Page 112 of Scandal
“Hi, Hendrix,” I say in a slightly weary tone.
“You promised,” he snarls, not even bothering to greet me. I really hadn’t expected one anyway. “You promised you wouldn’t touch her, and yet there are pictures of the two of you all over the fucking internet. And before you try to claim it’s not real, do me a favor and don’t fucking lie to me.”
“Hen, I don’t see how any of this is your business—” I start to say.
“She’s my sister, Ash,” his voice booms. “My baby sister!”
“And she’s the woman I love,” I lash out. “So maybe take a step back, yeah?”
“What did you say?” His voice is barely a whisper, yet I hear it nonetheless.
“I’m in love with her, Hen. This isn’t some temporary fling. She’s it for me, and I’m sorry if that upsets you, but I’m not walking away.”
“You’re in love with my sister?”
“Yes,” I say simply, refusing to apologize. “I know you asked me to stay away from her, but?—”
“Does this mean we’re, like, brothers-in-law now?”
My mouth drops open at his whiplash-inducing mood swing. “Uh, I think it’s a bit early for that, but…someday, sure?”
“Dude!” The jovial tone in his voice is back. “And here I thought I might be losing a friend today. Instead, I’m gaining a family member!”
I gape at his words. “You were that angry?”
“Kind of, yeah,” he replies, and I can almost picture his broad shoulders lifting in a casual shrug. Hendrix isn’t the tallest of the band members—Darius is taller—but he’s a close second. Withhis punk rock hair, tattoos, and goofy attitude, I always knew he would be perfect for the band. What I didn’t realize was how close the two of us would become. “After everything I told you about Merc, I thought you’d gone behind my back and taken advantage of her.”
“I’d never do that…to either of you.”
“I know,” he agrees with me. “I just didn’t know what to make of it when I saw those pics. There is no way you two were faking it, and you’ve always made it clear you don’t want anything serious. With anyone.”
I cup the back of my neck, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. I haven’t seen the pics the pap took of Merc and me in the woods, but given the position he caught us in, I doubt they leave much to the imagination. I was so caught up in that kiss that I completely forgot about everything around us, including the cameras.
“It’s not that I’ve never thought of being in a relationship. It’s just that I didn’t think it was possible.”
“Why? Because of who you are?” He scoffs. “Ash, plenty of people in Hollywood date and get married.”
“And how many of them get divorced?” I challenge. “It’s a hard life. No one knows that better than you and Zander.”
“And you have it ten times worse.”
“I did, yeah. I just didn’t know if I could put someone through all that—the stalkers, the creepy fan mail, and the constant online rumors. But now…” I exhale. “I don’t know. Maybe it can be different.”
I hope to God it’s different.
“It will be,” Hen assures me. “The paps will lose interest eventually. You’re basically Scottish Prince Harry right now, but once you settle in and stop being interesting, you’ll just become that ex-rock star who also happens to be an earl. They’llphotograph you and Mercury at events but otherwise leave you alone because the trek out to the country just isn’t worth it.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I am,” he assures me. “I’m very wise.”
I snort out a laugh, not realizing how much I needed this conversation. It makes me realize just how much I miss the band and my mates. That was never the issue. It was everything that came with it—the fame, the loss of privacy, and the constant pressure to live up to everyone’s expectations.
“Enough about me,” I say, taking a seat on the sofa, my eyes still fixed on my guitar case. “Tell me about you. How are Zara and the guys? How’s the treatment going?”
“I’m doing great. The treatment plan seems to be working. Learning to play with my left hand is wild, though.”
“I can’t imagine,” I tell him, still amazed by how he’s handling it all. When he first told us he’d been diagnosed with a neurological condition that could eventually steal his ability to play bass, I couldn’t imagine coping with something like that. But with Zara’s help, he’s been so strong through everything.
