by Mercy Amare
Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Special Note
Friday, November 7
Saturday, November 8
Sunday, November 9
Monday, November 10
Tuesday, November 11
Wednesday, November 12
Thursday, November 13
Sunday, November 16
Thursday, November 27
Monday, November 31
Thursday, December 3
Friday, December 4
Tuesday, December 8
Wednesday, December 9
Thursday, December 10
Friday, December 11
Friday, December 18
Saturday, December 19
Friday, December 25
Epilogue
Author's Note
Other Books by Mercy Amare
Acknowledgements
Find Me Online
Mercy Amare
Hated.
The Rock Star Trilogy.
Book three.
Copyright © 2013 by Mercy Amare
Cover designed by P.S. Cover Design
Edited by Laura Heritage
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, distributed, store in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any forms or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, without express permission of the author, except by a review who may quote brief passages for review purposes.
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, place, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
This book is for everybody who has read and enjoyed The Rock Star Trilogy. To everybody who has supported me in this journey. To you, my readers. Without you, Scarlett would not be able to share her story. Thank YOU!
Hated is book 3 in the Rock Star Trilogy. If you have not read the first 2 books (Jaded & Faded), you probably will NOT understand what is going on. Be sure to pick up the first 2 books before reading Hated!
Friday, November 7
4:34 PM
Last name.
I am married.
It’s the only thing that I can think of, and while part of me is scared to death, the other part of me is thrilled at the thought of spending a lifetime with Stephan. He is my soul mate, and I have no doubts about my love for him. But I’m only nineteen years old. And I know it’s way too young to even think about marriage. I wanted to wait until I was at least twenty-five before I tied the knot.
We could get our marriage annulled, but what is worse — nineteen and married, or nineteen and divorced? Besides, I want to be with Stephan. Why over-think it? It’s done. All we can do is move forward.
My head is pounding, as we wait for my security guard, Bob. He is furious that Stephan and I went off on our own last night. I hope he won’t yell.
“Hangovers suck,” Stephan mumbles.
The fact is we have been married over twelve hours, and we still haven’t consummated our marriage. In fact, we’ve spend about seventy-five percent of our marriage asleep, and I’ve spent the other twenty-five percent with my head over a toilet puking my guts up. Not exactly the best honeymoon ever.
Our flight last night was canceled. We had no choice but to stay in Las Vegas. So, we decided to make the best of it. Unfortunately, not everything that happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
This morning none of us want to deal with a commercial flight to LA, so I had my record company send the jet.
At last, a limo pulls up, and Bob gets out. He looks angry. Stephan and I climb in the limo, followed by Bob. The car takes off before anything is said.
“What the hell were you thinking?” Bob’s voice is loud, and my head pounds even harder.
“Please, talk quieter,” I plead.
Bob’s nostrils flare in anger. “How am I supposed to protect you if you run off without me?”
I look down at my hands, because I am scared to look at Bob. I’m not really sure how to respond. All I know is that if I would have listened to him, I wouldn’t be in the situation I am in right now. “I’m sorry. I know it shouldn’t have happened, but…”
Bob cuts me off. “You’re right. It shouldn’t have happened. And it better not happen again.”
“I just wanted a night off,” I try to justify my actions. “A normal night with no bodyguard. I just wanted to be Scarlett, and not rock star Scarlett Ryan.”
“Well, you aren’t just Scarlett. You need protection. Don’t ever do it again,” he continues to scold me and then turns to Stephan. “And you! What were you thinking? Letting her do this. I thought you of all people would want to keep Scarlett safe.”
Stephan sighs. I can tell he’s a little upset with himself — not for getting married, but for not putting my safety first. “I can’t help it! All she has to do is flutter her eyelashes at me, and I’m a goner.”
“Well, you need to think with your head, and not your dick. This is about her safety.” Bob shakes his head. “I am so disappointed in the two of you.”
Bob won’t be the only one disappointed if everybody finds out that Stephan and I got married. But how could they find out? They won’t, nobody will. Nobody besides the people working at the chapel saw us, and I’m sure they didn’t recognize me. Not that I remember if they did or not.
“Sorry,” Stephan apologizes. “I promise it will not happen again.”
“Good.”
Bob is quiet the rest of the ride to the airport. The silence almost hurts my head worse than him yelling did. I hate that I disappointed him… No, that’s not completely true. I hate that if anybody ever found out the truth, all of my family and friends would be disappointed in me. Hell, I’m disappointed in myself.
The ride to the airport is short. We climb aboard the plane, and Bob rides up front with the pilot. I’m glad Stephan and I have some privacy.
“How are we going to keep this a secret?” I ask him once the plane takes off. “Isn’t this like public record in Nevada?”
“It’s not like anybody is actually going to look it up,” he counters. “Seriously, you’re freaking out over nothing.”
