Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 81401 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81401 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
The poor man looks confused, but nods. “Yes, of course.”
I still don’t believe him though until I see Freddie and Hayden coming toward me. They’re smiling, and more importantly, they’re alive and seemingly uninjured. If they were in an accident, it was a fender bender, meaning there was no reason for me to come home. It hits me like a ton of bricks. I’ve been duped. I’ve been set up and brought back to California against my own will.
Van gets out of the limo and hugs Hayden and Freddie. I angle my head, waiting for Darian to show his face so I can beat the shit out of him. I know he’s best friends with Van, but if he had any part in this set-up, I’m going to kill him. Our mother will understand because blood is thicker than the lying cheating asshole best friend who cheated on your sister guy.
“Hello, Zara.”
It takes me a minute to recognize the face of our manager at the record label, Caleb Gilbert, and standing next to him is my agent, Asher Greene, who does not look pleased.
The car pulls away, leaving me standing in the middle of the driveway, almost as if I’m in a standoff. Van, Hayden, Freddie, and Caleb are all staring at me, while Asher’s focused on the ground.
“What’s going on?”
“We have business to discuss,” Caleb says, motioning for me to follow everyone inside. Reluctantly, I pick up my bag and start to follow until I reach Asher.
“You’re in on this?” I ask. What this is, I don’t even know, but I have a feeling this is some backward attempt at an intervention. You know, because I’m the one screwing up the dynamics of the band.
“Sorry, Z.”
My throat tightens, and my heart starts racing as I walk into the small conference room. The sight of food makes my stomach growl, but I can’t eat anything. The thought of food makes me want to hurl right now.
I take the lone seat at the end of the table, and the people I once considered my family surround me, except Darian. I look at Hayden and Freddie and shake my head. “I thought you were seriously hurt. You lied to me.” Neither of them say anything, nor do they show any remorse.
Caleb clears his throat and folds his hands. “Zara, we know you’re going through a rough time, but this. . .” he waves his hand dismissively. “Whatever it is that you have going on with this guy. . . what’s his name,” he says as he shuffles through some papers. “Oh yes, Levi Austin. It stops now.”
“Excuse me?”
“Zara, what Caleb is trying to say is that your image is taking a beating right now and that is affecting his ability to market Reverend Sister,” Asher says with a half-assed smile.
“Who I date is none of the label’s business.”
“It is when the label suffers,” Caleb says. “When we signed you, we signed you with the understanding that you were with Van.” He bobbles his head back and forth as if he’s speaking to a four-year-old.
“So you’re saying that I have to be with Van, even though he’s fucking the entire population of Los Angeles, and who knows where else because the label is suffering?”
Caleb sighs.
“You do realize that if he had kept his dick in his pants where it belonged, we wouldn’t be having this conversation, and yet, you’re coming after me because I moved on?”
“It’s not about you moving on, Zara. It’s about who you moved on with. You have an image, and that image screams danger. It’s punk rock, not Holly Homemaker or whatever it is you’ve been doing in Hicksville.”
“Z, what Caleb is saying—”
“Don’t fucking talk to me, Hayden. I thought you were dying. You and Freddie are no better than Van.” Years of friendship, down the drain. “Where’s my brother?”
Van clears his throat. “He doesn’t know we’re here.”
“And why’s that, Van?”
Van shakes his head, refusing to answer because he knows that Darian won’t stand for this. When it comes down to it, Darian will always side with me. “That’s what I thought.”
Caleb slides a paper to Asher, who pushes it toward me. “You have two choices, Zara. End the relationship with the crooner or relinquish your stake in Reverend Sister.”
This time I don’t hold back the tears. People, who have nothing to do with the creation of my band, are forcing me to choose between the man I love and the band that I created with my brother in our garage.
I look at everyone in the room. Their eyes are downcast, looking at the table, all except Van’s. He’s leaning back in his chair, staring at me, waiting to see what move I’m going to make.
levi
Thirty-Four
My phone weighs heavily in my hand as I look at the picture of the woman I love, holding hands with the man she has sworn to be done with.