AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She told me after everything happened with Bordeaux and I, Flynn willingly went into the rehab center and Carleeta pushed back hard against the band. She even tried finding the tiniest of clauses in their contract in order to get him out of rehab and back on their A Long Way from Okay tour. She was dead-set on the world not finding out what Flynn went through, insisting it would ruin the band.
Declan told me that it was Bordeaux’s idea first. He suggested that if Carleeta was going to play games, then they should play back harder. They searched and dove headfirst into their contract, searching for anything that could possibly get them out early.
When Miller consulted one of his dad’s friends who is a lawyer, the band was advised to go after both Carleeta and Hellfire Records for mental cruelty. At one of their meetings, Carleeta went off on a tangent about how Flynn was trying to be an ‘attention whore with his little stunt’ and that if he didn’t sign himself out of rehab, she would personally end their careers with a snap of her fingers. And apparently, she said a hell of a lot more than that on the phone call. Declan didn’t divulge everything, but Bordeaux, Declan, and Miller recorded the entire meeting on their phones and told the label that if they didn’t allow them to end their contract early on “good terms,” they’d go to the media and expose how Hellfire handles mental health amongst their organization. Considering how mental health is finally being taken more seriously, Hellfire didn’t want to chance ruining their name.
While a recording of a phone call wouldn’t hold up in court, it sure as hell could be leaked to the media, just like Carleeta did with my story. It was enough to finally convince Hellfire to cut ties with the band and release a statement that Hellfire and Reckless Desires were both seeking other opportunities.
When Declan told me everything was official—paperwork had been signed and they were no longer under the control of Hellfire or Carleeta—my first thought was how badly I wanted to hug Bordeaux. How I wanted to feel his body against mine and tell him how happy I was that he could finally be free from their chains.
I typed out at least fifteen different text messages to send him.
Bordeaux! So happy for you guys! Declan just told me the good news!
Too happy.
Hey Bordeaux. I just wanted to tell you congratulations on the ending of your contract with Hellfire.
Too formal.
Bordeaux, I’m super happy for you guys.
Too short.
I love you.
Too honest.
Reckless Desires started working on new music the minute the contract was sent to the shredder. According to Declan, Bordeaux had been writing like a mad man for months, and the band got into the studio and laid down a bunch of new tracks with absolutely no one in control of anything they said, did, wrote, or played. From what I hear, it’s kind of the fucking bomb.
“Why do you look like someone just shat on your chest?” Veronica asks, her face twisting into a frown.
Dani hooks an arm around Veronica’s waist as they stand from the bench we’re sitting on. “I’m not sure that’s the saying, but roll with it, I guess.” She looks from Veronica to me, and I shake my head.
“That party at Iconic is tonight,” I tell them, and I swear my stomach is trying to push up and into my mouth. My heart thumps in a wild rhythm as I think about seeing him.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him. A really long time.
Kennedy told me that Bordeaux is purposely staying away when I’m working my shift. I don’t blame him. How could I? I asked him why, even though I knew the answer, and Kennedy said that he never gave him a reason, he just said he didn’t want to run into me.
It stung.
Actually, it fucking gutted me. But I made the choice to walk away from him and I deserved it. Because if I wanted to, we would be together. I know in my heart that we would be. And we would be fucking perfect, too. Sure, maybe our communication skills were a little lacking, but that wasn’t anything we couldn’t work through.
I’ve thought about him every single day since I walked away from him. And there hasn’t been one day that I haven’t regretted it.
It doesn’t help that the image of me turning my back on him in front of Frankie’s shop is still floating around on social media. At least most talk of my past has faded into the background. Finally. If the paparazzi and the fans hadn’t been there that day, maybe I could let it die. But the hundreds of images all over Instagram of me facing The Vinyl Kitty and Bordeaux looking at me walking away are fucking heartbreaking. The look in his eyes, that one paparazzi in particular got, is haunting. It looks like I’ve just told him the cruelest joke and he’s stunned. Like I told him the world was ending, or his dog had cancer, or he would never sing for another crowd ever again.
That’s what he looked like in that photo. And I can’t erase it from my mind.
“Only you know what’s best for you,” Veronica says, grabbing ahold of Dani’s hand on her waist. “But I think you should go. I think it would help, Is. I really do.”
I shrug. “I’m not sure if going to their party could possibly help anything.”
Veronica smiles. “Yeah, you’re right. The famous rockstar who is head-over-Converse in love with you might be there, and you might have to see him. God, you have such a terrible life, Is.” Veronica and Dani both stifle laughs as Veronica places the back of her hand to her forehead in a woe is me gesture.
I roll my eyes at her theatrics. “I think it’s fairly safe to say Bordeaux Daniels is very much not in love with me, not anymore.” I take in a deep breath and mentally put on my big girl panties. “But you’re right. I should go and support Declan and the band and stop avoiding him.” Even though I’m not the one actually avoiding him. He’s the one who quite literally admitted to avoiding me to Kennedy.
Veronica grabs my hand and pulls me up from the bench, linking her free arm in mine as we walk toward the park’s exit.
