Author's Note:
Well my dearies, your reviews and mails have literally blown me away again!
Thank you all, so so much! It's really amazing! :)
Concerning the story: First of all I'd like to point out that this chappy actually consists of two chapters because it's so damn long (almost 8000 words), so a lot of stuff is in there.
It's not unusual for me to write long chapters but this case won't be a regular, just so you know ;)
In General: Since some people emailed me and asked for a Jason/Caitlyn ship, I now want to know what the most of you prefer ( I actually wanted to go for Naitlyn but I also don't have a problem with Jaitlyn). So give me your opinion please! Thank You!
And as always: Hope you like the chappy and don't forget to leave a review :)
Disclaimer: Still nothing's mine except my imagination. All rights belong to Disney or their respective owners!
Lyrics are from "What's left of Me" by Nick Lachey (also don't own them)
Part 4
Watch my life pass me by in the rear view mirror, pictures frozen in time, are becoming clearer…
God, how Shane hated this song.
And right now it was blaring out of the speakers in high volume, giving him a feeling he so didn't want to have at the moment.
And I want you and I feel you underneath my skin, like a hunger, like I'm burning to find a place I've never been,
now I'm broken and I'm faded, I'm half the man I thought I would be…
"Do me a favor and cut this crap," he finally yelled at a female staff member, pointing in the direction of the sound system and setting his lips in a grim line. "I thought this place would at least have a little bit class."
The young girl immediately stopped her actions of cleaning glasses and took in his angry expression, before nodding meekly and stumbling towards the backroom like someone was hot on her heels.
Well at least the lower ones know not to mess with him.
"And bring me another shot of Johnny," he added in an unnerved tone, pushing his empty glass away roughly and trying to ignore the still blaring tune.
Take what's left of this man, make me whole once again…
Shane couldn't suppress a bitter chuckle at this line and asked himself once more why he hadn't messed with fucking Nick Lachey when he had the chance a few years ago.
Would have saved the world from another sickening break up song, that was for sure.
But before he could open his mouth once again, having every intention to express his dislike again, the sound suddenly stopped and all there was left was silence.
Finally.
"Took you long enough," Shane yelled immediately to no one in particular, grim expression still in place.
"But I'm still waiting for.." he started to point out the not present refill of alcohol, ready to raise his voice to a new level, when suddenly his cell broke through the silence.
"Just what I needed," the dark haired lead singer mumbled under his breath, not bothering to check the caller ID before nonchalantly answering the phone.
"What?," he immediately stated in an unfriendly tone, more concerned about his lack of alcohol then the person at the other end of the line.
"Don't "What" me Grey," another male voice pointed out in a firm way, letting Shane merely roll his eyes for a second. "Where have you been? We had a meeting with the producers! And what for god's sake is this crap about you being married? Do you know that the press is already digging in your trash?"
The manager of Connect 3 had a hard time to hold his temper while the lead singer just got an unnerved expression and rolled his eyes again.
"It's not like I killed someone," Shane stated unimpressed, not really giving a damn about the press at all.
"So spare me the speech. I've got better things to do."
"Like what? Drinking yourself to death?," his manager pointed out without hesitation, not willing to put up with his habits any longer. "Listen Grey, you will put yourself together and get your ass over here. The big bosses want a shiny new song and I won't cover for you again."
"Then go and call Timbaland," Shane immediately cut him off, already fed up with this conversation.
"Why bothering me?"
"Why bothering you?," Scott Roberts now yelled openly, letting the lead singer flinch back for a second.
"How about the labels will cut your strings if you don't start writing a song within this week? Not to mention…"
"As if," Shane immediately exclaimed, again full of himself. "The band's nothing without me. They need me."
He finally had a new drink placed in front of him and eagerly reached out to feel the cool liquid down his throat.
Yeah, much better.
"Well, newsflash, Grey," his manager instantly bit back in an angry voice,
"This is not a one man show. And if you don't start working on your image very soon, you'll be down the road faster than you can say "I'm fucking Shane Grey"!"
"Don't go all drama on me again," Shane simply remarked in a low tone, still not seeing the problem at all.
"I'm sure Jason can come up with some girly stuff that will make the old bosses happy. Like I said I've got more important things to do right now." He took another sip of his whiskey and leaned back in a comforting way, not really caring about the useless statements anyway.
"What, catching up with your wife?," Scott hissed, still having a hard time on said topic, especially since the press was literally banging on his door.
