Page 91 of I Knew You Were Trouble

Meredith nods. ‘Sure, of course.’

‘Thanks. I’ll see how Duncan’s getting on.’

In the vast, sumptuously decorated living area overlooking Fifth Avenue, Duncan is still moving furniture around. I looked it up, and apartments in this building sell for millions of dollars.

‘It’s fine as it is,’ I say, holding up my hands.

‘Nah, not happy,’ Duncan responds with a frown, his blonde brows drawn together. ‘Light’s all wrong.’

It’s Saturday afternoon. We’re all a little jet-lagged. The Reunification Tour restarts at Madison Square Garden for four consecutive sold-out shows, but not until Thursday. It’s a luxury, the boys spending their time rehearsing and doing promotional work on all the big American talk shows, Manhattan already going a littledoolallyfor all things Rebel Heart. Even the arrival of their plane this afternoon was splashed all over the news networks.

I lower my voice, tilting my head towards Bianca’s bedroom. ‘We haven’t talked about Meredith.’

Duncan straightens, hands on his hips, starting to sweat with the exertion. ‘No, no. Don’t do that. New Year’s resolution. Go for girls who actually like me. Not ones who’re out of reach.’

‘Did you even try asking her out yet?’

‘I’m fine as I am, Lex. Chickenshit though it might be, I’m not chasing.’

‘Or how about this for a New Year’s resolution? Ask. Meredith. Out.’

He scowls, shoots invisible daggers at me. ‘Will you fecking leave it, woman?’

‘Did you even message her over the holiday?’

‘I sent a few.’

‘And?’

He rubs the back of his head. ‘And nothing. We went back and forth a bit. I could have done a better job at flirting…ach, I’m chickenshit, I know.’

I go over to him, gripping both his biceps. ‘One last question, I promise. Did you miss her when she wasn’t around?’

He looks sheepish. ‘I tried not to… aye, I did.’

‘Then there’s your answer.’

Duncan nods, looking to the floor. ‘You clear things up with Aidan over the holiday?’ he murmurs.

I’m saved from providing him with a response when Meredith bounces into the room, followed by a slightly nervous-looking Bianca. Duncan backs away.

‘We’re ready,’ Meredith hums.

‘You look lovely,’ I say to Bianca, who now looks exactly like she did on her TV show. ‘Duncan’s just rearranging a few things but we’ll be able to start soon.’

Bianca takes in all the lights and the two cameras Duncan and I have set up.

‘It’s been a while since I had all the cameras around.’

I put one reassuring hand on her arm. ‘Just breathe, like we talked about.’

Bianca exhales shakily, knotting her fingers together. ‘I think it’s the timing, you know? The shows at Madison Square Garden. Rebel Heart everywhere I look. It brings back not-so-nice memories.’

‘If you want a break at any time during the interview, you just say so.’

Bianca nods again, and takes her seat.

I don’t know how, but news has leaked that the boys are staying at a hotel in Hudson Yards, on the Lower West Side, opposite the Vessel sculpture. On arrival outside the hotel in a cab, we’re greeted by a vast crowd of hysterical teenaged girls clustered on the pavement, hotel security doing a good job of keeping them herded all together.

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