Page 87 of You Belong With Me

EXCLUSIVE: ACTOR’S HEARTBREAK INSPIRED TEARJERKING HIT

Blood & Goldstar Elliot Owen’s turbulent love life is the real inspiration behind platinum-selling Cameron McAllister’s new song ‘Last Time’.

The lyrics describe a heartbroken man returning to ask a woman to rekindle their affair – not knowing if this is the ‘last time’ he has a chance or if he’s missed the opportunity to win her back.

The song was written after the actor had a late-night heart-to-heart with the 34-year-old Scottish singer, a close friend of Owen’s since they were both struggling artists. McAllister was encouraging him to patch things up with his former girlfriend, copywriter Edie Thompson, while she was still single. The couple split late last year but have recentlygot things back on track, suggesting McAllister’s advice when playing Cupid worked.

‘Edie ended things with Elliot because of their incompatible lifestyles, but he couldn’t get her out of his system,’ said a source close to both. ‘Cameron persuaded him to tell her how he felt before it was too late, and it looks like it paid off … and spawned another monster hit for Cam.’

Edie stopped reading, palms in a light sweat. She felt the embarrassment and exposure for both of them. She didn’t want the ins and outs of their relationship picked over like this, didn’t want this emotionally intimate detail about their reconciliation cast up for Ad Hoc to ridicule. She didn’t want them pointing at her when ‘Last Time’ came on at the Christmas party disco.

Edie looked over at Fraser, arm around Molly, loquacious and genial as always. It was impossible he was knowingly betraying his brother’s confidences. His concern was wholly genuine, as was his loyalty. It seemed barely less impossible that Molly was.

Stay where you are. I’m coming to talk to you. x

Edie slipped out and found Elliot in the lobby, leaning against the wall, arms folded, wearing the unmistakeable air of someone revving themselves up for a confrontation.

‘Couldn’t it have been Cameron? It’s great publicity for the song,’ Edie said. She felt Elliot on the brink of doing things that would not be easily undone.

‘Cam is utterly Masonic about the inspiration for his songs and everyone who works with him knows that. He’d not have told anyone either, to make sure. This is the same person who’s been leaking about me throughout, and I’m absolutely done with it. It’s affected my girlfriend, my family, now my closest friends. Whatever privacy I had is now gone, like there’s a silent breather on my phone line. I want to crawl out of my own skin, Edie.’

‘Totally empathise, but … is it a good idea to raise it tonight?’ she said. ‘Especially after we’ve all been drinking …’

‘Probably not, but everyone’s got a plan until they’re punched in the face,’ Elliot said. ‘Sorry. I will try my best to keep it civil and brief. But Fraser has to help me find the answer here.’

‘Don’t directly accuse Molly, will you? I don’t think she’s capable of this, not at all,’ Edie said, while knowing events, and Elliot’s resolve, had overtaken her. It reminded her of a piece of Richard wisdom:if there’s ‘never the right moment,’ the wrong one will find you instead.

‘I know she’s nice,’ Elliot said. ‘But so much of this information has been known only to me, you, and Fraser, and by extension, her. Theonlyperson he’d tell about our being the background to that love song is her. I know that for sure. Enough’s enough. Can you tell Fraser I want to have a word?’

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Edie said to Fraser apologetically: ‘Elliot wants to talk to you. He’s in the lobby,’ and Fraser – not unreasonably – looked confused.

‘What’s he out there for?’

‘He wants a word alone, I think,’ Edie said, and Fraser frowned.

‘Always something going on with the troubled diva.’ He grinned, set his drink and his phone down on the tablecloth, and made his way out.

‘What’s up?’ Iggy said.

‘Oh, family politics.’ Edie shrugged.

‘Everyone’s all right, aren’t they? Their parents are OK?’ Molly asked, stricken. ‘It’s not the wedding seating plans, because we can change those? And I did tell Fraser the hot sauce table favours were asking for trouble.’

‘That was my idea!’ Iggy said.

‘It’s not funny if my gran gets one of the Mad Dog Ghost Pepper ones.’

‘If it says Mad Dog on the label you’ve been forewarned.’

‘She might not have her readers on and think it says …GladDog!’

Iggy spluttered with delight.

Edie reassured Molly, while thinking her natural assumption was the product of a non-guilty mind.

Molly excused herself to the ladies, and Iggy merrily sloshed out more wine, while Edie decided she needed a soft drink. She wanted to face the fall out better hydrated.

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