I was beginning to grasp that.
“Yeah, I know.”
“Have fun.” Michael stressed. “No worryin’, just have fun.”
“I will.” I smiled. “I promised.”
“Good. Now, go and rock out, or whatever it is Risk and his bandmates do.”
I laughed. “I will. I love you.”
“I love ye too, kid.”
When the call ended, the guys were being told they had to get ready. I remained seated while Angel, May and Hayes got to change clothes. Like Risk, they got dressed quickly. They didn’t wear make-up like Risk so they had one step to skip. A short while later, the guys were getting their wireless in-ear packs clipped onto the backs of their jeans. I noticed that each pair of in-ear headphones were a different colour. Risk’s were dark green, May’s were red, Hayes’s were blue and Angel’s were black.
“I like your in-ear thingys,” I said to Risk when I got up and crossed the room to him. He left his in-ears hanging around his neck for the time being. “The colour is pretty.”
“Ask me why they’re green.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Okay, why’re they green?”
“Because it’s my favourite colour,” he answered. “Ask me why green is my favourite colour.”
“Uh, why is green your favourite colour?”
“Because your eyes are green, Cherry. Dark emerald green. They are my favourite colour.”
My throat ran dry.
“Risk.”
“I know,” he grinned. “You think I’m cute.”
“You are,” I leaned up on my tiptoes to kiss him. He had to lean down to meet me half-way. “The absolute cutest.”
We shared a chaste kiss then I stepped back and stared at the group and I had a ‘what the fuck’ moment.
“I’ve just had a moment of realisation that you guys are actually rock stars.” I swallowed. “I mean, I know you’re famous and successful and all of that jazz but holy shit, you guys are actual rock stars. You made it out of Southwold and took the world by storm. I knew you would.”
May made a sound between a whimper and a cough. He balled his hand into a fist and pressed it to his mouth that was clamped shut. I beamed his way and when I moved towards him with my arms open, he pulled me against him and hugged me tightly. Laughter and clapping surrounded us.
“I can’t believe I almost cried,” he said into my ear. “Fuck you, Fulton.”
I laughed, squeezed him then hugged the other guys. Things happened quickly then. People were buzzing around like bees, shouting different things and talking into walkie-talkies while I was just watching them with keen interest. Chris announced it was time to head to the stage.
“Your guitars!” I gasped. “Where are they?”
“Breathe,” Risk chuckled. “They’re on stage waiting for us on our marks. Everything is where it should be, beautiful.”
I placed a hand on my chest.
“Ignore me, I’m freaking out.”
“You have your inhalers, right?” Risk tilted my chin up so I was looking at him. “Both of them?”
I grabbed my bag and patted it. “I triple checked.”
“Good.” He flicked his eyes over my head. “Tob, you’ve got the inhalers I gave you, yeah?”
“Got them right here, man.”
He gave Tobias back-up inhalers?
I smiled up at Risk. “You’re so good to me.”
“Returning the favour is all,” he said. “You’ve taken care of me for long enough, it’s time I took care of you.”
“How about we take care of each other?”
He leaned his forehead down against mine.
“Sounds like a dream to me, Cherry.”
He pecked my lips then was ushered over to the other members as the crew were doing checks on their in-ear monitors amongst other things. I hung back, not wanting to mess up anything that was important in the build-up to the band going on stage. I couldn’t take my eyes off Risk. He looked so fucking good.
“Hello, Frankie.”
I looked up to my right and smiled.
“Hi, Chris.”
“Having fun?”
“Loads.”
“That’s great.” He looked at Risk. “Listen, Risk needs to focus right now on his first sober show with the band. In order for him to do that, I need you to your take yourself out of the equation because you’re taking that focus away from his music.”
I felt my smile fall from my face.
“Oh . . . uh, yes, sir.” I shifted my stance. “I’ll just wait over—”
“Cherry? Let’s go. I want you side stage, babe.”
I didn’t even look at Chris as I ducked away from him and hurried over to Risk’s side.
“Everything okay?”
“What?” I blinked. “Oh, yeah. Fine.”
Risk nodded, hooked his arm around my shoulder and led me from the room. We lagged a little behind the other three members and Summer. There were crew members all around but my eyes were on the Blood Oath members. May was something else. He had on black distressed jeans, very similar to Risk’s. His boots tied all the way up to his knees though, unlike the others, whose combat boots stopped midway up their shins. Apart from this little black scarf thing around his neck, and black suspender straps over each shoulder, May’s torso was completely naked. I didn’t realise he was so heavily tattooed. He was inked up way more than Risk.
“He’s such a heartbreaker.”
“Don’t tell him that,” Risk leaned down and kissed the crown of my head as we walked. “He’ll think you want him and rub it in my face.”
I giggled happily.
I wanted to document this moment so I got my phone from my pocket, turned the face fronting camera on and held it out. Risk instantly leaned down, pressed his head on mine and smiled. I mirrored the actions and snapped a couple of photos. Risk took my phone got more pictures from better angles. He was taller and had longer arms, his pictures did us justice. He did the same with his phone then before he gave it to a crew member for safe-keeping.
“I’m so excited,” I said as I took my phone back and tucked it back into my pocket. “But I’m so nervous too. This is so huge.”
We reached the end of the hallway. This was where I would part from Risk. Him and the
