Finally Heaven (Room 103 Book 4) by D H Sidebottom Page B

on me as though asking me the question personally. “How I asked you to all be honest with me so the media couldn’t pull up all the bullshit surrounding your secrets and slaughter you?”
    I closed my eyes slowly, my breathing becoming uncontrollable. It wasn’t what I knew to be on the front page that hurt, it was the knowledge of how it got there that was tearing me apart slowly from the inside.
    “Please don’t do this here.” I whispered, holding his eyes, pleading with him not to do this in front of the guy’s. “Brent. Please.”
    He shook his head sadly, his eyes watering but regret written all over him. “We do this here, Romeo, in front of your friends, because fuck! You’re gonna need every one of them.”
    “Romeo?” Bulk moved across the room, coming to stand by my side.
    My stomach twisted, nausea fighting for freedom. I couldn’t seem to breathe properly, my lungs struggling to cope with the violent way I was sucking air in.
    “What the hell is going on?” Boss asked as E slid back into her seat and every single pair of eyes locked on me.
    “I hope you’re strong enough for the backlash of this, Romeo,” Brent said quietly, “because shit, on top of the Penny scandal, the press are gonna rip you to fucking shreds.”
    He threw the paper into the centre of the table, all eyes looking at it as it unrolled and the evidence of last night’s fun broke my heart.
    Everyone leaned over to read it, each of them slowly seating themselves back down, a loud silence developing around me.
    Fire heated my whole body, shame and self-disgust raging through me. I couldn’t lift my eyes from the paper; the black and white photograph of mine and Nick’s entwined bodies haunting me, the pleasure on my face horrifying. What had last night seemed too good to be true, had actually turned out too good to be true. His deception hurt, in fact it fucking crippled me. I had believed his lies, trusted his words that he wasn’t fucking me just for a story. What a fucking fool!
    “And this causes a problem, how?” Bulk asked as he squeezed my shoulder.
    I blinked, lifting my face and stared at him. His eyes were on Brent, confusion written across his features.
    “He’s bisexual, not a fucking alien!” Boss snapped at Brent. “Why is this a problem?”
    “Because no one knew, that’s why!” Brent argued.
    “We knew, so what the hell does other people’s opinions matter?” E bit back. “Fuck them, this is Romeo’s preference. It’s not gonna suddenly stop his ability to play guitar, so I’m not sure what the issue is?”
    “Wait?” I stuttered, “What? You know?”
    She lifted a brow in disbelief. “Of course we know. Romeo,” She sighed, shaking her head slowly. “You really should stop drinking. You tell us all sorts when you’re pissed. Only problem is you can never remember the next day.” She leaned across to me and slipped her fingers through mine, giving me a smile. “We’ve been waiting years for you to tell us when you’re actually sober!”
    “And you don’t...”
    “Don’t?” E pressed when I paused and cringed.
    “Well... I don’t disgust you?”
    Everyone chuckled. “Fuck Romeo,” Bulk laughed. “We have Boss for Christ’s sake, nothing disgusts us anymore.”
    Boss glowered at Bulk then turned to me with his head tipped in puzzlement. “No, you don’t disgust us… where the fuck did you get that idea?”
    “I dunno, I just thought.”
    I looked around, coming to rest on Jen. My whole body seized up with her sorrowful eyes. “Oh fuck!” I shot upright quickly scanning the room. “Where is she?”
    Jen shrugged. “I dunno, she just went for something to eat.”
    Brent groaned, his fingers rubbing at the bridge of his nose. “She was sat at a table in the main area with an old woman.” I nodded but froze with his next words. “She was reading a paper.”

    WHY WASN’T SHE answering the door? I’d tried to open it but it was locked and I’d been thumping on the