Collaring Chaz (Dante's Infernal #2) - Joel Abernathy Page 0,75
he said, his voice rough with guilt, which was rare enough that it almost took me by surprise as much as his admission had. “That’s why I got him to agree to cancel your contract.”
I frowned, my thoughts going a mile a minute. I kept alternating between rage and confusion, and I was pretty sure I was going to burn out on both. “And why the hell would you do that?”
“Because I love you,” he muttered, reaching into his jacket. There was a folded piece of paper tucked in the interior pocket, and when he handed it to me, I took it because I didn’t know what else to do, but I was too afraid to open it. “But you don’t have to take my word for it.”
I reluctantly unfolded the paper and realized he wasn’t lying. It was a photocopy, but there was Drake’s signature, and the president of the label’s. The legalese was hard to wade through, but it was easy enough to get the gist of it.
I was being released from my contract with Dante’s Infernal.
I was finally getting what I wanted, so why the hell did it feel like a punch in the gut? All I could do was stare at him, and he seemed to be searching my face like I was as much of a mystery to him. We’d always been on the same wavelength about most things, but even though it had only been a few months, in some ways, it felt like I was looking at a stranger.
“Why?” I finally asked.
“Because when you come back, I want it to be for the right reasons. I never should’ve let you go, but I’m not going to make the same mistake twice,” he said quietly. “You can run from me all you want, but you’re still mine. You always will be.”
My heart ached and twisted in my chest like the fucking traitor it was. Not with pain or anger, but with fucking hope, the shittiest vice of all. I pulled away from him, and this time, he let me pass. I held the door open, refusing to keep looking at him.
“You need to get out.”
I expected him to argue again, and there was still a dumbfuck part of me that wanted him to. Instead, he left, and I locked the door as soon as he was on the other side of it, because I didn’t trust myself. I walked back to the dresser, grabbed the pill bottle, and tossed four into my mouth since three hadn’t cut it the last time. A wave of calm and euphoria came over me almost immediately, and when I left a few minutes later, he was gone.
Now I just had to get through this show without falling apart.
Chapter 25
Rafael
I’d played hundreds of shows in my lifetime and seen about as many, but I’d never watched with more interest than I did when Organic Animal finally came out on stage, led by their new frontman and my old...everything. It had been a long time since I’d watched from the festival grounds with the rest of the audience, but with a hoodie and dark sunglasses, I blended in easily enough.
Chaz’s words from backstage were still echoing in my head. I’ve moved on. It was far from the least I deserved to hear from him, but man, that sucked to hear. If I believed it even halfway, I might’ve been selfless enough to do what he asked.
But I didn’t, and that virtue had never been my vice.
I wasn’t sure what my next move was going to be, since he certainly wasn’t in a good place for me to come clean with him. Hell, I’d be lucky if he didn’t call security the next time I showed up, so for the moment, I was content to watch him. I’d heard his voice plenty of times, and had seen him perform in the one music video they’d put out for the new album so far, but I had yet to actually see him take the lead on stage.
To say I was intrigued was an understatement.
He was electricity in human form, illuminating the stage and transmitting the current of excitement through the crowd like a live wire. His voice was a siren’s song, and his every movement had me mesmerized.
“Enjoying the show?”
I almost jumped at the sound of the voice next to me, until I turned and realized it was Drake. I frowned. “Are you not worried about being down here?”