Acquiesce

Chapter 28

The band were off to Knebworth, the biggest gig of their lives, in fact it was up there with the biggest of all gigs.

"Two fucking days, gonna be wild, you've got to be there." Liam tried to convince me to go

"Don't think it's really Poppy and Quinn's scene."

"Y'not attached to them."

"Kind of am, being their Mum."

"You've not left them once yet." he claimed.

"Have too, when I had the tattoo, Mum's had them a few times... They're three months old, don't make out like I've become some boring, stay at home, mumsy person because I don't want to leave my babies for days."

"You're my bird, you're meant to want to be with me."

"I do, but I can't leave them for a gig."

"Haileigh, there will never be another Knebworth, this ain't a gig."

"Yeah, yeah, Jared's already hyped it so you really don't need to."

"Been thinking I should have a chat with him..."

"What do you mean? You get talking to him every time like you've always known him."

"He hates plumbing, he's a good looking young lad..."

"Where are you going with this?"

"Will y'let me speak? He could put his time to promoting us, get people to part with their cash on posters and that, no more pipes."

"You've got to be kidding, you want my brother instead of me. Now there's a headline."

"I'm just saying some people actually want to be around us."

"Stop being so dramatic, I can't go without every tabloid making out I'm neglectful and everything under the sun."

"Now who's being fucking dramatic?"

...

We were all in the tour bus waiting for Noel for ages before he walked in, leather jacketed, shades on.

"What the fuck you doing here?" he asked as he saw me.

"I'm going to my boyfriend's gig." I told him, less than enthusiastically.

I'd been coerced but I definitely was going. I'd gotten excited to go, it was a festival, I liked Oasis even if I didn't even know any of the other acts it was going to be good.

"Don't tell me you've got the pram in here."

"No, they're with my Mum."

"Really? All weekend?" He definitely had an eyebrow raised.

A wave of guilt, motherly instinct, anxiety came over me again, it had been hard enough leaving them without him questioning it.

"No, I can't." I stood up. "Sorry Liam, I need to be with them."

"Noel! For fuck's sake! Y'fuck up everything." Liam muttered as he grabbed my hand. "Don't listen to him, they're alright with your Mam. Sit down, we're going now."

"No, the only place I'm going is to pick up my babies, it's nothing to do with what Noel said. I don't want to go and that's that. You have a good time without me." I left them to it.

After the Knebworth weekend was over they went to Cork for two more gigs.

...

Liam came back to London keen for us to move in together, as soon as possible without me relocating to Manchester. I was reluctant, it was another big step we were making too soon for the sake of the twins but I agreed to look at properties. I knew it was just an excuse for him to buy in London.