๋ก๊ทธ์ธ๊ณต์
Chapter 30
์ต์ ์
๋ฐ์ดํธ:
2022-06-17 12:09:53
๊ด๋ จ ์ฑํฐ
Destroy Me: RAZEย ย ย Chapter 31
KeiraIโm finally here.We step into the final stages of songwriting and I still canโt believe this is real. But Iโm here in the studio, my hands splayed over the console, and Ethan recording inside the booth. This is real.With Ethanโs skills, we cover almost everything in a few hours. All thatโs left are the adlibs, but the song is virtually finished.For years I dreamed of this, and now itโs finally coming through. But itโs a shame we couldnโt finish it in time.โYou okay?โI look up in surprise upon hearing Ethanโs voice loudly through the speakers. He had spoken into the microphone, looking at me through the glass partition with concern swimming in his eyes.I hadnโt even realized that I was making any kind of expression. โYeah, why?โEthan doesnโt answer but he fixes me with a look that tells me he doesnโt believe me one bit. With a soft grunt, he pulls the headphones off and places them on the stand.โStay there,โ he says one last time into the microphone before he leaves the b
์ต์ ์
๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2022-06-18Destroy Me: RAZEย ย ย Chapter 32
KeiraโEthan, what are you doing? Weโll be seen!โ I whisper-yell at the pop star as he gets out of the car, in broad daylight without even a mask on, or a hat to cover his face.I am so getting fired for this.โCome on, Keira. Live a little!โ He calls back before he shuts the car door and walks away. With a groan of frustration, I undo my seatbelt and follow him out.โEthan!โ I call out, not too loud, afraid of drawing attention. Looking around, there are barely any people in the area but it still wouldnโt hurt to be careful. When I finally catch up to him, I chuck a black cap into his chest, one I found in his car. โAt least wear that.โHe puts the hat on with a grin, clearly enjoying torturing me. โFollow me,โ he says and takes off in a jog.Where even are we?I recall entering a gated community and panicking because the guards could have recognized him. But Ethan kept driving and I think weโre in some kind of playground or park. From the looks of it, this part of the community is o
์ต์ ์
๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2022-06-21Destroy Me: RAZEย ย ย Chapter 33
KeiraโShoot, I forgot to buy us water. Iโll be right back.โGiggling at how adorable Ethan looks I nod my head, yes. โGo, Iโll be right here.โโYou better be,โ he replies with a chuckle before jogging back to the convenience store.โGod, I have it bad,โ I mutter to myself, shaking my head and laughing when he turns around and does a funny pose. โGo!โ I say louder, motioning for him to go on.My heart hammers in my chest as I pull my phone out. I donโt know what to do with these feelings. Before I could overthink it, I shoot Naomi a quick text asking her for advice, thankfully she replies fast.NAOMI COLE [4:01 PM]Let me ask you this,Are you happy?KEIRA PATEL [4:02 PM]Right now, I am.But until when can I hang onto this?IDK, this feels more like a fantasy than reality.NAOMI COLE [4:03 PM]Aww โนKeira, baby. Donโt overthink it, okay?Just follow what you think and feel is the best for you.KEIRA PATEL [4:03 PM]I want this.But I could ruin his careerโฆNAOMI COLE [4:04 PM]You me
์ต์ ์
๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2022-06-21Destroy Me: RAZEย ย ย Chapter 34
KeiraEthan and I take time to walk around his old neighborhood. He told me about his childhood. About how he used to skip classes to go to the park or sleep in the nursesโ office.โThey seriously let you do that?โ I ask with a chuckle.โWhat can I say? Iโm a pretty good actor,โ he says smugly.โWow, you should get into acting then.โEthan chuckles, nodding and putting his hands inside his pockets. โOh my God, my manager would love that.โSuddenly, Ethan slows down to a halt in front of a white-fenced house. Ethan looks up to the two-story house with a sad smile playing on his lips.โYou okay?โ I asked quietly after a few moments, not wanting to intrude.Ethan turns his smile toward me, โYeah, Iโm good. This--โ he gestures at the house. โโis our old house. This is where I grew up.โI look up at the house, itโs beautiful, bordered by a lush green front and assuming back yard. Even looking at it outside, it seems like a beautiful home to raise children in. The neighborhood as well seems
์ต์ ์
๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2022-06-22Destroy Me: RAZEย ย ย Chapter 35
