If only I could move. My body wouldn’t work well enough to throw a decent punch.
Reporters filled the room, some even standing at the back. Pete had said because we’d not given much notice, we’d only get a handful but he’d been wrong, or he’d lied.
I was a mess. I should’ve freshened up before I came out. They’d take photos and this wreck of a Daisy would be plastered all over the place. Ha, that would be the least of my worries.
My mind raced, latching on to any random thoughts. Did my shoes match my outfit? What was that strange noise?
Pete kept talking. My nerves stretched almost to snapping point. Waiting for the hangman to kick the box out from under me would be easier than this. At least I’d convulse a little, then be gone.
Someone handed me a bottle of water and I gulped it down, wishing it was vodka.
Finally, Pete stopped and it was time for me to walk up to the podium. The paper with my speech dropped out of my hand and fluttered to the floor. No wonder. My hands were too sweaty to hold anything.
I picked it up, mumbling an apology. I wasn’t even sure who I apologised to.
Before I started, I closed my eyes and breathed in. I could do it. I was committed now.
I got a few sentences in when someone called out.
“We can’t hear a word. Stand closer to the mic.”
“And stop mumbling.”
I’d not even noticed the mic in front of me. I paused, biting my lip. The tears threatened but I couldn’t cry. If I cried, this would be so much worse. I knew that. Having stopped, I wasn’t sure how to continue. I could only hear my own heartbeat. Maybe my heart would explode. Maybe that would be the best solution.
I started again, my voice trembling over the words.
“I have to apologise to the press and the public but mostly to Devon’s fans. I’ve done something—”
The doors at the back of the room burst open. What now?
Every head spun around at the commotion.
Devon.
Devon?
What the hell was he doing here? And why did he wear the “Devon *hearts* Daisy” t-shirt I’d made him?
He looked like a dream and, even stranger, Meadow trailed behind him.
Chapter 40.Devon
“Stop this shambles!” I yelled out. “Halt right there!”
Every head turned my way. Eyes blazed with the prospect of drama. All eyes, except Daisy’s. She looked haunted. I wanted to wrap her in my arms and protect her from these vile creatures.
“Sorry about this, folks. My man here, Pete, has screwed the whole thing up. I don’t know what he was thinking. This is not how we planned things at all. Don’t know why he’s my manager really. The guy couldn’t organise a shag at a brothel.”
That got a weak laugh, enough to break the mood. I shot them a cheesy grin to go with my words. The press loved that kind of thing. Wanted to think they were in on the joke with you.
Cameras flashed as I walked to the front of the room. When I reached Daisy, I handed her the t-shirt.
She took it from me but stared as though she had no idea what it was.
“Put this on before we make our announcement.” I squeezed her hand. I couldn’t say anything, not in front of the reporters but I wanted her to know everything was going to be alright.
She shook her head.
“Sorry, guys, she’s a bit confused,” I said to the room.
I took the t-shirt back and put it over her head.
“Don’t do this,” she hissed. “I need to save you.”
“Not on your life.”
I grabbed her arms, pulling them through the armholes. It was like dressing a rag doll. She didn’t resist but she did nothing to help either. Meanwhile, the reporters went nuts, taking photos of me dressing her. Then I held her close to my side. She couldn’t save me. Not by what she’d planned to do. The only way she could save me was to stay by my side.
“Just do as I say or you’ll be banned from my concerts for life. I’m not letting you throw your life away.”
I pushed her beside me so the press could take photos of us in our matching t-shirts. These “Devon *hearts* Daisy” and “Daisy *hearts* Devon” shirts were rather cute, actually. She’d worked really hard on the design. Luckily, I’d found them in the wardrobe when I’d been getting ready to go to the cemetery. I’d put them aside to throw out but hadn’t had a chance.
I turned my attention to the press.
“Well, that was a bit dramatic, wasn’t it?” I said. That bunch of idiots ate this up. And things would get even better. “There’s been a lot of speculation in the press and on the Internet and pretty much all over the place. A lot of chuckleheads out there have blamed Daisy for things that are my fault. I’m the only one to blame here. I need to apologise for my behaviour. She didn’t make me hit anyone. She didn’t cause the fight. I made that mistake all on my own.”
I took a breath and gestured for the assistant to bring me some water while they took that in. Actually, Daisy could do with some water herself. She looked like she was about to faint.
“I need to make amends. The world is full of cockheads but that doesn’t mean I can beat them all up. I think I need some of that anger management stuff.”
What I needed was to get rid of that cocksucking Pete and get my old manager back. I’d beg her to take me on. Why did Tex get Hannah when we split? She’d been the best manager ever.
“Firstly, the fake girlfriend rumours. There’s some truth to that.” I held Daisy tighter. “Daisy and I had sparks from the start but, rather than let things evolve naturally, my manager, that guy over there.” I pointed to Pete. “He wanted us to have this big media circus relationship. Wanted us to be one of those celebrity couples. But that’s not us. We’re more the stay-at-home-and-eat-omelettes types. You should try the omelettes Daisy makes me. They’re the best. My partying days are behind me.”
