MOLLY
“IFYOU HAVEN’Theardof Molly Dyer, I have one question for you: Where the hell have you been?
This up-and-coming singing sensationhas been making the YouTube and Instagram rounds, thanks to her currentposition as Devin O’Leary’s opening act. I’m sorry to say the Texas nativedoesn’t yet have an album—my fingers and toes are crossed in every way they canbe crossed that this is going to happen soon—but you can check out songs like‘Fireflies & Firelight,’ ‘My Past Is A Recurring Dream,’ and ‘Where You AreIs Where I Need To Be’ on YouTube.
Now, with that professionalintroduction out of the way, I need to make a confession: I have a bit of acrush on this woman, and it’s the kind of crush that surpasses physicalattraction.
Sure, she’s gorgeous, in apunk-rock, Bohemian princess kind of way.
Sure, she’s got what I’dconsider the perfect body; tight, toned, and Marilyn-Monroe-curvy—excuse thepuddles of drool here, guys.
But Molly is more than all ofthat. So much more. Let me count the ways …
She’s intelligent, asportrayed on her Instagram account. She’s profoundly poetic, using lyrics like,‘Their numbing words keep me awake/I’ve forgotten how to sleep/But the onlypain I’ve ever felt/Was the promise you didn’t keep.’ She’s got the skills tohang with the guys, and the pleasantry to be a lady. She’s physically motivatedand impressively health conscious, as proven with her running, yoga, and veganlifestyle. She’s compassionate, talented, and …
Screw it. Molly Dyer, will youmarry me?
Okay, okay—I kid (kind of).But all joking aside, I’m pointingall ofthese thingsout for one reason and one reason alone: Chad Wilcox.
Now, if you don’t know whoheis, well … I didn’t either, until I Googledhis name and discovered he’s the backup guitarist and vocalist for DevinO’Leary. While hisbossis certainly well-known, Chad’s not exactlya household name, but after some thorough research, I’ve learned the guy hasskills. He’d have to, to play with O’Leary, right? And, okay, from a strictlyheterosexual point of view, he’s not exactly a sight for sore eyes, either.
At this point, you’re askingyourself, what’s his connection to Molly? Well, apart from her opening for theband he plays in, fans speculated about the duo’s bond on Instagram for weeks.There was even a trending hashtag dedicated to this strange, fan-derived phenomenon.And, much to my poor heart’s horror, these two are apparently now dating, asmade so publicly known via Wilcox’s Instagram page.
Excuse me when I say … I don’tget it.
This woman has proven to havethe public confidence and strength of a lioness, the timeless skill of thegreatest divas, and the uniquely enviable beauty of Bettie Page. Yet, she’sshacking up with a mediocre musician who couldn’t make it as thefrontmaneven if he tried. What’s worse is, he recentlycame out as having Ulcerative Colitis, a chronic bowel disease that’sapparently as glamorous as it sounds. And look, I’m not shaming the guy forbeing sick, but let’s be frank here: This is clearly a pity fuck—pardon myFrench. Right? Please tell me that’s what this is. Because, guys, Molly Dyer isa star.
Hell, forget the stars.
She’s the sun, the moon—theentire universe. And this guy?
He’s a comet, orbiting aroundthe sun. Leading himself to an eventual fate of evaporation and dust.
And when that time comes, I’vebeen told I have a pretty good shoulder to cry on … (wink, wink)”
***
I tiptoed back to our room from the bus’s kitchen,after finding Greyson, Sebastian, and Ty inconspicuously weeping together onthe couch while watchingSweetHome Alabama. Stifling mygiggles, I closed the door behind me and jumped on the bed beside Chad.
“Yougottasee ‘emout there,” I whispered, finally releasing the fit oflaughter I’d been holding in. “They’re all choked upwatchin’that stupid movie.”
I waited for Chad to laugh with me, but his eyeswere glued to his phone and a scowl was firmly affixed to his lips. I sighedand asked, “What’s up, sweetie?” And as though he’d been waiting for me to ask,he handed the phone to me to present another article. I read the first few,insulting lines.
“So,another asshole wrote some nasty stuff on his blog.” I lowered his phone to mylap and turned to him. He looked pale, defeated, and sick. “I’m failing tounderstand what the big deal is.”
“That’sthe third one I’ve found in two weeks, Molls,” he grumbled shortly, snatchingthe phone from my hands to scroll through it. “And this time, it’s not justanother asshole. This guy gets hundredsof thousands of hits on his site every month. You see these comments?”
Iwiped a hand over my mouth, desperately wishing we could just go to sleepwithout having this conversation again. “I didn’t look, no.”
Chadsucked in a heavy breath and read, “’It doesn’t surprise me that a shitguitarist would have a shit disease.’” He swallowed and shook his head beforereading another, “’Poor Molly. Do you think she has to change his diapers?’”His voice broke and he dropped the phone to the bed.
“Sweetie…” I slid my hand over to rest on his thigh. “They’re just random, faceless,jealous assholes hiding behind a computer screen. They mean nothing to you, orme. Okay?”
Pullingin another breath, he pinched his lips and grabbed the phone again to read onemore. “’I just saw Devin O’Leary play last night, and Igottasay … Ever since this guy made his nobleannouncement,I can’t look at him the same way. It weirds me out, and the thought of him withMolly makes me feel sorry for her. It’s so gross.’”
Hetossed the phone to the foot of the bed and laid back against the pillows,covering his eyes with a hand. “This person was at a show, Molly. They were outin the crowd, thinking this fuckin’ shit aboutus. Hell, maybe we even met him or her. I could’ve signed somethingfor them andtheyjust, what? Pretended they werehappy while secretly they wanted to scrub themselves down with hand sanitizer?That’s not somefaceless asshole.”
Ilaid my hand against his chest and stroked my fingers in a gentle arch. “Youneed to stay off the internet, Chad.”
