The last time I’d seen his face Scarlett had slapped it. That night had meant so many things to me, for so many reasons. But the one that surpassed them all was watching her stand up for herself.
Now he was on my hotel TV screen. I couldn’t help but add together all of the coincidences to get my answer. He’d recognized her, he’d noticed her rise to fame and he’s capitalized on it.
Reluctantly I turned the volume up.
“So you’re saying Scarlett is not the girl in the video?”
Ryan shook his head. “No. She is not the girl in the video.”
“Why? Why make something so inflammatory.”
“Why break the story in the first place?” Ryan said shifting in his seat. “For fame, notoriety. Who gives a shit who you have to trample on to get it… just as long as you get it?”
“Why did you bother coming clean.”
“Because I said I would, and because finally I’m doing what I should have done back then.”
The interview ended a little while later, and I think I was still sitting there ten minutes later with a look of pure shock on my face. Ryan had finally admitted the truth, even though it was almost 6 years too late. But not only that, he’d actually sounded like a smart guy, not the full of himself Jock from high school.
Maybe, he had re-leaked it, or maybe the actual girl from the video had. It didn’t matter. Scarlett could finally forget about it now.
It was nearing 9pm when there was a knock at the door. I’d forced myself to stay awake all day so that my body was working with the current time zone. I’d been almost ready for bed.
With a small amount of frustration I walked over and opened it.
“We’re going out for drinks. You in?” Jay and Cris, who were already half cut bounded around the corridor. “What about Jay and Isla?”
“They’re staying in. they don’t mind. Come on Doc’s in as well!” Cris pleaded. “You’ve sulked for long enough. You can’t stay in your hotel room re-watching videos of you and Scarlett on stage forever and ever. It’s not healthy man… you’ll go blind!”
Jay laughed and shrugged. “He’s got a point Xav… You need to cut loose. Scarlett would say the same thing.”
Exhaustion was on the edge of engulfing me, but nonetheless I found myself nodded in reply. Maybe it would numb the Scarlett shaped hole in my heart. “Give me 5 minutes okay?” I exclaimed walking away from the door.
The boys walked inside. “Doc is down stairs already. He secured us a booth. We thought we’d start here then head out?” Cris called out.
“Sounds great.” I replied opening my suitcase. I frowned. It was a mess. I’d chucked everything in to it before we’d left Perth and I’d barely looked at it since. I lifted a black Metallica shirt and sniffed it before almost keeling over.
Clearly it had been a post stage t-shirt because it reeked of sweat. I held back the urge to chuck, and threw it on the floor. I scooped the contents of the suitcase out and dumped them all on the floor. There was only one shirt left, it was folded neatly in the corner of the case. It was a button up top, that was more than my normal level of dress, but more importantly it smelt clean.
I threw my shirt off and pulled the clean one on. My hair had been out for days, but rather than attack it with a brush I yanked it back into a ponytail. Jay poked his head in through the door. “Come on Smith, the way you’re going the pubs will be closing before we even leave your room.”
YOU ARE READING
Going Together
RomanceThe Sequel to Going Nowhere Scarlett and Xavier are loved up and blissfully happy. Nothing could be any better. But life is consistently changing, especially when you're a rock star. Scarlett's career is taking flight and she is given an opportunit...
