* * *
Jared leaves after his call from Ryder. He needs to attend to some business in L.A. It’s probably for the best. I didn’t want to call Sawyer while Jared was here. He’s still irrationally jealous when it comes to my ex-husband. Can I even call him that when our marriage was annulled? I don’t know.
I head into my art studio as I wait for the call to connect.
“Sydney. Long time no speak. What’s up?” Sawyer greets.
“It’s been a while.” I prop my butt against the table in my studio as I talk to my ex. “How is Xavier?”
“He’s good. Still drives me crazy, but that’s nothing new. We can’t complain. Business is booming.”
“That’s actually why I’m calling. I wanted to hire you to do something for me.”
“Are you in trouble?” His voice instantly turns sober.
“No, it’s nothing like that. It’s my father.” I give him a quick rundown of the situation, and he listens attentively as I explain. Sawyer knows I was rebellious in my late teens and that my father put me in a cage, but he doesn’t have the details, and I need to fill him in now. I don’t tell him everything. Just the pertinent information he’ll need to do some digging.
“Damn, Syd. I knew Herman was controlling, but that takes things to a whole new level.”
“He’s irritational, and he won’t stop unless I force him to.”
“What do you need me to do?”
“Can you dig into the past? See if you can find out exactly what went on between my parents and Jared’s and see if you can find something I can hold over Herman? Something that will get him off my back for good.”
I could go the legal route, but Dad has connections and resources, and it would probably be a waste of both our time and money. It would also end up in the public domain, and I don’t want to give the vultures any extra ammunition to come after me. This calls for a creative strategy. One Herman Shaw will understand and abide. “I am sick of dealing with his bullshit. I have worked hard to get where I am. Jared and I have a chance at real happiness, and my father is not going to interfere. I won’t let him ruin this for me again.”
“Leave it with us. If there is something to find, we’ll find it.”
“Thanks, Sawyer.”
“Anytime, Syd. You know we look out for our friends. I’m glad you called me.”
“I probably should have done this sooner.” I already feel relieved. Xavier Daniels is one of the best hackers in the world, and Sawyer Hunt has mean tech skills too. There isn’t much those two can’t do.
“We’ll get to the bottom of it. I guarantee it.”
I hang up and spend the afternoon painting, committing some time to working on the sketches of the band, while I mull over what to do about the press release, considering all the ways my life will change once I’m outed as the new woman in Jared’s life. It won’t be easy. No matter how the PR people spin it, I’m going to be painted as the villain. But that will happen now whether I’m with Jared or not. I’ve said I won’t let anyone come between us again, and that includes me.
So, really, there isn’t any decision to make.
I have to accept this comes with loving Jared. This is his world, and I just have to suck it up and get used to it.
It’s going to be hell—at least it will be at first—but I’ll get through it as long as I have Jared by my side. Some other scandal will happen to divert attention from us, and when his fans see our relationship is serious, I hope they’ll come around to me.
It’s like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders when I make the decision. It feels right. As does finally opening up to Jared about our baby and what happened after. We can’t take our relationship to the next level until he knows.
It’s going to devastate him, but he needs to know.
I try calling Jared a few times, but it goes straight to his voice mail. We didn’t make any plans for later and I don’t know if he’ll be back from L.A. in time for dinner. I’m hoping he will so I can unburden myself. Now I have made the decision to go all in, I just want to get it over with. Then we can finally start healing and start making plans for the future.
I head to the kitchen to make meatballs, playing music on my cell and humming to myself as I sip a glass of wine and prepare our meal. I can keep the meatballs warm in the oven until Jared shows up and then put some spaghetti on.
A nervous smile curves the corners of my lips when the buzzer sounds a few minutes later, and I wonder why Jared is buzzing to be let in. He must have left his fob at home. But when I check the monitor, it’s not my beau waiting at the gate.
It’s Logan.
His car is parked at the curb behind him as he stands in front of my gate, looking confident and handsome in a fitted navy suit.
