Conviction(54)

I take a few steadying breaths and enter the bar. Clearer in my head now what I want to say. If Meebs is still the same girl I used to know inside out, then going in aggressive with all guns blazing isn’t the way to go. She used to hate confrontation. She was bullied a bit at school, being picked on for being so tiny, she learnt to walk away from a very young age. Don’t get me wrong, she wasn’t scared of anyone, she always stood up for herself, but she would do it with words and all too aware that she wouldn’t beat them physically.

I decide to go for the indifferent approach. If she’s still here, I’m gonna act casual, buy her a drink and ask her how she’s doing. Eventually leading up to what happened that night and the one question that’s gone around my f*cking head for fifteen years… Why?

If I know the answer to that, I’ll be okay. I’ll be able to move on. I’ve f*cked models, actresses, pop princess, shit, even a couple of real princesses, but none of them have ever come close to making me feel anything like what I felt for Nina Matthews and I need to draw a line under it, tonight.

And then I see her.

She’s at the bar with Sophie, my brother and sister-in-law and Lawson. Fucking Lawson and he has his hand on the small of her back, just above her arse. That perfect, peachy round arse, covered by those painted on jeans and those shoes on her feet. Fuck me, those shoes.

Everything that I’d just convinced myself I was going to say, the way I was going to act, goes right out the window the instant I see Lawson’s hand on her.

“Who’s my driver?” I ask Lawson. He turns with a smile on his face, blue eyes sparkling. It takes every ounce of control I have not to knock his teeth down the back of his throat.

“Ah, the man himself. We were just talking about you. Fantastic performance, Reed. How’s it feel to be back up there?” he asks.

Now I want to punch him even more. We’re at a charity event that’s trying to raise money for kids coming out of rehab and he’s obviously buzzing on more than beer.

“Fucking great. Now who’s my driver and where’s my car?” I ask.

He knows I’m serious. I’m not a diva, I never pull the rock star card, but he’s f*cked me off big time today. First by bringing Amanda along, now by being off his chops, but mostly what’s really f*cking got to me is the fact that he’s touched her. He had his hands on her. The girl I’ve dreamt about touching for so f*cking long, he’s touched her and I want to snap each and every one of his fingers and ram them down his throat or up his arse. I don’t care where, as long as it causes him pain.

He sends a text and looks at me, nerves making his eye twitch. Good, I’m glad I make him nervous. He’s my mate as well as my manager, but he does not… touch… her… ever.

“Chill Reed. Your driver’s Matty. He’ll be at the doors that you came in. Down the back stairs and out the emergency exit. Have a beer and he should be here.”

“I don’t want a f*cking beer, thank you very much.”

Tyler is watching me as he throws pistachios into his mouth. My eyes meet his.

“You good bro?” he asks.

“I’m good.”

Sophie and Jenna are both staring at me, not sure what’s going on. I haven’t looked at Meebs, I can’t. I know it’ll hurt.

“Matt’s outside,” Lawson announces.

Without giving myself chance to over think it, I grab Nina’s hand. I force my eyes to meet hers, they’re wide with shock. Good, I’m f*cking glad I’ve shocked her.

“We need to talk. Say goodbye to everyone, Meebs, you’re coming with me,” I tell her.

“What? I...” she stutters.

I expect Sophie to start shouting and screaming. Instead, she fist pumps the air and shouts, “Fuck yeah.”

I don’t say another word to anyone. I keep a tight grip on Nina’s hand and pull her through the crowd and along the corridor toward the emergency exit doors. We head down the stairs in silence and out through another emergency exit. There’s security at all of them.

Matt, my usual driver when I’m in England, is waiting outside leaning against a Land Cruiser. He nods his head and without a word, opens the back door of the car. I stand aside to let Nina in, but she stops dead in her tracks and folds her arms across her chest.

“Get in the car, Meebs. I’ll take you home, but we need to talk first.”

Her eyes meet mine, her chin tilts in defiance but her eyes are shining like they’re filled with tears. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“Meebs, get in the f*cking car. The very least you can do is give me an explanation.”

A tear rolls down her cheek and she swipes it away angrily.

“The very least I can do? The very f*cking least I can do. You’ve got some nerve, Conner Reed. After everything you put me through, the very least I can do is give you an explanation? Get f*cked.”

I pick her up by her waist and lift her into the car, evoking a scream. Climbing in after her, Matty shuts the door behind us.

Matty has been my driver and close protection since the band first made it big. Over the years, he’s become a mate and he knows me well enough now to wait outside the car and give me a minute to talk to Nina.

Nina. I don’t know why I’m now calling her Nina in my head. She’s Meebs, always will be, whether she f*cking likes it or not.