Page 63 of Wish You Knew
32
Rosie
The last time I’d seen Scott play, it had been at Brixton. A fully plugged in, electric, highly charged show. Seeing him onstage with just an acoustic guitar, bathed in a single spotlight made me catch my breath. I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
Saff came to sit on my other side when she came off stage.
“You were fab, as always,” I whispered in her ear.
She shook her head. “I’m seriously only here as the support act. It’s Scott you want to watch.”
Vivian placed a hand on my arm. “He really does look comfortable up there, doesn’t he?” A broad smile crossed her face as she stared at her nephew with pride.
Catching the expression on Scott’s chiselled features, which resembled a rabbit in the headlights, I begged to differ. While at the previous gig he’d been fully in control, owning every inch of the stage and performance, now his demeanour was softer, nervous almost.
Then he began to sing.
Quietly at first, then building up to the chorus.
As he launched into it, his gaze met mine.
Everyone else in the room melted away as I heard the words.
Not knowing if you know…
How I feel…
Is killing me…
Adjust my reality…
Make this real for me…
I swallowed hard, desperately trying to listen to the verse before he came back to the chorus again. His eyes never left mine as he sang the heartfelt words. A tear slipped down my cheek. Both Vivian and Saff took one of my hands as the song came to a crescendo, gently squeezing my fingers. Scott used his voice instead of the guitar for the big ending; he stopped playing but carried on singing. As he sang the last line, his voice cracked, and I almost broke down.
When he finished, he bent his head, breathing heavily, staring at the floor as applause broke out around the room. I wanted to rush onto the stage, take him into my arms and tell him I’d make it real for him, forus.
After a beat, he looked up again lifting one hand in the air to quell the noise. “Thank you. Looks like you enjoyed that one. I’ve got one last treat for you, if you remember the Buzzcocks.”
He launched intoEver Fallen In Love, which couldn’t have been more appropriate if he’d tried.
“Are you okay, my dear?” Vivian asked, her thumb brushing away my tears.
“I, I think so.” I looked between her and Saff. “Did you both know about this?”
“May have had a little inkling he was up to something.” Saff winked and held out a glass of champagne. “Here, drink this. You look like you need it.”
My heartbeat began to return to normal as I took a tentative sip. “Where was your dressing room?” I asked Saff. “I want to be there when he comes off stage.”
“It’s one of the conference rooms. Berkeley or something.” She grinned. “Now go!”
I grabbed my bag and headed out of the dining room, along the corridor to the conference suite. My eyes scanned each of the names of the rooms until I found Berkeley. Pushing open the door, an eerie silence came from inside. When I saw Scott’s discarded tux, along with a guitar case, I knew I had the right place.
Now all I had to do was wait.
My heart raced. I perched on the edge of the table, crossing my legs, trying to look provocative. Too much. This time I didn’t just want to end up back in a hotel room.
A good ten minutes had passed, and I was on the verge of giving up and going back to find Saff and Vivian, when I heard the door creak.
