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"Don't talk about my husband like that," I scold, then my cheeks heat. I look away. My heart races faster.
Why am I sticking up for Riggs?
Tense silence fills the air. I can feel Noah peering at me.
I find my confidence and lock eyes with him, forcing myself to ask, "Do I have any money coming in yet?"
Noah's eyes turn to slits. "You don't have access to a bank account?"
My cheeks turn hotter. I lift my chin and lie, "We talked about going to the bank but we hadn't gotten around to it yet. Things have been too busy."
"Sure he didn't," Noah says in disgust.
Embarrassment and shame fill me. I let myself be in this situation. I allowed myself to give Riggs all the power. Even the contract I signed said he would fully provide for me, and as hard as I worked to escape my father's grasp, I didn't blink twice to hand my independence over to Riggs.
Noah gives me a pitying look and shakes his head. He informs me, "It'll be a few months before royalties kick in."
I look away, scrunching my face.I'm so stupid. How could I have been so stupid?
Noah stands up and walks toward me. He grabs my hand. "Blakely, you can stay here as long as you need to. And don't worry, I'll take care of you."
I pull my hand away from his. I don't want anyone taking care of me. That's how I got into this situation. I never should have let Riggs take care of me like he did.
I loved him taking care of me.
Look where that got me.
"I should have known he would try to steal your earnings," Noah declares.
Fire lights in my belly. I snap, "Riggs would never steal money from me. He did everything in his power to ensure my contract was in my best interest."
"Then why do you have no access to money, Blakely?" he questions.
Shame pummels me. I scold myself for not staying independent. I knew better than to trust anyone after dealing with my father.
Still, I continue to stick up for him and confess, "Riggs gave me cash, and I knew where in the house he kept it. I could grab whatever I wanted at any time. He never let me go without anything. He always took care of me."
The image of Riggs telling me to take money to the studio, even though everything was always provided for me, hurts.
He didn't try to keep me penniless. There's no way he would have given me cash when I didn't even need it if that were his intention.
There's only one instance I even used the cash. I had Rhonda from Naked Pipes run out and buy me a box of pregnancy tests.
Oh shit. I never took the pregnancy test.
A whole new set of fear and anxiety hits me. A week ago, I realized I hadn't had my period in months. So I secretly asked Rhonda to get the tests for me.
The notion I could be pregnant left me feeling anxious. I didn't know how Riggs would react if I had a baby growing inside me and we were together, much less if we were apart. He made it clear in his contract that he didn't want me getting pregnant, but we're also married, so would that change his mind about having a child?
Plus, the challenge of launching my record while knocked up didn't exactly seem like a good idea. So I kept putting off taking the test, trying to convince myself that no matter what, Riggs and I would figure it out.
Why did I not take the test?
I've got to get another one.
I can't ask Noah.
Oh God, I don't want him to know.
