-centredness to Tris made me realise I was tired of hooking up with people like Troy Carson or even Carl. Because standing right in front of me was someone who’d travelled thirty odd miles in the middle of the night to come to my rescue when I’d previously pushed him away.

  If he chose to walk, I couldn’t blame him.

  “Do you think we could try again?” The words slipped out of my mouth before I had a chance to think it through.

  “What will Jonas say? Will he draw up a new contract?” Tris asked nervously.

  “I don’t think there’s any need for paperwork this time, do you?” I reached out my hand and Tris closed the distance between us in two steps.

  He leaned down and gently met my lips, not wanting to hurt me. After everything that had happened, I wasn’t sure he could anymore.

  I realised I didn’t need to find someone to love me for one night anymore, because I knew Tris would love me forever.

  Real Rocks

  1

  Saff

  Fingers gently stroked the back of my neck; a male voice encouraging me to relax and go with the feelings…

  To loosen up, forget about everyone and everything…

  You don’t need anything but me…

  Just once more...

  Then everything went black…

  I sat bolt upright in bed, trying to quell the nausea which roiled in my stomach. It was the same dream I’d been having ever since the messages started a couple of weeks ago. Tris snored gently beside me, blissfully unaware of my restlessness.

  I hadn’t told him about the bad dreams.

  I hadn’t told him about the messages.

  I didn’t want to think about what he might do if he knew who was sending them.

  Trying not to wake him with my tossing and turning, I attempted to get back to sleep. After an hour of fruitless struggle, I gave up and slipped out of bed. I grabbed a hoodie from the door handle of my wardrobe, pulled it on and padded downstairs to the kitchen.