Lyrical (Academy of Stardom, #2)

by Bea Paige

“God-fucking-damn-it,” I curse under my breath, my head spinning with the pain, with hunger and disappointment. “You’re weak too. You haven’t eaten in a while,” Dax comments whilst stalking me. Behind him, York just stares, like he’s stuck in a trance and can’t quite believe what he’s seeing. Yeah, the truth hurts, arsehole. “Stay away!” I hiss. Dax shakes his head. “Look at you, you’re a fucking mess.” The thing is, I can’t deny it. I am a mess. My dress has a sweat patch on both the front and back. There’s a tear at the hem that opens over my upper thigh and shows off the strap of my knickers. My hair is sweaty and knotted from dancing. My feet, hands and shins are covered in blood from the cage floor and I know without looking that my mascara has smeared beneath my eyes. I let out a hysterical laugh. “Well, this is what happens when you’ve literally got nothing left, no money to your name and no one who gives a shit about you. Mum washed her hands of me too now so it’s not as if I can go home for a nice family meal cooked lovingly by my mother!” I scoff, shaking my head. “Ha! Who am I trying to kid? I was always one step away from starving. Who needs food anyway?” “You still have Lena,” York says gently, almost too quietly for me to hear. My eyes snatch up, then narrow. “Leave her the fuck out of this!” “Enough!” Dax shouts, and in two steps he’s hauled me up into his arms, across his chest, and is striding across the car park towards the Bentley. Before I’m even able t...