Chapter 1
Maddy
Let’s be honest, I’ll be the first to admit it. One of the most cliché things the daughter of a world-famous rockstar could do is fall in love … with a rockstar.Yawn.You’d expect that from me, wouldn’t you?Me,in this case, being Matilda ‘Maddy’ Morningstar. I’m twenty-six, and yet everyone still calls me Baby, as if it were written on my birth certificate. And you must be smarter than me, because Ireally didn’t see this coming. Now, Iknow that sounds dense. But it hit me like a ton of Rolling Stone magazines. Ialways liked the tall, blonde, and handsome gentlemanly type, the kind of man agood girlis supposed to want. Iguess Iwas just … denying my true nature?
I don’t know! Icouldn’t have predicted this! How could Ihave possibly been that blindsided by someone I’ve known since we were teenagers? That my body would respond to him so differently now that he was …a man.But he isn’t just any man to me; he has ruined all other menforme.Forever.And it’s not just my body; my brain, my heart, my entireselfis so gone for this man, and yet, for years, Ithought of him as just a good buddy, someone Ifelt platonically drawn to. An adorably obnoxious, ADHD poster boy with puppy dog eyes and personality for days. If you’re wondering what changed, wellfuck …so, so much.
Too much to dump on you all at once! Ishould probably start with the teenage meet-cute; itispretty freaking adorable.Hewas adorable. Everyone knew we were adorable together, everyone except me!
Chapter 2
Maddy
It’s a mild October evening in Los Angeles, and my nerves rush through eighteen-year-old me as Ihop out of the black hired town car, while our family driver, Leah, holds the door. Iam perfectly capable of navigating around Glendale by myself in my own car, but literally everyone Iknow still thinks I’m an incapable infant, hence the 24/7 nickname,Baby.Istraighten my long, blonde wig, curled and dip dyed baby blue at the tips that got a little lopsided on the drive. The wig that conceals my security item, my signature long, nearly black hair that’s always down and yes, curled at the ends.
“Any dark hair showing?” Iask as Iyank the short skirt of my dress down an inch.
“One little piece,” Leah says. “May I?”
I thank her profusely for fixing my hair and she asks, “This party, you only have to stay an hour or two, unless you’re having fun. Then it ends at?”
“I have a feeling I’m going to be ready by eleven, midnight at the latest … can Itext you when I’m doing my goodbyes?”
“Sure, I’ll be close by. Oh, and Maddy?”
I turn to her, already up the first step, “Yeah?”
“Try not to have as much fun as your sister when she was eighteen. Idon’t feel like driving you to Malibu tomorrow!”
I groan and roll my eyes with a smirk and a shake of my head before waving and sending her into the night. The mention of where my older sisterandbrother spent multiple stints in rehab doesn’t strike fear in my heart. Baby Morningstar can do no wrong.
After a few steps, Ipause to look up at the giant terracotta mansion surrounded by red roses.How fitting.Itug on my dress again.Why do Alice costumes have to be so skanky?Isuddenly hear my sister Lola’s voice in my head.You’re never going to look as hot as you do right now, don’t waste it being self-conscious and insecure!
I take a few more steps and remind myself that when Iwas heading out of the house earlier, my brother Jude’s friend whipped his head so hard to do a double take at me in my costume that he tripped and fell down the stairs. Ifthat’snot a reason to feel secure, then Idon’t know what is.
A handsome staff member in a black suit and veryPhantomlooking mask meets me at the top step and offers me his elbow. Iaccept, and he walks me into the mansion, my heels clacking against the hardwood. I’m welcomed to the exclusive Halloween soiree only for those who will be featured in and on the cover of Seventeen’sTop 25 under 25 issue,andyes, Isquealed when Ifound out they wanted me. The teen mag had been refreshed and revived with a huge online presence, and I’m a sucker for anything popular in the 90s … because it’s pretty unfair that Imissed them. Iknow this is basically a staged party, and the first two hours will be a moving photoshoot around the picture-perfect property. But when that’s over, we’ll see if people actually want to stay and have fun. Truth is, I’m always on set and could really use some.
The magazine staff starts fawning over my arrival and Igive them a cute little curtsey. “Oh! Alice! Perfect, wait till you see, you’ve got someone especiallymadwaiting for you in the dining room. Come, Matilda!” The magazine’s editor, Sasha Sloane, greets me with a welcoming smile. Iremind her sweetly that Igo by Maddy and follow her around a dimly lit corridor.
My breath hitches as we move through the house that looks like Vincent Price himself rose from the dead just to decorate. If you're wondering how Ieven know that reference, you clearly haven't met the old goths Ilive with. But you will. There are crystal chandeliers dripping with black jewels and spider webs so realistic Iget a little chill down my spine. This issomy kind of thing.
“I’m so excited, all twenty-five of you are here! Your first time meeting each other!” Iknew Sasha wanted us to get comfy, meet and hopefully havechemistry before our big cover shoot and interviews next week. “How are you feeling, nervous?”
“Just excited,” Ilie as my stomach does a mini somersault. We make it to the dining room as it explodes with shrieks of glee and laughter. The table is long enough to fit all twenty-five of us, but only twenty-three are sitting. The twenty-fourth isonthe table, hopping and tiptoeing over teacups and teacakes on the black lace tablecloth. He is holding a teapot and pouring little streams of brown liquid into the teacups of the other young actors, musicians, athletes, artists, authors, and models scattered around the table. Iwatch supermodel-in-training Alessandra Olina sip from her cup, sputtering and coughing, confirming the Mad Hatter picked whiskey over tea when filling his pot.
Sasha announces me to the room and I’m received with welcoming shouts and hellos over the spectacle on top of the table.
“Of course, that’s what my mad tea party is missing! Alice, my dear, join me!”
I don’t have a second to decide; thismad boyin the brown suit and top hat with 10/6 on it is pulling me up on the table with him. His hand is on the small of my back, steadying me as he looks into my hazel eyes with his sea glass green ones, rimmed with thick black liner. That, his big mouth, plush pouty lips, and black hair dyed a crazy orange shade, sticking out in a wild mess from under his hat, gives him away. I’d seen him online in pictures but never heard him; his accent sounds so much like my dad’s, it throws me off guard.
“Jett Raven?”
His eyes pop open impossibly wide as he lifts up my wig slightly at my temple to peek at my real hair. “Matilda Morningstar?”
I nod and whisper, “Just Maddy.”
He drops to his knees before me, knocking over a blood red vase filled with black roses in the process. “I’m not worthy, I’m not worthy!”