KeiraMy phoneโs ringing alarm on top of my nightstand has always been what has woken me up every day but today, something changed.โHello?โโGood morning, beautiful.โ Ethanโs voice on the other end of the line shocks me awake.โEthan?โ I ask, sitting up slowly, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. โGood morning.โโDid you sleep well?โ he asks, sounding more awake than I.I hum in a positive response, still too sleepy to mutter a proper reply. I hear Ethan chuckling in my ear and I smile unconsciously. โHi.โโHi,โ he replies, more enthusiastic than me. โGo get ready, Iโll see you at work, okay?โI hum again, a smile firmly planted on my face.My mornings have never started so well as today that I sing and hum throughout my morning routine even my roommate, Naomi, noticed.โYou seem a lot chipper today, did something good happen?โ she asks as she places her dishes in the dishwasher.I canโt help the giggle that escapes my lips, โIโNaomi, I think I really like himโฆ and I think he really li
์ต์ ์
๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2022-06-23Destroy Me: RAZEย ย ย Chapter 36
KeiraDays pass with Ethan still busy with the rehearsals and concert preparations. But despite that, we managed to keep in touch through texts in the morning and calls at night. Ethanโs usually so tired to carry on a conversation for longer than a couple of minutes, but we both still enjoy what little time we get to ourselves.โItโll get easier in time,โ I tell Ethan, and I hear him stifle a yawn on the other end. โStop sulking, okay? Weโll have more time in the future.โ Though we were making it work, Ethan has been sulking for some time.โBut Iโm going on tour soon and we wonโt see each other for months!โ Ethan whines and I can tell heโs pouting even without seeing him. His voice sounds a bit muffled, probably trying to keep his voice quiet.โMonths?โ I ask, surprised at how long weโd have to wait. I thought he would be gone for a couple of weeks to tour in Europe and then be back before Christmas, but I guess, I was wrong.โYeah, weโll plat a couple shows here, then to Europe. Afte
์ต์ ์
๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2022-06-24Destroy Me: RAZEย ย ย Chapter 37
KeiraโSo, on a scale of one to ten, how happy are you that Iโm here?โ Ethan asks, popping another jelly bean into his mouth.Weโve settled on spending the night here in my apartment. Here being less conspicuous and less likely for anyone to suspect anything. Ethan has spent the better half of the hour heโs been here chowing down on our snacks though than focusing on the movie playing on my laptop.โI would have said eleven, but you keep talking so I bump it down to nine.โ Ignoring his mock expression of offense, I reach over and grab the bowl of popcorn.For a student dorm, Naomi and mineโs shared apartment is a pretty decent size. It allows for a common area outside, and a big enough bedroom to fit a double-sized bed. But what I used to view as a blessing, now seems like a curse, because with Ethanโs unbelievably long legs and muscular body, the bed I used to roll around in seems too small to fit us both.But Ethan doesnโt seem to mind, even if his feet dangle off the foot of the be
์ต์ ์
๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2022-06-24Destroy Me: RAZEย ย ย Chapter 38
EthanIโve always looked forward to game nights with the guys. Thereโs usually nothing that could beat hanging out in Lukeโs insanely large game room with free-flowing drinks and round after round of Mortal Kombat. But since Keira, I find myself dreading leaving her apartment to go to Lukeโs.โWhat took you so long, dude?โ Luke asks the moment I enter the door to his penthouse. โYou with Keira again?โโHuh?โโAre you dating her?โ This time it was Alexander who asks. He claps a hand on my shoulder leading me into the game room where the two other members are waiting.โDating who?โ I ask, trying to feign ignorance. It hasnโt even been an hour since I left Keiraโs apartment and promised her I would keep our relationship a secret until she was ready to go public, yet here I am being interrogated by my groupmates.Lukeโs game room is the size of a small public arcade. Equipped with the latest gaming consoles on one side of the room and retro gaming machines on the other, stepping in here a
์ต์ ์
๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2022-06-24
์ต์ ์ฑํฐ
Destroy Me: RAZEย ย ย Chapter 56
