Charles continued to speak, and his next words yanked my attention. “So, I have a proposal for you.”
“Wh-what?” I zeroed in on his face. Was he going to send me to an orphanage instead? I didn’t know if that option would be better than being homeless, but it would mean I’d have food every day.
“I’ve pulled some strings at the Arizona Music Academy boarding school. You’re enrolled as of today and will be flying there tonight.”
The room seemed to freeze. My ears filled with the whooshing of my blood. I licked my lips, unable to speak. AMA was one of the top schools in the country, and besides Carnegie, was considered the next greatest academy for musicians.
“Or you can go back to living in dirty motels or becoming a ward of the state…see how far that gets you.” Charles must’ve mistaken my silence for rebellion. He knocked back a tumbler of alcohol, then threw it to the floor, the smashing glass tinkling in the silence. “Because it’s all the goddamned same to me.”
As if the sound of the breaking glass also broke my momentary stupor, I sat up and opened my mouth, but he continued.
“You fucked my little girl under my roof.” He banged a fist onto his desk, the sound echoing in the room. “I don’t give a damn if she goes to the media. No one in their right mind is going to believe a sixteen-year-old.”
“Then why bother offering me a choice?”
He curled his lip, then stared out the window. “Because I owe it to your father, and I love my daughter. She might never forgive me for tossing you out on the street if she truly believes she’s in love.”
“I really do care about her.”
“Please.” He waved his hand in the air as if dismissing my sentence. “Both of you are too young to understand real love.”
“That’s not true—”
“But if she sees you’re following your…” He sneered. “Dream, she’ll be able to cope with the consequences. Let me be clear, though, she will move on to find a suitable guy, a businessman or broker, someone who can provide her with wealth, a stable life, everything she needs.”
I gripped the arm rests of the chair, trying to fight my rising anger at his hidden insult of assuming I’d never make anything of myself.
His eyes flicked to my white knuckles. “The life of a musician is hard, as you saw with your father. If you truly think you love her, take my offer, break this off, let her go. She deserves better.”
CC did deserve better. Much better than what I had to offer her.
If I do what he wants, will that make me a sell out?
I rubbed my thigh and recalled how Terri had felt in my arms, how her soft breathy sighs tickled my earlobe as we’d moved with one another, our bodies fitting together perfectly.
But maybe he’s right.Terri needed so much more from life. Though her parents thought they could control her, they were wrong. She was strong and resilient; she’d be okay if I left.
Yet I didn’t know ifI’dbe okay.
“I’ll sweeten the deal even further.” Charles rose from his seat, still staring at the windows, clasping his hands behind his back. “If you cut off all contact with her, I’ll throw in a monthly stipend to supplement those meager royalties of your father’s. Then, I’ll get with Jeremy’s dad to find you a mentor. Maybe someone like Knockout Nick or Viktor Farrow.”
At first, his assumption that he could buy me made my fists ball in my lap, but then I replayed the last part of his conversation.
“You-you can really do that?” Knockout Nick was one of the world’s best guitar players. He’d been with the band Never Say Never for twenty years. And Viktor Farrow? That guy was one of the world’s biggest rock singers. I couldn’t imagine having either one of those stars as a teacher.
“Yes, I can.” He turned toward me, the sun’s last rays shooting around his body, casting his face in darkness. “But the price is my daughter.”
My chest ached. I didn’t want to give Terri up, yet I had nothing to offer. Her father was right. I’d never be good enough for Cotton Candy. Ididn’tdeserve her.
I forced my hands to unclench and slowly rose to my feet, fighting the miserable feeling of despair and desperation.
Charles held out his hand.
Like a prisoner walking to death row, I trudged to his silhouette.All he needs is a pair of horns for me to complete this deal with the devil.
I clasped his dry palm, and he gave my hand a painful pump. “Can I at least say goodbye—”
“No. She’s not to know about the agreement. Let her think you’ve lost interest, that you’ve found someone else, I don’t fucking care. But if she finds out, the whole thing is off and you can go back to scrounging for whatever handouts you can find.”
