Page 41 of Dirty Rock

“Twice.” I winked.

“You lucky son of a…”

“There’s a lot of swearing out there, boys!” Ma called, making Ollie cringe.

“Wanna get out of here?” I asked him.

“Sure. You need a bodyguard or anything?”

“Don’t be a sarcastic bastard all your life, Ol.”

“Just bringing you back down to Earth, mate. It’s got to feel weird after all that time flying high.”

I sighed and nodded gently. “Something like that.”

* * *

Life hadn’t changed around Cookham. After two hours of idle talk with Ollie, I was fucking bored. I loved the guy, but I had no interest in how much his council tax set him back or the fact that Ebony had been nagging him to go vegan for three months now. We’d snuck away into a dark corner of the pub after the owners had recognised who I was and ushered me to the side. A few of the locals had stopped by the table to congratulate me on Youth Gone Wild’s success, but the majority either didn’t care or hated me for it. Who was I to make a life for myself, apparently? A couple of regulars kept turning around on their stools at the bar, and they’d eye me with suspicion—like I was about to drop a needle full of heroin somewhere and taint this rainbow village with indecent acts and filthy deeds.

The alcohol wasn’t keeping me interested, not even when I switched to whiskey while Ollie stayed on his third warm beer. He was pacing himself. Something to do with it being a school night or some shit.

He hadn’t been to school for ten years.

“So, that’s my life.” He swallowed his drink, pressing his lips together and dropping his half empty glass to the table. “Which you’d know more about if you’d bothered to stay in touch. Should I even ask about yours?”

I turned my smile upside down and shrugged. “Not much to tell.”

Ollie raised a brow.

“What?” I barely laughed.

“You’re living the dream, and you’re telling me there’s nothing to tell?”

“Okay, so there’s plenty I could say, but is there any point?”

“What do you mean?”

Flaring my nostrils, I took a slow glance around the quaint country pub. “Well, it isn’t Cookham, is it? And I don’t want to make you feel shit about your life by telling you how I’ve been places you’ve never been and seen things you can’t even imagine are real.”

“You’re talking about JJ’s arse, aren’t you?”

I laughed properly that time. “No, Ol. I’m talking about the world. It’s not like this place, that’s all.”

“Then, tell me what it is like. I’m best mates with one of the biggest rock stars in the world, and I know jack shit about it,” he whispered, leaning in even closer. “The only things I do know are what Ebony tells me ENews! is saying about you. And who knows if that’s true.”

“ENews! aren’t the worst, to be fair.”

“What have I got to do to get some scandal out of you? Suck your dick like those groupies do?”

“Dude.” I curled my lip and scowled. “Don’t ever let those words fall out of your mouth again.”

He laughed quietly. “I’m just saying. You’re being a selfish bastard.”

“Believe it or not, that’s not the first time I’ve heard that about myself.”

“Give me something. Anything. Tell me about the women who have at least left an impression on your cold little heart.”

Julia’s face and bright, cheeky smile flashed to the forefront of my mind before any of the other beautiful women I’d slept with did. I was starting to believe it was a case of wanting what I couldn’t have, and after over three years with the band, that feeling was no longer welcome.

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