Page 92 of Not Another Rockstar
“Are you okay by yourself?” Lena asked her, and she waved them away.
“Go. I’ll be right here cheering you on!”
“I can keep you company,” Axel teased, and she nudged him away.
“Go, all of you, your audience is waiting!” Phoebe said with a grin, not wanting the night to end as she watched everyone she cared about gather on the small stage.
As they sat around the dining room table, hungover and nursing an unhealthy amount of energy drinks, Phoebe helped Axel, Nick and August pack up all their new signed albums and merch for the concert. They had a nice assembly line going when they heard the harsh clacking of heels coming down the hall.
“Are you insane?” Anita stormed into the room like she was ready to deliver bad news and ruin their good streak.
“Hello Anita.” Nick greeted her as he passed another pile of CDs to Axel. “How’s your day going?”
“How’s my day going?” Anita crossed her arms over her chest, and Phoebe thought steam was about to come out of her ears. “Swimmingly. We finally get rid of that creep Sheen, and foolishly, I thought all my problems were solved. Then, your sister and Axel get photographed intimately at your birthday party. Do you know about their little sordid affair?” She directed the question at Nick and August.
“You can relax. They told us about their relationship. It’s not their fault that someone took a photo of them.” Nick acted ascool as a cucumber, though Phoebe doubted he was happy about where the photo was taken. “Has it been leaked?”
“No. I’ve paid the photographer for the photo. If you don’t want this to keep happening, you two should keep away from each other in public,” Anita warned them, like they were teenagers to be scolded. “First Italy, and now you can’t even be bothered to be discreet about your fling.”
Phoebe was going to lose her mind if Anita kept referring to their relationship as a fling.
“It’s not a fling.” Axel voiced her thoughts, looking up from his signing stack. “You can tell the person threatening to leak the image that they can be persecuted for taking and distributing an intimate image. The most they got was us kissing; the only thing that’ll happen is our relationship will be outed.”
Phoebe recalled the flash. “He’s right. There is no way they got anything exposing.”
“How did a photographer even get into the party?” August asked as he folded the band shirts.
“We had security,” Phoebe added. They’d been so careful, and discussed the guest list with Olivier.
“Someone could’ve brought a friend along, and they took the opportunity to make some money,” Anita said. “Do you want the world to know about this? The sea has just started to settle, and you want to cause another storm. I knew you never should’ve moved in,” she snarled at Phoebe.
“Don’t speak to my sister like that,” Nick cut in. “We all understand that the timing isn’t perfect, but we’ve all been through a hell of a lot worse over the past few months, so I think them dating is nothing to cry over.”
Phoebe resisted the urge to squeeze her brother tight for supporting her without question. Anita glared at her, but she refused to shrink.
“We aren’t going to make some grand announcement or hide our relationship. Their music has nothing to do with our relationship, and real fans will feel the same,” Phoebe reasoned. Axel leaned over and kissed her cheek.
Anita rolled her eyes. “I know how this will end.”
“Are we paying you extra for your psychic powers?” Phoebe asked.
“I’m only trying to protect all of you because I care,” Anita argued, but her tone sounded anything but caring.
“The photo isn’t getting out, and Axel and Phoebe are free to do their own thing, so can we all shut up and watch the interview?” August said, eager to see the news about Cillian’s concert selling out in record time. Not only that, but they were interviewing the head of the charity for disabled artists who they’d decided to donate the profits from the concert to. They’d all watched Phoebe’s struggle to adjust to her new normal, and they wanted to help other creatives going through similar challenges.
Phoebe flexed her hand. Her strength was slowly returning, even if the pain refused to ease.
“Turn it up,” she ordered, excited for the charity to get some airtime.
“Is that…?” Nick said with a frown, as August turned it up.
Cillian’s girlfriend, Helen, looking very pregnant, was sitting across from the chat show host. They all stared, slack-jawed.
“What the hell is Helen doing?” Nick asked, only for Phoebe to shush him.
The perky host smiled. “Thank you for joining us this evening.”
“Thank you for having me.” Helen fidgeted with her top, pulling it over her bump.
