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And there’s my answer.
“I want people to love me forme, not because I couldn’t do it without someone else,” I say politely but firmly. “And so should all of you.”
Sydney and Mara share a look, but Kyle comes over and hands me a bottle of water before giving one to the other two.
“Let’s all take a deep breath and calm down before we say something we can’t take back,” he says calmly. “Come on, everyone sit down.”
Mara and Sydney sit in the chairs across from the plush couch, where I sit. After twisting the lid off the water bottle, I take a big swig. Kyle returns to the couch with his own bottle of water and sits next to me.
I should’ve listened to Mark and hired a manager.
“I don’t know what to do,” I confess. “Maybe we should go back to the hotel and think about this. I’m sure they won’t mind. It’s a huge decision.”
Kyle reaches over and grasps my hand. I try to pull back, but he applies a little more pressure. It doesn’t hurt, but I’m annoyed that he won’t let go.
“Look, Apple, we allwantthis.” He smiles, but it looks forced. “We’re willing to do this to get our names out there. You wouldn’t just be doing it for me, but I’d be doing it for you too. Please, just consider it.”
He releases my hand after one more gentle squeeze, and I jump to my feet and put some distance between us. It’s three against one, and I know I’m not going to get through to any of them. I want us all to succeed, but I’ve worked too long and too hard to sign over my career without putting some thought into it. The contracts are only in the best interest of the record label. No one is fighting forourbest interests.
I wish Malice was here.
My phone suddenly pings, knocking me out of reverie. My heart skips, and a smile tugs on my lips when I see who it is.
Malice: Hey gorgeous. Can’t quit thinking about you naked
I type my response, but before I hit send, I get an idea. I glance around the room, and everyone else seems to be engrossed in reading their contracts.
I tug open the door. “I’m gonna step out in the hall and call Malice real quick.”
“Tell him the good news,” Sydney calls out, and I cringe.
I traipse out of the studio, clutching my cell phone tight. They’d be pissed if they knew what I was really up to, but I don’t care. I pull up the one person in my contacts who might be able to help. I know Malice would help me if I called, but I need a level-head right now and he’s been known to act before stopping to think.
“Hey girl, do you know any good attorneys?”
“I toldyou this wouldn’t work.”
Standing in a closet isn’t where I’d prefer to have this conversation, but I was so damn infuriated when I heard Apple ask someone for a good attorney that I opened the first door I saw. After we were finally handed the contracts we’ve been working our asses off for, I thought we were home free. We had what we wanted, what we’d dreamed about.
But then Apple opened her fucking mouth and shit all over our dreams.
“She’ll come around.” He grabs a fistful of my shirt and tugs me toward him. When he frames my face, I feel my worries melting away, and when he moves his hands to delve under my shirt, I become a puddle. “I promise, Mara. When all is said and done, we’ll have exactly what we want, and Apple will be a thing of the past.”
“I don’t need her to be a thing of the past, dipshit,” I bite out, but there’s little heat behind my words because he’s doing delicious things with my nipples. “Weneed her to sign the contract.”
“What if we didn’t need her at all?” he asks before plundering my mouth with his tongue, rendering me incapable of responding. Once he’s kissed me stupid, he pulls away. “Our plan didn’t work the first time, but that doesn’t mean it can’t work at all.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, we try again.”
My brows knit with censure. “Have you seen her boyfriend? Pretty sure trying again isn’t an option.”
“Malice isn’t even here,” he counters. “He and his stupid club can’t do shit from hours away. And that’s if they even found out. If I got the dosing right, there’s no way they can stop it.”
I consider his words and when they sink in, unease washes over me.
“Got? Why did you use past tense?”
