Somebody I Don't Know : Book 1 of the Teeth Series

42

"Ladies! We need you all ready to go in five." Todd, the manager for Revelry, yelled from the front of the bus as the four girls hurried to touch up their makeup and grabbed the things they would need for the day before filing off the bus. They had been back on the tour for a few days following Thanksgiving and were scheduled for a joint interview with their tour mates. It was an entertainment news show with a decent sized audience. It was the biggest press event the girls had done in their careers and they were beyond nervous.

Fallon's hands shook slightly as she loaded into the fifteen passenger van behind the other girls, choosing an empty bench seat that would allow Calum to sit beside her. Only a few moments passed before he slid into the spot sporting a devilish grin. "Hope this seat wasn't saved."

"Damnit, I was saving that for Ash." She said dryly, eyeing the drummer who shot a lazy, bemused smile in her direction.

"Ash, really? Thought you two were still practically sworn enemies?" The confusion was clear on Cal's face.

"Nah, we're good now. He apologized a few days ago and we reached an understanding."

"Buried the hatchet, if you will." Ashton added. "Exactly." Fallon responded, pointing at him.

"Just like that?" Calum questioned, obviously surprised by the dramatic change in dynamics between his best friend and girlfriend, both of whom nodded to answer his question. He puffed out a breath."If you say so."

The ride to the studio was slow going, they had been all but stalled in heavy traffic for ten minutes when Calum turned to look at her and said, "How do you want to answer the questions?"

"What questions?" She answered quickly, like a reflex.

"You know...about us." He clarified as he cleared his throat and shifted his position uncomfortably. Everyone else in the van was still talking, she could see several of their mouths that still moved but her whole world was silent. Her blood passed through her veins like the water in those rushing rapids Calum had taken her white water rafting on one time when they had an off day of tour during their previous relationship.

She fumbled over broken syllables for a few moments before Calum finally realized she simply had been rendered speechless and put her out of her misery.

"I'm just saying that I know publicity like that isn't your cup of tea. We did the whole out in the open thing last time and I think it just added an extra layer of stress to everything."

To the loss of our baby. She thought.

"I've seen a few articles that speculate about us being back together so I imagine with this interview having us both there that, at some point, they're going to dig for information. I just think we should be on the same page."

He was right. He was so fucking right and Fallon sat stunned for another silent moment completely caught off guard that it wasn't something she had even thought to consider.

"I think you're right." Her words came out slow and deliberate and she was undeniably grateful that everyone else in the van seemed to be too preoccupied with their own conversations to focus on theirs. She was already on edge, she didn't need an audience. "I'm not ready to deal with everything that comes with a public relationship again. Not when it's still so fragile and new."

Not when I'm still keeping secrets from you. She added silently.

"No issues with that from my end." He fiddled with one of the rings on his hand. "I prefer it that way really. The things we do, what we are to each other, our relationship in general. Just seems like a lot less unnecessary pressure is placed on everything when it isn't just between us."