Just an Illusion - The B Side

by D. Kelly

  “Hey, lovebirds,” Wyatt calls out from across the aisle. “You guys pick a wedding date yet? You know that’s going to be the most-asked question as soon as the paparazzi get a look at that rock on Mel’s finger.”

  Thankfully, Noah takes the lead on this one. My head just really isn’t in the game right now. “There’s no rush. Whenever Mel wants to get married, we’ll get married.”

  “So, like, never?” Sawyer retorts from the row behind us.

  “Don’t be mean,” I call out.

  Noah reinforces his faith in my love for him with his response. “She wouldn’t have said yes if it was a never, she’s not that cruel.”

  I crack a smile at his words. He’s not wrong, but this conversation is making me queasy. Or maybe it’s the fact we’re in a smaller plane than I like and there’s turbulence. Take your pick. Sawyer starts humming a tune behind us, and Darren and Wyatt are chatting between themselves. Belle was so sad when we left, but she gets it. She also joked about their pregnancy-hormone-induced reunion sex and I tuned her out about there. The good thing is Veronica should have been touching down with her boy toy as our flight was taking off, so Belle won’t be alone while we’re gone.

  Sawyer begins humming a tune I haven’t heard before, and Darren catches on and starts hitting some beats to go with it against the arm rest.

  “Hell yeah, man. What is that? Do you have words for it yet?” Darren’s enthusiasm catches up to the rest of them and they all pop out of their seats and head for the sitting area to chew his brain a bit more.

  “Are you coming?” Noah asks, holding his hand out to me.

  “Nah, I’m going to rest I think. I’m really tired.” It’s been a long few days. Ever since I said yes, Noah has been insatiable in bed. Not that I haven’t enjoyed it, but I think it’s catching up to me. We didn’t sleep at all New Year’s Eve, and not much last night, either.

  Bending down, he plants a sweet kiss against my lips. “Get some rest. We’ll be there before you know it.”

  The sounds of them talking excitedly lulls me to sleep. Even though I hate planes, their voices calm me enough to make me feel safe.

  As the plane begins its descent onto the runway at La Guardia, I wake up. I can’t believe I slept the whole flight. It’s about nine in the evening New York time and all I want to do is curl up in bed with some room service and get a good night’s sleep.

  “Are you feeling better, Sleeping Beauty?” Noah asks softly as my eyes blink open.

  “Yeah, I’m just tired. You wore me out the past few days.”

  “Seriously didn’t need to hear that,” Sawyer mutters from behind us. The rest of them laugh, but I feel my cheeks heat up; I didn’t mean for him to hear that, either.

  “You’re cute when you blush,” Noah replies with a kiss against my cheek. “We’ll check in and get some room service, sound good?”

  “Sounds incredible. Thank you.” I pull my phone out of my purse and turn it on. There are a bunch of missed calls and messages from Belle.

  Belle: I know you’re on the plane but call me before you deplane if you can. URGENT

  After hitting her speed dial number, I pull the phone to my ear.

  “Oh my God, Mel! Have you gotten off the plane yet?”

  “No, why. What’s going on, Belle?”

  “Hey, you’re talking to Belle? Tell her I’ll call her in a bit,” Darren says, leaning over my shoulder.

  “Mel, the paparazzi have pictures of your ring. Someone must have caught you guys at the airport earlier. All hell is breaking loose. Right now, it’s all speculation, but you know how fans get. You need to figure out what to say and stay safe. Bitches be crazy, you know.”

  “Hang on, Belle. Hey, guys, uh … the cat’s out of the bag about me and Noah. Someone got a picture of my ring before we left L.A. Belle wants to know what we want to do, if anything. Right now, it’s just speculation.”

  I knew this was going to happen; we should have gotten in front of it from the get go. This is what I don’t miss from this public life. Everyone thinking it’s okay for them to be all up in your business.

  “Whatever you want to do, Mel, it’s up to you. I’m happy to let it be known, but you need to be comfortable,” Noah says with a sympathetic look.

