Page 28 of New Year's Faye

Alex stepped forward. “I think this is a bad idea. Perhaps we could?—”

The tech ignored him, shoving me toward the set. “On the couch. We’re back in forty-nine seconds.”

I stumbled across the production floor toward where the Wild Ones sat arranged in a loose semicircle on the morning show's plush cream couches—Justice and Radley on one end, Felix in the middle, and Sam on the far right.

A spot had been conspicuously left open beside him.

I stepped onto the slightly raised set just as Amy Chen, the interviewer's hand landed on Sam's shoulder.

Something hot and uncomfortable curled in my stomach.

Sam ignored her, standing up and crossing quickly to me.

"There you are." He held out his hand. "Was starting to think you'd changed your mind about being seen with us riffraff."

I took his hand, letting him guide me to the spot beside him. "Someone has to keep you lot in line."

His arm settled around my shoulders as I sat, the movement natural as breathing. "Always taking care of us."

"It's literally my job."

"Among other things now," Amy cut in with a bright smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Speaking of which, this surprise wedding has everyone talking! Tell us, how long have you two been secretly dating?"

"Ten seconds!" the floor manager called.

I opened my mouth to deliver our carefully rehearsed response, but Sam beat me to it.

"Actually," he said, his arm tightening slightly around my shoulders, "there's nothing secret about how much Faye means to the band. She's been our rock since day one."

"Five seconds!"

"But romantically—" Amy pressed.

"We're live in three, two..."

The red light blinked on, and Amy’s picture-perfect smile snapped into place. “Welcome back to Good Morning Today, music lovers! I’m here with chart-topping sensation The Wild Ones, who are kicking off their world tour with some exciting news.”

Sam’s thumb brushed soothingly across my shoulder, and I realized I’d been holding my breath.

Just another interview, I reminded myself. Except this time, I couldn’t hide in the wings.

"So," Amy turned to us, her smile as polished as ever, "the whole world is dying to know—how does the band's publicist end up married to its lead guitarist?" "Tequila," Justice deadpanned from the other end of the couch. "Lots and lots of tequila." I fought back a laugh as Amy’s smile faltered, clearly disappointed by our rehearsed answer about friendship naturally blossominginto love. "What Justice means," I jumped in, my PR instincts taking over, "is that New Year's Eve was a celebration of many things. The end of a successful year, the start of our world tour, and yes, maybe we had a bit too much fun with the festivities." I could feel Sam's silent laughter beside me. "But Sam and I have known each other for years. The timing just felt right."

Amy’s smile didn’t waver, but there was a glint in her eye as she leaned forward, shifting to full-on interrogation mode, her voice syrupy sweet. “Well, the timing is just so... interesting, don’t you think?” she said, with a slight tilt of her head. “I mean, it’s not every day that a band’s publicist and its lead guitarist suddenly decide to get married. And right before a world tour launch, too! You can’t blame people for wondering if there might have been a little... strategic planning involved?”

I kept my smile polite, feeling Sam tense beside me. “I understand how it might look that way,” I replied, my PR instincts in full force, “but this wasn’t about strategy. Like I said, we’ve known each other for years, and things just... fell into place.”

She gave a small, sceptical nod, as though she was humouring me. “Of course, of course. But surely, as a publicist, you know the importance of timing. After all, you’re not just any couple—you’re both part of one of the biggest acts in the world right now. To the outside world, it looks like a bit of a whirlwind, doesn’t it? A New Year’s Eve wedding, all those tabloids catching wind of it...”

Before I could respond, she pivoted to Sam. “And Sam, I think people would love to hear your side, too. Some of your fans were absolutely heartbroken when they found out,” she added with a laugh, though her eyes sparkled with mischief. “Did you propose on a whim? Was this one of those ‘love at first sight’ situations?”

Sam chuckled, the sound a bit forced. “Not exactly. I’ve known Faye for a long time,” he said, giving me a warm look that felt like an anchor in the rising tide of Amy’s probing questions. “It’s not something we planned to happen right now, but I’m glad it did.”

Amy pounced, her smile sharpening even more. “So, you’re saying it wasn’t premeditated at all? That’s interesting, especially considering the buzz around your recent hospital visit, Faye. Some people are speculating there might have been... tension between you two following the wedding.”

My stomach dropped. I could see where she was leading, twisting her phrasing in that carefully veiled way to plant seeds of doubt, as if she were hinting at some dark undercurrent between us.

“Well,” she continued, feigning concern, “we’re all curious, you know. It’s not every day that a high-profile couple with such intense careers suddenly ties the knot, especially with rumours about a disagreement that ended with you in the hospital. I mean, no one’s saying anything definitive, of course, but?—”

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