Turning to Stone (Heart of Stone: Book 2)

Chapter 30: Chat

Chapter 30: Chat

"...And congratulations are in order. Your latest single, Friends, continues to break records every week. Is that a lot of pressure to live up to for future music?"

Light from the TV provided the only illumination in my otherwise pitch-black bedroom as I watched Ed enrapture the audience on Jimmy Richardson's chat show, the duvet pulled up to my chest like a protective cocoon shielding me from the outside world.

He looked delicious in a light grey three-piece suit, but it wasn't his appearance that hooked me the most. It was the way he relaxed into the bright red sofa, one arm draped over the back of it, long legs crossed at the ankles. A picture of ease and confidence. So natural. As if he belonged there.

Yesterday evening he'd fucked my brains out, then made love to me. This morning he'd bantered with Helen but shown me a sensitive, tender, and vulnerable side. Tonight he sat on that sofa, under the glare of studio lights, the picture of laidback yet reserved. Despite this being a totally different side to him, it still seemed so real. Probably because it was real. Second nature. Just like when he got on a stage.

"Of course I'm blown away by how well the song has done," Ed was saying. "As long as I continue making music that people enjoy, that's enough success for me. You can't get distracted by pressure or by constantly trying to better yourself. I love what I do, and I'll continue doing it for as long as fans love it, too."

My heart swooned. Was it any wonder so many people adored him?

So many people adored him.

I'd once taken immense pleasure in being one of the few who didn't, in being the exception. At some point that had changed. Now part of me resented the idea of sharing him.

"And why do you think this song has resonated with so many people?" Jimmy asked.

Ed's lips tipped up. "Well, I think you've just said it yourself. It resonates. People relate. It's vulnerable. It's raw. It's full of emotion. Heartbreak is something that anyone can go through, no matter who you are. I'm not exempt from that simply because I'm in the public eye."

"Yes, you are in the public eye, and you have gone through this heartbreak, yet you're immensely private about your romantic life. Nobody knew this girl existed." Jimmy laughed to soften the brutality of that statement. "Do you think that's another reason why the song is so popular? It's a rare insight into part of your life that you don't usually share?"

If Ed found that question as annoying as I did, he didn't show it. His smile was easy and good-natured, his eyes soft and tolerant.

"Probably. But that comes back to the relatability aspect. Just because I don't share my relationships, it doesn't mean I don't hurt from them."

A murmur filtered through the audience: appreciation bleeding into sympathy. The beautiful Teddy Stone, famous bachelor, was hurt. Which bitch did that to him?

"You don't share your relationships." Jimmy nodded, glancing down at his cards. "Except the latest one. Is this a turning point? In all the time we've known you, you've never had a girlfriend. Not a public one, anyway. And presumably, if this isn't an unfair assumption, not a long-term one, either. Then, in the space of a few months, we're treated to a revealing song and a new partner. Sophia, is it?"

"Yes." A muscle in Ed's jaw tightened, and his fist briefly clenched against the scarlet cushions.

If Jimmy noticed, he didn't comment, which suggested he hadn't picked up on the reaction. Judging by the intrusive nature of his questions thus far, he didn't seem like the type of host to ignore tell-tale body language.