Just A Little Bit ✔️

4. Riley

Riley Jameson, In Real Life

There's one song left for the opening band, and they're killing it out there. I've never heard of them before, but the label set it up. Everything was off, delayed by me being checked into rehab. A lot of things were shifted around, and scheduling was a chaotic affair, to put it lightly. We're wrapping up our last UK show in London tonight, and my heart is beating at a million miles an hour.

I've been hiding in the dressing room to avoid Holly. After the show, I'll put on my brave face and be friendly, but for now, I need to get in the headspace to go out there and be the person the fans want to see.

I adjust the cuffs of my shirt again, swallowing hard as I examine myself in the mirror. I'm a mess, itching for a drink or something to take the edge off. Ted would smack me if he knew I was even considering it, so here I am, shaky and frantic.

Freddie, as if sensing the distress, steps into the dressing room and examines me. He's my best mate, which is probably why he can read me like an open book. The whole band can, but especially Fred. He's always known me better than anyone else.

"Okay, what's wrong?" he asks.

"Nothing," I lie, pushing a hand through my wild hair. It's no use since it's damn close to untamable, but I try anyway.

"I know you've been struggling," Freddie says. "We all are. It's hard getting back to real life when something traumatic happens—"

"It really wasn't that bad," I insist.

"That's not true," he interjects. "Riley, you almost died."

"That's a bit dramatic, don't you think?"

"No. I think it's the truth, and you're too stubborn to admit it."

"You're not wrong about that."

We stare each other down. Me, defensive. Him, sympathetic.

God, he makes me want to cry. I don't cry often. It makes me feel pathetic, but lately, I've been so emotional I don't know what to do with myself.

"You can talk to me, you know," he reminds me. "I'm always here. So is Stephie. She mentioned that you were upset the last time you got together to write."

I nod, clenching my jaw. I figured she would pick up on my bad mood when I started that song about Holly. I think everyone's waiting for me to talk about it. I haven't written an official "break-up" track yet. The listeners probably want angry lyrics about how much I hate her, but I won't do that.

What happened between us was a lot, but we didn't belong together. We started out together, all beginning our careers at once. We got together because we made sense, and the label wanted a couple they could parade around.

I just didn't expect our break-up to hurt this much.

"Holly's hiding out. She doesn't want to get in your head," he continues. "Her niece wants to meet us afterward, though. I've been told she fancies you."

I chuckle, smiling despite myself. "Oh, does she now?"

"She came with a poster from some teen magazine," Freddie says.

"Wow. That's commitment."

"Yep. I think Gage is a little jealous."

It sounds like Gage. He thinks the drummer always gets forgotten. It's mostly a joke between us, just him messing around every now and again. There's no bad blood between any of us, not really.