So I Married A Rockstar - Season 3

Ch. 4: A Fresh Start

Darius

Nola's mouth dropped open. I half expected her eyes to bug out on little cartoon stalks too.

Rhydian choked on his cereal. "You're not fucking serious," he said.

I hadn't realised I was going to say that until I did, but the way Nola had looked while telling me about her shitstain ex, and her surprise at hearing his behaviour described as abuse, was etched into my fucking brain.

Maybe the guy had never laid a hand on her, but he'd still fucked her up. I could see it in the way she'd cowered on my tour bus last night, the way she was still cowering at my breakfast table, the way her eyes darted around the room as if always looking for an escape, the way she relentlessly picked at the edges of her fingernails, where the skin was already ragged and raw. She'd looked like she'd break if someone even raised their fucking voice to her, which was why I sent Rhydian a warning look, before turning back to Nola.

Her mouth was still hanging open.

I was used to women with their mouths open around me, usually before they started shrieking my name, or trying to feel me up, but Nola's expression wasn't that of a cock-hungry groupie. She looked like no one had shown her any kindness in a long time, and she didn't know what to do with it.

"But . . . you don't know me," she said, blinking too fast.

I shrugged and reclined in my chair. I hadn't expected her to agree immediately – she was like a scared fucking mouse. But I wasn't taking the offer back.

"I've lost track of how many people have worked for me over the years, and I barely knew any of them when they started," I said.

Rhydian was so tense that he was almost vibrating, and Nola gave him an uncertain look.

"How much were you earning flipping burgers?" Darius asked.

Nola lowered her eyes. "Not much. Mike hated that, but when I suggested pursuing any kind of career, he didn't like that either."

Of course he fucking didn't. Prick.

I almost wished he had found Nola last night, if only so I could have made a few things very fucking clear to him. Introducing my fist to his face, perhaps.

"Come work for me then," I said.

"I can't just –"

"Darius, this is crazy," Rhydian snapped.

"Play nice, Rhyd," I said.

Pushing back his chair, Rhydian threw down his spoon and stalked out of the kitchen.

I offered Nola a rueful smile that she tentatively returned. "Sorry, he's not a morning person," I said. "Sometimes he's not an afternoon or evening person, either. If you're very lucky, you might catch him in a good mood between midnight and one a.m."

That earned me another smile, a little wider than the first. I studied her. Last night my focus had been on getting her to safety; I hadn't paid much attention to what she looked like.

Her face was heart-shaped, with a chin just the right side of pointed, and a wide mouth with a full lower lip. She probably had a great smile, when she had something to smile about. Her grey eyes were tired, smudged underneath with purple shadows, but she was still pretty, in a quiet sort of way. But the way she held herself, like she was trying not to take up too much space, trying not to draw attention to herself, made me think she hadn't considered herself pretty in a long time.

I'd never met her ex, hadn't even seen the prick's face, but I felt surge of disgust towards him.

"Work for you how?" Nola asked, fidgeting with the hem of her T-shirt. Her nails were bitten so low they looked painful.