Page 71 of I Knew You Were Trouble

My heart slams into my ribcage as Ziggy pushes between Duncan and Miller.

‘This dude and Lexi were just leaving,’ Miller hisses, backing away and shaking out his shoulders. I look to Aidan but he doesn’t look at me. There’s a scowl on his face that I recognise from the first few times I met him in Tokyo.

Duncan’s eyes flit to my face. I give a swift nod, wishing I’d never come. Duncan grabs his glass and downs the contents, before banging it back down onto the surface of the bar. I hand Meredith my glass with an apologetic look, before walking towards the exit, without looking back.

‘Sorry,’ Duncan mutters as we wait together for the lift to come. ‘That was my fault. Couldn’t hold back.’

‘We should have stayed at the hotel,’ I say, clicking my tongue in frustration.

‘You can’t just ignore it, Lex. You can’t just ignore what he did. I know I can’t tell you what to do, or what to feel—’

‘No, Duncan. You can’t. I can look after myself.’

He shakes his head. His voice is hoarse when he speaks. ‘You know that I would protect you from anything.Anything. I would have been there for you. For always. But you wouldn’t let me.’

I open my mouth to respond. ‘You!’ a voice booms behind me, and my eyes slip shut. I turn to find Ziggy marching towards us, wagging an impatient finger in my direction. ‘I thought you weren’t gonna cause me any trouble. Butohhh no, Aidan begs me to invite you over here tonight. Now I don’t know what’s going on, and I don’t wanna know, but this is all I have to say. Stay away from Aidan McArthur. How many times do I have to say it? Do your filming for this sodding documentary but keep your nose clean. Donotmess with the talent, are we clear?’

He’s reached me, sweat dappling his brow. It takes a moment for me to nod my head. I swallow tightly. ‘We’re clear. I apologise.’

‘Andyou.’ Ziggy spins his ire towards Duncan. ‘If I catch you eventhinkingabout throwing a punch at one of those lads, you’ll be on the first plane back to bloody Glasgow to collect your P sodding 45, alright?’

‘Actually, I’m from Edinburgh,’ Duncan coughs.

Ziggy is already stalking back towards the bar. ‘You can be from Timbuktu for all I care! I don’t need your sort on my tour!’

At three a.m., I lie in bed, unable to sleep. I pick up my phone, glancing at it for the twentieth time, stroking the cold, hard screen, missing the steady stream of pleading messages that came from Aidan all afternoon, messages I’ve read and re-read, which, since the incident in the bar earlier, have now come to an abrupt halt.

I’ve looked at all the articles online, the pictures of a shirtless Aidan relaxing in a black pair of trunks on the front of a mega-yacht, next to a bikini-clad Samara, a lump swelling in my throat. There is no denying the kiss that took place. And as much as I don’t want to be, I know I’m jealous.

I’m frustrated with Duncan. I always felt bad that I could never be the girlfriend he wanted me to be. I adore him, and I want to see him happy. Equally, I wish he hadn’t said those things in the bar, before I’d confessed to Aidan that Duncan’s my ex-boyfriend, before it came to light. Twice Aidan has commented on my relationship with Duncan, and I’ve never owned up to the truth, so tonight I only have myself to blame.

A soft knocking at the door causes me to bolt upright in the darkness. When I check the spy hole, I squint and see Meredith. As I open the door, my assistant gives me a wobbly, intoxicated smile. I hold up my hands as though taking communion, my open palms promptly filled with the wires from the hidden camera, all bunched up in a technical bird’s nest around the butterfly broach.

I check the hotel corridor, tugging Meredith inside.

‘I had to take it off,’ Meredith slurs. ‘I’m sorry.’

I take the knotted remains of the covert camera, hoping that it still functions. ‘Did you only just get back? How was the party?’

‘Party wasgooood,’ Meredith purrs, trying but failing to open her eyes properly. ‘I hadsooomuch fun.’

‘I can see that,’ I say with a smile at drunk Meredith.

‘The apartment was owned by a friend of Miller’s who works in the Dubai financial sector,’ she breathes, struggling to get the word ‘financial’ out. ‘You shoulda seen this place. It was like a playboy’s palace.’

I’m wary of any place that fits that description. ‘Were the boys all there? Do you think you picked up any footage?’

‘Only Miller and Cal. I don’t know what happened to Cal. There were girls. Girls everywhere. I just remember a lot ofverrrrypretty girls. There was dancing. Drinking. Some drugs, too, I think.’

‘What kind of drugs? Who was taking drugs?’

I start to untangle the camera so I can view the footage, despite the fact that it’s the middle of the night.

Meredith turns in befuddled circles. ‘Heactuallypaid me some attention. Heactuallydecided to speak to me again. Since our kiss, there’s beennada. But tonight… oooh, Lexi.’

‘Miller?’

‘Of course. He’s so dreamy.’

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