The two publicists hang back, afraid to intervene, I’m sure. Extracting my cell from my pocket, I punch the number for my Dublin solicitor. I don’t care that he’s probably sleeping. I pay the fucker enough he can take my call no matter how late it is. “Agree a statement with Edwin and Farrah,” I tell Ash. “We need to get something out now. Viv’s in no state to review it, so send it to Lauren and ensure she’s okay with it before you issue it.”
I look over at the two publicists as my call goes to voice mail. “Say nothing about Easton for now. We can’t make that public until we have spoken to our son.” I press redial as Farrah starts jotting notes on her phone. “Confirm we were in a relationship years ago before we knew Reeve and I were twins. Our relationship ended, and we didn’t see one another again until just before Reeve died, when we discovered we were siblings. I’ve been helping Vivien during the grieving process, and we grew close again. We are now in a relationship. At no time did Vivien ever cheat on Reeve.”
I growl as my call goes unanswered again. “You can add that Reeve was aware of my relationship with Vivien in Ireland.” Everything I have said is true except for me not knowing about Reeve at the time. No one knows about that, so I’m comfortable telling that porky. I would gladly own up to the truth if I believed it would deflect the heat off Vivien, but I think revealing that will only make the whole story more salacious and ignite even more interest.
“Pick up the phone, you lazy fucker!” I shout as my call goes to voice mail again. I call him again, and I’m seriously considering chartering a private jet to fly me to Dublin when the prick answers. “About bleeding time!”
“Dillon, it’s almost one a.m.”
“Do I sound like I give a fucking shit what time it is?” I fill him in quickly, guessing he isn’t aware of what’s happened because he was in the land of Nod. “I want you to sue that fucking cunt. Take her to the cleaners! I want every fucking penny she got for that interview, and I’m sure that won’t be enough to meet the financial obligations of the NDA, so take everything. When we’re through, I want her left with nothing. I want her penniless and homeless with only the clothes on her back.”
“That’s the likely outcome,” the solicitor says. “Are you sure you want to follow through? We could threaten to do it, lodge proceedings with the court, and scare her into shutting her mouth.”
“Are you fucking deaf?” I roar down the phone. “She already opened her stupid gob. The damage is done, and she will pay the price. Start proceedings, and I want to see them carried through.” I hang up before he can say anything else, tossing my phone on the couch as I drag my hands through my hair.
“I approve, and it will send a clear message to the others to keep their mouths shut,” Ash says.
Not that they can do any more harm, so it really doesn’t matter, but I get the point.
“She did this maliciously to hurt Vivien. She’s always hated her, believing she stole you from her.”
“Ha.” I bark out a laugh. “Vivien couldn’t steal something that never belonged to her. Aoife was nothing to me. She’s even less now, and she’s fucking lucky I live thousands of miles away because right now I actually believe I could commit murder. I want to fucking kill her for doing this to my family.”
“Go and get Easton. It’s getting late, and you should stick to his routine. I’ll check on Vivien after we’ve finalized the statement.”
“Thanks, sis. Love you.” I bundle her into a hug, kissing the top of her head.
“I’ve got your back. Now go get your son.”
* * *
I’m lying in bed, in Viv’s house, unable to sleep, worried about her and Easton, obsessing over how he will take the news. Today has ruined everything. I just feel it in my bones. Vivien only emerged from her room to bathe Easton and put him to bed, but she was giving me the cold shoulder. She wouldn’t even speak to Ash though she did talk to her mum on the phone, and Lauren called me after. She told me to give her some space to process it but not to let it go on too long.
I turn onto my side, pulling up photos on my phone, skimming through them with a heavy heart. I knew everything was too perfect. That something was going to happen to burst my happy bubble because that’s the pattern of my life. Fuck it. I know I sound like a depressed head, but I can’t help it.
Aoife is going to rue the day she crossed me. I fully expect some kind of pleading public message when she discovers I’m suing her, but there is nothing she can say or do that will get me to change my mind. She’s a vindictive bitch, and it’s time she learned there are consequences for her actions. Why couldn’t she just be happy with the money I gave her? I know she used it to buy a house. Has she been stewing all these years, waiting for an opportunity to get back at Viv? All because I didn’t fall in love with her?
I spoke to Ro earlier. He offered to go and torch her house. I was tempted to tell him to do it and to ensure she was inside when he set fire to it, but I won’t have murder on my conscience. I’d much rather take everything from her—her house, her car, her money, her reputation, poor and all as it is. I’ve already emailed our label in Dublin and asked them to ensure she is banned from Whelans and other venues around Dublin we still sometimes play at.
I made my feelings known earlier when I posted on social media, and our fans are coming out in support. Aoife had to shut her accounts down after they attacked her in their thousands, and I hope she’s gone into hiding, terrified for her life, because it’s the least she deserves for what she’s tried to do.
If she causes Viv to pull away from me, I don’t know what I’ll do. Time is running out. We leave in five weeks to go on tour, and I had finally plucked up the courage to ask Viv to come with me. East too. I was planning on asking her this weekend, but that’s all shot to hell now.
The door creaks, and I lift my head, expecting to see Easton, but it’s Vivien. I sit up, eyeing her carefully as she pads quietly across the room. I watch as she climbs onto the bed and wraps her arms around me.
“I’m sorry, Dillon.” Tears pool in her eyes. “I’m so sorry for saying it was your fault. That was a terrible thing to say, and it’s not true. It’s not your fault. That’s all on Aoife. I was just upset and scared and freaking out, but I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”
Air whooshes out of my mouth in grateful relief as I pull her onto my lap, circling my arms around her. “I’m sorry I failed you and East, Viv, but I’m going to do my utmost to make it right.”
She shakes her head, cupping my face. “You haven’t failed us, Dillon. Not at all. And we’ll get through this together.”
I am so relieved to hear this. She was hysterical earlier, and I was really worried she was going to regress. “Stay with me.” I plant a kiss on the top of her head.
“Yes,” she says, “but not here. Come with me. I have something to show you.”
I’m curious as she leads me out of my bedroom and along the hallway, opening the door to another one of her guest rooms. My eyes widen as I take in the large room with a giant four-poster bed, walk-in closet, seating area with a fire and wall-mounted TV, and an en suite bathroom.
“This is our new room,” she explains. “I had renovators in a month ago to work on it. I got them to come on days when you weren’t here because I wanted it to be a surprise.” She spins around, holding my hands and peering up at me. “I know you’re worried this has made me have doubts. I won’t deny I’m really upset over everything and very worried about Easton, but it hasn’t changed how I feel about you. I meant it when I told you I was yours.” She leans her head on my chest, snaking her arms around my waist. “I love you, and I need you, now more than ever.”
“You have me. I’m going nowhere.” I scoop her up, cradling her against my chest. After closing the door, I walk to the bed, gently placing her under the covers. I slide in beside her, pulling her back against my chest. My arms go around her automatically because it’s as natural as breathing to me. “We have endured considerable challenges to get to this point, and it hasn’t broken us or destroyed what we have. Today was a shitshow, and I know you’re worried. I’m worried about telling Easton too. I’d rather the timing had been of our choosing, but he’ll be okay. He’s not losing anything. He’s gaining, and if he struggles to understand it, we will be there to comfort him and answer his questions.”