Page 16 of Scandal
My brows furrow. “How does that happen?”
She throws her hands in the air. “I don’t know, but I think Scotland hates me.”
Sometimes, I think Scotland hates me too, I nearly say. But, instead, I go for something a bit more on topic. “So you were on the road, headed for…”
“You,” she simply says.
“Me?”
“Well, I tried to get a cab, but that obviously didn’t happen since you found me on the side of the road. But seeing as I have nowhere to stay, and you’re the reason I’m here, I figured Blackstone was a good place to start.”
Nowhere to stay…
She’d said a lot in the last five minutes, but that part definitely stuck with me. I’m pretty sure she’s assuming we’re heading to my family’s estate, where she’ll get to enjoy luxury accommodations for the night.
The problem is, I’m not staying at Blackstone.
I’m staying at the run-down cottage.
And there’s only one bed.
Chapter Four
MERCURY
When Asher found me stranded on the side of the road, I was at my wits’ end. Realizing that my hotel reservation had disappeared was the icing on this shitty fucking cake of a day.
I’m exhausted and hungry. I really want a hot shower, and I feel like I’m the punchline of someone’s unbelievably cruel joke.
I keep telling myself that everything is okay, that sometimes things just happen. But that annoying little voice in my head keeps reminding me that none of this would have happened if I’d just had a bit more time to plan.
But as the guys so delicately reminded me that night at my parents’ house after I agreed to this crazy plan, Asher had already been gone for a month.
While that may not seem like a long time, in Hollywood, it’s an eternity. And since the band hasn’t made any official announcements, Asher’s disappearance has fans in an uproar.
The rumor mill is already circulating with theories about his whereabouts. From my sorority sisters to overheard conversations on the plane, everyone is talking about the rogue rock star and where they think he might have run off to. If itcontinues much longer, the guys will be compelled to make a statement—one they might all regret.
This is my chance to help.
All I need to do is show Asher he’s not alone and remind him that even though he’s been handed a tough blow, he still has plenty of people who love him and are ready to fight for him.
Shouldn’t be too hard, right?
We’ve been driving for barely twenty minutes, and he already seems to be warming up to me. I’ve even caught him smiling once or twice.
Maybe my mom was right. Maybe all he really needed was a?—
“Since your hotel accommodations fell through, you can stay with me tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll make arrangements for you to return to the States.”
“Wait. What?” I turn to face him. His hands clutch the steering wheel tightly, and his gaze stays fixed straight ahead. “What do you mean you’ll make arrangements for me to go back to the States? I just got here.”
“I know, and I appreciate what you’re trying to do, Mercury,” he says in an overly formal tone. “But it’s not necessary. As I told my…former bandmates, I’m not coming back. They need to accept that and move on with their lives.”
“Move on with their…” I can’t even finish the sentence, it’s so ludicrous. “Asher, you’re the lead singer of the band!”
“Lead singers can be replaced.”
“Yes, but you cannot,” I nearly shout.
