Heart of Stone

Chapter Three: Never meet your heroes

Minutes passed with me cradling Becca's quivering body and Gabby hovering feet away, wringing her hands together. Neither of us rushed it. Much like when faced with Becca's infamous anger, we knew she needed time to experience her emotions without us attempting to expedite the process.

When she'd calmed down, Becca straightened up and took a deep breath.

"You guys make a start on lunch. I need to have a shower and wash the smell of him off me. I feel like trash."

As soon as the bathroom door slammed shut, Gabby whirled around to face me.

"Did she sleep with him?"

I grabbed a packet of crisps from the table, tearing open the foil. "Not my place to say."

"I don't care if it's your place or not, Soph. You need to tell me, so I know how to approach the situation. Otherwise I'm bound to stick my foot in it and make matters worse."

Gabby had a point. One of her best qualities was that she knew her worst habits—the main one being her tendency to say the wrong thing.

"He fucked her then kicked her out afterwards. She feels used. And she feels like an idiot because she's always been in love with him."

Sinking into one of the dining chairs, Gabby sighed. "Oh my God... poor Bec... no wonder she's upset. I'd be devastated. To adore someone for so long and for them to then treat you like some kind of... like a..."

"Don't bother finishing the sentence. And don't repeat it in front of Becca."

Gabby nodded and shoved a slice of ham in her mouth, as if that would stop her from saying anything else potentially upsetting.

I munched on my crisps, but my appetite deteriorated by the second. I couldn't stop thinking of Becca, nor Teddy—how could he act like that with me after what he'd done to my friend?

Maybe sleeping with fans was a normal occurrence for him. But for Becca, Teddy wasn't someone she could sleep with then forget any time soon.

When she emerged from her shower, she didn't look much better. In fact, her distress had transformed into anger.

"I can't believe him," she said, thrusting her phone at me.

Twitter was open on her screen, displaying a tweet. Gabby leaned across to read along with me.

Just finished my tour and already thinking about the next. Reading this has inspired me to check out Budapest. What do you think, Hungary? Will you have me?

And beneath the tweet was a link to my blog post on Budapest.

Gabby opened her mouth to say something, then thought better of it, before changing her mind again and speaking up.

"Is that a link to...?"

"Yes, it is," Becca said through gritted teeth. "Sophia briefly mentioned last night that she was a travel blogger and that we enjoyed a trip to Budapest recently. Does he really have to rub it in my face?"

"He's just an entitled prick, Bec," I said, handing the phone back. "No doubt used to getting what he wants from whomever he wants."

Her eyes began to water again as she sunk into the chair opposite. Gabby immediately leapt up and skirted around the table to comfort her.

"There's something else." Becca swallowed a sob and reached to grab a napkin. "Just before he threw me out last night... He asked about you, Soph."

I raised an eyebrow. "Me?"