“How did you get that video of me at the house?”
I guessed Demetria was tired of holding in her apparent disdain for me because she blurted out, “That was easy. I paid one of those silly bitches five hundred dollars to film you that night and send it to me. It wasn’t the first time I did it. I just happened to hit the jackpot that night.”
The anonymous person that posted the video online. It was my assistant. My gaze shifted between her and Nate, standing there like a united front.
I laughed again. Not even angry that he cheated on me with her. I let go of his betrayal some time ago. He was a snake in the grass. One who’d gotten his hooks into me when I was still so young and naïve. But I’d learned what real love was in the past nine months.
“And New York?” I asked, looking at Demetria.
She shrugged. “I was on the phone when he told you about that club. All it took was an Uber ride over and a few pics with my phone. Neither one of you saw me. The way you were all over him on the floor, I knew Nate deserved better.”
I shook my head and let out a humorless laugh. “You two can have one another.”
Demetria gave me a cocky expression as if to say she knew she’d already won. However, the wrinkles in Nate’s forehead deepened as his anger increased.
Before anyone could speak again, a knock on the door sounded. A second later, one of the producers for the night show opened it.
“Ms. Clarkson, we’re ready for you.”
I nodded and proceeded toward the door. I stopped in front of Demetria and Nate.
“I hope he’s taking care of you because you’re fucking fired. You know that, right?”
I brushed past the both of them, thinking the first call I would make after the show was to my lawyer to draw up papers to sue Demetria. I was sure she breached our contract somewhere along the line.
But that would be for later.
My immediate action was to focus on this interview. It was time to debut my new music to the world. At the last minute, I decided against singing the song I’d planned and to go with another.
I couldn’t speak directly to Gabe, seeing as how Nate monitored all of my calls and whatnot. But I could sing to him via this interview. Maybe he would be watching.
Chapter 32
Gabe
“What the fuck are we doing here? I want to go home,” I demanded as Preston pulled into the parking lot of The Rustic.
Just seeing the sign of the bar made me want to tear the entire building down. It reminded me too much of the memories I’d made there with Lena. Our first time playing pool, the night we hustled a couple of guys at the tables, the surprise party she threw me.
I still couldn’t believe that I’d bared my fucking soul to her, only for her to rip me to shreds.
“That’s too damn bad. I swear I’ll put you in a chokehold and drag your ass into this bar,” my best friend threatened.
“Try it,” I growled as I got out of his car and started walking in the opposite direction toward the street. I would flag down a passing vehicle and hitchhike my way home before I stepped foot in that damn place.
What had once been my sanctuary now felt like a vice around my heart. Preston’s threat didn’t sound so bad compared to the pain in my chest.
For a month, a constant ache accompanied my every waking breath. At night the pain moved from my heart to my head, inserting itself into my dreams. I would wake up feeling more tired than when I first went to sleep. The shit was endless.
“Get your ass back here,” Preston said, grabbing me from behind.
I spun around and yanked my body away from him. “I’m not taking my ass in there.” I pointed at the bar.
“The hell you’re not.” Preston’s voice was tight with anger. “You’ve been moping around the damn office for weeks. And that’s on the days you show up. You need to snap out of it.”
“I can’t snap out of it!” I roared, pushing him away from me.
“That’s too damn bad. I will fight your onery ass to get you in that bar.”
