Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Callie

My first day on the job has been painful. When I first met Marcus—the head of the band's security—this morning, I thought maybe I was being recruited for Men in Black . He was dressed in a tailored black suit, black sunglasses, and was driving a black SUV. He wasn't happy when I refused to get in the car and insisted I follow him there in my own vehicle. However, just because some rock star said he'd send someone to pick me up, didn't mean I was automatically going to trust him. This guy could have been some people smuggler trying to sell me to the highest bidder. Though it's not like anyone would want to pay too much money for me, so maybe I let my imagination get ahead of me on that one.

My poor Bertha looked like a real pile of rust parked next to the array of expensive vehicles outside the mansion I was finally taken to. I was introduced to record producers, band members, staff, and a bunch of people I would probably never remember.

We all sat down, and they told me about Eddie. Then I asked everyone to help rid the house of all alcohol and drugs. He didn't need any temptations. I explained the process isn't easy when you want to get sober, let alone when you're about to wake up and find out you don't have a choice. Eddie's lucky he's rich—I never had a choice. When I tried to kill myself, I was put on suicide watch, but Eddie gets me instead, given that he OD'd and didn't intentionally try to hurt himself.

It took two hours to scour the house and dispose of everything, from drugs to wine and spirits. The smell of the vodka as I poured it down the sink made my mouth salivate. To most it has no smell, but to me it wasn't just the smell, it was the voice in the back of my head screaming, You know you want to take a sip so all the bad memories will fade away. This place is an addict's dream house.

I decided I'd go in strong, but let's just say I wasn't expecting a grown man to have a tantrum like a hormonal teenage girl. It came down to waiting him out. Though when the smell of weed drifted through the house, I had to walk away and pull myself together, as it took every single fibre of my willpower not to fall back into old habits. I even contemplated running far away and not looking back, but it was hearing his brother and band mates talk about him which kept me there. He might mean nothing to me, but he means the world to them.

That brings me to now, having found Eddie at a pub where he caused a scene, and now we've lost both the security guys and his brother. My job is to not take my eyes off him. I hate myself, or more so my body, for the way I felt when he looked at me wearing his ACDC shirt. He was quick to escape into a passing cab, and I've managed to squeeze in and give the driver his address. My plan could have worked, but it didn't. Instead, he's trying to kick me out of the cab.

"I won't get out. My job is to keep you out of rehab and save your career."

"I don't need your help," he snaps.

"Because that's so obvious to everyone... you're making such great life choices."

"Shut up! You know nothing about me," he spits out, and I see a sliver of a man who deserves my help, even if he thinks he doesn't need it. "Do you have a mobile I can call Mickki on? I'll get him to meet us."

Finally, some sense is finding its way into his brain. I hand him my phone, and the second it hits his hand I regret it, as I see the glimmer of the arsehole in his eyes.

"Psych, you can have this back after I finish having fun."

I take a deep breath and use this to my advantage. "How about we make a deal? You give me the drugs in your pocket, and I'll stay off your back tonight about the drinking." I watch him as he thinks about it. "I could also make a scene when we get wherever we're going."

"You wouldn't dare, you'd get fired," he says matter-of-factly.

"If you haven't realised, I really don't care. If you want honesty, I got a huge bonus when I said I'd at least try to deal with your arse. The more difficult you are, the more I get paid. So, at this rate, I'll earn more money than you will. If your arse doesn't get sober, you'll be out of a job."

"Fine," he says, pulling his hair out of the elastic band and running his hands through it before securing it again.

"Hand them over then." I hold my hand out. He reluctantly reaches into his pocket and hands me a small baggy. "The other one in your boot," I say, taking a wild guess that he has two stashes.

He looks at me, then towards his boot, before pulling another small baggy from his sock. We sit in silence for the rest of the cab ride. When we arrive, Eddie hands the driver a hundred-dollar bill and tells him to keep the change. I find myself a little envious he has the kind of money to give someone that big of a tip without thinking twice.

As we walk towards the crowded bar, the bouncer at the door nods in Eddie's direction—they must know each other. I stuff the little baggies into my bra and will dispose of them when I get a chance. As I follow him into the club and look around at all the young girls with their skin-tight dresses barely covering their arses, I feel slightly overdressed. Slowly, we make our way to the bar. He must have magnets in his pants because not one, or two, but three women have found their way to his side; they all look to be in their early twenties at most.

I let Eddie know I'll wait until he's done to get my phone back, and he tries to convince me to loosen up a little. I don't feel like my past is something he is entitled to know about and instead find a small table to the side of the dance floor. Eddie throws back his drink and follows the three girls onto the dance floor. I make a mental note to talk with Beau about finding a girl who has self-respect.

