Changing Tune

28. Honest

Chapter 28: Honest

Ellie's POV

*****

We all stood there in shock as we tried to process what James had just told us. I could feel myself starting to get light headed as I turned around and walked towards the sofa, sitting down slowly on it. 

No matter how many times I ran his words in my mind, I was still unable to come to terms with them. 

"What do you mean Ellie needs a fake boyfriend?" Adam asked in anger as Blake and Dylan had clearly been rendered speechless. "Do you have any idea what you're asking of her?" 

"Yes, I'm asking her to do this one thing if she does not want the fans to turn on her," James replied, evidently unwilling to compromise with any of us. 

"You can't be serious," Blake spat. "Not wanting us to be so close with each other is one thing, but asking her to pretend to be in love is another. Does our happiness suddenly mean nothing in this band?" 

Blake's tone had switched from calm and composed to angry in a matter of seconds. His fists were clenched and I could see the veins in his arms popping out as he took a step closer to James. 

In normal circumstances the guys and I would have stopped Blake before he did anything stupid, yet it was evident that none of us were in the mood to even lift a finger. James was not suggesting that I got a fake boyfriend, but he was demanding it. 

A million questions and thoughts swarmed my mind as I wondered how that story would affect me and my relationship with Blake. I was finally starting to be happy with somebody I cared about,  but the universe seemed to have completely different plans for me. 

"It's just temporary," James said, making Dylan snap his head up at him as he took a step forward. 

"What do you mean temporary? How would we ever possibly get Ellie out of that supposed relationship? Things don't work like this James. There's three more people in this band, why is it only Ellie that has to sacrifice something?"

The shock and surprise on Blake and Adam's faces was evident. Dylan seemed furious, and I felt terrible that it was all because of me. 

An uncomfortable silence followed suit. My eyes scanned over the four guys in front of me. I started wondering whether James was right. A lot of Blake's fans had gotten angry over my friendship with him, and even if I knew that they had no right to, it was Blake who was paying the price. Blake was one of the most talented people I knew, and I could not be the one holding him back from the talent he deserved. 

I found myself getting angry at how the world worked. I could not understand why we had to always live up to the fans' expectations even when it came to personal things. We all deserved to be happy in the way we wanted to. 

I knew that if I did not accept James' proposal, there would be bad repercussions for the entire band. The feelings I had for Blake were strong, and so was the affection I felt for Adam and Dylan. Sometimes, one has to give up something to achieve another. That decision did not only affect me, but also everybody else in Midnight Flight. 

No matter how much I hated it, I could not just think about my feelings. None of us were happy about it, that much was certain, but I was sure that deep down, we all knew that we had no other option. 

"There's nothing else we can do," I told them as I finally stood up from where I was sitting. 

They all turned to look at me in shock, and I could see a glimpse of disappointment flash through Blake's eyes. I knew that there was a lot I was risking by accepting to get a fake boyfriend, but we would be risking a lot more if I didn't.