Managing Boys

Managing Boys (25)

Sitting in the front row of a press conference next to my father was strange, especially when we were the only ones there that weren’t news reporters or paparazzi.

Every time my gaze met Ash’s, we smiled at each other and nervously looked away from. I also noticed Grim giving me annoyed looks, but I ignored this completely and waited for the press conference to start.

“Welcome, everyone!” Annabelle greeted to the crowd around us as she sat in the front of the room with the boys. “Thank you all for coming today!”

“We’re here to tell you all something important,” Ash announced into the microphone, catching my eye and smiling at me. “Since our last tour was cancelled, we’re here to announce that our new tour will be starting early in the summer.”

Lights flashed against the boys as their pictures were taken, and I didn’t know how I was supposed to feel. It was going to be strange without the boys around, even when summer was months away from us.

The boys were now asked many different questions, but I wasn’t listening to anything being said. All I could think about was how the boys were going to leave. They were going to be gone. Grim was going to leave, and Ash...

I didn’t know how close Ash and I were going to be when it was time for them to leave. Honestly, I was afraid of the answer. If we were really close, it was going to hurt even more when they finally left. If our relationship went nowhere and we just stayed friends... I didn’t want to think about that.

“Who has a girlfriend?” a reporter asked as she scribbled on her notebook.

“I don’t,” Grim said into his microphone, and both Ben and Sawyer said the same thing into theirs. I still needed to talk to Sawyer about what he did to Zoey, who wasn’t answering any of my texts or calls. The same went for Parker.

“I do,” Ash grinned as he answered.

Grim knocked over his glass of water with his arm and it spilled all over their table. He looked around for someone to help clean up the mess he had made and someone immediately ran up with towels, beginning to wipe up the mess.

“Who is it?” one reporter asked Ash. “What’s her name?”

He winked at the female reporter. “It’s a secret.”

My throat felt dry. I had no idea that Ash saw me as his girlfriend. I thought that we were only dating; I didn’t know we were actually able to call each other boyfriend and girlfriend. It was actually a little exciting.

“Annabelle, I have a question for you!” another reporter shouted out, and it surprised me a little. I didn’t think anyone cared about anyone but the boys, but I guess I was wrong.

Annabelle smiled at the reporter, even though I couldn’t see where exactly in the room he was. “Alright, shoot.”

“We know you’ve been single ever since you divorced Grim’s father,” the reported began, and I could see Grim scowl from his spot. “But is there a new man in your life? I’d really like to know!”

Annabelle giggled like a school girl, and it made me feel sick. “Actually, there is a new guy in my life,” she informed the reported before her gaze shifted to my father. “His name is Brad Slater, and we’re engaged to be married.”

My eyes went wide. My jaw dropped. What the hell did she just say?

Grim had the same reaction I did, and now we were staring at each other, as if we expected the other to answer all the questions we had. I knew our parents were serious, but engaged? That was a lot more than serious!