Violet had not missed the ring that Maddox slipped on my finger the week before. I bought him one the next day, and he was wearing it around his neck until our wedding.
The word wedding tripped through me again, and I grinned.
“If you’re not announcing it,” Vi snapped in my ear, “you damn well better lose the grin every time you look at your hand.”
I stuck my tongue out at her. I was going to make a comment, but I saw Hailey motioning us up to the stage. “Be good, I’ll be back later.”
“I’ll try.”
I shook my head and made my way to the stage. I knew she’d be good. She’d utterly thrived in high school. She’d gotten into Tisch, on just the strength of a few weeks of a portfolio that she slapped together. She was considering waiting a year for college so she could beef up her portfolio and applications for the schools she was interested in. The house and land in Maryland had sold at a price to pay for her whole college tuition no matter where she decided to go.
She’d also taken over my room at the apartment. I paid her part of the rent. I’d basically moved into Maddox’s place three months before. David and Mel were happy there, and they had the whole bottom floor now.
Which was, according to Violet, a good thing. They were apparently very sexually active and very loud.
I stepped up on the stage and Holland slapped me on the shoulder. “Welcome to superstardom.”
“Already there, man.” I laughed.
Maddox pulled me against him and dropped a quick kiss on my lips. There were some whoops and hollers from the crowd, all positive. He’d come out as bi just a few weeks after the incident with Essie, and he didn’t hide that he was with me.
“Ladies and gentleman!” Hailey yelled. “Welcome to the release party for Robot Servant’s newest album!”
A huge cheer went up from the crowd, and the album cover flashed up on all four walls of the hall we were in. I could see Violet beaming from the center of the room—she had designed the cover and it was a gorgeous cover that embodied the sounds we’d created. The title of the album was cleverly illustrated diagonally across it:Violence.
That was going to be the first single, which was right that moment being emailed and uploaded to radio stations around the country.
“Are you ready for the music?” Hailey called into her mike.
The cheer went up, and she pointed at the DJ on stage right, who queued it up. I grinned, and found my sister in the crowd to see her reaction to the song.
I can’t help who I love
It’s part of my blood
Cleave my heart in two
Half mine, half for you
Miss you violence
Hiding in shadow
Seek your comfort
In the light of day
Miss you violence
and what we once were
Her jaw dropped open and I could see the tears gathering in her eyes. I jumped from the stage and ran right over to her, pulling her into a hug and singing the words along with the music in the air.
If I could I would
Take you away, hide you away
From hate so you don’t
