Loving the Band (11 page)

I laughed to myself. I really wouldn’t be surprised if that
was true. I would have to ask him about that one next time I saw him, if there was to be a next time. My heart sank as I realized there might not be. I carried on scrolling down the page till I came to a few words that made my heart stop. My eyes widened as I read the words in front of me.

THE ONLY TRUTH: GIRL PROBLEMS?

I felt sick to my stomach. Surely it couldn’t be me. But I had to make sure. I warily clicked on the article and waited for it to load. To my horror, a picture of me, Tegan and the boys dominated the entire page. It was the day we were at the beach. If I hadn’t been self-conscious before, I had every reason to be now. In the picture I was standing in my bikini, laughing away, oblivious to everything. My hands shook as I slowly scrolled down the page, reading it carefully word by word.

The Only Truth were caught having a blast on a beach near Brighton earlier this week, playing frisbee and splashing around in the water like the loveable loons they are. But what shocked us the most were the two unknown girls with whom they were spotted. After much digging we found that the girl pictured to the right is Jessica Wright and the girl pictured to the left is Tegan Smith. What we don’t know is when or how they met, but they did look rather friendly with our lovely boys.

How on earth did they know who we were? I felt short of breath. I know I probably should have stopped looking there and then, but I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to
find out what other rubbish they had said about me.

This Jessica girl ‘sure is beautiful’ and I guess we weren’t the only ones to see that. Riley was spotted sitting rather close to Jessica on the beach as they shared cute little glances with each other. But, later on, Shaq and Jessica were spotted taking a little romantic walk on the beach hand in hand as Jessica sported Shaq’s signature hoodie. Could it be love?

Well, that was a lie – Shaq and I were never hand in hand! And could it be love? I was furious at the thought of the hurt this would cause both boys if they read it.

I stupidly read on.

Just as we thought it couldn’t get any juicer, Jessica was spotted fleeing the hotel at which The Only Truth are rumoured to be staying. She made a speedy getaway while tears ran down her face. Trouble in paradise, I hear you cry? Or maybe she can’t choose between the hunky Shaq and adorable Riley.

Catch up with us next week for more celeb gossip!

I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. Why me? I didn’t want this. I never wanted to be thrust into the limelight and now I was the subject of malicious slander. I slammed my laptop screen down, not caring if it broke or not. In anger, I threw my pillow across my room, and it landed on my make-up table, knocking a mirror over and smashing it. Great. The last thing I needed – seven years’ bad luck. I buried my head into my quilt.

‘Shit, shit, shit,’ I repeated, my tearful voice muffled by the sheets.

‘Sweetheart, are you OK?’

I felt a flood of relief as I realized who that much-missed voice belonged to on the other side of the door. I ran over and yanked open the door.

‘Daddy!’ I screeched, throwing myself into his arms. It didn’t matter that we hadn’t seen each other in so long – all my worries just seemed to drain away and the only thing I wanted was a massive cuddle.

He chuckled softly in my ear and pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. After a few minutes, I pulled away to look at him. I couldn’t suppress the huge grin that made its way on to my face. I took in every bit of him; he looked exactly the same as always. His light-blond hair stuck up in a ridiculous style that he’d told me looked ‘hip’.

I let out a soft chuckle as he ruffled my damp hair. ‘I’ve missed you!’ I exclaimed.

‘I have missed you too, JJ!’ I giggled when he used my nickname, yet another thing I missed. I never let anyone else call me that.

Tegan went out, leaving me to catch up with Dad. He made us both something to eat and once my hunger had abated I found to my surprise that almost every one of my problems came tumbling out of my mouth. College, my mum, his business trip and how I’d been coping with the break-up with Jacob. It was a massive relief to share it with someone who was not directly involved, and as clever and caring as my dad.

‘So who’s this Callum that Tegan has gone off to see?’ my dad asked.

I must have sighed too loudly.

‘What’s wrong?’ he asked.

‘It’s nothing,’ I mumbled.

‘Oh, I get it.’

I looked up at him sharply, wondering how he might know about my love triangle already.

‘Haven’t seen your old dad in ages so you have lost trust in him. Nah, it’s cool,’ he said, trying to act upset.

I couldn’t help but giggle. ‘Boy stuff, I guess, Daddy,’ I said, shrugging my shoulders, hoping he wouldn’t be interested, but the exact opposite was true.