  “I agree with Noah, Princess. Mac and Ryan have the SUVs already running and ready to go on the side of the building. Perks of flying private is they get to basically pull up to the plane’s door. Have Belle put out a release, and as long as there’s no stake-out squad at the hotel, you’ll be good to go until tomorrow. We’ll confirm it in our interviews and take the pressure off you. But Noah, you should send Mac with her tomorrow to her signing and hire someone else for us.” Sawyer’s words make sense.

  “I agree, Mel. Let me announce this right now on the Slammed blog and we can sort of get ahead of it. Send me a selfie of you and Noah and a close-up of that ring.”

  “Okay. Thanks, Belle.”

  “What are best friends for? Be careful, and I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  Noah and I snap a photo; considering I just slept for hours, I don’t look bad. My makeup is still even in place. Ten minutes later, my phone beeps with an incoming message from Belle. A link to the Slammed post.

  Slammers!

  It’s your girl Belle, and I’ve got some juicy and exciting information to share with you. You may have seen a photo circulating of Amelia Greyson wearing a new piece of jewelry. I’m here to put the rumors to rest. Noah Weston and Amelia Greyson are indeed engaged.

  The lucky couple spent a romantic New Year’s Eve together, where Noah and Mel decided to take the next step in their relationship. I know there are probably some sad Noah fans out there tonight, but trust me when I say they really are a match made in heaven. Just a few weeks ago, Noah and Mel were staring death in the face; who could blame them for wanting to live each moment to the fullest from here on out? Don’t they look happy as can be?

  Let’s give Noah and Mel our best wishes and congratulations on their upcoming nuptials.

  Follow their lead and my advice – Live today like there’s no tomorrow.

  Xs and Os

  Belle

  “This was the perfect way to announce it. Belle selling our love to the world. I bet she was a kickass Girl Scout and probably sold more cookies than anyone.” Noah’s words make me laugh. Belle was indeed a super cookie-selling Girl Scout.

  “Ask her to show you her Brownie uniform. She’s got more badges than anyone I’ve ever seen. Although, to be fair, I was pretty sheltered and she’s the only Girl Scout I ever knew. But I agree, this was perfect. If it had to be public, letting my best friend do it tastefully and get a career boost at the same time was a great way to go.”

  Noah, Sawyer, and I get off the plane and into the truck with Mac. Wyatt and Darren go with Ryan. Warren is flying in later because he decided to stay an extra day in San Diego with Sam. Unfortunately, although the ride to the hotel was peaceful, the outside of the hotel is anything but. BAD fans are lined up all along the sidewalk. At least the hotel is keeping them outside.

  “Guys, that’s a pretty big crowd. Is hotel security on standby, Mac?” Sawyer asks, concern lacing his tone.

  “This is why I can’t wait to be retired for a few years. I hope some of this craziness dies down. This is insane. They don’t even know we’re staying here … every hotel in town probably looks like this right now.” Noah may be voicing his irritation, but I know he’ll be as nice as possible to the fans. He always is.

  Mac lets Noah finish venting before answering, “Yeah, we’re set with security. We’ll park in front and get you guys in. Their valet team is going to take the cars right away. Check-in is ready for you, but there are some fans staying in the hotel. They can’t make them leave since they’re just lounging in the lobby. You know the drill.”

  “Mel, we’re going to tuck you between us and move fast. Whatever you do, don’t let go of me and Sawyer.�
�

  “Yeah, Princess, these New York girls don’t play. Hold on tight,” Sawyer says, looking just as worried as Noah.

  “You guys do know I’ve been through this before, right? Believe it or not, I can hold my own.” I’m not a damsel they need to save.

  “Alright, then, show us what a badass you are,” Sawyer snaps.

  Noah rolls his eyes. “Don’t be a dick, Sawyer. Let’s just get in and get settled,” Noah says firmly as the car pulls to a stop. As we wait for Mac to get out and open the door, I see all the chaos. It’s not just fans, it’s paparazzi, too. Flashes go off one after another, fans are holding up posters; some of them are already crying. Sometimes I think I was blessed to grow up in the industry so I never went through one of these excessive fangirl phases. And another part of me thinks maybe I missed out on something special. A feeling you get when music touches you deep down in your soul and you become so invested in the maker you’d move heaven and earth for even the slightest glimpse of the people whose words make your life make sense.

