‘Oh, come on,’ she says. ‘You’re the master of loopholes.’
I sigh. She knows me too well. Iamthe master of loopholes. ‘OK, there is one other alternative.’
Jade smiles at me in delight, and it’s like the sun’s come out. She looks so beautiful when she smiles; it lights up her whole face and makes my washboard abs flutter.
‘I knew it,’ she says. ‘Quick, tell me what it is so I can keep Rach away from my arsehole pop star dad.’
‘If you can get her to fall in love with someone else, you’ll still exist in the future. But...’
‘But what?’
‘You’ll look and behave a bit differently.’
‘How?’
I shrug. ‘It’s impossible to predict. It depends on who she gets pregnant to.’
Jade groans. ‘But what if she doesn’t like anyone else? This is a nightmare. Not only is Mum’s future riding on this, but so is my entire existence!’ She glares at me with blue eyes, the colour of a Bermudan sea. ‘I blame you, Sebastian, for putting me in this shitty situation.’
‘Hindsight is a wonderful thing,’ I say meekly. ‘But I don’t think you should put the entire blame on—’
‘There are five tickets to the concert,’ Jade interrupts, putting her hands on her hips. ‘So I’ve decided. You’re coming with us. You can help me keep Rach distracted so she doesn’t get with Tommy Rains.’
‘But—’
‘It’s the least you can do since I’m damned...’ she says, looking at me accusingly.
I gulp guiltily. Wow, she’s really good at emotional blackmail. I’m truly on my knees here. Then she gives me a final kick in the goolies.
‘I guess it will be nice to have one friend in hell.’
There’s a word in that sentence that cuts deeper than a knife.
I was handling this emotional one-to-one conversation until she said that. Now I know there’s no hope for us whatsoever.
Friend.That’s all I’m ever going to be.
27
JADE
Foradevilwhoruns hot, Sebastian’s expression is decidedly chilly when we meet him at the entrance to Wembley Stadium. But his lips are warm as he gives me a polite peck on the cheek and says I look lovely.
I know I was a bit of a bitch to him last night, so I’m relieved he’s shown up as my courier date. Even though the blond mullet is unappealing, he’s still got the same cheeky grin, broad chest, and tight ass. But I can’t get distracted. I have to focus on what’s important: my mum’s future.
Our VIP tickets let us into the exclusive roped-off area near the stage where the support act (a Brighton band that I’ve never heard of) is currently finishing up their set. And I haven’t forgotten the tickets also give us backstage access afterwards, which Kiki and Rach are thrilled about. I wasn’t able to find the right words to let them down gently, and I don’t want them to hate me during the concert, so it looks like we’re going to meet the band afterwards.Oh joy.
The noise from the expectant crowd is switching up a notch as the time for Echo Ministry to appear draws near. My gut twists nervously, making me wish I hadn’t eaten so much of Rach’s delicious steak and ale pie before we came out.
‘I’m soooo glad you got that job atPopTrax, Jadey!’ squeaks Kiki excitedly in my ear. ‘We’re right in the front row! This is going to be epic!’
‘Yeah, as long as the heavens don’t open.’
I pull up the collar of my cropped leather jacket and glance cynically at the fuzzy grey sky ringed by stadium lights. A tiny drop of water falls on my cheek, and I swipe it away, trying not to smudge my carefully applied blusher. For my concert outfit, I’m wearing black ripped jeans, a strapless midnight-blue corset, and matching lace fingerless gloves. At least six silver crosses hang around my neck. My poodle hair is super teased, my eyes are ringed in black kohl and I've slicked on several layers of blood-red lipstick. The gothic-Madonna look suits my sombre mood.
Sebastian is dutifully chatting to Rach next to me, and I overhear him say casually, ‘I heard Tommy’s got a bad case of gonorrhoea right now ... yeech!’
‘One night with him would be worth catching it,’ Rach replies dreamily.