“Nothing?” I try to take a deep breath, but I can’t. “Stephan, don’t you think people are going to notice that I have a different last name?”
“You don’t have a different last name yet, Scar. Just wait to change your last name.”
“Okay…” I breathe in my nose, out my mouth. “Scarlett Ryan-Montgomery. I like it.”
“You’re going to hyphenate your name?” He looks kind of upset.
“Think about it Stephan, the world knows me as Scarlett Ryan. I’m a celebrity. I can’t just change my last name.”
He shakes his head. “So the world can get to know you as Scarlett Montgomery.”
I just laugh it off. “Aw, our first fight as husband and wife…”
“The fight isn’t over yet.”
“Well, there is no point in fighting over it, since we obviously aren’t going to be changing my last name for a long time,” I counter. “So it’s a pointless argument.”
“You’re right,” Stephan says. “I think I’m just kind of… freaking out.”
“Me too,” I agree. “But we shouldn’t be taking this out on each other. We just have to… move forward. We are in this together, no matter what happens.”
“Right.” He looks at me with a mischievous spark in his eyes. “Want to join the mile high club?”
Yes. “Our first time is so not g
oing to be in the bathroom on an airplane.”
Stephan shakes his head at me. “We are married, and you still won’t have sex with me.”
This makes me laugh. “I think I’m going to lose the bet.”
He thinks about what I’m saying for a few seconds, then a huge smile breaks out on his face. “Right. ‘Cause I’m going to totally see you naked. What do I get for winning?”
I give him a mischievous smile. “I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”
He moans. “Scarlett, you’re killing me here.”
“Good.”
6:01 PM
You’re really famous.
Whenever we land, there are tons of paparazzi waiting at the airport. Stephan looks surprised, but I assure him that this is normal. I grab his hand, and together we walk off the airplane. Everywhere around us, cameras are flashing. My guess is Barry told the paparazzi I was coming. He’s trying to make sure the spotlight stays on me so my new album will be successful.
Bob walks in front of us, shielding me from everybody as much as he can. Everybody is shouting questions at me. Questions about Stephan, questions about Bridgett, and questions about me and what’s coming up in my career. I just ignore them, and slide into the limo. My head hurts way too much to deal with them right now.
“Wow,” Stephan says as we take off. “That is crazy. Is it always like this?”
Bob laughs. “You do realize that you’re sitting beside Scarlett Ryan, right?”
Stephan looks at me for a second, as realization comes over his face. “You’re really famous.”
“I am.” I bite my lip, hoping that this doesn’t scare Stephan away. What if he can’t handle this? What if he can’t be with me? Am I willing to give up my career to be with him? I really hope he doesn’t make me choose.
He puts his arm around me. “Don’t worry, Scar. I’m not going anywhere.”
I am relieved. I would not blame Stephan if he bolted — this life is a lot to take in. Sometimes I wish I could run… Hell, I did run. But I really wouldn’t want my life to be any other way. Two months out of the spotlight, and I was already missing it. It feels good to be back in LA. Sure, my heart belongs in Hope. Hope is my home. But LA is where I belong right now. I know this, and I’m glad Stephan supports that.
My phone vibrates, and I pull it out of my purse. It’s a text from Alec.
Alec: Barry needs to see you first thing tomorrow morning. Bridge and me are flying to LA in a couple hours. We have a lot to discuss, regarding your career.
I take a deep breath. “Hang on,” I tell Stephan. “You’re about to get the ride of your life.”
“I’m ready,” he says.
“Me too.” I’ve been ready for so long. All my dreams are coming true. “The next few weeks are going to be absolute chaos.”
I think about all I’m going to be doing the next few weeks. Recording my music video, doing interviews on radio and TV, and doing everything I can to promote my new single. And of course, I have to finish recording my new album. Part of me is excited, but the other part of me is still scared about how my fans will react to my new sound.
“I’m going to have a lot of angry fans.”
“Probably,” Stephan says. “But you’ll also have a lot of excited fans, and probably a lot of new fans. Seriously. You’re amazing. Everybody is going to love you, and those who don’t can just fuck off.”
“And that is why I love you.”
Stephan grins. “You love me.”
“Um, duh…”
“It’s the first time you’ve ever said it to me,” he says.
“No. I sung it to you. I wrote a whole song about how much I love you.” And I could write a thousand more, and it still wouldn’t be enough.
“You didn’t sing it to me,” he counters. “I just heard a recording of it. This is the first time you’ve ever told me to my face that you love me.”
“Well, you still haven’t told me while you’re sober,” I say. Yep, I pretty much need him to tell me right now.
“I do,” he says quickly. “A lot.”
“You do what?”
“I love you, Scarlett Ryan.” Stephan gently kisses my lips.
Oh my God.
Stephan Montgomery loves me.