  When Mac opens the door, their screams become deafening. My heart races as all their grabby hands reach out, trying to get a small piece of these men. Ryan, Wyatt, and Darren are right in front of us. They’ve already stopped for a few autographs, but Noah and Sawyer aren’t having it. They’re waving and yelling hello, but they’re not stopping … until they have no choice.

  One of the girls escapes the blocked off area and manages to jump onto Noah’s back.

  “Whoa!” he exclaims as she throws her arms around his neck. Sawyer keeps me in his firm grasp, but a few other girls get loose while Mac tries to extract Noah. One of the bolder ones grabs my free hand—the one with my engagement ring on it.

  “This was supposed to be mine, you stupid bitch!” she screams at me, tears streaming down her cheeks. I try and pull my hand back, but she’s trying to pull my ring off.

  I’ve had enough. Yanking my hand from Sawyer who, even though he’s still holding on, is under siege himself, I try and reason with the girl. They love their fans, and I don’t want to fuck this up for them.

  “Let go.” My tone is calm but firm.

  “No, bitch, not until you give me my ring,” she snaps.

  Calmly, as I see NYPD pulling up, I warn her again, “You’re not going to like what happens if you don’t let go right fucking now.”

  She manages to get my ring off my finger, and while she looks down at her prize, I punch her in the face. She falls to the ground, her nose gushing blood everywhere as I yank my ring back from her. At the same moment, Mac lifts me up and runs with me like I’m a football into the hotel. It’s embarrassing, but whatever … I’ve got my fucking ring and that’s all that matters.

  The lobby has been cleared of all guests. Darren and Wyatt watch in awe as I shake my hand out.

  “Holy shit, Mel, you clocked her!” Darren yells with a proud smile.

  “Bitch stole my ring,” I tell them as I slide it back onto my finger.

  Sawyer and Noah finally make it inside with a few policemen trailing behind them.

  “Baby, are you okay?” Noah asks, pulling me into his arms.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  “Uh, Princess, I think you need some ice for that hand. But holy shit, next time I’ll take you at your word. You don’t have to punch someone to prove a point,” Sawyer says, but even he’s smiling like a proud papa.

  “Ma’am, the woman you assaulted is screaming she wants to press charges. We’re going to need a statement.” The officer sounds annoyed, but it’s a good sign he isn’t rushing to arrest me already.

  “Officer, she assaulted me first. She grabbed my hand, told me my engagement ring was supposed to be hers, and then ripped it off my finger. I punched her, but not until after she’d stolen my ring. Then I took it back while she was crying on the ground.”

  “I’m sorry to have to ask this, but what is the estimated value of the ring?” he asks, taking notes in his notebook.

  “Is that necessary?” Noah asks.

  “Yes, sir, if there’s video of her stealing the ring, it’s a crime.”

  “It’s fine, Noah, let it go. You don’t have to tell him if you don’t want to.” I don’t know what Noah spent on the ring and I don’t care. But he’s a private person; the whole world doesn’t need to know, either.

  “Fuck that, Mel, she needs to pay for what she did. The ring was just over forty-five thousand dollars. My attorney can get you the receipt for your records … here’s his card.” Noah hands him Tony’s card from his wallet while all of us are in a stunned silence. I knew the ring was nice but I didn’t realize how nice. I’m not comfortable with this. At all.

  “Well, in the state of New York that’s considered grand larceny. Do you want to press charges?” the officer asks.

  I shake my head. “If she agrees to not pursue assault charges in court, and she agrees to not pursue them in a civil court, either, I won’t press charges.”

  “Mel …” Noah cautions, but I’ve had my fill.

  “No, that’s my deal. I don’t want anyone going to jail.”

  Sawyer walks up to me and hands me an ice pack. My hand is sore and swollen; it’s going to be a bitch to sign autographs tomorrow. I take a seat on one of the chairs in the lobby and Wyatt sits next to me while Noah and Sawyer finish with the cop.