As time goes on, I witness around six different girls trying to get Eddie's attention. All of them go unnoticed, as he's too busy watching the arse of the woman who keeps grinding herself on him.

The night passes slowly, and Eddie is still on the dance floor. The overwhelming smell of alcohol draws me back to the night I tried to end it all—drinking vodka straight from the bottle—and my mouth salivates at the thought. I get up from my chair and run straight for the ladies' room and into a stall. With my back pressed against the door, I try my deep breathing exercises, but they don't work.

One day with this guy and I already want to give up on five years of hard work. I pull the baggies from my bra and look at them. For a split second, I think about taking the pills from one bag and swallowing them. Who would even know?

ME, I would know.

I manage to find the strength and flush them before I do something stupid. I need to call Sasha or Mickki and tell them I can't do this—I'm not strong enough. Opening the toilet door, I walk over to the sink and look at myself. I'm a mess. I take a deep breath and know it's time to get my phone back.

When I return, Eddie is still on the dance floor. He has his back to me, and I know he put my phone in one of his pockets. Walking up behind him so he doesn't see it coming, I spot my phone sticking halfway out of his back pocket. I grab it and walk away, pushing my way through the crowd to get outside, no longer caring what he does.

I head a little way up the road and sit in the gutter, scrolling through my phone until I am staring at Sasha's name. It's the early hours of the morning and I highly doubt she's awake. Pressing the call button anyway, I decide to leave her a voicemail and she can pass the message on to Mickki.

"Hello?" comes a sleep-filled voice on the other end of the phone. "Callie? Is everything okay?"

"I can't do this," I cry into the phone. "One day with him and I'm already a mess."

"You can do this. I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't think you were ready."

"Everything I've worked so hard for nearly went down the drain for some spoilt, rich, entitled arsehole."

"Please, he isn't as bad as he makes out. Underneath all the bullshit, he has a heart of gold. He was Amelia's knight in shining armour. And as weird as it sounds, he got her through all the tough times without Billy."

"How was he the guy she wanted around?" I say, almost speechless that Eddie was the one Amelia took a liking to. How could he possibly be good with children?

"I know now it doesn't seem like he's a good man, but he really is. He loved her so much, as if she was his own."

"She'll always be only Billy's!" I snap.

The thought of Eddie replacing my brother hurts, and I took that away from him. Damn her for bringing up Amelia—she knows I'd do anything to make up for what I've done.

"No one will ever forget him," she chokes out.

"Fine, I'll do this for Amelia. But if he doesn't show any sign of being a decent human being soon, I?—"

"You'll bring the best out in him. Just wait and see."

"Speaking of the devil, he's just stumbled out with a cheap floozy," I say, watching them stagger from the bar together.

"If you need anything, just call me," she says before ending the call.

I watch as blondie tucks something into her dress and nods at Eddie. I couldn't even leave him alone for a few minutes. The struggle for today is over and we can start fresh tomorrow. I stand and make my way towards them, cutting them off as they head to the taxi rank.

"Oh look, the fun police are still here," Eddie slurs. "Who were you so desperate to call? My brother?"

"I didn't call Mickki," I say, feeling defeated. My first day on the job has ended in a huge fucking failure.

"I bet she called my mother, the she-bitch, " he whispers to the blonde.

Nice to know he hates his mum—now that says a lot about a man. I don't know if the man Sasha remembers is even still inside this guy anymore. Amelia brought out the best in people; she got that from Billy.

"Just get in the damn cab. I'm tired and hungry, and sick of looking at your stupid face. I want to get in my car and go have a hot bath to wash the bullshit of today off my body. Then maybe I can get a few hours' sleep before I have to deal with you again tomorrow," I say, irritated.

"I don't have a stupid face," he says, looking at the blonde briefly before they start making out—gah, I'm repulsed.

Climbing in the front seat of the first taxi in the line, I look over my shoulder, and luckily Eddie follows with his new friend in tow. The drive back to his house is long and painful, listening to the pornstar-type noises coming from the back, and we're greeted by another man in black who lets us in the gate.

Eddie and the girl sing something as they walk to the door, while I shoot a tired nod to Damien, Eddie's personal security, as he lets them inside, but I don't bother going in. He can think he's won this round.

I get behind the wheel of my car, my hands still shaking. Maybe today was so hard because it was the first time since getting sober that I've been put in a situation like this. And it dawns on me that while I might be sober, I've been running from my addictions rather than actually facing my demons. The question is, can I face them? And if I do, will I be strong enough to defeat them?