Star in the Shadows by Helen Buckley
The Jacobs family are desperate to see the girl next door again and discover why she ran away, especially their son Shane, who blames himself for her disappearance.
When Kiara’s manager forces her into a reveal-all TV interview she knows the family she loved more than her own will finally discover the truth.
Can she overcome her demons or will the shadows of the past rob her of fame, fortune, and a chance to finally fall in love?
In this extract the main character, Kiara, is in the apartment she shares with the rest of the girls in the girlband, before they’ve become famous. Kiara has fled from their performance that evening and her manager, Marco, comes to find her.
Marco found her in the apartment later that night, face down on the table, her hands clutching a mugful of vodka, tears pooling on the cheap wooden table. Her corset was still cutting into her breathing, her head dizzy.
“Right Kiara, I need an explanation.” Marco sat next to her and tapped her on the shoulder. “You’re not sick and I’m not stupid. Something’s up.”
She raised her head slightly from the table. “I’m not feeling well Marco.”
He pulled her head back by her hair. “Ow!” she yelled, sitting up and glaring at him. She wiped a hand across her cheeks, smearing black trails of mascara across her blusher.
Marco frowned at her and threw her a Kleenex. “You’re a mess. Wipe your face.”
He sniffed at her mug and raised an eyebrow. “No wonder you feel ill. What is this?”
She wiped her cheeks with the Kleenex and looked at him incredulously. “Vodka.”
“Cheap shit.” Marco shook his head. “Where’s the bottle?”
She tottered to the cupboard and reached behind several cereal boxes to where she kept her stash in a paper bag and plonked it down unceremoniously on the table. Marco grabbed a mug and poured himself some, wrinkling his nose as he sipped.
“So, what happened?” He leaned back in his chair and folded his hands over his torso.
Kiara shrugged. “I saw someone in the club that I knew, and it kinda freaked me out.”
Marco raised an eyebrow. “Ex-boyfriend?”
Kiara laughed at the thought, given she had never dated anyone. “Nope, just someone I used to know. It brought back too many memories, and I, I couldn’t handle it.”
“Hmmm.” Marco sipped his vodka, grimacing. “I don’t know how you can drink this neat.”
They sat in silence and Marco leaned forward, placing his mug on the table.
“Kiara.”
She looked at him, eyes bleary from tears and alcohol. “Are you going to fire me from the group?” she asked.
He pressed his lips together. “I won’t but I need you to be honest with me.”
“About what?” she asked.
“About everything. You’ve barely told us anything about who you are or where you come from. You drink yourself to sleep every night, you have terrible nightmares.” He held up a hand as she tried to interrupt. “Did you think we wouldn’t notice? You share a room with two other women!”
“Listen,” he said, rubbing his temples and lowering his voice. “I advocated for you to be in this group. Anna didn’t want you, but ever since I saw you singing at that hotel bar I’ve believed in you. I need you to trust me and tell me everything so I can help you and protect you.”
“From what?”
“I think Femme Fatale could be really big. But if that happens, then the press will start to ask questions, people will want to know about who you are and where you come from. You’ll need help to handle that, but I can’t help you if you don’t tell me.”
She looked at him quietly.
“Didn’t you ever think that this would happen? That at some point that voice of yours might get you noticed?” he asked her, surprised.
She looked down at the table and traced a finger round a spill, her sharp red nails gleaming, blood-like.
“I guess I never really thought it was a possibility,” she muttered.
“Well, it is,” Marco smiled at her. “And as my most talented singer, I demand you tell me everything.”
“How long have you got?” she replied.
– Twitter – HelenCBuckley/ Insta – helencatherinebuckley / website: buckleybooks.org
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