Part 27

Noel slammed the studio door behind him, the heavy thud failing to drown out the ringing in his ears. The cold night air hit him like a physical blow, but it wasn't enough to cool the prickling heat under his skin. He felt raw, exposed, and, most of all, furious at himself for letting the mask slip. How much clearer could he make it? She just was not interested..

'Oi, Romeo! Hold up!'

Liam was leaning against the brick wall near the entrance, a glowing cigarette dangling from his lips. He looked like he'd been waiting for the fireworks. He straightened up, a wolfish grin cutting through the darkness.

'That was a quick exit,' Liam drawled, blowing a plume of smoke into the damp air. 'What happened? Did she start talking back, or did you just realise you're a miserable old sod who can't handle a bit of the truth?'

Noel didn't stop walking. 'Not now, Liam. Move.'

'Oh, I'm moving, I'm moving,' Liam chirped, falling into step beside him with that unmistakable, cocky swagger. 'But you can't run away from that song. You played that like your life depended on it. And then I see you in there, and you go act like a schoolboy who's just been caught behind the bike sheds.'

Noel stopped abruptly by the door of his car, spinning around to face his brother. His eyes were dark with a dangerous shimmer. 'You don't know what you're talking about. You never do.'

'I know a love song when I hear one,' Liam countered, his voice dropping the mockery for a split second of genuine grit. 'And I know that look on your face. You're terrified because she saw right through you. You act all high and mighty but you can't even stand in front of a girl and tell her she's the object of your affection'

Noel's jaw tightened. He wanted to punch him, but the truth in Liam's words felt like a lead weight in his stomach. 'She's a PA, Liam. It's work. That's it. Don't make this into something it's not'

Liam let out a loud, harsh bark of laughter that echoed down the empty street. 'Work? You're obsessed with her Noel. Wanna know what the best part is, though? You've just made her think she's nothing. For a fuckin' musical genius, you're a real idiot when it comes to women. All your lyrics mean so much to so many people, but you can't even explain to the object of your affection what she really means to you..So what you gonna do about it, Mr. Mighty I?' Liam grinned, but Noel took a deep breath and got in his car, slammed it into gear and roared away, the engine's growl drowning out the world until the only thing left was the rhythmic blur of streetlights and the furious, traitorous sting of tears he refused to let fall.

He blinked rapidly, cursing the sudden tightness in his throat; Liam was right, he could write a stadium anthem about heartbreak for eighty thousand people to sing back to him, yet right now he was suffocating under the weight of three words he'd been too proud to say to his only object of affection, his PA.

An hour later, Caroline sent out the final e-mail of the day, all that stuff with Noel earlier on, had her stomach in knots, she slowly got up and gathered her stuff, he was probably on his way to his new love interest, no forget about it, at least now you know where you stand, just a PA, Caro, that's it, just a PA..go get yourself something to eat and Netflix yourself into oblivion, at least then you won't have to think about anything.

Caroline's fingers trembled as she turned the key, the heavy thud of the deadbolt sounding extra loud in the deserted alley. The silence of the industrial estate was suffocating, and the half-darkness sent a little shiver down her spine. She gripped her keys between her knuckles, a familiar, cold dread pooling in her gut at the thought of the solitary walk to her car and the empty flat that awaited her.

She turned, her breath hitching in the damp air, only to find the shadows shifting just a few feet away.

'Leaving so soon, Caroline?'

The voice didn't come from the street; it came from right behind her. She spun around, her heart leaping into her throat, as Rob stepped up to her. His eyes were dark, and he moved with a predatory stillness that made the hair on her arms stand up.

Before she could even draw breath to scream, he closed the distance, slamming her against the brick wall, pinning her to the cold stone. 'Noel's gone, back to the little wifey and kids' he hissed, his face leaning into the sliver of light, twisted into something unrecognizable. 'And Liam's gone. It's just you and me now, and we need to talk..about you filing complaints against me..'

