𝐕𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 || 𝐁𝐀𝐃 𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐒

07 - Heartthrob Strategy

reminder; this is a semi-au meaning that nothing is meant to be accurate, especially real event timelines, 18+

VALLIE

Mumbling voices trickle into my sleeping ears and I scrunch my face in annoyance then flip on my side. My eyes shoot open once my consciousness reminds me that I live alone. My corneas burn at the sudden influx of sunlight and I use my forearm to shield the brightness. Immediately assessing my surroundings, I recognize it's the boys' living room. I'm about to sit up when I hear my name from the kitchen. I pull up the blanket to cover my face a bit and stay completely still to listen.

"I can't believe you pulled that shit with Vallie last night." Scolds a voice I recognize to be Nicholas'.

"Nick you can't be serious. We were drunk." Replies Folio with his distinctive attitude.

"She's our manager." Nicholas clarifies, sternly.

"She's a manager, one of the many we have." Jolly's distinguishable accent chimes in. "But Nicholas is right, we can't act like she's some groupie."

"We can't treat her like some groupie, but Nick can eye-fuck her all night?" Snaps Folio.

My brows furrow at his comment then my eyes widen when the memories of last night flood in and the soreness between my legs confirms my fears.

I slept with Nicholas

Fuck

Nicholas sighs, annoyed, "I wasn't eye-fucking her, you ass, I was being fucking nice."

For some reason it feels like an insult, but I'm not sure why.

"Right." Folio and Jolly reply skeptically at the same time.

"Really, this is your fault Ruffilo." Accuses Folio, "You were the one that suggested a party. What did you think was going to happen with all five of us drunk? With her looking like that?"

"Alright that sounded a little assault-y Nick." Jolly interjects, no doubt accompanied with a glare.

"I didn't mean it like that Joakim, you know that." I can practically hear his eyeroll. "I just meant she's a grown adult too, and she was eye-fucking Nicholas just as much."

My cheeks grow warm at the idea of it being that obvious.

"It doesn't fucking matter who's eye fucking who. Nobody," He pauses, I assume he's pointing at both of them, "Nobody is sleeping with her. The label will have our asses if we fuck this up and you know it."

I hear one of them begin but is interrupted by an overbearing hush and even though I'm not in the room, I feel the tension rise.

"Hey." Squeaks a meek watered-down version of Noah's voice. It flashes the memory of him on the floor with my pinky wrapped around his. A lot of last night is still a blur, but that moment with him on the ground is crystal clear.

The silence is loud as two sets of feet shuffle away, no doubt being Folio and Jolly. There's brief stillness before Nicholas disrupts the quiet, "I can't fucking believe you showed up here like that."

"I know Nick, we don't have to do this." He sounds exhausted.

"'Don't have to do this'? Noah you told me you've been doing better."

"I know, I know."

"Have you been going to meetings?"
Meetings?

Noah is quiet for a long second, "Rehearsals have been kicking my ass Nick." The words slip from him quick, like he'd been holding them in for too long.