‘Ooooh!’ he squealed like a teenage girl, turning his whole body round to face me.

Ah, that’s my dad. I scrunched my face up. ‘Well, I don’t know where to start.’

My dad rolled his eyes. ‘The beginning would be good.’

‘Ha ha. Well, you know, er, the boy band The Only Truth?’

He stopped for a moment to ponder whether he did, in fact, know them or not. ‘Yeah!’ he said, doing the band’s salute.

‘Well, I sort of bumped into them.’ I shrugged my shoulders innocently as he raised his eyebrow at me.

I told him the whole story: how I had met them, the beach, the little moments that made me unsure about everything … my feelings and everything else that went along with them. Then I choked out the last bit about
Riley and Shaq, determined to tell the story through my tears. As I sobbed my way through the story’s bitter conclusion, my dad pulled me into his arms and began rocking back and forth soothingly and stroking my hair.

‘Well, it sounds like you have got yourself into a bit of a pickle, JJ,’ he said while stroking my hair. I nodded my head into his chest as I used his shirt to wipe away my last few tears.

‘I can’t tell you what to do, but I can give you advice. You’re obviously confused but that’s to be expected. And you’re also obviously very fond of these boys, and wires have been crossed along the way. But you’re just going to have to be honest about your feelings to them and honest about your feelings to yourself, Jess. Aren’t you?’

I shook my head, terrified at the thought.

‘Well, that’s what you have to do. Just don’t think about it too long. You have only known these guys for a week – you’re not getting married just yet.’ He pretended to be worried. ‘Please say you’re not!’

I raised my head from his chest and smiled at him. ‘No, Daddy. Thank you, that’s helped a lot.’

He nodded his head and smiled at me. ‘Just remember, you fall for people too easily, JJ, and I don’t like to see you hurt.’

I hugged him, murmuring, ‘I love you, Dad.’

He chuckled, ‘I love you too, silly. Now, what are you going to do?’

I took a long, deep breath and slowly exhaled. ‘I have some serious apologizing to do.’

‘So he’s coming round by himself?’

‘Yup. In fifteen minutes.’

‘So what actually happened with you and Riley, then? You still haven’t told me.’

‘I don’t really want to talk about it.’

‘Aw, come on!’ Tegan threw her hands up in the air in exasperation.

I sighed and hung my head shamefully. ‘I kissed Riley,’ I mumbled.

‘What? I couldn’t hear what you said, Jess.’

I steadied myself and raised my head to look Tegan in the eye. This was my best friend, after all.

‘I kissed Riley,’ I admitted.

‘Well, I kind of assumed that had happened.’

‘What? Aren’t you shocked?’

‘No, Jess. And I’m not quite sure why you’d expect me to be. Isn’t that a good thing, kissing Riley? You did say we were down here to have fun!’

‘Because, in this case, I don’t think it is a good thing. Or
a fair thing, at least.’

‘You’re being very enigmatic, Jess, but I’m guessing this doesn’t just have to do with Riley.’

I nodded sadly. ‘I’m confused. I like Riley, I really do. And in any other circumstance I think we could be great together. He’s so attentive and charming; he definitely makes me feel special. But then there’s …’

‘Shaq?’

I gasped. ‘How did you know?’

She chuckled and gave me a big hug. ‘Because it’s obvious, chick. Your feelings for him radiate from you, as do his. You should see the way you look at each other. But don’t worry. I think only a best friend, and a girl at that, would notice. What I don’t get is why you’re not doing anything about it.’

‘Because he’s good and has morals … Oh, Tegan, I told him about Lucy and Jacob. Shaq is the only other person who knows what happened.’

Tegan looked shocked. ‘Wow! You trusted him enough to tell him that?’

‘Yes, it’s weird, but I feel like I can trust him completely and truly. But now he’s afraid of the same thing happening with him and Riley.’

‘Well, I don’t think it’s quite the same scenario,’ Tegan said thoughtfully, ‘but things are starting to make more sense now. What about Riley, though? Why did you invite him over and not Shaq?’

I sighed. ‘After Shaq made his choice – and he did, a very definite one – it felt like there was this big emotional
gap and despite my better judgement it felt like Riley had started to fill it. I really have begun to have feelings for him.’

‘You’re just not sure if they’re the same kind of feelings you have for Shaq?’