  “Who would have thought you were a scrapper?”

  His words make me laugh. “Yeah, well … when you grow up as Joey Triton’s daughter, you learn early on that girls and women can be crazy.”

  He leans close to me and whispers, “We went to five stores that day. It’s why we were gone so long, but Noah couldn’t tell you the whole truth. At the last store, he finally found a ring he thought you would love. Never once did he look at a price tag, not at any of those stores. And when she gave Noah the receipt he didn’t even blink when he signed it.”

  “Why are you telling me this?”

  “Because Noah never does anything he’s not sure about. What he spent is nothing compared to what he’s getting in return. The only thing he was thinking about was you. He wanted something that wasn’t going to be too gaudy, too flashy, but it also needed to fit your personality. When people look at it, not only will they know you belong to him but they will know he loves you enough and knows you well enough to pick something uniquely you.”

  “Thanks, Wyatt.”

  “Yup,” is all he says before we stand and are escorted to the bank of elevators. We’re all quiet as we ascend to our floors; everyone seems a bit weary. Mac and Ryan clear the rooms one by one. Noah and I are the last to be cleared.

  “Food?”

  “Yes, please.” I open up my suitcase, pull out my pajamas, and get dressed while Noah calls in our order. When I come out, Noah is standing in front of the mirror looking at his neck.

  “Oh shit, Noah, are you okay?” I didn’t notice before because he had his jacket on, but his neck is covered in scratches. No one is supposed to leave scratches on my man but me. “We need a first aid kit.”

  “I’m fine, Mel, it’s just some scratches.”

  “Yeah, from some bitch in heat who probably hasn’t had her rabies shots recently.”

  He smirks at me, leans back against the dresser, and turns toward me. “You’re quite the foul mouth tonight.”

  “Yeah, well, stupid women bring out the best in me, can’t you tell?” I’m so angry looking at his scratches and when he lifts my hand to his mouth and kisses my swollen knuckles, I realize he feels the same.

  “Just a few more months and this will all be over.”

  “You mean just another year?” I reply with a sigh.

  “Yeah, but the U.S. tour is done in October, and then we’ll have a break before going overseas. The international fans are excitable but less violent. Who knew you had such a right hook, though? Maybe I should hire you to protect my virtue.”

  I laugh; it feels good to let out some of the te
nsion. “I’d prefer for all of us to stay low key from here on out if possible.”

  “Sounds good to me,” he says as someone knocks on the door. It’s room service. Noah is quick with the guy and wheels our food in.

  “That was really fast,” I remark as he takes the lids off a couple of cheeseburgers.

  “Yeah, I find when we have incidents like what just happened, the hotels are usually on top of everything concerning our stay from that point forward. Even with everything going on down there, our luggage made it to our rooms long before we did.”

  The reality of their world weighs heavily on my shoulders, especially tonight.

  “Look, Mel, can we talk about the elephant in the room for a minute please?” I nod, and he continues, “I don’t want you to be angry about the ring. I even told you when I gave it to you we could trade it.”

  “Noah, I love the ring …”

  “But?”

  “It’s so expensive.”

  He pulls his chair next to mine and holds my good hand. “How long do you think you’re going to wear that ring?”.

  I don’t know where he’s going with this, but I’ll play along. “I don’t know … forty years?” Considering we’re almost thirty, that seems like a good estimate.

  “I’d say at least fifty. After tax and insurance, that’s basically a little over a thousand dollars a year for you to have a piece of my heart on your finger. Two thousand if you count the matching wedding band I already bought.”

  “Noah …”

  “No, Mel, stop,” he says, bringing his finger to my lips. “Two thousand a year is nothing. I pay more than that for insurance, for groceries, in gas, randomly gifting people stuff. You get my point. But our love is priceless. If it will make you feel better, we can skip a vacation, or not get the fancy room, but if you like the ring, it stays.”

  And that right there is how, the first and only time in my life, Noah Weston made me feel like an asshole.

  “Okay, the ring stays. But can you make me feel better and let me call for a first aid kit? Those scratches are nasty.”