Figures, when you're meeting a famous divorce lawyer in public.
"That's none of your fucking business!," the young man snarled in an instant at that comment, his jaw tightening on its own. "I'm taking care of this on my own."
"I've already heard how you've taken care of it," the manager informed him in an icy tone, curtly winking his entering secretary off. "Never thought that you and that little Torres girl have hooked up in that way. Especially since she ran off all those years ago."
He was briefly looking at the screen of his laptop now, inwardly sighing at an incoming message.
"Listen Grey," he continued before Shane was able to come up with a witty remark.
"I'm your manager and it's my job to look out for your image, even if it's going round shitty ways sometimes.
And all this marriage crap..well, let's face it..it's so not helping your reputation.." He was breathing deeply now, still fixing the screen of his laptop, while Shane simply responded with a low chuckle.
God, his manager was really a pathetic excuse for the business.
"So what?," the lead singer finally exclaimed, now somewhat amused by his upcoming thoughts.
"You're gonna beat the big bad wolves with your designer suits and tell them a little story about poor Shaney?"
His voice was mocking now and he clearly enjoyed to put his manager down, presenting him with the Rockstar jerk side once again.
"No Grey, it's YOU who will tell them," Scott however responded in a firm business way, having more experience with Shane's regular behaviour and his often drunken state of mind than he'd ever wanted.
"More specific "People" Magazine tomorrow at 11 am. Right before your shooting for "Rolling Stone".
He was rustling with some papers now, while Shane was left there in silence.
Did he hear right?
He should tell fucking "People" Magazine about his fucking wife?
"Are you out of your mind?," he finally yelled in such a strong voice that all eyes turned to him for a moment.
"There's no way I'm talking to that fucking magazine!"
"Be grateful that you're given the chance to explain in your own words before the rats out there come up with their own version of your little marriage," Scott responded in a calm voice, having expected this reaction of said Rockstar. "Beside, we have to think about the band and their image, not only yours. I'm sure your mates don't want to experience a downfall."
"Grateful my ass," Shane hissed, now standing up and beginning to pace in the VIP section of the club.
"And Nate and Jason don't give a shit about it either. Who's interested in that fucking topic anyway?"
"How about your fans who are craving you like there's no tomorrow," the manager stated in a monotone voice, already checking Connets 3's schedule again. "Image their reaction when they hear that Shane Grey is off the market. For over 5 years."
"I'm not off the market !," the 24-years old barked, running his free hand through his dark hair, before kicking a nearby chair out of his way. "And I'm still doing fans so…"
"Well that's another thing we have to talk about. Again," Scott cut in, letting out a tired sigh.
"The label and me have decided that's for the best when you start therapy sessions again."
"WHAT?," Shane instantly exclaimed in a furious voice, while his manager simply took a deep breath, preparing himself for the upcoming outburst. "I'm not seeing a shrink again. You are completely out of your mind."
"Grey listen, it's for the best.." the older man tried to soothe Shane's temper but failing miserable.
"I so don't care! Not about the fucking label, nor fucking "People" magazine or my fucking wife!"
He was pacing now and literally shot daggers at everybody who barely glanced his way.
"I suggest you calm down a bit and then I'm gonna send someone to pick you up so.."
"You know what Roberts?," Shane cut him off in a fed up tone, putting the cell right in front of his face. "Fuck OFF!"
"If you have the papers ready," a certain female voice now made herself known, having catched upon the "Fuck off" part and letting Shane turn around in an instant.
Ah, now the wifey was back in the picture again.
"Well, look what the cat dragged in," he slurred in a cold tone, dropping his now disconnected cell on a nearby table and crossing his arms over his hard chest.
To hell with all the label shit.
"Call me surprised." Instantly a challenging gleam was in his dark eyes that had Mitchie fuming on the inside again in mere seconds.
His arrogant attitude was literally crashing against her in high waves and she was fixing him with a look that could certainly kill.
"I would rather call you other things but you're not bright enough to notice anyway," Mitchie exclaimed in a low tone, also crossing her slender arms in front of her.
"Is that so?," Shane slowly advanced on her, a typical selfish grin making its way forward, while he briefly glanced over her left shoulder. "That's why your little lap dog tagged along? To let you act all high and mighty?"
His eyes locked with an angry blond for a moment before he presented the auburn haired woman in front of him with a slightly raised brow, suddenly standing far to close for her liking.
She was able to make out the little flecks of a gold tone in his orbs, even more outstanding now that his temper has risen again, and was suddenly left motionless.
