Page 30 of Sixty Days Of Summer

I let out a frustrated sigh and head over to the table. I can already picture the storm of questions and scrutiny headed my way.

“You know this is just going to turn into a shitstorm about what happened three days ago,” I say, pulling out a chair, all while avoiding eye contact with Scarlet, who’s sitting across from me.

“Ace, I fucking get it,” Xander snaps, his frustration palpable. “Trust me, I know how those assholes operate. I’ve dealt with their bullshit firsthand. But this is about our label now. If we want to prove to the world and that prick Lionel that we can stand on our own, you need to get your head out of your ass and face this. Every media outlet is gonna run with the story that we can’t make it without Victory Records,” he says, leaning forward on his elbows, glaring at me like I’m a damn idiot. “This is our chance to show them and our fans that the tour is still on and to officially introduce Scarlet as Nate’s replacement. You need to be there and put all that bullshit aside.”

“You know they won’t let it go. They’ll just keep pushing,” I say, frustration creeping into my voice.

I glance over and see Scarlet and Theo watching us as we keep firing questions at each other.

“I know,” Xander replies, his tone clipped. “But you can deflect. Just keep steering the conversation back to the tour. We’ve been doing that for years, so it shouldn’t be that hard.”

Theo rests a hand on my shoulder, that stupid grin of his making me want to punch him right now. “You’ll be fine, man. Just don’t pull any of that dumbass shit you’re famous for. If yougo full “Ace” on them, I’ll make sure to distract them with my epic dance moves.” He laughs.

I can’t help but grin at the asshole; he always knows how to lighten the mood. Scarlet bursts out laughing at his comment, and I glance over at her, a smile forming on my lips. Her eyes lock with mine as she laughs, and I can’t tear my gaze away while the laughter around the table slowly fades.

Then Xander’s voice cuts in, pulling Scarlet’s attention away from me. “Scarlet, did you ever do a press conference with your old band?”

“No,” she replies, a smile dancing on her lips. “If we had, no one would’ve shown up or given a damn.”

Her smile is infectious, and I can’t seem to tear my eyes away from her. I know I should play it cool because if I don’t snap out of it soon, Theo will catch on to what’s been brewing between us, and Xander will definitely know I’ve gone there again with her.

“Bit of a heads-up, Scarlet,” Xander says, taking another sip of his coffee before setting the mug back on the table. “These guys can be real assholes. If they latch onto something, they’ll run with it, so we need this press conference to go smoothly. Usually, Ace handles the talking for the band, but with everything that’s gone down, I’ll do most of it this time. I’ll start with a statement about the tour and introduce you as Nate’s replacement for the two-month run. After that, they’ll get a chance to ask you questions.”

Scarlet glances around the group, a flicker of anxiety flashing in her eyes. “What kind of questions?”

“Probably the usual stuff,” Theo says, flashing a reassuring smile. “Questions about your music, how you’re feeling about joining the band. Just standard shit, you know. You’ll be fine, Scar, trust me.” He reaches out, wrapping his hand around hers and giving it a comforting squeeze. “You’ll nail it.”

Scarlet’s eyes soften, and she nods, her nervousness easing a bit. It’s clear that with Theo’s support, she can handle the pressure of the tour. I’ve always seen Theo as the class clown, the fucking idiot, the guy who’s always up for a laugh, but with Scarlet, there’s a different side to him. He’s not just the comic relief. He’s her rock. Always there to reassure her and back her up. And I can’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy, wishing I could be that for her too.

“Scarlet, I really hate to bring this shit up,” Xander says, his tone shifting to something more serious.

Scarlet turns to him, her brows knitting together in concern, while Theo and I exchange glances, both of us wondering where this is going.

Xander takes a deep breath, clearly choosing his words carefully. “I see your bruises are healing,” he says, motioning to his own cheek to indicate where Scarlet’s marks have faded. “But you need to keep them covered. If the media catches a glimpse, they’ll start digging into shit we don’t want to deal with. We can’t afford that kind of distraction right now.”

“I promise you they won’t see them,” Scarlet replies, her voice a little softer as she drops her head, clearly feeling a bit embarrassed. I catch Theo giving her hand another reassuring squeeze, silently backing her up.

Theo chimes in. “Nate will be watching the press conference from the hospital,” he says, his tone filled with warmth. “He’s proud of you, Scar. So am I. And so are Mom and Dad,” he adds, and I can see how much those words mean to her, like a lifeline pulling her back up.

There are those words again: Mom and Dad. It hit me earlier, back in the waiting room, when I saw Wes and Rose, Nate and Scarlet’s parents, walk into the hospital. Theo called them Mom and Dad like it was the most natural thing in the world. I’ve never been close enough to Theo to dig into his past,but from what he’s let slip, I know he had a rough upbringing. Still, I have no fucking clue how he ended up with Nate’s family or how he managed to fit into their lives so seamlessly that they see him as one of their own.

As soon as Wes walked into the room, striding straight to Theo giving him a fatherly pat on the back, and Rose wrapped him in a warm hug, speaking to him like she’d been his mom his whole life, a sharp stab of envy pierced through me. I just stood there, staring, trying to make sense of it all. How do they love him like that? Like he’s really theirs, as if he was born into their family? It doesn’t make any sense to me, especially when my own mother couldn’t give two flying fucks about me, and I’m her own flesh and blood. The contrast hits hard, twisting something deep inside me, making me question why I’ve never had that kind of connection, that unconditional love, from anyone.

“Kit has arranged a car to pick us up at eleven-thirty, so be ready,” Xander says, downing the last of his coffee.

"Is that it?" I ask, glancing at him to see if there’s any more bullshit he wants to throw my way.

"Yeah," he replies, and I can sense that if Scarlet wasn’t sitting here at this moment, he’d be telling me to pull my fucking head in.

I push back from the table, my mind spinning with all the shit I've got to handle—like the new album that’s just sitting there, waiting for me to dive into it. That’s where my focus should be, not on this fucking press conference. But I get it. If I don’t show up to introduce Scarlet and confirm the tour’s still on, those assholes will twist it into something ugly, making it look like I don’t want her there or that the band’s falling apart. I can’t let that happen.

Before we go out to greet the media, Kit takes us to one of the back rooms and explains our assigned seating arrangements at the table. I can already hear the soft murmur of voices and the excited buzz of anticipation coming from the other room.

“Now, Ace,” Kit says, placing herself in front of me. My gaze falls upon the tiny woman who has successfully intimidated grown men on countless tours over the years. Despite her small stature, she’s got an undeniable presence that demands respect. “No doubt those assholes out there will bring up the camera incident, so when they do, just redirect the conversation back to the tour. And don’t let them get under your skin.”

“So, in other words,” Theo adds with a sly smile, “don’t go full Ace on them.”

I shoot him a glare, my gaze piercing through his soul. I hate to admit it, but he’s not wrong. My reputation for going off-script isn’t exactly a secret, and if I’m not careful, this press conference could devolve into a shitshow. I can already see the headline, “Rockstar’s latest meltdown becomes media sensation.” I just need to keep my cool and not let those fuckheads bait me into saying something stupid.

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