“The Grammys was my low point. I don’t ever intend to act that dumb and selfish again.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Right. Well, when I accused him of cheating, that was pretty low too.”
Noah looks at him sideways. “Also not what I meant, but wow, you have a long list of offenses, huh?”
Before Skyler can say anything to defend himself—not that he should eventryto defend himself—Noah’s eyes soften.
“I’m talking about his mom’s voicemail. When you broke his phone. I only knew about it because Oli told me, but it sounded like he was pretty destroyed over it.”
Skyler has no idea what he means. He remembers breaking Trevor’s phone in his pathetic desperation, but. “What voicemail?”
Noah looks surprised. “Oh. Um. I guess he had a voicemail saved on his phone, something his mom left him right before she… So when the phone broke, all he could think about was that he’d lost it. He didn’t tell you?”
No, he didn’t.
“I need to…” Skyler pushes his chair back and stands abruptly.
“Hey, I’m sorry,” Noah says. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
He shakes his head. “You didn’t, don’t worry.”
This washisfault. Like so many other things.
God, this night is turning into his apology tour.
Skyler makes his way towardTrevor, but then hovers nearby, not wanting to interrupt. As he’s waiting for an opening to pull him aside, Jermaine comes over and hands him what looks like a Cosmo. Skyler raises his eyebrows.
“I was trying to flirt with the bartender,” Jermaine explains, “and when I asked her what her specialty was, she said it was making the pinkest drinks possible. Not sure if she was trying to get rid of me, but I had her make one for you.”
He chuckles. “Thanks.”
“So I listened to the demo you sent me of the new album, and I loved it. I couldn’t believe it when I listened to ‘He’s Mine,’ but it’s fucking great. Not to be all sappy and shit, but I’m so proud of you, man.”
“Come on, I’ve seen your sappy side plenty of times,” Skyler teases him. “But are you sure it’s not too much? Like too in-your-face, I’m-gay-whether-you-like-it-or-not?”
Jermaine tuts and says, “No such thing. You’re singing what you feel, the same way everyone else does. If people want to get worked up over pronouns, that’s their problem. And hey, you’ve been practicing for this your whole career, right?”
Skyler gives him a look, trying to decipher what he means.
“You know. All those times you changed the lyrics onstage.” Jermaine slaps him on the back. “At least Trevor’s okay with it now, huh?”
Wait.
Shit.
He was so relieved when Trevor encouraged him to release “He’s Mine,” and when his label loved it. But how did he not consider Trevor’s feelings all those times in the band when he sanghe’sinstead ofshe’s? How did he not realize that Trevor mightnothave been okay with it back then?
He’d thought Trevor just didn’t want him to get in trouble with management, but was Skyler also making Trevor uncomfortable? Was he too caught up in doing whatever he wanted to notice?
“Hey, I’ll be right back,” he tells Jermaine. Thankfully Trevor is stepping away from the group he was talking to, because Skyler can’t wait any longer.
Trevor smiles when he notices him approaching. “Having fun?”
“I’m sorry.”
“You’re not having fun?” Trevor asks,frowning.
