Star Struck(BBW Rocker Romance)(53)

“So what happens now? You go back to your perfect banker boyfriend.” Ethan stated more than asked. He knew about Marcus wanting to propose to Mandy; she’d told him everything about how the break up had gone. Little did Ethan know he’d be facing the same fate soon.

“I haven’t considered that option,” she said heavily but with a firmness he believed.

Ethan hated himself now for the momentary weakness that had come over him then. Crossing the room in seconds, he lifted her into his arms as he’d kissed her roughly, achingly. Poured his anguish, his all, into it, mouth wide and tongue pushing in deep like he would eat her whole. She moaned, the sound ringing in his ears. All he could keep thinking was not again. He didn’t want to feel this way again. Like there was a big black bottomless hole gaping in front of him to infinity.

She’d pushed at him with surprising strength and only when her fists pummeled at his chest did he finally come to his senses and let her go abruptly.

He’d been so close to begging her on his knees. He hadn’t understood the feeling of bereavement that had crossed his soul. But instead of pleading, he met her frightened gaze one more time and the raging mist cleared from his eyes.

Swearing underneath his breath, he swiveled around sharply and was out of the front door before he even knew what he was doing.

For three days he had holed up in a hotel room, cut off from everyone. Once he emerged, he’d met up with his band mates and Davey, who were happy to see he hadn’t gone on some alcoholic or drug-induced bender. Ethan hadn’t had a drink or a smoke – not even a cigarette. But then he hadn’t touched any food either, which made him look drawn, pale, and bad-tempered. Jaime clapped a hand on his back and suggested they should all pile into their favorite diner and stuff themselves on everything baked, grilled, roasted, or fried they could lay their hands on and wash it down with every kind of beer on tap.

Ethan suddenly decided it was a good idea to drown his sorrows in food and some cold brew.

Later, all three of them were in the studio when Jaime asked mildly, “Ready to get back to work?”

Ethan nodded. “Yeah.” Work was all he had now. He’d take the edge off the pain somehow, one piece of shrapnel at a time.

Davey brought up the idea of Ethan doing the duet with Zuriel. Ethan tried to get Jaime to do it instead. After all, Jaime played lead guitar and sang, so he would duet fabulously with Zuriel.

But Zuriel’s record label wanted Ethan, even though he would only feature his playing. He wasn’t going to sing. Zuriel would handle the vocals while switching up a few of the lyrics to make it more tailored for her genre.

And now here they were, him and Zuriel on their first day of working together at the studio. Ethan was too distracted by thoughts of Mandy to feel anything other than indifference about being around Zuriel again. Whatever he felt for her was long dead, and he certainly didn’t care for the idea that they had to start dating again to promote their new song.

He wasn’t even sure how they got started with talking about Mandy, but there it was, and before he knew it he was opening up to her about all that he felt, everything he wanted, all he had hoped for and how it had come crashing down around him. Zuriel drew him closer and ran her fingers through his hair, her voice soft. “It’s okay, darling. She doesn’t deserve you. I was the only one who truly understood you. And I’m here now. I’ll always be here for you. Always.”



* * *



Marcus was fiddling with the radio stations when suddenly, there was that song.

He turned to Mandy with an apologetic look. They were driving in his Mercedes, heading to a benefit dinner. She smiled at him to show it was okay. Hearing the song didn’t hurt as bad as it used to. Ethan singing her song…with Zuriel. It was the number one hit for eight weeks running now so there was no escaping it. Her heart ached every time she saw them together both on screen and in all the usual celebrity magazines, but they were everywhere - unavoidable. Ethan and Zuriel, the power rock couple. Their fans set the gossip sites on fire as everyone went crazy over the speculation that they had reunited, that their song was meant to symbolize their undying love for one another.

Mandy had been dreading hearing about their engagement, but the news never came.

Everything else Zuriel had promised that day in Mandy’s office did come true though. Ethan recorded the song with her and now that her album was out as well as The Strum’s, they’d be respectively promoting their new music at the upcoming world tour. The one she was supposed to have been a part of.

Mandy had thought she could handle working with Ethan and the rest of the band. But once she’d seen the first photos of Zuriel and Ethan, cozying up in the studio as they worked on their single, she’d lost her nerve. Once Ethan had showed no signs of pulling out as a client when Mandy opted out of the assignment, Jessica had been happy to put Mandy on other vital projects instead. She already had someone lined up to take her place to go on tour with the band to be in charge of wardrobe and costume changes.