KeiraThe whole arena explodes into gasps and whispers. Normally, youโd be able to ignore whispers, but when twenty thousand people start to collectively gossip about you in your presence, then it starts to become bothersome.My eyes meet Ethanโs asking for help, but he offers me a determined look and a reassuring smile.โYouโve seen her in the news and tabloids, and Iโd like to ask everyone to please leave her alone,โ Ethan speaks with a sternness in his voice, that Iโve only heard him use on me a few times. โShe didnโt ask for thisโto be in the spotlight. It was my fault that this happened. So, any hate toward her should be directed at me instead.โThe crowd starts to shout comforting words at him, then.โItโs not your fault!โโWeโre sorry!โEthan smiles at his fans and Iโm glad that he has those who genuinely support him. โThank you all for your support. I promise not to let you down again in the future. From this moment forth, I promise to always be honest with youโฆ no more surpri
Destroy Me: RAZEย ย ย Chapter 55
KeiraWhen the four members of RAZE came to me with VIP tickets to their concert, I knew they were up to no good.โIโll take this as collateral,โ Alexander tells me as he unclasps the necklace and keeps it in his pocket. I cried about my necklace that night. I missed it the moment Alexander took it from me. It felt like it has always been a part of me, and when they took it, it felt like a part of me was missing.I sat on it, slept on it, and pondered on it for a long time before I decided that I had nothing left to lose except the man that I love.So without finishing my shift at the club, I shoot Jax a message, apologizing for disappearing all of a sudden.JAX [8:42 PM]Hurry up or you wonโt make it.Dumbass.Did Jax know about this? It wasnโt impossible given how Alexander, Ethan, and apparently Luke too were friends with him. I shoot Jax a quick thank you before running up to my uber.โSir, Iโm in a hurry. Please drive fast.โ This wasnโt the first time that I had asked an uber dri
Destroy Me: RAZEย ย ย Chapter 54
EthanโItโs the final day! Letโs give it our best!โ Alexander leads the group to cheer again and we scream together to hype each other up.The previous concert days have gone smoothly and Iโm confident that I can give a perfect performance today as well and I have Keira to thank for that.Iโve received positive responses from the fans telling me how they love my new look. And how they wished they could have seen me in this concept earlier.It makes me smile, but I canโt tell them that this isnโt a concept. This is my real personality, plain and simple.The concert goes well and without a hitch. It wasnโt until Liam pulls me aside during Aidenโs solo song that I notice that the boys are antsy.โHey, are you okay?โ I ask curiously. โYouโve been jumpy since the concert started. Are you nervous about something?โLiamโs nervous look transforms into a confused one real quick. โNervous? Iโm not nervous. Maybe youโre nervousโโโOkay, Liam, I got this.โ Alexander cuts him off and the look of r
Destroy Me: RAZEย ย ย Chapter 53
EthanMaking sure Iโm still safe in my hiding spot, I reread Keiraโs message over and over. This is real, right? Did she message me? This isnโt just some mirage that Iโd imagined because Iโm so deprived of Keira in my life, right?Just as Iโm wondering about the possibility of Keira sending me a message, another one comes in.KEIRA PATEL [10:16 PM]Itโs annoying and Naomiโs starting to hate me.Stop.I didnโt dream it.Holy shit, sheโs talking to me. Iโm overjoyed. Thereโs a part of me that entertained the idea of Keira moving on and leaving me. I was hopeful but I must admit I was starting to think sheโd never be able to forgive me for what happened. This doesnโt mean she has forgiven me, but talking to me is at least a step forward. I feared that she was lost to me forever, but I guess thereโs still hope.Quickly, I type out my reply.ETHAN REED [10:16 PM]You replied!Wait.YOU CAN SEE ME?If she could see me then maybe Keira really is at home. I peer outside the window but I canโ
Destroy Me: RAZEย ย ย Chapter 52
EthanThe concert goes on as planned.Alexander huddles us together before the concert starts, like how he does at the beginning of every major event.โEverything that happened tonight, letโs forget about it and give all of our energy back to the fans who came here to see us. We owe all of our success to them and despite everything, theyโre still here to support us. Letโs give them the show of their lives.โWe all cheer after Alexโs speech and it was moving.As we wait in the wings as the opening VCR starts, Alex pulls me aside and crushes me with a tight hug.โIโm proud of you,โ he says into my ear and I canโt help the sigh of relief that leaves my lips. โIโm proud of you, Ethan.โHe lets me go and Iโm too ashamed to face him.โGod, Iโm sorry, Alexโfor everythingโโโYouโVe apologized enough,โ he says with a smile and he claps a hand on my shoulder. โWhatever happens, we got you. Weโre a team, remember? Iโm sorry if I made you feel like you couldnโt rely on me. But you always have my
