excitement I’d been trying to ignore at the prospect of seeing Colt again dissolving into nothing. “No, Mia. It’s not like that.”
She snorts. “Oh? Then what is it like? Because I know this story that you’ve been secretly seeing him for months is a complete fabrication. According to the press, your relationship started before the accident. And if that were true, I would’ve known about it. Or Katie would’ve. You’ve never been that good at keeping secrets. But she’s as clueless as I am. So what gives?”
“He’s not connected to the label, but yes, the goal is for him to help me.”
She’s quiet for a long moment, and I move to my closet to pick out something to wear. I want to be comfortable but not sloppy, so I opt for a pair of soft leggings and a fitted burgundy tee. I’ll keep my makeup light, assuming I get off the phone in time to put some on.
I haven’t heard from Mia in weeks. And while I’ve been keeping tabs on her, relying on biased entertainment news for updates on her upcoming hearings isn’t exactly reassuring. She stopped returning my calls when I started showing up in the entertainment news separate from Golden Enigma.
“So you were just planning on moving on with your life like nothing happened? Like we didn’t mean anything to you? Have a grand solo career and leave Katie and me in the dust behind you?”
“Mia,” I plead. “You know it’s not like that.”
“Oh? Do I? Because that’s sure as shit how it looks from my seat. But enlighten me. What’s it like?”
“We had a morality clause,” I grit out. “They had every right to cut us loose, and you know it as well as I do. We were lucky it didn’t happen sooner. I’m just trying to salvage what I can. Don’t even try to tell me you wouldn’t do the same if the situation were reversed.”
Another long stretch of silence. I take advantage of the lull to put my phone on speaker so I can pull on my top and do my hair and makeup. “Well,” she says at last, her voice scratchy, “not all of us have the option of salvaging what we can. Even if it means abandoning your best friends.”
“Mia, come on—” But my phone is back to the home screen. She hung up.
With a sigh, I finish applying my mascara. As soon as I’m done, there’s a knock on my door. Colt’s here.
Maybe it’s good that Mia’s call killed any excitement I felt over seeing him. I don’t need the distraction anyway.
Chapter Eleven
Colt
I run my hand through my hair after wiping my sweaty palm on my jeans. My other hand clutches the handle of my guitar case. Nerves and excitement pump through my blood. It’s the familiar pre-performance combination. It’s silly, really. This isn’t a real performance. It’s just me playing for Alexis.
But it feels as significant as any other performance or audition. Maybe more so. She knows what works, she analyzed why I don’t have what Jonathan has, and according to her, this song is more like what I should be doing. It’s not an original. It’s still a cover. But it’s at least a push in the right direction, which is more than I’ve gotten in years.
She’s right, though. And I’m kicking myself for not seeing it before. I’ve been trying to recreate a moment in time that’s passed, stuck in my preteen self’s mindset, not moving on with the rest of the world. I’ve been stuck for nearly a decade, too blinded by the desire to reclaim what I lost that I didn’t notice everyone else had moved on.
No wonder no one will take me seriously, not even my brothers. I looked back through all my recordings with new eyes, new ears, and every last one reeks of desperation. I wouldn’t touch that with a ten foot pole. No wonder no one else will.
Already I feel better about this song than I have about any of the others. And even though I was disappointed last night when she pushed me away after our kiss, I’m not willing to let that stand in the way of the business part of our relationship.
Me being seen coming and going from her house only helps sell our relationship, so me coming here is good. She can give me notes, help me fine tune what I’ve got, and steer me in the right direction to pick out something new.