A harsh comeback had literally been on her tongue and now her lips didn't move in the slightest.
What was wrong with her?
"So your sharp tongue isn't so sharp anymore, I see," Shane finally commented her motionless expression in a haughty voice, letting his warm breath linger on her left cheek for a moment and causing her to shudder for a mere second.
A second in which she finally snapped out of her daze and instantly got angry at herself for such an immature reaction to his closeness.
New York doesn't do you any good so far, girl.
"You…" she started to raise her voice, eyes already narrowing at his still smirking form, when a familiar person suddenly choose to cut in.
"I'm guess she's just having a hard time to believe that you can actually come up with whole sentences, Grey" Caitlyn announced from the background, having observed the scene from a respectful distance for awhile.
This however let the still married couple turn their attention towards the petite person a few feet away in an instant, before the curly blond was presented with a genuine smile and a hard glare.
Of course, the latter belonging to no other than "I'm on top of the world" Grey himself.
"Can't somebody just plaster a duct tape over your mouth," Shane exclaimed in an unnerved tone, not in the mood for Caitlyn Gellar at all.
Maybe someone could put this annoying little blond and his fucking manager in a bag and drown them somewhere in the ocean.
"Don't take any notice, Cait. He's just being his true self again," Mitchie now pointed out, before her now smirking best friend could start an argument again. "And I'm sure I can handle his pathetic self alone for awhile."
She presented the other woman with a knowing look, making her realise that Mrs Grey wanted to get to business now.
"If it gets messy, you know where to find me," the blond responded in a supporting way, briefly gesturing towards the entrance. "And if you want to kill him, just go ahead but don't leave any evidence."
With a last "Don't mess with her look" towards the glaring Rockstar, the petite woman finally turned on her heels and rushed outside.
So let the fun begin...
"About time," Shane muttered in an unnerved tone over Mitchie's left shoulder when the last bit of Caitlyn's blond hair had rounded the corner.
In an instant the auburn haired woman turned around, only to come face to face with him again.
What's with the closeness today?
Without hesitation she brushed past him, trying to put the much needed space between them and stopping a few feet away.
Better.
Shane however couldn't suppress a slight grin at her act and tilted his head a little bit sidewards, appearing like a model who had just gotten into pose for the next shoot.
"Jumpy, aren't we?," he stated the obvious, letting a frown marring her features in an instant.
Why did he have to point out the topic when she couldn't come to terms with it herself?
Oh how much she wanted to wipe that infuriating grin of his face right now.
"Happens when you're not the biggest fan of "Whiskey on the Rocks"," she came up with instead, remembering the smell of his breath.
The breath on her face…
"Maybe you should give it a try. Would loosen you up a bit in the right places, "he responded nonchalantly, pointing towards her head and letting her snap out of the beginning of a daze she so didn't want to experience.
"And end up like you?," the beautiful woman shot back in a sarcastic way, ablaze showing in her brown eyes.
"No way."
She fixed him with a hard glare, while he slowly advanced on her in confident steps and finally let his well-trained frame hover over her smaller one.
"You don't know what you're missing," he exclaimed in a deep voice, flashing her a pearly white smile, before he brushed past her to grab his half full glass of high-proof liquid from a table.
Mitchie however gritted her teeth at his nerve-racking attitude and had a hard time to control her temper, especially since his closeness had set her nerves on overdrive again.
Oh she couldn't wait to get away from him.
"So can we finally go down to business before you've drowned the last bit of your brain," the young woman therefore pointed out in a firm way, seeing how Shane already ordered a new shot.
"Or I could also strangle you right away and spare us the lawyers' fees," she suggested in false sweetness, finally noticing the slightly crumbled map of papers on the table beside her.
"Is that your way of getting your hands on my precious body again?," he simply smirked in a smug way, leaning his hip against the table and bathing in the feeling to see her squirm on the inside almost instantly.
"Precious?," she hissed, not believing his nerve to even consider such a thing.
"I would rather cut off my hands before touching any part of you ever again."
She was still standing a few feet away from him, her hand now clenched into fists and her breathing controlled by her fury.
"And here I thought we could make a deal," Shane commented with an indifferent expression, his mask firmly in place. "Not that it would be worth it."
He winked at her in a "I'm way out of your league anyway" gesture and finally turned around to plop himself into his seat again.
Stunned, Mitchie just clenched and unclenched her fists, while her mind presented her with different images to harm said Rockstar.