The air left Caroline's lungs in a painful wheeze as the brickwork bit into her shoulder blades. Rob's grip was like iron, his fingers digging into her upperarms with a force that promised bruises again. 'Let go of me, Rob, I didn't..file a complaint..I didn't..' she tried to wriggle free from his grasp

'You're a liar!' Rob snarled, his face now inches from hers, his eyes wild with a dangerous paranoia. He shoved her harder against the wall, knocking the wind out of her. 'You think I'm stupid? You think you can just play the victim and get my business taken away from me?'

He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a terrifying, jagged whisper that made Caroline's blood run cold. 'You're going to regret ever backstabbing me, after all I did for you..and where's your precious Noel now huh? Maybe I should go and pay him a visit as well, and tell his wifey all about her hubby getting it on with his PA, or I can call a few tabloids? And all that, months before the big reunion tour..'

Rob's laughter was a jagged, ugly sound that made the alleyway feel even smaller. His hand shifted from her arm to her throat, not squeezing yet, but the threat was heavy and suffocating. 'Think about the headlines, Caro. "Oasis Reunion Ruined by Secret Affair". How do you think the Chief will handle that? He'll toss you to the wolves to save his own skin before the next rehearsal is even over.'

Caroline felt the rough brick scraping her scalp as she tried to pull back, her mind racing. The mention of the Oasis Reunion made the stakes terrifyingly clear, Rob wasn't just threatening her safety; he was weaponizing the biggest music news of the decade to keep her silent.

'He doesn't... he doesn't care about me like that, let me go, I didn't file a complaint..believe me, I don't know where you get the..idea from but Noel..he's my employer, nothing more' she choked out, her voice trembling, trying to push his hands away but to no avail, he was too strong and too tall.

'Doesn't he?' Rob sneered, his grip tightening. 'Then he won't mind when I tell the world you're my dirty, little stalker who made everything up. It's your word against mine, Caro..you decide'. I either call my paparazzi friends now or..'

'Or what, Rob?' she desperately gasped for air as he squeezed it really tight now, choking her.

Rob's eyes were bloodshot, his face contorting with a sickening sense of power as he felt her pulse fluttering frantically under his palm. 'Or you come with me right now, and we're going to have a very long chat about how you're going to fix this mess you made, and I accept a payment in kind as we're gonna get really, really cozy you and I' he hissed, his thumb pressing harder into her windpipe.

Caroline's world began to gray at the edges. She clawed at his wrists, her nails digging into his skin, but the lack of oxygen made her limbs feel like lead. The predatory grin on Rob's face widened, thinking he had finally broken her spirit. 'Ok..uhhh..Ok..enough..pl-ea-se..e-nough' she accepted the deal, what else could she do while fighting for air.

Rob's grip lessened slightly, though he still held her. 'Good,' he whispered, his voice low. 'Now, we're going to walk to my car, and you're going to keep quiet' he grinned knowing he had finally full control over her.

Liam was several streets away before the nagging feeling in his gut turned into a full-blown roar. He'd lived his whole life on instinct, reading crowds, reading melodies, and reading the subtle shifts in the air before a fight broke out. And right now, the air felt foul. Why was she the one locking up when it was clear that she didn't feel safe after that whole ordeal with that Rob guy?

He pulled a violent U-turn, his tires screeching as he sped back toward the dark alley. As he rounded the final corner, his heart dropped into his stomach. There she was being dragged towards a car. Fuck no!

He grabbed his phone, pressed 'record' and jumped out of his car, 'Caroline? There you are!' Liam walked up to them, plan A was ripping this guy's head off, plan B was pretending he had no idea what was going on in front of him and see how he would react.

Liam tucked the phone into his jacket pocket, the lens peeking out just enough to capture the flickering streetlights and Rob's trembling hands. He kept his pace steady, his swagger dialed up to a level of nonchalance that was terrifyingly out of place.

'Good thing you're still here, I need the keys to the hall, Caro,' Liam called out, his voice smooth. He didn't look at Rob; he kept his eyes locked on Caroline, trying to signal her to stay calm. 'Noel's left his fuckin' lucky guitar inside. Bossman's throwing a fit. You know how he gets.'

