Overdue - A Rockstar Romance

Chapter 17 - Elliott

Her eyes met mine and even caught in the glare of the spotlight I could see her clearly. Her chest heaving in panicked breaths. She was afraid but I wasn't sure what of. My eyes scanned her surroundings for a threat but the only person near her was Victoria's friend who was rubbing her arm and speaking rapidly.

Phoebe blinked and I saw her visibly relax. Relief rushed through me. If she hadn't calmed in a moment, I was going to have to go to her and I was sure the attention that would have brought would not have helped the situation.

I remembered when I spotted her earlier searching the room after emerging from the bathrooms. Her eyes wide and worried. It sent a rush of fierce protectiveness through me. I wanted to defend her. Comfort her.

Kiss her.

I wanted to again now, but I couldn't and reluctantly broke eye contact. I needed to avoid drawing attention to her. Victoria hushed the crowd after a moment, "Thank you. As I mentioned before, we will take four audience questions one for each of the boys. Erik, you pick first."

Erik smiled warmly at the clamouring crowd and took his time selecting a person to ask his question. The platinum blonde beauty he picked began speaking but my attention was already drifting back to Phoebe. Those intense eyes of hers a beacon in the chaos to me.

She stared back, blushing but not looking away. I nearly screamed in frustration as I tore my eyes from hers again and returned them to the situation at hand.

Chris was speaking now. Laughing and joking with the crowd with that same easy manner he dealt with everything with.

"Next we will take a question for Elliott." Victoria announced.

Hands shot up to grab my attention as though we were back in school and a clamour of voices and questions assaulted me. I randomly selected a tall guy with short, cropped hair and a diamond stud glimmering in one ear.

"Thanks Elliott," he said after the crowd had quieted down, "My question is who is the girl from the video?"

I knew it was likely coming but still, my stomach dropped. "We used a number of girls from a brilliant agency we work with." I said the rehearsed answer in a practiced tone.

"That's Perri People, right? I've got their catalogue here and she's not in it." He said smugly.

I looked at Victoria for help, but she looked as caught off guard as I was. "I don't see what the relevance is?" I said coolly.

"Was it really Madison or is she the girl who rejected you?" he asked.

The crowd broke out into a clamour of questions, all asking the same things. Who was she? Where was she? Were we in love?

God, they loved the drama, lived for it even. "I think you'll find that's two questions." Victoria called out with a nervous laugh. "Let's move on-"

Before she could finish a vaguely familiar voice shouted something "There she is." A hand in the crowd pointed to the back where Phoebe stood. Before I could find the face of the source, the crowd surged away from the stage and towards her. I screamed for the guards who ran up onto the stage to protect the band. "Not us. Her." My voice could barely be heard above the noise.

I looked desperately for Phoebe. She was near the back, pressed against a pillar, someone held an arm protectively over her chest, but it wasn't enough.

I had to do something.

Dodging round the bodyguards, I jumped off the stage and sprinted across the room.

Behind me someone shouted at me to stop but I didn't care to see who. Phoebe's fear was my priority.

I barged through the crowd, my fear and anger a potent combination that gave me strength I hadn't know was possible.