"Well, don't we have some business to discuss," the lead singer added in an impatient way, fixing her unmoving form with an annoyed expression, while he spread his arms over the back of the red leather seat.
Oh how bad she had to control herself right now.
"That we have indeed," she finally hissed, slowly occupying the seat across from him more than grudgingly.
"Drink?," he asked briefly when a waiter suddenly appeared with his ordered Scotch that the lead singer almost drowned in an instant.
"No," Mitchie pressed forward, fixing him with a mix of disgust and pity.
"Well then suit yourself," he exclaimed in a flat voice, not caring about her needs anyway.
"Even if I think that you'll need one when we're through with the deal."
"How can you even dare to suggest me a deal for a simple divorce," she suddenly blurted out in a harsh way, her temper finally gotten the better of her.
"Do you really think I would give it to you with a red bow on top?," he immediately shot bat in an ironical way, his body now leaning slightly forward on the table. "Or the check already attached?"
"I told you I don't give a damn about your money," she yelled openly, not caring about the looks she received from other guests.
Not even if they were Hollywood's most craved.
"Yeah. Right.." he huffed, narrowing his eyes at her.
"Listen Shane," now her turn to hiss again. "Just sign the damn papers and…"
Just then her cell choose to cut into the scene, forcing her to drop the subject for the time being and turning her attention away from her glaring husband for a moment.
"Always the best timing," she muttered under her breath, while her hands frantically searched for the phone, before finally having it in sight.
Caller ID : Luke
"Well, won't you answer it," Shane stated in an annoyed tone, when she just started at her blaring cell and bit her lip, figuring out what to do.
Just what she needed right now.
"I don't have all day," the raven haired Rockstar added in his typical "I'm on top of the world" way, growing more impatient the longer the sound of the cell continued.
The 22 years old woman however felt the pace of her heart quicken the longer her eyes locked on the blinking display and had a hard time to come up with a good way to greet her fiancee.
Because the least she wanted to do was filling her still husband in on her soon to be husband.
"I swear if you don't answer the damn thing right now, I'm gonna do it on my own," Shane barked again, when Luke still hadn't give up on the call.
At this, Mitchie finally snapped out of her absentmindedly state and gave him a "don't you dare" look, before taking a deep breath and turning her head away for some privacy.
Ok, here we go.
"Hey..you," she finally greeted her fiancee in an overly cheery tone that made her cringe on the inside while Luke simply chuckled in a carefree way, always more than happy to hear the sound of her voice.
"Hey darling," he responded lovingly.
"I got your text message and just wanted to check on you before I have to catch my flight to Sydney."
She could almost hear his familiar smile that mostly went along with a sparkle in his blue eyes, always giving you the impression of a perfect picture coming to life.
"So how's your trip going? Are you and Cait already covered in shopping bags?"
To say she felt awful right now would have been an understatement.
"We're having a..great time," she whispered in a small voice, slightly glancing at Shane who's eyes seemed to follow her every move.
Oh how she wished to be anywhere but here right now.
"Are you sure honey?," Luke immediately stated in a concerned tone, his brows crunched together in worry.
"You don't sound that happy at all."
"Yeah..I'm fine. Everything's really peachy," she struggled to respond in a convincing manner, out of the corner of her eyes seeing how Shane lazily took of his jacket and bared his black wife beater.
Oh dear…
"Someone definitely took some time to work out," a little voice in Mitchie's head sing songed instantly and let her eyes roam over his frame on their own, while Luke's voice suddenly sounded far,far away.
Not that it mattered to her how Shane's shoulders had broadened or the way his muscles of his arms flexed with every slight movement.
Nevertheless she was mesmerised by the sight in front of her and couldn't concentrate on anything beside said Rockstar who was currently mustering her with a strange expression.
But even this seemed to disappear in a blur of untypical thoughts that she couldn't understand at all.
What was it her mind wanted to point out?
The benefits of a personal trainer?
The crime to wear a wife beater in winter?
Or was it the fact that a part of her still found him attractive?
Attractive in the drool worthy sense?
The little annoying voice inside her head had barely pointed out this possibility when Mitchie abruptly snapped back to her senses and nearly dropped her cell.
No way!
"I so do not!, " she exclaimed in an outraged voice, her beautiful eyes gaining a shade of panic, while her heart still followed a wild rhythm.
Attractive? Please…
"What?," the voice of her fiancee instantly roared through the phone, making her flinch for a second, while Shane simply fixed her with a "You've got serious issues, girl" look.
