Common Knowledge

Chapter 42

We just couldn't have Bliss running away from Harry any longer.

They're together in Nashville at last! They'll have a sit-down and a proper talk.

Harry has some explaining to do, hopefully it'll satisfy Bliss.

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Forty-two

I could feel Harry's eye bearing down on me. Did he look confused? Concerned? Guilty?

"Let's take a break, yeah?" Harry told the band. He had stopped singing and they were all directing confused glances from him to me and then to each other. Trying to decipher what was going on.

Great! As if throwing up on Harry's boots and ruining their after-concert plans two days ago wasn't enough. Now I had also managed to interrupt their sound check session. If a survey was taken this very moment asking who was the least favourite person on tour, I was sure to come up on top.

"Sure mate, we'll check the lighting." Adam conceded.

"We've already done all the songs. That was the last one, and we've rehearsed it several times before. Maybe we could consider soundcheck finished for today?" Mitch suggested.

"Muna will be happy to do their own soundcheck a little earlier" Claire admitted.

"It's fine by me" Sarah agreed.

"Thanks, guys. I'll be in my dressing room if something comes up." Harry informed them.

At Harry's parting words, the band members immediately busied themselves putting away their instruments. Pretending to be engrossed in work-related stuff and not noticing the state I was in and that Harry was making his way to me.

He was in front of me in a few strides of his gorgeous long legs, "Hey, hey, what's wrong, Bliss?" He asked in a soothing voice.

I had reverted back into a comforting childhood habit of mine, and was biting my nails. Unable to talk, I just moved my head signaling "nothing."

"It's all right, I'm here for you," Harry said, gently taking hold of the hand I was biting and softly rubbing his free thumb over my tear stained cheek.

More tears sprung forth as if coaxed by his tenderness. If he had been furious me for interrupting his pre-concert practice, I might have gotten angry myself and there would have been some heated arguments and no crying. But he had to go and be all nice and caring, and thus rendered me unable to tap into my righteous indignation about how generous he seemed to be with his kisses, when it came to blonde supermodels.

I merely remained there, with my hand in his, crying and completely silent. At that moment I was incapable of speaking in coherent sentences.

"Come with me, please," Harry said and pulled me along the backstage hallway, towards his dressing room. I let myself be led by him, not knowing what else to do. We did encounter some crew members along the way, who directed some ill-concealed stares our way, but nobody dared say or ask anything. They all seemed to think that whatever the situation was, Harry was handling it and it was best not to interfere.

Harry steered me inside his dressing room, closed the door and said "Seat" his voice was still pleasant but it had a definite firm quality now.

I did not dare disobey him and sat in a plush velvet sofa. This sure was a fine looking dressing room.

"We need to talk, Bliss," Harry stated. He had a frown on his forehead and looked determined.

His rather stern face made the trick. I stopped crying. Feeling a bit vulnerable I reached out for one of the pillows placed along the back of the sofa and hugged it to my chest. It felt so lovely, I couldn't help looking at the pillow tag. It was Gucci. I should have known Harry wouldn't be buying any run-of-the-mill ordinary pillow at Homesense.