Page 5 of Not Another Rockstar
Cillian’s nostrils flared, but before he could charge at him, Nick appeared in the doorway.
“I thought Phoebe would be with you guys. Anita told me she arrived.” The room went silent as he surveyed the damage. “What’s going on?” Nick scratched the side of his neck, which was stained red from his last dye job. Like his sister, he preferred coloured hair, and they had the same light blue eyes and high cheekbones.
Cillian dipped his head, staring at the carpet, forcing Axel to explain to Nick.
“Phoebe caught him with Helen. She should be halfway gone by now. Congratulations on ruining your life,” Axel said, turning back to Cillian. “How she could even agree to marry such a piece of shit is a mystery I’ll never understand.”
“Don’t play Prince fucking Charming. I’ve seen the way you look at my girl, you’re just pissed that you can’t have her.”
Cillian swung for him, but Nick caught his fist. Axel rolled his eyes at the accusation—who wouldn’t want to be with Phoebe? Talented, smart, beautiful, completely off-limits and wasted on a man like Cillian.
“I thought you broke it off?” Nick asked as Cillian gave up the fight.
“I couldn’t,” Cillian admitted, pacing by the dresser.
“No one taught him he can’t have his cake and eat it too.”
“Shut up! Both of you. You want the whole stadium to hear about this?” Nick, always the leader, got between them.
Axel zipped his lips.
“You need to sober up.” Nick glared at Cillian. “Tomorrow, you can talk with Phoebe. Tonight, you need to stay in this room and sleep it off. Alone. There’s no point in talking about this when you’re drunk.”
Axel wasn’t surprised by Nick’s leniency. He and Cillian had known each other the longest, whereas Axel had only joined the band five years ago. At first, he’d found it hard to bond with people who’d known each other their whole lives, but now he considered them family, and he hated seeing his friend blow up his life.
“Axel, go after Phoebe,” Nick ordered. “Take her to your tour bus. We can’t let her leave like this, and she shouldn’t be wandering around a foreign country alone and upset.”
Axel didn’t need to be told twice.
“Why should he go to her? She’s my girlfriend!” Cillian argued.
“Now you give a shit?” Axel said. The caring boyfriend act had only appeared because Nick was here.
Nick pushed Cillian back, and he retreated, slumping on the couch like some petulant child. Clearly whatever he’d snorted or drunk was draining the fight out of him.
“Go, Axel, I’m trusting you to look after my sister. She won’t want me getting involved.” Nick and Phoebe had a simple rule when it came to each other’s dating lives: stay out of it.
“How can you let him off so easily?” Axel asked. If someone treated his sisters the same way Cillian had, there would be a grave dug and ready.
“Because he isn’t in his right mind. Hasn’t been for the last few months and we need to support him.”
“But she’s your sister, and you’re defending him.”
“And he’s like my brother. Do I want to beat him bloody for treating my sister like this? Yes, but this isn’t him and this isn’t the time to be talking about this. Go.”
Axel did as instructed, unable to look at Cillian a moment longer.
Thankfully, Phoebe was in heels, and he was able to catch up to her rather quickly. He hadn’t meant to grab Phoebe, but she was about to go out the press exit.
“Cillian, let go of me!” Phoebe growled.
Axel stilled, struggling to find his words as her teary blue eyes stared up at him in surprise. He didn’t know how to make this situation better, but he could try not to make it worse.
“Phoebe, you can’t go out there.”
“Are you here to defend him? Because I don’t want to hear it.” Phoebe pulled against his hold.
He heard the shouts of the press through the door, waiting for their pound of flesh, and he couldn’t let them have her.