Great, just what she needed.
"Uhm..come again?," she finally exclaimed in a guilty voice, hoping that her fiancee hadn't mentioned something of importance.
It was bad enough that she had embarrassed herself in front of the self centric jerk but Luke was on a completely different page.
"Are you drunk?," Luke now asked in a suspicious manner, still having a hard time to come to terms with her previous outburst and her now strange behaviour.
"I'm telling you that I can't wait to get married and all I receive is heavy breathing, followed by a horrified exclamation of "I so do not!"! Way to make me feel special, I would say."
He didn't try to cover the hurt in his voice, while Mitchie slumped down in her seat instantly.
Oh my…
"I'm sorry ," she responded in a meek voice, the embarrassment clear on her face.
"Sorry for accepting my proposal?," her fiancee pointed out without hesitation, letting her eyes widen on its own.
"NO," she rushed to explain, not caring that a certain Rockstar in front of her was getting more and more impatient by every passing minute. "I didn't mean it that way."
Her voice was hushed now because she wasn't willing to fill Shane in into her private life or in anything at all, for the matter.
"So what did you actually mean then?," Luke wanted to know, his voice now a tad softer, even though he still had an uneasy feeling inside of him.
What if Mitchie actually had second thoughts but didn't want to hurt him?
"I meant that…," the young woman finally continued, trying to figure out the right words to soothe his worry,
"that I so do not.. want to wait any longer."
What?
"Are you trying to say that you want to get married earlier?," he asked in a hopeful tone, not believing his own hearing.
"Well…yes," she forced herself to say a tad too loudly, not seeing another option after her great statement.
"Oh Mitchie that's wonderful," Luke immediately exclaimed, the excitement evident in his voice.
"You know I was hoping that maybe you would be as eager as me. And now that you've pointed it out, it would be more than perfect to have the ceremony on our anniversary in 4 weeks." A broad smile joined his handsome features and he could barely register the voice that was announcing his flight through the speakers.
Mitchie on the other hand could also barely register anything but more out of shock than out of happiness.
4 weeks?
She had cut it down to 4 weeks?
"Listen honey, I have to catch my flight now," Luke suddenly spoke up again in a rushed voice, his effort to make it in time more than obvious. "I'll call you when I'm there. And I'll send the wedding planner an email with the date change, so don't worry about that." His tone was lovingly and happy, while Mitchie felt even more miserable at his words.
Wedding Planer?
She didn't even know that they actually had one!
"Well..," she started to came up with, not knowing what she wanted to say in the slightest, when Luke spoke up again.
"I'm really sorry darling, but I need to check in now," he informed her in his deep voice, the love for her more than evident. "I'll talk to you later."
"Yeah later," she repeated in a dull tone, her eyes suddenly locked with Shane's, before Luke presented her with a final "Love you."
"Me too," Mitchie responded in a small voice, her eyes adverting from the dark haired man at this point, before the call finally ended and she let her cell drop beside her.
"So mommy dearest is still checking up on you," Shane was immediately exclaiming in a mocking voice, fixing her unmoving form with a sly grin and not giving the young woman time to process the call in detail. "Figures."
He lazily took another sip of his Scotch and let the half melted ice cubes clack against the glass.
At this Mitchie finally turned her head towards his smirking figure again, suddenly feeling all the build up tension inside of her reaching a new level.
THIS was all his fault!
"You!," she abruptly exclaimed in a more than furious way, waving her hands around her in a exaggerating manner, while Shane was taken aback for the moment.
"All this mess is your fault! You with your jerky attitude and your big ego and your stupid wife beater! And what the hell are you thinking to bring up my mother? Isn't it enough that I already had to lie to her? Not to mention my fiancee who is now surely texting this wedding planer, who I haven't even met yet, may I add and…"
She was into a furious rambling mode right now, her hair shaking from the right to the left, while her eyes held a blaze that left said Rockstar in a kind of awe for a moment, right before a single word left him stunned.
Completely and utterly stunned.
At least for a very long moment.
"Fiancee?," he finally exclaimed in an unsteady tone, having untypical difficulties to control his voice and letting Mitchie abruptly come to a halt in her rambling.
"What?," she now barked at his staring form, pushing a strand of her long hair out of her reddened face, while she fixed him with a hard glare.
"You," he continued in a tone that sounded strange to his own ears, not quite knowing what he actually wanted to say at the moment.
Fiancee.
