Page 49 of Not Another Rockstar
Later that evening, Phoebe’s butt had gone numb from sitting on the bathroom tiles while she waited for the second box dye to take. Luckily, Bart kept her company; the Shepherd laid his head on her feet as though trying to keep her still. She left the door open so they didn’t suffocate from the fumes.
“What are you doing?” Axel found her in the main bathroom. She needed the bathtub to dye her hair.
“Doodling.” She glanced up from her notebook. “I don’t want my hand getting too stiff.”
“I was talking about the plastic bag on your head.”
“Dyeing my hair. Going to a salon wasn’t an option, given that I’m supposed to be lying low.” She put the sketchbook down on the black tiles beneath her.
“Do you need some help?” Axel asked, and she wished he wouldn’t be so kind and helpful because she was growing terribly fond of him. Staring up at him, she couldn’t believe how handsome he was. The crazy spider tattoo and shaved head usually kept people away from him, but his individuality only drew her in.
“I’m not sure you know much about dyeing hair,” she teased.
“Because I shave my head?” He arched a brow, running a hand over his stubbled scalp.
“Why do you shave your head? You’ve looked like you just enlisted ever since we first met,” she asked. August was always growing out his hair and her brother dyeing his, while Axel remained the same.
“Why are you changing your hair? I thought you liked purple,” he said, not giving anything away.
She couldn’t tell him the reason she was changing from her favourite colour to a muddy brown was because of the weaponised mail. She hoped the package had been sitting in her studio awhile, and it wasn’t a sign of things to come.
“Deflection looks good on you. I forgot you don’t like to answer questions. You prefer to come across as the mysterious, silent type of rockstar,” she said, hoping if she got under his skin he would leave her alone.
“Certainly got your attention,” he quipped, picking up one of the box dyes back by the sink.
“Thank you for your offer, but I’m fine. Please close the door.”
Axel did as instructed, closing the door only to trap them in together. Luckily, she had opened the skylights so they wouldn’t suffocate from the smell of dye. He sat between the double sinks.
“I meant close the door on your way out. I’ve got to wait for the timer to go off; the hard part is already over,” she said, hoping this second round of dye had covered the spots she’d missed. It’d taken far more time than normal to get it completely covered, but it was done now.
“You could have asked for help. You shouldn’t really be doing this alone; you’ve been locked up in the pool house and we don’t want you putting that hand of yours under too much pressure.”
“I already iced it twice today and did my physio exercises. No need to worry,” she said, even though she appreciated his concern for her. He’d been kind enough to let her sleep in his bed and keep it a secret from the others for more than a few nights. It was becoming an unspoken arrangement, and even though she started every night in her own bed, she tossed and turned until she padded down the basement steps to find he’d already pulled the duvet over on what was becoming her side.
“‘Brunette Babe’ was the one you settled on?” He read the label, distracting her from her thoughts.
“I didn’t think I was a bombshell blonde, and ruby red would mean twinning with my brother,” she reasoned, looking at the collection on the bathroom floor. Red was a nightmare to maintain and wouldn’t help with the ‘lying low’ concept.
“I wanted something different, and when I leave the house, the paps won’t be able to spot me so easily.”
She’d tried to walk to the shop around the corner from the house a couple of days ago for some sanitary pads and ice cream and ended up on Beefeed’s website in an unflattering shot. She hadn’t even got home before she was tagged in a repost titled ‘Bereaved girlfriend of rockstar lets herself go’.
“I thought you were out with the others.” She tried to move the conversation on. “Thought you had an interview photoshoot for the concert once you were done at the studio?” She’d heard Anita give them their schedule the previous night. They’d wanted to take some time off to grieve, but Phoebe wondered if it was better for them to work a little since they weren’t used to sitting still.
“We finished up early, and I only just got back and came looking for you. August and Nick have gone out for food. Text them if you want something back from the Chinese.”
Phoebe groaned. “Must be nice to sit in a restaurant and eat without being hounded or threatened. I wish I could’ve gonewith them,” she said. She hadn’t got out of her sweatpants in days.
“No, you don’t,” Axel sighed. “They aren’t in the best mood after the studio session, being in there only reminds us of what’s missing. I came home to take Bart for a walk. When he didn’t come, I figured he was with you.”
“I don’t think you’re going to get him to go. He’s keeping me company in case the box dye gods attack,” she said, having been unable to get him to budge. “I was worried about how the fumes affect dogs, but he barked incessantly when I closed the door on him.”
“He’s never been a fan of closed doors.” Axel rubbed Bart’s head as the dog looked between them like he knew they were talking about him.
“I’m getting cold. Can you please leave so I can finish?” Phoebe said, forgetting she was only in her sweatpants and a triangle bralette that left little to the imagination. His gaze lingered on her like he wanted to do much more than help.
Her alarm went off, breaking the tension.
