different than the marathon I’d been dreading. I love the idea of saying goodbye to my fans in a way that’s worthy of the support they’ve shown me over the years. We even discuss how I can take my appreciation a step further by setting up charities and scholarships to help others achieve their own dreams. Genevieve Fox’s legacy will live on as a beacon of hope.
The longer we talk, the more I realize how limited my scope has been. For someone who’s traveled the world, I’ve seen very little of it. It took an injured hockey player to show me how much I was missing.
“So what’s next?” Sam asks, settling back in her chair once our plan feels solid.
I sip my water and cast a glance at Oliver who smiles. “I don’t know yet. Right now, I just want to focus on saying goodbye and taking full legal and financial control of my career. Then we can talk about what’s next. Just… Sam? Please don’t involve my parents in any of this. I know we have a few legal loose ends to tie up, but I’ve let them run my life enough. I need to move forward on my own.”
“Of course. I work for you, Gen. Never forget that.”
I nod, believing her. It feels good to have an army behind me as well. “Hopefully, one day I can repair things with my mom, but right now, distance is key. Please make sure White Flame and everyone else understands that as well. She doesn’t speak for me and should have no involvement in our decisions from here on out. I don’t even want her to have the number of our new publicist. Speaking of, have you found anyone yet?”
Sam perks up and moves to her desk. “Yes, actually. I have the perfect person. You’re going to love her. She’s more than a publicist, really, and specializes in nuanced projects like this one. She just had a huge win with one of my other clients. Definitely someone we want on our team.” She plucks a card from her desk and walks it over to me. “Let’s set something up for tomorrow if possible so you can check her out. We need to get moving on all of this right away.”
“Perfect.” I take the card and glance down at the name: Lydia Carmichael. Kind of like her already. Wonder if she’s related to Stocker Carmichael of White Flame Records?
Oliver and I don’t say much on the ride to my house. I sent Devin home after he dropped me off at Turner, knowing Oliver would drive me back. Any excuse to get my boyfriend alone works for me. He’s lost in thought at the moment, probably reviewing the same surprising meeting I am. There’s so much I want to tell him, so much I want to share, but every time I open my mouth to start a conversation, nothing comes out.
Still, I can’t stop the small squeal when a message pops up on my phone. Oliver glances over from the wheel with a smirk. “What?” he asks, his gaze dropping to my bouncing knee before he turns back to the road.
“Nothing,” I say, biting back a grin.
He rolls his eyes and shoots another quick glance at me. “Really? So why’s your leg about to force us off the road.”
I laugh and cross my arms. “It’s a surprise.”
“A surprise?”
“Yep. I’ll tell you when we get home.”
“That’s another twenty minutes. I don’t know if I can wait that long.”
“Says the guy who will spend a year in rehab…”
“Hey now,” he says with mock warning.
I grin and squeeze his arm. “Oliver, can we talk about something?”
“I hope we’re past asking each other’s permission to have a conversation.”
I sigh. “I know. But this one is… it’s been weighing on me for a while.”
“Uh-oh.”
I rest my hand on his thigh to reassure him. “Not an uh-oh. Unless it scares you how much I feel for you. In some ways you kind of saved my life. Definitely changed it. I can’t imagine losing you.”
He looks over again, his eyes softening. “The girl in the mirror was always there, Gen. All I did was help you find her.”
“I know. That’s why…” I pull in a deep breath. “Actually, can you pull over. Right there at that gas station.”
Now he looks very concerned, but I need him focused for this, and I don’t want to wait another second. Once we’re parked, he turns toward me, his face about what you’d expect