"I what?," the 22 years old woman repeated in great impatience, her earlier rambling having prevented her from catching up on Shane's actual exclamation.
"Are you just sitting there like a fool or are you actually gonna say something," she added at his still dazed look, finally letting him snap out of his weird state.
"You're engaged," he now barked at her, a mix of sudden fury and frustration clearly visible in his expression.
She was engaged for fucks sake!
"How the hell did this happen?," he demanded, while it was Mitchies turn to look dumbstrucked for a minute, before realisation finally dawned on her.
Oh no..
But wait, why was it his concern anyway?
And did he just really demanded a reason for it?
"What do you mean "how the hell"," she finally shot back in a harsh voice, still not believing his nerve to state so.
"My private life is none of your business Shane!"
"Of course it's my business," he protested in a loud voice, banging his right hand on the table.
"How dare you to get engaged to another guy when you're still married to me!"
He was narrowing his dark eyes at her, while she just gasped audible, again not believing his attitude.
"You should listen to yourself Shane," she yelled.
"Everything you say is about you! Your image, your money, your decision.. it's so unbelievable!"
She got more frustrated with every passing second and had a hard time to keep up her strong side.
Cause the truth was, on the inside she was still the plain, insecure Michelle Torres who had gotten hurt so badly in the past that she was still bleeding at some point.
"Unbelievable is the fact that you come here and want my money for your new life with some idiot," Shane finally pointed out in a harsh way, gritting his teeth.
"Luke's not an idiot!," Mitchie immediately snarled, suppressing the urge to lean over the table and slap him bad.
"And your money you can kiss goodnight, for all I care!"
"Luke," he stated in an ironical way, ignoring her money comment completely.
"What a great name for a looser." He let out a harsh laugh and tried to ignore his own bitterness that he didn't want to analyse at the moment. "Did you meet him at a corner of a street? Maybe with an empty Starbucks cup and a half broken guitar?"
He was challenging her now but he simply couldn't help himself at the moment.
All different kind of emotions were running high inside of him and made it impossible to act in a somewhat calm way, not that he had had the intention to do so in the first place.
"You're really a self-righteous jerk, Shane Grey," Mitchie spat back in an icy tone, loathe now evident in her eyes.
"To think that I can only do worse after you when it's actually you who is not worth the attention. I so don't know
why I'm still here, seeing that it won't get me anything beside another flash of your true self and pointless insults. "
She abruptly stood up in an angry way and moved to grab the folder from the table, not willing to deal with her useless husband any longer.
Or the fact, that Luke was actually a known topic now.
"Not so fast," Shane instantly pressed forward, tugging the rumbled sheets into his direction again, while Mitchie harshly tried to yank them back. "The deal's still standing in line."
"There's no deal!," she immediately stated in a firm voice, still trying to move the papers out of his grip.
"I was just crazy to come here in the first place. So leave it be."
The young woman tried to yank at the folder for a last time and finally managed to pull it out of his hands, unfortunately sending the papers flying in different directions.
Great!
"And prevent you from hearing the wedding bells again?," the lead singer of Connect 3 exclaimed nonchalantly, while his wife was already busy picking up the different sheets, not sparing him a second glance.
"C'mon, I still have a heart."
His tone was actual serious and Mitchie didn't know if she should burst out laughing till her lungs would burn or if she should just tell him to look up the actual meaning of said word.
A heart.
He surely couldn't even spell it!
"You sure you don't mistaken it for your ego knocking?," she finally turned towards him again, her tone sharp. "Because someone who does only care about his face on the next cover of People magazine can hardly make out a difference between his heart and a cold lump of stone."
She ignored the feeling that something like hurt flickered behind his eyes and adverted her gaze towards the papers instead, hastily stuffing them back into the brown folder and therefore missing Shane's sudden change of expression.
Oh, she didn't know what was coming her way.
"People magazine you said?," he finally stated in a flat tone, fixing her averted form with an undefined gleam in his eyes. "Reminds me of a little interview there tomorrow morning. Something about boring marriage stuff, the return of the wifey… press chit chat, you know. Shouldn't take that long."
He didn't even have time to reach for the last sip of his whiskey before Mitchie's head snapped towards him again, her look a mixture of utter disbelief and fury.
No, this couldn't be…
"You can't be serious," she exclaimed in a shocked voice, the folder gliding out of her hands again and joining the table with a dull thud.
There was no way he would go public with it…
"Oh, but I am," Shane reassured her with a knowing look, now dangling his glass in his right hand.