I can’t believe I’d said that. I was rambling, trying to fill in the spaces. People murmured but I held my hand up.
“Daisy and I both thought it was stupid from the start but he’s the manager. What can you do?”
I gave an endearing shrug. These reporters loved me. Well, except that jerk. Why was he even here? Pete would’ve known the guy was antagonistic when he sent out the invites. He should’ve made sure that guy was barred.
I prayed Daisy would just keep quiet and play along with this. Pete had started things and he could take responsibility for them. She should not even think of defending him. I glanced at her to see if she was on-board. She gave me a wavering smile.
Pete stepped forward but he couldn’t deny anything. Not at the conference. Maybe afterwards, when I sacked him, but who’d listen to him then? The guy would be washed up and no one in the world would care.
The assistant handed me a bottle of water. I drank some then handed the rest to Daisy.
This was the bit where Daisy might kill me.
The possibility of her shooting me down in flames didn’t stop me but it did give me a bellyache. I’d be publicly humiliated. The biggest fool in rock history. If she hated me for what I’d done to her and wanted revenge, I was about to hand her the sweetest gift. I just had to trust that she still cared for me a tiny bit.
I had no choice though. To save Daisy, the news needed to be massive enough to overshadow everything that had gone before.
“Now to the important business of the day.” Dramatic pause. I had to draw this out. My eyes pleaded with Daisy to not annihilate me. “Daisy and I want to announce our engagement to the world.”
They went nuts with the cameras. I turned to Daisy, hoping she was okay.
She did glare at me. She glared at me for a full ten seconds before the smile started. Just a slight tremble at first, then it burst through like sunshine after the rain.
I gathered her in my arms and kissed her. I kissed her until the world went away. She was mine. And I was hers. Nothing would come between us. No ghosts. No shadows.
> At first, the kiss was tentative, a shy exploring of her. I held back like I’d never held back before. I didn’t want to overwhelm her. It’d been a rough day for her.
As she responded, I became more demanding. I wanted to possess her. I wanted her to possess me. She needed to understand that the past was behind us. Nothing stood in the way of us any more.
When we were alone, I’d play her my song and then we’d plan out our future. After making an announcement like that, I guess I had to marry her.
Maybe I’d lose fans over this but I couldn’t live my life for what fans wanted. The true fans would stick around; the others could go.
Daisy ran her fingers through my hair, pulling me even closer to her. She couldn’t get enough of me. We needed to wrap this up, get home where we could be alone and catch up on lost time. There were so many parts of her body I wanted to make mine that I didn’t even know where to start.
But first we had to stop this kiss and I had no idea how to do that. I couldn’t break away; I couldn’t let her go.
She broke from me first.
“Is this real or is it a fake engagement?” she whispered to me.
“It’s 100% real,” I replied.
Chapter 41.Daisy
Was I dreaming? The whole thing went by in a blur and next thing, Devon dragged me out of the room. Not long after, Meadow followed him in.
“You’re getting engaged?” she asked, hugging us both. “That is the greatest thing ever.”
Devon took hold of my hand. “I knew nothing about this press conference. I don’t know what Pete told you but it was only when Meadow came to get me that I found out.”
“I was ready to do him some serious injuries but he was too shocked to have been in on it.”
I nodded. Even if I hadn’t worked that Pete was a liar and a coward, Devon’s face when he walked into the room told me everything.
“Let’s get out of here while we can,” Devon said.
“There’s a car waiting downstairs. Pete organised it for me. You coming?” I asked Meadow.
“My car is parked quite illegally out the front. I should move it. Anyway, you two need to discuss this alone.”
She hugged me again.
“I’ll call you soon.”
“You’d better.”
Devon picked up my suitcase. “Let’s get home.”
I grinned all the way back. As soon as the grin left my face, I’d look at him and grin again.
“Happy?” he asked.
I nodded.
“We could get it on right here, you know. It wouldn’t be the first time. The driver pretends not to notice.”
I punched him for that. I would not be getting it on with him in the back of a limo. Not when we did it for the first time anyway. I wanted it to be special, memorable, but not for that reason.
The car couldn’t get us home fast enough.
“The place is a mess,” said Devon as we walked in. “I hadn’t planned ahead.”
I rolled my eyes. I hadn’t expected anything less.
I thought we’d go straight to the bedroom. I most definitely hoped we would but Devon stopped short.
“There’s something you need to hear,” he said. He pulled out his phone. I had no idea what to expect until the music started playing.
Listening to a song someone wrote for you while they watch you listening is so damn awkward. He monitored every reaction on my face. The song grabbed me by the heart and squeezed it tight. Even though the words were happy, something about the music made me want to cry.
“Do you like it?” he asked when the song finished. He watched me with so much expectation on his face.
“I love it. Is that about me?”
He nodded.