Rob froze, his hand still clamped tight around Caroline's upper arm, his face a mask of sweat and slightly twitching paranoia. He looked at Liam, then at the car, his brain clearly scrambling to figure out if Liam had seen the struggle or just the aftermath.

'She's... she's just helping me move some gear for my café, Liam,' Rob stammered, his grip tightening on Caroline until she winced. 'We're in a rush.'

'Gear? In that tiny car? You're an optimist, Rob..is it?' Liam quipped, stepping into the circle of light, his presence now physically blocking the path to the driver's door. He shifted his gaze to Rob, his eyes turning into cold, lethal slits. 'Funny thing is, I don't see any gear. Just saw you manhandling my brother's PA like she's a sack of potatoes..so maybe you wanna rethink that story? 'Cause I've got all the time in the world, and I'm pretty sure the London Met would love to see what I'm filming.'

Caroline caught the word 'filming' and felt a surge of hope. She took a ragged breath, her eyes pleading with Liam.

Rob's eyes darted to Liam's pocket. He realized he was being recorded, and the 'nice guy' mask finally fell off 'You think you're so clever,' Rob hissed, his voice cracking. 'You and your brother. You think you can just play with people.'

'Clever, me? I don't think I'm clever at all,' Liam drawled, his voice dropping an octave into that menacingly calm tone he always used right before a stage-side brawl. 'I'm actually a bit of a thicko, ask anyone. But I do know a fuckin' coward when I see one. And I see one right now, shaking like a leaf while holding onto a girl who you beat to a pulp a week ago and now you're obviously thinking about taking things a few steps further, you like it when they put up a fight before you have your way with them, don't you?.'

Liam took another step forward, his shadow stretching long and imposing over the car. 'Here's how this goes, Rob. Option one: you let her go, you get in that car, and you disappear before I punch your lights out. Option two: you keep holding her, and I show the Metropolitan Police, and the tabloids, exactly what a "nice café-owner" you are, I bet your customers will be so interested in seeing that too'.

Liam's voice was like ice, each word designed to strip away Rob's delusions. The mention of the café hit home; his "respectable" face in the community was the only thing he seemed to have left. Seeing that face dismantled in front of his customers was the ultimate threat.

Rob's eyes went wide, darting between Liam's phone and the dark exit of the alley. His breathing was shallow, a sickening sound of a man watching his entire world catch fire. The psychological pressure Liam was applying was far more effective than a punch.

'You don't know anything,' Rob stammered, but his grip on Caroline's arm finally faltered. 'I didn't hurt her, it was a mistake... she tripped...'

'Save it for the judge, you weirdo,' Liam spat, taking one final, intimidating step into Rob's personal space. He reached out and bodily shoved Rob's shoulder, a clear signal that the time for talking was over. 'Let. Her. Go. Now.'

Rob looked at Caroline, then back at Liam's murderous expression. With a sharp, terrified shove, he pushed Caroline toward Liam and scrambled for the driver's side door.

'She lied to that doctor, she was going to ruin me!' Rob screamed, his grip on Caroline's arm becoming white-knuckled. 'I worked really hard for my café! I won't let some little slut take that away because she can't handle a joke!'

'It's not a joke when she's beat up and crying, you prick!' Liam snapped back, if this stupid fucker wasn't leaving in the next 10 seconds, he was gonna beat the living daylights out of him.

'This isn't over!' Rob yelled as he let go of her and dove into the seat, but his voice was high-pitched and pathetic. He slammed the car into gear, the tires screaming as he reversed blindly, nearly hitting a dumpster before swerving out onto the main road and disappearing into the night.

The silence that followed was heavy. Caroline stood there, shivering and silent tears streaming down her face. Liam took a step toward her, but stopped when he saw her flinch. He held his hands up, open and empty. 'It's alright, he's gone, come on, we're going home..'