Chapter 3 An attachment

It was always stifling in recording studios. Valeska reached for her water bottle, frantically unscrewing the cap with one hand and fanning herself uselessly with the other.

To her left, Gianna was singing along to her usual vocal exercises, preparing her voice for the session. Though she was usually responsible for the keyboard, she occasionally provided Valeska's backup vocals. The pair stood side by side in the isolation booth, Val warming up her throat as they awaited Sasha's signal.

On the other side of the glass, Felix, Liam and Kieran spread out around the room, consuming the small space. Liam and Felix were on the couch, the former tuning his instrument. Kieran was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed and his eyes on the girls, one girl to be specific.

The studio filled with sound as Valeska began to sing, her melodious voice like a siren song. Gianna's followed, harmonising perfectly as their voices blended and flowed to create a melodious sound.

Kieran watched intently, a smirk pulling at his lips. A flicker of amusement sparkled in his gaze, he'd always loved watched Val perform. Her enthusiasm, matched with her undeniable talent, was utterly captivating.

Liam joined on, the smooth, low vibrations of his bass guitar bouncing off the padded walls. Felix then counted himself in, effortlessly finding the beat and drumming along to it.

They almost had a complete song going, only one person was left. Valeska glanced up, her eyes landing on Kieran to find him already watching her.

She helplessly fought back the flush in her cheeks, their eyes locked on one another. It made her heart race whenever he looked at her like that, with such smouldering intensity.

Their secret breakup had been a messy, painful ordeal. It was the result of too many factors, a culmination of pressure, unspoken words and external factors that were ultimately too much to bear. There was no clean split or easy communication.

As a result, both of them were left to deal with an array of lingering emotions on their own. Anger, sorrow, hatred, and buried beneath them all, the ever-burning embers of a spark that once burned bright.

Sometimes those embers flickered, like when he insisted on staring at her with those piercing eyes of his as though she was the only person in the room.

Overcoming her initial fluster, Val raised a brow and gestured encouragingly to Kieran's guitar, prompting him to play. He indulged her immediately, his talented fingers effortlessly plucking at the strings and completing the ensemble.

He played flawlessly, as always, yet his strumming seemed absentminded. Even as he followed the rhythm, never missing a single beat, his attention seemed to be solely on Valeska.

A few hours passed, and it was time for their second show. This performance was somewhat smaller than the one from yesterday. After this was over, they'd return home where they'd relax, practice, and wait for their next round of bookings.

Sasha, ever the meticulous manager, had deliberately coordinated just about everything you could imagine. The photos of Val and Kieran on the red carpet from the night before had gone viral all over the internet. So of course, Sasha intended to utilise this to generate a similar level of publicity once more.

She'd organised a staggered arrival, having all members of the band show up at the venue at different times. First came Felix, his fans practically melting as he flashed them his dazzling smile and dreamy eyes.

Liam arrived ten minutes later, followed by Gianna. Sasha scheduled the night this way to allow each of them their own moment in the spotlight before they went on stage as a group.

However Val and Kieran were a special matter. They'd be arriving together, this was absolutely necessary to support the illusion of their love for one another.

Kieran slumped against the backseat of the car, indifferent to the way he invaded Val's space until she was nearly pressed against the door.

As the car drew close to the venue, he suddenly sat up straight. "What happen-" Valeska started, but cut herself off when he took her waist in his strong hands and lifted her onto his lap.

Val struggled against him defiantly, preparing to elbow him in the crotch if he didn't release her. But then they rounded the corner and a crowd of paparazzi came into view, hundreds of them surrounding the stadium.

Understanding dawned upon her in an instant, and she begrudgingly went into 'girlfriend' mode. Relaxing into Kieran's warm chest, she allowed him to encircle his arms around her.

As the car pulled up to the carpet, cameras began to flash from all directions. They hadn't even gotten out yet, but there must've been about two hundred photos of them already, simply sitting in the vehicle.

Kieran gently set Val back down onto the seat, freeing himself to exit the car. Val moved to let herself out, but Kieran beat her to it. The picture of an absolute gentleman, he opened the door for her and outstretched a hand for her to take.

Valeska mustered up the most grateful smile she could manage, forcing herself to take ahold of his hand and then trying not to scowl when he raised it to his lips and planted a soft kiss to her skin.

Kieran kept her close as he led them through the throng of photographers and journalists, tilting his head down to her ear. "You look good tonight, we might as well make the most of the extra attention."

Inside the venue, The Vipers were almost ready to go out. Stood amongst each other backstage, they ran over some last minute details.

Valeska was scrolling on her phone absentmindedly, when all of a sudden a notification obscured the top half of the screen. It was from an anonymous sender, with an attachment.

Intrigued, Valeska opened the message. Her face fell instantly. The text read; "Hey ViperVal, I had soo much fun with your boyfriend last night, I just thought I'd let you know."

Underneath was an image of Kieran, visibly drunk, with his shirt lifted above his sculpted abs and a line of salt sprinkled along them. Some girl was leaning into him, poised to lick the salt and take a body shot from his abdominals.

Val's hands shook with anger as she sprung out of her seat, beelining for Kieran.

"You. Fucking. Fool." She hissed, shoving at his chest between words. Kieran stumbled back into the wall, his expression momentarily stunned before falling back into his signature look of disinterest.

The others jumped up, flocking around the pair in preparation to intervene. They were literally minutes away from going on stage, now was not the time for a fight.

"Babe, what happened?" Gianna's calm voice cut through the tension, her brow furrowed in confusion.

Valeska seethed, her fingers flying over her screen as she pulled the image back up, flipping the phone to show the others.

Silence fell upon the group, time standing still as they processed what they were looking at. Kieran's face gave away nothing, his stoic expression remaining even as he observed the photo.

Liam was the first to break the silence. Swallowing hard, he made towards the door and said, "I'll go get Sasha."