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To my surprise, Talia is awake, sprawled out on the couch, a trashy reality TV show humming in the background. Her heels from the gala are discarded by the front door, and disappointment burns in my chest that I didn’t get to see her looking pretty in her red satin dress tonight. There’s always next year.

I round the couch and stop. She’s fast asleep, hands tucked under her cheek. Even in her dreams, she looks exhausted. She’s been working nonstop the past few weeks, and I know the disappointment from the negative pregnancy test hangs heavily on her shoulders. I want nothing more than to give her a baby, to watch her blossom from my favorite human being into an incredible mother.

Next week we’ll test again, and I’m praying to every deity out there that they grant our wish.

I kneel in front of her, tucking a curly lock of hair behind her ear. Her lips are slightly stained from her lipstick, and now I’m even more disappointed. I love her all in red; fiery hair, scarlet dress, rouge lipstick.

A hazel eye cracks open before a sleepy smile pulls at her lips. “Hey.”

“Hey. Sorry to wake you.”

She stretches out her body before sitting up. “I wanted to stay up and see how your meeting was. It went on late.”

“Yeah.” My news is almost too hard to contain, but I want to hear about her evening first. “How did the event go?”

“Same old. Everyone missed you. I missed you. I had no one to dance with.” She toys with the collar of my shirt, bottom lip curling playfully. “So, tell me, did they wine and dine you like one of the big stars?”

After doubting I’d ever hear from Vance Records again, I got a call earlier in the week, inviting me to dinner with some of the label representatives. All our communications had been back-and-forth discussions about my longtime career goals, where I saw my music going, and who my inspirations are. Any hope of a record deal or an offer to buy my songs became incredulous.

Until tonight.

I catch her wrist and press a kiss to her pulse point. Mine thrums wildly, and my willpower breaks, and my elation bursts from my throat. “They offered me a deal.”

She blinks once, twice, before her eyes widen into saucers.

“A deal?” she whispers, like she can’t quite believe it herself. I’m still in a state of disbelief, wondering if I should pinch myself from this dream. But it isn’t a dream. It’s reality, and any worries about our future or how we’ll afford college for our kids or help with their own weddings one day, vanish.

“A real-life deal.”

“Oh my god. Oh my god.” She jumps to her feet, almost knocking me on my ass. “What does it say? What do they want? This is crazy.”

I stand to join her, snatching her around the waist and spinning her until she giggles. “They want me to produce two albums over the next two years. A US tour, potentially Canada. They’ll also help with marketing, brand deals, branding. I think they called it a three-sixty deal.”

Her smile falters a fraction. “Wow, that’s—that’s a lot to take in. How long is the tour? What about the royalties and advances? It’s not about the money, but I want to make sure they’re not taking advantage. Sorry for all the questions.” She presses her hands to her cheeks. “Tate, this is insane. You need to find an agent before signing anything. I know some people who practice entertainment law. They might have some contacts.”

“I’ve already signed it.”

She freezes, body jolting under my grip. “You…signed the contract?”

“Yes.” The air turns cold.

“You signed the contract?” she repeats incredulously.

Her reaction confuses me. One second she was excited and now she’s coming across as angry. “Howard told me the offer wouldn’t be on the table forever and if I wanted⁠—”

“Howard is a moron. That could be seen as coercion. Jesus, did you sign under duress? Do you even know what you signed?”

Logically, I know she has my best interest at heart, but she’s raining on what should be an exciting time for the both of us—for our future. “I’m not stupid. I read it over first.”

This is not how I saw this playing out. Talia pushes away from me and stalks to the other side of the room. “I’m not calling you stupid, but your actions are. Tate, you can’t make huge decisions like this without legal counsel. Without speaking to me.”

I step forward. “I signed it for you. For us. Do you know what this means? Goodbye, dingy apartment. All of our debt wiped clean. A brighter future—one we could’ve never imagined growing up.”

A darkness shutters behind her eyes. This time, she doesn’t blink it away, and her next words are brittle. “How long is the contract for?”

This is the sticking point. The least favorable aspect of the contract, because it meant time away from Iris Meadows and Talia. I swallow. “Two years.”

She doesn’t move. Doesn’t speak. Her sharp gaze cuts right through me.