The song was perfect. He’d been trying so hard to make the new album exciting for the fans and this song would melt the hardest heart. He’d taken things to a whole new level.
“You’ve got it back,” I said.
“I’ve got nothing back; I’ve gained something new. Something better.”
He kissed me again. That kiss shook my world. There was no holding back, no thought of anyone else. I wasn’t sure how he’d laid the memory of Julie to rest but he had.
Chapter 42.Devon
“What did you say?”
What had I said?
And why had Daisy stopped moving?
“If I said something to stop you doing that thing, I’ll never say it again.” As I’d suspected, there was a fiery volcano of passion in Daisy’s depths. It’d taken some coaxing to get that side of her to appear. She’d been far too concerned with doing the “right” thing at first but I’d convinced her to try less and let all her dirty fantasies go wild. And I sure as hell did not want her hiding her jiggly bits from me. That jiggling was pure pleasure.
She bent over so that her face almost touched mine. “You said it. I heard you.”
Her hair tickled where it brushed against my chest. The huskiness of her breath made me even harder.
“You know what you said. Now say it again.”
Before I could talk, she squeezed her muscles tight, pulling my cock up inside her. She expected me to talk while she did that?
I’d said the words. The words I’d never said to anyone before. Well, not with any sincerity. They’d slipped out in the heat of the moment, even though they scared the bejesus out of me.
The only thing that quelled that fear was the look in her eyes. If I lived to be a hundred years old, I’d never get enough of that look. That look said she existed just for me and I existed just for her.
“I know you love me, even if you won’t say it.”
She trailed her nails down my chest, moving slowly but surely.
“I love you.”
I’d said the words and the world hadn’t ended. I’d said them and I’d meant them. For now, and for eternity, I was hers and she was mine.
Now the only thing I had to worry about was how the new songs would be received.
Chapter 43.Devon
“Why are you nervous? It’s not you up there on stage.”
Daisy screwed up her mouth. “But it’s my first time as a band photographer.” She fondled the laminate around her neck with “Press” written on it.
“Still not as scary.”
We sat backstage. I’d just finished sound check. Tonight, for the first time, I’d play the new material. I had way more reason to be nervous than Daisy.
“And he’s showing up tonight? He’s actually going to be here?”
I rolled my eyes at her. “It’s just Tex. He’s nothing to be excited about.”
“The two of you could do a song together. One of the old ones.” Her look had pleading about it.
“Or we could not. This night is not about Tex. He’s come here for some weird reason. He wouldn’t tell me on the phone. Some Tex drama.”
She sighed. That annoyed me. I’d not have Tex on my stage and I’d not have my fiancé sighing over him.
“Don’t even look at him while I’m on stage. If there is one single photo of him at the side of the stage, I’ll be angry.”
She kissed me and that took away my nerves a little.
We were still kissing when the big guy himself came into the band room. Daisy pulled away from me and I sat up.
Damn his cock blocking.
“Bad timing, I know, with your concert tonight and all that but I needed to talk to you. I’ve got a favour to ask.”
“I’m not coming back to play bass for you, not for anything. Not if you got down on your knees and begged. I’ve got my own band now. You might’ve heard of us. We are kind of famous.”
Tex got himself a beer out of the fridge and leaned against the table.
“Hey, they are my beers. For me and my band. Keep your mitts off them.”
Tex just laughed. He got on my nerves with his breezing in here and stealing my beers. Even though I’d cut back on the booze and had no intention of drinking them myself, he could ask first.
“Why now? You’ve put it off for this long.”
He was getting married? This was because I’d gotten engaged. I’d got more media attention than him and he wanted to one-up me. That was totally it. I was all ready to say no but Daisy gave me that look.
“We have our reasons.”
“He’ll do it. He’ll be happy to do it,” Daisy said before I could argue more.
I gave him a nod. Even if the guy annoyed the hell out of me, he was my best friend.
Tex nodded back. “See you after the gig,” he said as he left the room.
“Not if I see you first.” That was an embarrassingly lame comeback but it was all I could think of.
From the moment I got on stage, I knew we had it. We had the magic and we had the crowd. All was forgiven. They loved me. They adored me. They’d do anything for me.
A few times I caught Daisy out of the corner of my eye. Not often though. This set, this show, had me in a different place. The music took over. Not one of these people would be going to the bar for another drink. They’d piss themselves rather than leave. The air became electric. I was a god to these people and rightly so.
I got to the final song. The one I’d written for Daisy. Brett had been right, every single person in that audience fell in love with me. I fell in love with myself, but there was only one person’s love I cared about. Right at the climax, I saw Daisy. She’d stopped taking photos and stared at me. That’s why you should never let fans work on the crew. But she drove me to something better. That song would live forever. Our love would live forever.
Loving a real-life woman beat the hell out of loving a ghost. She’d made me become something so much better than I’d dreamed I could be. She was warmth and love and all the good things wrapped up in a marshmallowy package.
Bad for You (Fallen Star Book 4) Page 17
