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As she studies Cassidy, Nyx must see a glimmer of the possibility she might lose because she grabs the contract off the table and says, “I’ll have my attorney look at this and get back to you.”
“As you’ll see on the last page, this offer expires in seventy-two hours. Please get back to us before then or have your attorney get in touch. My contact information is listed as well.” Cassidy stands, indicating the meeting is over, and Nyx looks around at us again, smugness painting her features.
“Bye, boys,” she says, rising smoothly and leaving the office with Eliza close behind.
The room erupts with the loudest silence I’ve ever heard when the door shuts behind them. There is so much emotion bouncing off the walls that words can’t even be formed. We all just look at each other, not sure what to feel, let alone what to say.
Eventually, Cassidy is the first to break the silence. “Speaking of NDAs, we need to have a little chat about them.”
“What about them?” Skyler asks.
“I think it would be a good idea if we instituted a policy for the band to have NDAs in place with anyone who has a relationship with the band.” She preemptively holds up her hands to stop any argument about to fly at her. “I know this sounds like a dick move, but look at where we are right now. Without having one in place, Nyx has been allowed to run rampant on the internet with bullshit and half-truths, and now we’re cleaning up that mess, or at least trying to. Who knows if we’re going to be successful. We need to start taking this seriously, and that means protecting ourselves.”
Jake gives Cassidy an odd look, and I can see the gears turning in his head about some of the relationships here. “So does that mean you and I have to sign one? And Logan and Skyler have to sign one? How meta does this get?”
Cassidy smiles, but her answer is sobering. “That means everyone should sign one. One of you could quit tomorrow and start raising hell. Or, I hate to say it, but Jake, you and I could break up someday even though that’s impossible, honey, I know. Or God forbid Logan and Skyler break up someday. You know I wouldn’t wish that on you guys, right?”
“Oh, I know,” Skyler says with a nod. I can see her reach for Logan’s hand under the table, but he still looks offended at the idea.
“The point here is anything can happen. And we need to take steps now to protect the band’s future. That’s all this is. Insurance.”
We all look at each other again, considering the possibility any of this could go south in such a way that one of us would betray the band. It doesn’t seem like something any of us would do right now. But then again, as Cassidy said, who knows what the future holds for any of us.
“OK, I guess it makes sense.” Jake turns to the rest of us expectantly. I assume he is searching for agreement with him, but I hesitate.
It dawns on me, and I think Remy, too, that this could become a hassle for us going forward. I would need to get Sloane to sign off on one of these to continue to have a relationship with her. And anyone Remy goes out with would have to sign one.
“What happens if, say, the person we’re involved with refuses to sign one?” I ask, because I’m not so sure Sloane will. And I don’t think I would blame her if she didn’t. It’s a lot to ask a person to get laws involved with your personal relationship with someone.
Cassidy looks at Jake and then the rest of us before answering, “Well, that’s going to be up to you guys. Are you going to make this a strict requirement going forward? Or is it going to be something you won’t enforce?”
Remy and I watch as everyone else looks at each other, baffled as to what to say. It’s almost comical to see how much nobody wants to be the voice of doom in this situation.
“How about we make it as a thing we decide on as relationships arise?” Jake asks, the voice of reason for once.
“OK, so do I need to get Sloane Castle to sign an NDA? Or do you think we can trust her?” I purposely word it that way to see how they answer.
“It’s not a matter of trust,” Cassidy says. “It’s a matter of protection, Cooper. And in my opinion, seeing as she’s already made statements to the press regarding you, I would suggest she sign one, yes.”
I hadn’t considered that she’s talked about me to the press. But in her defense, she did it to protect me, not to hurt me. I don’t think Cassidy’s legal mind sees the difference, though. My chest tightens at the thought of asking Sloane to sign a contract, but my head tells me Cassidy is right, and things are much bigger than me now. And that includes my relationships.
Whether or not I can convince Sloane of that is another story.
twenty-eight
Old Wounds
Sloane
I can’t remember the last time I was in this good of a mood. Actually, I don’t think I ever have been, which is weird because surely something good has happened in my life before today. The problem seems to be that I can’t remember. Cooper has completely muddled my brain, and I am perfectly OK with that.
Fiona can tell something is up, and I know how she is with something like this. She will be like a dog with a bone until she finds out what’s going on. She insists on asking me in between every class so I don’t get a chance to flirt with Cooper in the hallway like I want to. I’ve noticed he hasn’t been in his doorway like I expected. But I figure he might be laying low after the guitar incident.
“So I’m going to show up here every hour on the hour for the rest of the session until you tell me what or who is causing that permanent smile on your face.”
I give Fiona a dirty look, but I’m only met with a smirk. “You know some things are private. That means not for public consumption.”
“Are you calling me the public?” Her feigned offense is admirable, but I’m not buying it.
