Page 156 of Between Never and Forever
SOS. Answer the phone.
Wake up. Urgent.
Fucking call me!!!
Shit. Shit. Shit.
I’m pulling up her contact when she buzzes through, so I answer before it gets past the first ring.
“What did I do now?”
“Have you been on the internet?”
“I just woke up, Mabes.”
My phone beeps in my ear and I pull back to see an article from my least favorite tabloid. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, then I click on it. As soon as the webpage loads, my stomach falls to my feet, and I feel dizzy.
“Oh fuck,” I whisper, and I hear Mabel sayno shiton the other end.
It’s grainy photos of me on the roof last night with Levi. It’s blurry and dark, and thankfully you don’t get enough of Levi to really ID him, but I’m obvious. My silver hair is like a fucking beacon. Then there’s a link to a video, and like a dumbass, I click it. I watch the whole three minutes with my heart in my throat. I don’t even blink until it’s over, then I have to rub the sting out of my eyes.
The video is grainy and dark, and again, you don’t see much, but the noises. Slapping and moaning and murmuring. At one point, you can very clearly hear me moanOh fuck, but nothing else.
I put my phone back to my ear.
“I have twelve missed calls from Hammond,” I say to Mabel, and she snorts.
“Because the label is fucking pissed. Literally your only saving grace right now is that the article assumes you’re with Torren since we were with you last night, but Hammond knows that Torren came back with us to the hotel. He’s trying to run damage control, but honestly, I think he wants to strangle you.”
I groan and flop back on the bed, waking Levi.Sorry, I mouth to him. He raises and eyebrow, and I shake my head, then focus back on Mabel.
“At least they didn’t get much. The pictures aren’t too bad. And the video—”
“Savvy, I know you’re used to scandal and all, but this is basically a sex tape. You have a sex tape now, and it’s obviously you. You have one of the most recognizable voices in the world and now everyone knows what you sound like when you come. And if it gets out that that’s not Tor...”
My phone beeps and I pull it back to see Hammond calling. Goddamn it.
“Mabes, I gotta go. Ham’s calling, and I might as well bite the fucking bullet.”
“Good luck, bitch.”
“Hey, Mabes,” I say, just before she hangs up.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
She’s silent for a moment, long enough that Ham’s call goes to voicemail before she speaks again.
“You know I love you, right? This band is the closest thing to family I’ve ever had. You’re my sister. Things got so messed up, and we lost sight of what’s important. But I fucking love you, Savannah, and I just... I don’t want anyone to hurt anymore. None of us. Not me or you or the guys. Fuck not even Ham, even if he is a prick.”
I laugh with her and then wipe away a few tears. I hear her sniffle on the other end and sigh.
“If you want to leave the band, I get it. I don’t hate you for it, and I don’t want to be in Heartless without you. I was just scared of losing my family, but I don’t want it without you. So, no matter what happens here on out, I got you, okay?”
“Okay,” I rasp. “I love you too, Mabes. And I love our family. Just...”
What do I say? I want us back? I want what we had? Let’s just erase everything and start over? Is it even possible? I glance at Levi. He’s watching me closely, and when we make eye contact, he forces a smile. I love him and Brynn. I love Mabel and the guys. But am I going to have to lose one to have the other? I sigh, and then my phone starts beeping with another incoming call from Ham. I groan.