"You know the press is always lurking around somewhere, following me almost every move, trying to make money with my state of fame.." He gestured in a "you get the picture" way and briefly took the last sip of his drink, before his eyes found Mitchie's still unmoving form again.
"Consequently, your little trip has made some waves and got us an appointment with some People guy tomorrow at 11 am. Nothing to worry about, I would say."
Almost instantly, the young woman became a shade paler and had a hard time to hold her balance.
"What..What do you mean "we"?," she managed to press forward in an unsteady voice, her look blank and her mind occupied by different kind of thoughts.
Luke seeing her face on the cover of a magazine...
Luke hearing about her marriage on TV...
Her mother reading a headline about Shane Grey and his secret wife..
"I'm saying that you tag along with me and take your part in the story about our wonderful marriage," Shane plainly announced, smirking lightly. "I'm sure you'll survive it."
He leaned back in a pleased way and silently counted the seconds till his wife would snap out of her daze and fall back into her angry mode.
One..
Two..
Three...
"There's no way I'm agreeing to this," her voice finally cut through the silence, letting Shane merely raise a brow at the expected statement, while his eyes took in her hardened expression.
Time for the final blow..
"Well, and there's certainly no other way to get your precious divorce my dear," he told her with a sickening smile, easily falling back into the Rockstar mode that shielded himself from any unnecessary emotions.
Not that the thought of her engaged state was getting to him on a deep level.
"So you want to blackmail me now?," she gasped wide eyed, slightly shaking her head at his unbelievable attitude, while said lead singer just let out a low chuckle.
"I would call it a compromise," he corrected her without hesitation, casually raising his empty glass towards a random bartender for a refill.
Time for another shot.
"You re completely out of your mind Shane!," Mitchie hissed at him, trying to ignore the strong pang in her heart that went along with a feeling of hurt and despair.
Where was a glimpse of the Shane Grey she had used to know once?
Why did it all hurt so much?
Her mind was on overdrive again and she choose to close her eyes for a moment, hoping for a black nothing that wouldn't present her with bitter feelings.
"I have to think about my image," Shane's voice broke through before she even could take a deep breath.
So much for calming down.
Opening her eyes and meeting his hard look, she instantly clenched her fists again and opened her mouth for a witty comeback, when suddenly the sound of a familiar voice abruptly cut through the atmosphere.
"I said don't touch me," it now echoed through the VIP area, soon followed by the sight of a squirming Caitlyn Gellar and a pair of bodyguards who obviously had a hard time to control the temper of said woman.
"I didn't even leave a scratch on his precious Rockstar body," she huffed, glaring over her left shoulder without taking any notice of Mitchie or Shane.
"You almost strangled me to death," no other than Nate Silver snarled in a harsh tone, finally appearing at the side of the way bulkier bodyguard, briefly rubbing his slender neck.
"Well I can still work on it," the blond exclaimed in false sweetness, trying to lunge forward again when the slightly shorter bodyguard stepped into her line again.
"See, she's a completely mad woman," Nate yelled at her furious look, flinching slightly backwards when she let out a threatening growl tried to move past the guy in front of her.
"Ok, what's going on here?," Shane finally wanted to know in an unnerved tone, seeing the bodyguards literally bow in loyalty, while Caitlyn just glared at him.
"She almost killed me, man," his best friend finally spoke up in a strong voice, pointing towards his still slightly red neck.
"You deserved it, after calling my best friend a money-sucking bitch," the blond instantly exclaimed, her voice dripping with fury. "Maybe I should hit your jaw instead next time. Would spare the world all the pointless stuff that's coming out of your mouth for awhile."
She was literally shooting daggers at Nate now, who simply responded in the same way and muttered indefinable things under his breath, while Mitchie just wanted to get away from everything.
It was like it would all come crashing down on her every moment, literally bringing her to knees with the realisation that she actually had to follow Shane's rules if she wanted to get her divorce.
He was right.
He was the one in charge.
This helpless feeling sent a cold shiver down her spine and she quickly moved towards her best friend, only to almost collide with Shane who was making his way towards Nate.
"I need to go," was all she could mutter, having a hard time to stand his look.
I'm not breaking down in front of him.
"Well, don't forget our compromise," he simply smirked at her, straightening his frame in the process.
"You'll get the instructions on time."
The way he said it sickened the young woman in a way she couldn't describe and she just brushed past him to grab Caitlyn's hand before the blond one knew what was happening.
