Strung (Rock & Romance I.)

Chapter 55. - Breaking News

A/N: I'm aaaliiiive! And this one is dedicated to Melanincia - thank you for supporting, commenting, and loving the story!

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*London*

I woke up with the promise of a new day. I was inspired by my project with Ash's home. As much as I didn't like the guy, I had to admit - this total renovation was exactly what I needed to get my mind off of-

-I took a deep breath. There was no reason to rehash the past. This minor setback of working next door to the man I was running away from didn't mean that I was going back to how things were. The exact opposite, actually. I was a grown-up, independent woman, who was strong enough to deal with this challenge head-on and keep my eyes on the house in question - not the one by it.

I felt empowered and in control. The boards I made for Ash were strong I was fairly certain he was going to love the ideas I've had for his brand new home - because after I was done with that place, it would no longer be a model beach house ready for showing. It was going to be Ash Wolfhart's home, from the moment a guest walked in, down to the very last piece of furniture.

I walked into my kitchen and flipped on the TV as I set about making breakfast and coffee. "Good morning, people of Los Angeles!" The beautifully put-together news reporter greeted me from one of the many morning talk shows I never woke up early enough to watch for. "Today is going to be a great day! Come in, say it with me! Today is going to be a great day!"

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help chime along with her. If I was going to go out to the world and find my new normal, I might as well have all the good spirits I could muster.

"Another beautiful, sunny day in Los Angeles, and I'm coming to you with more juicy news about America's favorite band to give your morning that tiny dash of spice it requires!" The other reporter chuckled politely along with her as they went on. "Sharon, do I have some great pictures for you! Feast your eyes on three out of four members of the band Hazmat, all in a club together last night."

My gaze moved to the TV on its own accord, my hands freezing over the piece of toast I was holding, before dropping it hastily. I sucked on my burned finger as I turned back toward the evil device, catching a glimpse of Jesse, Ash and Lukas LaBelle, sitting in what looked like a VIP section of a swanky nightclub.

"The three were out all night, drinking and hanging with girls - but none of this is new or surprising." The reporter broke off with a little smile on her lips, like she was about to let us into a big secret.

"Don't keep us waiting, Brenda!" Sharon urged, scooting closer to the other woman. "What could be better than three hunks prowling around town, giving the rest of us mere mortals a chance to bump into them at the club?!"

"Well, while the boys were out enjoying the Los Angeles nightlife, news broke from their label about their departure. That's right, ladies, the Hazmat boys are now floating totally independent!" Brenda smiled, as the camera broke away from them to show a clip of a woman I was very familiar with.

None other than Erika, the owner of Hazmat's label stood on a podium, at what looked like a press conference.

"This morning, the label announced that they are no longer associated with Hazmat - their number one earning act since 2012, when Hazmat first broke out with their first platinum record." Brenda's voice narrated the scene before us. "And if you're as surprised by those news as I was, you might want to sit down to hear what Erika Van Der Built had to say about the boys."

The sound shifted from the studio to Erika's press conference. As per usual, she stood there in an immaculate suit, no doubt tailor-made to highlight her best assets. His short, blonde hair was in a fashionable bob, the creamy locks highlighting her tanned skin and bright blue eyes.