Breaking Stars - J. Sterling Page 0,94

think it’s worth a shot. Thank you, Madison. For everything. Give Walker a kiss for me,” I said with a wink as I stood up to leave.

I chuckled under my breath, happy that things were finally falling into place, and proud of myself for being the one to make them happen.

“Will do. And, Paige?” she called after me.

I paused at the doorway and turned to face her.

“One day I want to hear all about this broken-down town and this guy, okay?”

I gave her another smile, trying to hide the sadness that filled me at the realization that my time with Tatum now only existed in memories.

“Okay.” Unable to resist glancing down at my phone again, I noticed that he still hadn’t called or texted.

That was fine. I’d be fine.

I had to be.

• • •

Back in the solitude of my too-quiet apartment, I picked up my phone and dialed Jayson’s number.

“Paige, why were you at Warren Taylor’s?” he yelled instead of answering with a normal greeting. “What the hell is going on?”

“I’m about to tell you,” I said evenly, forcing myself to stay strong.

He groaned. “What is it?”

“You’re fired.”

“Excuse me?” he shrieked.

“I’m pretty sure you heard me,” I said firmly, my inner confidence growing and building upon itself. “My lawyer has sent you an e-mail asking to terminate our business relationship effective immediately.”

He breathed harshly into the phone line, and knowing what was coming, I pulled it from my ear.

“I made you what you are, Paige! Good luck getting any work in this town again! You think that Madison, my assistant,” he added snidely, “can do anything for you? What a fucking joke! You’re both a pair of idiots. Idiots who will be out of work by the time next pilot season rolls around,” he screamed before hanging up.

Instead of feeling nervous or worried with his threats, I instantly felt relieved. My shoulders lightened as the load I subconsciously carried lessened.

Dialing Corryn while I was still brimming with confidence, I listened as the phone beeped each time it rang, signaling that she was on the other line. When her voice mail clicked on, I left a message.

“Hi, Corryn, this is Paige. As of today, I will no longer be requiring your services. You should have an e-mail detailing our termination clause in your in-box from my lawyer. Thank you for your time and help over the years. I wish you the best.” And with that, I ended the call and danced in my living room, freedom filling me from the inside out.

After my five-second dance party, I pulled open my laptop to read over the draft of my open letter one last time before sending it to Madison for review. I attached it to a quick e-mail telling her that I was officially on the market for a new agent, and asking if she knew anyone who wanted to represent me.

I giggled, amazed at my ability to be and feel silly with all the chaos that constantly hounded me. In a way I felt like a new person, with my new short hairstyle that I chose for myself, and my professional chains cut free.

Dear Fans, [Madison, I hate calling them fans—it seems too snobby and rude. How else can I address them that makes them feel more appreciated?]

There has been a lot of speculation about where I’ve been the past few weeks. Since returning to town, I’ve been bombarded with accusations and unkind words, brutal reminders of the reality of this business that I otherwise normally love. I’ll admit that part of me wanted to say nothing and hope it would all go away on its own. But the rest of me really wanted to set the record straight.

You have no idea how hard it is to read such utter lies about yourself printed everywhere for everyone to read. Worse than the made-up stories is the fact that people believe them…a lot of people. And that’s why I’m here, writing this letter to you now. I needed to talk to you the way friends do, and I wanted to be the one to do it—not a publicist or an agent or manager, but me.

It’s not an exciting story, to be honest. The truth is that I needed to get away in the wake of everything that was going on around me. I’m human, just like you, and sometimes I want to escape from my problems and disappear for a while. And frankly, that’s exactly what I tried to do (in the