‘Yes.’ I breathed out deeply. I was so relieved that Tegan understood exactly how I felt. I guess that’s what best friends are for.

‘Oh, Jess,’ Tegan sighed. ‘So I take it when Riley comes over you’re going to try and work out how you really feel about him.’

‘If I can,’ I said, wrapping my arms round my pyjama-covered body.

She looked me up and down. ‘Well, I genuinely think if you are going to have a completely objective examination of your feelings, then you should put some more clothes on. Preferably with a lot more flesh-covering fabric in them,’ she smirked.

‘OK,’ I huffed while getting up from my spot on the sofa. And then the doorbell rang.

‘Dammit!’

‘Just grab whatever is closest and pull it on!’ Tegan commanded.

I dragged on a pair of old jeans and a sweater that graced the top of a pile of clothes at the foot of my bed.

‘Jesus, Jess. Your room is almost as bad as Riley’s now.’

I grimaced and stumbled out of the bedroom after Tegan and down the stairs.

‘Hi, Riley,’ Tegan said cheerily as she opened the door.
‘I’m just leaving. I’ll maybe see you both later.’

‘Bye, Tegan,’ Riley returned, without taking his eyes off me.

I had to admit it was good to see him. He looked drawn and tired and his curly hair was all over the place, but I had a strange urge to run my hands through it and stroke his face, making sure he was OK.

‘Hey, you.’ I opened the door wider. ‘Are you coming in?’

‘Hi, Jess,’ he smiled, but with a worried look in his eye.

Impulsively I leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He looked surprised.

‘Come sit with me?’ I asked, nodding at the sofas in the lounge.

Riley followed behind me.

I walked past the mirror and caught a glimpse of myself. I looked terrible. The baggy jeans I was wearing hung from my hips and the sweater drowned my frame. My hair was not in its usual bun; it was down, all knotty and sticking up everywhere. To top things off my eyes were still puffy from crying.

I groaned. ‘I look a mess,’ I said, apologizing.

‘Jess –’ I turned round to look at Riley’s serious blue eyes – ‘you look beautiful.’

I smiled weakly, trying not to notice how close together we were standing. ‘We must have very different opinions of beautiful, then, especially when I’m dressed like this,’ I said sceptically.

‘Well, it’s true. Although I could quite happily have you
lose the sweater …’

I frowned at the cheeky comment before looking down and realizing the sweater I had on was Shaq’s from the beach. I groaned. This was not a good start.

‘Saying that, though,’ Riley continued, knotting one of his fingers in my hair, ‘I think you’d look amazing in a brown sack.’

I felt the familiar flutter inside me as Riley’s words made me glow. He really did make me feel like I was a queen in his eyes. I was more confused than ever about my feelings.

‘I’m sorry about what happened in your room, Riley,’ I began. ‘That’s really why I called, to tell you that I’m not proud of myself for behaving like that. The last thing I would ever want is to hurt you. And I know the way I acted must have been very confusing.’

He moved his hand up to my hair and accidentally brushed up against the nape of my neck. He hesitated and his blue eyes softened as I looked at him. ‘It’s OK, Jess. I rushed things. I think you know how I feel about you, but it’s not fair to expect you to feel the same straight away.’

My heart melted a little. Perhaps I had got this all wrong. Maybe I’d just panicked? After all, it was Riley standing here being brave enough to bare his soul to me, not just leaving me to guess his feelings.

He flashed me a wicked smile. ‘And, after all, we did have fun, didn’t we, Jess?’

I laughed at his easy switch to flirting.

‘Yes, Riley …’ I gently reprimanded his cheekiness, but
I couldn’t control a deep blush as I remembered his lips pressed hard against mine. ‘Yes, we did,’ I said, almost breathlessly.

‘Do you think you could give us a chance?’ he whispered. ‘We can take it slowly.’

I looked up at the earnest, gorgeous boy in front of me and decided I owed him – and me – at least that.

I stretched up on to my tiptoes and gave him the tiniest of kisses. ‘Yes. Yes, I think I can.’

Riley and I decided to just hang out for the rest of the day; it would be the first time that we had spent a whole day alone together. We whiled away a blissful few hours just lying on my bed watching movies. I could feel Riley’s steady heartbeat as I rested my head against his broad chest and he stroked my hair. It made me glad that I had taken this chance.