Ten minutes later, Tommy appears again, looking refreshed. His hair has been brushed, his sweat dried, and he’s sipping from a water bottle. He grins at the crowd. ‘You want one more?’
‘YES!’ everyone screams. Someone near us screeches, ‘Cold Devotion!’
Tommy’s face gives nothing away, but then the opening chords of ‘Cold Devotion’ start playing, and the crowd goes wild.
It’s the song. My song. The one he sang to me when I was little to get me to sleep. My eyes well with tears, and I turn and bury my face in Sebastian’s shoulder and sob as my dad starts singing.
‘Shhh,’ Sebastian whispers, stroking my back. ‘I know, it’s OK.’
He sways me gently in time to the music, and I feel comforted that he understands exactly why I’m getting emotional.He knows me.I don’t have to explain things to him. He’s probably got a dossier on me in hell.
Nestled in Sebastian’s arms, I slowly become aware of ‘Oooohs’ around me, and someone says, ‘Oh my god, she’s so lucky!’ I think they’re talking about me. Smiling through mytears, I snuggle closer to Sebastian. I am lucky. I’m blessed to have met him. I’m—
‘Oh shit,’ Sebastian mutters, and I swivel—to find Rach standing onstage with Tommy. His arm is draped around her shoulders, and he’s singing to her. She looks ecstatic. My mouth drops open.
‘What the fuck! How did that happen?’
Kiki is jumping up and down and clapping her hands. ‘He plucked her from the front row!’ she squeals. ‘It was so romantic!’
Ash nods emphatically. ‘Yeah, like he singled her out or something.’
I stare grimly as the song finishes, and Tommy dips Rach, planting a kiss firmly on her lips.
I feel like screaming, ‘GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY MOTHER!’ as Tommy encourages Rach to bow to a deafening eruption of applause and whistles. She looks shocked, a hand pressed to her lips, like she doesn’t believe what just happened. That her idol kissed her in front of 60,000 people. I can’t believe it either. That he’d pull something like this!
I elbow my way to the front of the stage, seething. ‘Tommy!’ I yell. ‘Let her go!’
Although he looks straight at me and I know he recognises me from the hotel room, he doesn’t move. He grins smarmily and says something to Rach, pointing in my direction; and she smiles, waving at me.
I beckon to her frantically. ‘Come back here,’ I mouth.
Rach hesitates and takes a step towards me. But then Tommy leans down and whispers something in her ear, and she listens, then nods enthusiastically. She gives me an apologetic shrug, and then Tommy blows kisses to the audience while leading Rach off the stage like a prized possession. I let out a howl of frustration.That utter prick!
28
SEBASTIAN
Thefloodlightssnapon,illuminating a milling crowd of sweaty, make-up-smeared women. Jade shoves through to me, her eyeliner smudged and her face white with shock. I grab her hands tightly.
‘Tommy stole Rach!’ she gasps.
‘I know, I’ve got eyes. Pretty ones,’ I say, fluttering my eyelashes at her to lighten the mood. But Jade isn’t in the mood for my silly antics, and I don’t blame her.
‘We have to go backstage.Now!’ she barks. ‘Before Tommy sticks something where he shouldn’t.’
Kiki giggles, listening. ‘I don’t think Rach will mind. She adores him, and he’s sooo famous!’
But Jade’s lips flatten, and she pushes her way over to the side of the stage. I have to say I’m impressed that she’s so determined to save her mum from Tommy.
I catch up with her before she reaches security and grab her arm.
‘Maybe you should let this happen rather than trying to change things,’ I tell her. ‘At least Tommy does the right thing and sticks by your mum.’
Jade scowls and wrenches her arm away. ‘Either help me or fuck off, Sebastian. You hadonejob to do. If you hadn’t distracted me...’ She takes a deep shaky breath.
‘Fine,’ I say, knowing I’m not going to win this argument. ‘What do you need me to do?’
‘I need you to help me get Rach away from Tommy. I don’t care if we have to drag her away from him kicking and screaming and she hates my guts forever.He can’t sleep with her!’