Page 164 of On The Edge
Kai sits back in his canvas seat more and gives that easygoing smile he’s always flashing to paparazzi and to the crowd.
“Who said they’re separate people?” he asks, dropping the truth bomb quickly.
The look on Christopher’s face is hilarious. His jaw drops and I swear he stops breathing for a moment before his whole body fidgets like he’s trying to remain professional at the same time.
“Oh,” he says, his mouth opening and closing like he’s a fish out of water before making eye contact with each of us. When he gets to me, I smirk, nodding, letting the pride shine on my face.
“That’s great,” he adds quickly, clearing his throat and I cover my laugh with a cough. “You all said some very emotional things. You know everyone wants to know. Did you find her?”
I nod with a smile. “We did.”
“Do you, well, forgive me for asking so bluntly, but are youallin a relationship with her?”
My eyebrows shoot up because damn, that’s a very forward question. Something that if we weren’t trying to win her back, I wouldn’t answer.
“We are.Weeach have a unique relationship with her, not with each other. She’s ours and we’re aware that people might not understand our dynamic—” Adam says quickly, but Reis finishes his sentence.
“But frankly, it’s no one’s business but ours. We love her and we hope that she still loves us.”
The reporter sits stunned, mouth open, confusion coloring his eyes. I can see him trying to figure out the sex, and just knowing that makes my fists clench on my lap.
“You know that this kind of…information, might divide a fanbase,” he insinuates, not asking, not telling, but I can hear the whisper of a question. Maybe it’s a threat. But it’s something we’re prepared for.
“If it does, it does. It’s no one’s business, but we understand with this job—this amazingly wonderful and creative job—comes with our lives being in the public eye. Not only that, but we understand we ‘started it,’” Kai uses air quotes with his fingers before putting his hands on his knees looking at Christopher with a dangerous look. One that says tread carefully. “But I’ll tell you this: our girl, she’s worth everything.Sheis everything, and we’d give it all up if it means she’s by our side.”
The interviewer blinks a few times, like he doesn’t know how to process what Kai just said. I put my arm back behind the chair, giving a confident smile to the camera.
And for the first time since we figured out what happened, I feel like I can breathe easier.
There’s no secrets, nothing to hide. Our relationship status out in the open and, hopefully, Melody on our arm.
“Well…” Christopher clears his throat again and looks into his camera. “You heard it here first,On The Edgeis officiallyoff the market. Sorry, ladies.” He gives a mock sad face to the camera, before turning back to us. “Thank you so much for joining us today, gentlemen. I’m Christopher Kowalski with XYZ News.” We all hold our smiles until the red ‘LIVE’ light on the top of the camera shuts off, our shoulders hunch and we start pulling the mics off.
Christopher comes over after he’s de-mic'd and it’s awkward. He just stands there, staring at us in surprise, before opening his mouth and tilting his head.
Please don’t say something stupid, please don’t say something I have to beat you up for,runs through my head.
“I, uh, I won’t say that I’ve ever been in the situation you’re in, and I also don’t want to assume that you want advice from someone you’ve never met and probably never will again,” he begins, putting his hands in his pockets. “But I want to say, people are going to be up in arms. They’re going to say some nasty things, but don’t let it touch you. Don’t let it touch her. When the next big scandal happens, this will be forgotten and you’ll be able to live in peace.”
The knot of anxiety starts to unwind in my chest, but not all the way.
We’ve started something that’s going to echo, but it’s going to our job to protect her. To keep our relationship sacred.
Looking at the guys, I know that we’re all up to the challenge.
Because she’s our past, present, and future.
FIFTY-ONE
We all thunderback into Melody’s apartment. Checking my watch, we’ve only been gone for three hours. I’m hoping she saw the interview, but there’s an inkling of terror growing in my chest that maybe she left.
If she’s gone… I don’t know if we’ll be able to find her.
I don’t know where she’d go.
We get to the top step and Reis takes a deep breath before his hand reaches for the knob. I’m relieved to know that it’s not just me who’s feeling this nervous.
“Here goes nothing,” Reis mumbles, but I stop him.