Destroy Me: RAZEย ย ย Chapter 51
KeiraI think I made a mistake. Whatever possessed me to think I could face the club owner sober?Jax is intimidating when Iโm drunk, and heโs downright terrifying now that Iโm sober. He stares at me like Iโm prey and heโs a predator waiting for me to make a move before he devours me alive.โSo?โ he asks. Shit. He spoke first. Jax spreads his hands out in a welcoming manner. โI have a few minutes, go ahead. Plead your case.โโOkay,โ I huff out and take a deep breath. โFirst of all, Iโm really sorry about what happened. I didnโt mean for any of this to happen. And believe me, it wasnโt my intentionโฆ Iโd understand if youโd want to fire me if I brought any bad rep to your clubโโOne of Jaxโs eyebrows quirks up in question. โYouโre asking me to fire you?โโNo!โ I blurt out, eyes wide in panic. โNo, Iโm sorry. No, quite the opposite. Iโm here to beg you for a job.โPhew. Itโs out. I managed to get it out. Great job, Keira.Observing Jax, nothing changed with his demeanor. The same playful
Destroy Me: RAZEย ย ย Chapter 50
KeiraAs promised, Naomi comes with me to Myth the next day. Feeling pretty much the same as I did yesterday, I had to bury myself in a shit-ton of makeup to hide the puffiness and dark circles.โMaybe if you hadnโt stayed up late watching The Notebook, then youโd have had enough time to sleep.โ Yeah, Naomi had scolded me for it earlier too.Speaking of Naomi, I owe her a lot. From promising to cover my rent for this month and for canceling a meeting to come with me today, she has been the best friend anyone could ever ask for.So, as we walk up the steps of the club at nine in the morning, I make a promise to myself that if I manage to convince Jax to let me work extra hours here, I would give something back to Naomi for being such a good friend.But to ask Jax for a favor, I need to be able to see Jax first. The man is illustrious and heโs almost always never accepts a walk-in meeting. But my good friend Chris promised heโd ask on my behalf.โHey boo, how are you holding up?โ Chris
Destroy Me: RAZEย ย ย Chapter 49
EthanWell, this is a fucking mess. When I arrived at Patrickโs office, the other members are waiting too. With Patrick still in his meeting with the president, weโre stuck here until further notice.โWell, itโs nice of you to show up,โ Aiden greets me as I take a seat, sandwiched between him and Alexander on the colorful couch. Luke and Liam are on the twin bean bags on the floor playing on their phones.โIโm sorry, I got held upโฆโ but I let it hang because when I turn to face Aiden, he doesnโt seem upset like I thought heโd be. In fact, Luke and Liam look indifferent as well. Itโs only Alexander who seems to have a furrow on his brow.Standing up, I address the room. โIโm sorry I got you all in this mess.โ I got their attention with that, but I know they deserve more than a half-assed apology. โIโm gonna work with Patrick to clear this up quickly.โLiam stands up then claps a hand on my shoulder and offers me a small smile. I return his smile with a grateful one. Among the men her
Destroy Me: RAZEย ย ย Chapter 48
EthanโNo! No, I didnโt!โ I yell out, frustrated and dejected from todayโs events. With my phone connected to the car, I can talk to Patrick while driving back. โThe breakup was civil! I donโt understand why Rina is lying, but donโt trust her.โI rub a hand over my mouth in frustration. It just goes to show that anything is indeed possible. What I thought would be the happiest day of my life turned out to be a nightmare. One moment I was laughing with the love of my life, tangled in the sheet, and now Iโve managed to involve her in a dating scandal.Iโm such a loser. I should have immediately gone after Keira. But instead, I wallowed in self-pity for the better half of the morning before I got my shit together and called my manager.I should have expected that the media would twist this into a scandal. And Rinaโฆ that wench. I should have known she was capable of something like this. It must have been her who leaked the photo from my neighborhood. Sheโs the only one who knew about it t
