Page 32 of I Knew You Were Trouble

‘Aidey doesn’t sleep around,’ Miller continues. ‘He held out on Samara for weeks. You should ask him about it in his interview, Lexi. I mean, if he actually agrees to one.’

‘Or you could ask Miller about why he never sleeps with the same girl twice,’ Cal interjects.

Aidan gets to his feet. ‘I’m going to bed,’ he grumbles.

‘Mate, siddown. We’re celebrating, remember?’ Cal says.

Aidan looks pointedly in my direction. ‘Yeah, well, I’m no longer in the mood to celebrate.’

With that, he walks out, fist-bumping J.B. as he goes.

‘Nice work, Cal,’ Miller spits.

‘Mate, you were the one who brought up fucking Samara. You know he gets weird when her name comes up.’

Frustration balloons in my chest. I want to know why Aidan has left. Was it Miller bringing up his ex-girlfriends, or was it because I took a seat at the table?

After a moment, I get to my feet, saying nothing, exchanging glances with Duncan. He offers me a shrug.

I can’t work like this.

‘Aidan.’

At the other end of the corridor, he stops in his tracks. I fast-walk along the plush carpet to catch up.

‘What do you want?’ he asks.

It’s a good question. I haven’t thought through how this conversation might go, but my gut tells me to take a diplomatic approach. ‘I didn’t mean to make things awkward back there. What I’m trying to say is—’

‘You felt awkward, that’s your problem, not mine.’

I stare at him. His arrogance means that diplomacy hangs by a very thin thread. ‘I still don’t understand what I’ve done to make you dislike me so much.’

He stands his ground. ‘You’re an outsider. Plain and simple. I don’t like outsiders. I don’t trust them.’

‘So maybe get to know me? You care about this band; I can see that. Tell me how I gain your trust.’

‘You could leave? Then Silverpix would be without a second director and we might be able to bury this documentary for good.’

Something snaps inside me. ‘That’s ridiculous. You’re living in a dreamworld! You act like I’ve come here to destroy you!’

It’s only afterwards I realise how much I’ve raised my voice. He’s looking at me furiously.

When he opens his mouth to speak, Aidan McArthur doesn’t hold back. I feel the full force of his outburst. ‘No,you’reliving in a dreamworld if you think you can walk in here and film whatever you like! We’ve worked too hard to open ourselves up to that level of scrutiny. People can’t wait to see our downfall. They can’t wait to see us fail! All Silverpix cares about is money. How many new accounts they can cram into people’s living rooms across the world. That’s their only agenda! And you’re too blind to see it.’

‘Silverpix is the biggest sponsor of your tour!’ I exclaim.

‘And that’s all they are. A sponsor. The revenue comes from ticket sales. Silverpix doesn’t pay for my career!’

At his words, my mouth falls open, eyes wide. I’m shocked he’d stoop so low, yet I’m furious with him too.

‘You are such an intolerant arsehole!’ I blurt.

‘Errr, guys?’ I hear a voice say behind me. It’s Ravi. I turn my head. Cal, J.B. and Miller are standing with him in the corridor, staring at us. Further back, Duncan and Meredith have followed them out. I feel my cheeks burn.

‘Think the entire hotel got the message, guys,’ Cal says.

I shake my head, feeling the urge to flee. ‘I can’t do this,’ I say, my voice trembling, cradling my forehead in my palms.

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