Turning to Stone (Heart of Stone: Book 2)

Chapter 14: Flirty

I'd heard it a hundred times before—speculation on social media, questions from journalists, debates on the radio—but it never got any easier. That fucking song continued to haunt us, well and truly immortalising the blow-up between Ed and me, and witnessing the surrounding gossip over what had inspired the lyrics only rubbed salt in the wound.

Ed chuckled politely. "Calling it a piece of genius is very kind."

"It's raw, powerful, vulnerable... How many weeks in the charts now?"

He scratched at the back of his neck. "Eh, not sure. Fifteen maybe."

Seventeen. And he damn well knew it, too.

"Are you going to sing tonight?" he then asked her. "Stage is all yours. You totally should."

"Oh, please," Charlotte gasped. "You would literally make my life if you did. Just don't tell my girlfriend I said that."

Gabby smiled and rolled her eyes, but I could see her hope shining through. She really wanted this to be the perfect night for Charlotte.

"Will you sing with me?" Hattie asked Ed. "Help my nerves?"

He hid his panic well, but I could feel the tension in his body, the tap of his foot against the floor beneath the table.

"You should have that stage to yourself," he said. "You deserve all eyes on you only."

Her lips curved into a resigned smile. "Sure. A big-timer like you probably wouldn't be familiar with a smaller artist's songs, anyway."

Although she said it with no malice whatsoever, I knew Ed would be mortified at the suggestion and I felt a small pang of sympathy. Only small, though. He'd been flirting with her over the past week—the least he could have done was learn a song or two.

"You're not a small artist," he said. "You sold out your tour in seconds. You're doing Wembley later this year! A stage like this is nothing, trust me. You'll nail it."

"Thanks." She acknowledged his compliment with a nudge and a tiny smile before her attention was diverted by someone further across the room. "Holy shit—is that Gerard Burton?"

Charlotte gasped and spun in her seat, grabbing Gabby's hand. "I told you, Gab!"

Hattie excused herself at that, while Charlotte and Gabby considered heading for the dancefloor—under the pretence of dancing when they just wanted a closer view.

"You two go. I'll stay here with Teddy," I said.

Once they disappeared out of earshot, hand-in-hand as they tottered on their heels under the effect of alcohol, Ed released a soft sigh.

"I hate it when you call me Teddy."

"Wasn't sure which you'd prefer in the situation. Sorry."

"No, you're good, don't worry. It's only because it reminds me of how long it took to wear you down and get you to call me by my real name."

I grinned and slid my hand across the table to brush my fingers over his in reassurance. Before anyone could notice, I withdrew my touch and cupped my glass instead.

"I feel like a tool with Hattie, though," he said.

"So you should. The poor girl wasted a week of her life flirting with you, and you couldn't even be bothered to learn one song."

"Pot, kettle, black. You flirted with me despite not knowing my music."

"Not really the same, is it? If I had known your music, then—"