Rebel Rockstar by Marci Fawn Read Free Book Online

improvising, because this is the first I’ve heard of it, but he says it in a way that anyone would believe.
    Luckily, the girls scatter like bugs under his intimidating presence.
    “Bye, Nate.”
    “See you soon.”
    “We love you.”
    I leave them with a charming smile and a quick wave before Paul ushers me to bed. Once the door slams behind me, and I’m finally by myself, I take some calm, soothing breaths. I’m normally pretty wasted when dealing with the public, so doing it sober is going to be something I need to get used to.

    T he next few days get even crazier. I’ve become the hottest celebrity on the ship, and I’m being constantly swarmed by the fans and other famous people alike. It’s absolutely insane. The only person who’s leaving me alone is the one I actually want to talk to.
    Jem .
    By the end of the week, I’ve had enough of not seeing her, so I decide to make a conscious effort to look for her, to seek her out for the conversation that we definitely need to have. I’ve just finished another batch of signings and interviews, so I have a moment to myself. I need to take advantage of it.
    I race away from the crowds with a newfound determination bubbling inside of me. I’m not one hundred percent sure where her room is, but I’m sure I know the rough area, so that’s where I head first. I trawl through the seemingly endless corridors, finding myself more alone than I have been in a while—which is kind of nice—until I hear raised voices. They’re loud, but I can only pick out small bits of what they’re saying.
    “…I don’t know what the hell you think…”
    “…just keep your nose out, Jemima…”
    Jem. It’s her.
    My heart begins to pound furiously against my rib cage as I move towards the sound. I don’t know why, but I feel like I’m about to stumble onto something huge as I step around the corner and into view.
    I instantly spot Jem with Cole, our old manager. He looks pretty different these days. The pair of them are red-faced and angry. What the hell is going on here? I take a split second to try to decipher the odd atmosphere that’s hanging in the air, but they both rapidly turn to face me, looking at me curiously.
    “Oh, err…” I flick my eyes between the pair, wishing I had something smart to say to break the tension. “Hi, Jem. Cole,” I finally finish lamely.
    “Good to see you, Nate.” Cole stalks past me, slapping me playfully on the shoulder as he leaves. I don’t look at him even once. My eyes remain fixated solely on Jem, who falls apart in front of me. It’s as if she’s actually crumbling.
    Once we’re alone, I reach out to her and touch her arm. She yanks her body away from me, almost violently. “What’s wrong?” I ask pleadingly. “What’s going on, Jem?” She keeps her eyes resolutely on her shoes. “I can help you…”
    “No,” she finally snaps back. “You can’t. No one can.” She shakes her head quickly, trying to steady her thoughts. “Anyway, I don’t need help. There’s nothing to help with.”
    She’s lying. I can tell from her uncomfortable body language, but I decide not to pursue it. The fact that she’s talking to me is enough. I don’t want to push my luck. If she doesn’t want to tell me, then I’ll just have to wait for the moment that she does.
    “Come on.” I throw my arm haphazardly over her shoulder. “Let’s go and get some air up on deck.” I wince, half expecting her to say no, but thankfully she nods and allows me to lead her away.

7
    Jem
    I ’m a little stunned as I follow Nate up onto the deck. I still can’t believe what happened when I bumped into Cole. I mean, I always knew he was a dick, but that was another level of awfulness. The way he spoke to me was absolutely disgusting, and I hadn’t even done anything to provoke it. Sure, I stuck up for myself, but he sure as hell started it! After speaking to Lola, I thought he might have changed after all these years, but spending even a