“Could you two save this mushy crap for when you get home? I so don’t want to see this.” We both pull away when we hear Bob. I had completely forgot he was in the limo with us.
“We have to be up early tomorrow morning,” I tell Bob. “Alec and Bridge are about to fly here. I figure they’ll both just crash at my place tonight.”
“Yes, Miss Ryan.”
I laugh at Bob’s formality. “Just call me Scarlett. Seriously. Bodyguard is just a fancy word for babysitter.”
“You do need a babysitter,” he agrees.
“How many times do I have to apologize for taking off last night? I’m sorry,” I apologize again. “I promise that it will not happen again.”
“I don’t think you realize how much danger you were in last night. What if something would have happened?” He sighs angrily. “What if somebody would have recognized you?”
Something did happen.
I got married.
But really, is that so bad?
I look over at Stephan, who is smiling mischievously at me. Am I really ready for such a committed relationship?
Too late to ask now, I guess.
“I know,” I tell Bob. “Trust me, it won’t happen again.”
“It better not,” he scolds, then turns to Stephan. “Same goes for you, Mr. Montgomery. You’re a public figure now yourself.”
Stephan snorts. “Yeah, right. I’m a high school senior from freaking Hope, Florida. I’m nobody.”
“You’re Scarlett Ryan’s boyfriend.” Bob pulls out his phone and plays a video from a news clip. The whole clip is talking about “Scarlett’s new boy toy”. The reporters obviously know what they’re doing. They show Stephan’s house, the high school, and they talk a little about the documentary. They have video of Stephan and me together from our day in Miami. I don’t remember seeing anybody film that.
Suddenly, I feel worried.
What if somebody recorded us in Vegas?
The thought is pushed to the back of my mind quickly. If somebody would have seen Stephan and me, it would be all over the news already. Nobody knows that we’re married, and I plan on keeping it that way.
“I’m famous by association?” Stephan asks me.
“Pretty much. Why wouldn’t you be? Everybody is curious about you. I’ve never really dated before. Like I said, I have a few fake boyfriends for publicity sake, but the media has never seen me like I am with you. And you’re appealing because you’re not a celebrity. Nobody has ever heard of you, and suddenly we’re dating. You’re like a boy version of Cinderella to them.”
Stephan puts his head back against the leather seat in the limo. “Wow, Scar. This is…”
“Crazy? Overwhelming?” I finish for him.
“Both,” he says. “I can’t believe that this is your life. You’re a freaking celebrity. It’s still sinking in. I guess I just always thought of you as my girlfriend. I mean, I knew you were special… But this feels unreal.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to run?” I have to ask one last time.
He looks at me and shakes his head. “Nothing could ever make me run away from you. I love you.”
I will never get tired of hearing him saying I love you.
“I love you, too.”
“Always?”
“Always,” I confirm.
6:51 PM
This is me reminding you.
“This house is huge,” Stephan comments, as I give him the grand tour of my L.A. home. He turns to me and gives me a mischievous smile. “Where’s the bedroom?”
“You’re so impatient. We will get there.” I try to keep my voice nonchalant, but my heart speeds up. I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long, and now I’m nervous. Why am
I nervous?
“I think I’ve been very patient. But I want you. Now.” Stephan picks me up like I weigh nothing, and throws me over his shoulder. “Where is your bedroom?”
I scream and kick playfully. “Stephan, put me down right this instant!”
“I guess I will just have to find it myself.” He ignores me, as I squirm against him.
With me over his shoulder, Stephan walks up the stairs. I’m trying not to scream too loud, because I don’t want to disrupt Bob.
“Last door on the right,” I tell him in defeat.
Stephan opens the door, and walks me to the bed. He throws me down, then shuts the door and locks it. As he walks towards me, he has a huge smile on his face. “I have waited far too long for this moment.”
I playfully slap his arm. “Don’t ever do that again!”
“You don’t like it when I take charge?” He raises his eyebrow and gives me a playful smile.
Damn, he knows how to work it. And I do like it when he takes charge. He takes off his shirt, and then slowly climbs onto the bed beside me. I’m vaguely aware that he is saying something, but right now I am too busy checking out his body to care.
“Scarlett?”
I force myself to look away from his perfect chest. “Hmm…”
“I said it’s your turn.”
I am confused for a second, and then I realize what it is he wants me to do. He wants me to take off my shirt too. “If you want my shirt off, you’re just going to have to take it off yourself.”
Stephan puts his hand on the small of my back, and gently pulls me closer to him. “Have I told you how beautiful you are?”
“Not today.” I smile. “But please, feel free to continue telling me.”
He puts his hands around my hips, and pulls me on top of him. “Well, you are drop dead, fucking gorgeous. And I plan on telling you every day for the rest of our lives.” He slowly pulls off my tank top and tosses it on the floor. He then proceeds to kiss my neck slowly, making sure he kisses ever inch.