"We're going," Mitchie plainly stated in a flat voice before tugging her best friend away from the Connect duo and their bodyguards, not giving her the chance to end her glare festival with Nate on a proper level.
Instead of yelling a harsh goodbye over her shoulder the small woman actually remained silent and mustered the auburn haired one with a look of concern, squeezing her cold hand in a comforting manner.
Right before Shane's deep voice sounded from the background again and let the tall woman parting from her friend almost instantly.
"See you tomorrow Mrs Torres," was all that echoed in her ears, when Mitchie finally ran from the location and stumbled into the cold winter air, the first tears already staining her pale cheeks.
Just before the embrace of a certain blond woman had her sobbing almost desperately.
Tears however were the last things on a certain Rockstar's mind at the moment.
All he could think of right now were words and a melody, a melody that was driven by his own bitterness and the overwhelming feeling of power.
"Man, I need a marker," he instantly turned towards Nate, giving him a pointed look.
"What do you need a marker for?," his best friend asked in a confused way, already having a few shots of Whiskey and Gin in front of him.
"I just need one," Shane shot back in an impatient way, having Nate roll his eyes in return.
"Do I look like I would have one?," he simply responded in a flat tone, shaking his curly head slightly.
No wonder Shane had a personality problem.
"But I need something to write, RIGHT NOW!," the taller one growled in a hard tone, impatientlyrunning a hand through his dark hair.
He had to get it out of his system, before it would burn him from the inside.
"What do you need it for anyway?," his best mate finally wanted to know, when Shane was grabbing a bunch of napkins. "Wanna make your number a give-away again?"
He was drowning another shot of Gin, while Shane simply ignored him and tried to get the attention of a waiter.
Need marker NOW!
"You know I could also use some action between the sheets," Nate however added in a thoughtful tone, already imagining another evening of meaningless body contact.
Well, there are definitely worse ways to spend your time.
"Then go on and pick up someone," Shane briefly stated, before he finally snatched a pen from a passing waiter and instantly began to scribble something on a napkin.
The words seemed to flow on their on and he was feeling a rush of excitement that he didn't dare to question at the moment, especially not when his bitter thoughts about a certain female person seemed to be the source of it all.
Nate however just mustered him in a sceptical way and couldn't believe his eyes,not being used to seeing Shane Grey absorbed into anything beside yelling, drinking and fucking.
"Man, do you know something that goes along with "I just had a good time in the backroom"?", Shane suddenly came up with, his eyes still glued to his napkin notes.
"Uhm, I don't...," Nate starter in a slightly confused way, only to be cut off by the dark haired one immediately.
"Got it," he exclaimed with a smirk, obviously more talking to himself than to his band mate.
"You're alright dude?," the younger one now wanted to know, not used to this Shane Grey at all.
At this the lead singer finally raised his eyes towards his best friend again, smirk firmly in place.
"I'm better than alright," he announced with an undefined gleam in his dark eyes, swirling the pen between his fingers.
Yeah, this was definitely better than alright.
"So what's this all about," Nate pointed at the inscribed items, trying to look over Shane's right shoulder.
"This man," his best mate instantly picked up a few napkins, "is a special present for our label and an even more special present for a certain someone."
He finally put said items in front of his band mate, giving him the "go on" look.
"You never were one for presents, Shane," Nate simply stated in a suspicious manner, eyeing his grinning friend critically for a moment, before finally glancing at the stuff in front of him.
What the…
"Shane this is a…"
"A song, I know," Shane nonchalantly stated, putting his arms behind his neck in a pleased way.
"But you haven't written a song since the day…," Nate started again, only have realisation dawn on him in an instant. "Damn it's about her, isn't it?"
Instead of an answer, Shane simply hummed the melody for his new song, already picturing her reaction in his mind.
Oh little Mitchie, you don't know what's coming your way.
"And you sure you wanna record this?," his mate added in a critical tone, the lyrics already on his mind.
"You can bet on it," the lead singer reaffirmed in a strong voice, finally singing the first lines of his new tune.
Bitterness can definitely lead to unexpected events…
A/N: So, what do you think? Lots of stuff in it this time, right? Poor Mitchie, keep going, your time will come :)
Well, well my dears, next chapter will definitely be a burner… *rubs hands excitedly*..
What do you think will happen at the interview? What about the deal? And what's Shane's song like?
If someone guesses right, I'll maybe grant a wish concerning a scene.. ;)
Oh, and did you leave a review yet ? ;)