I pad across the open plan space towards the front door. The camera shows it’s a taxi. I press the intercom, wondering if Lula’s been drinking.
‘Hello?’
‘Jayden, it’s me.’ Chloe’s breathy tone sings across the intercom, sweeter than the best audition I’ve ever heard.
‘Chloe?’ I can’t believe it.
I push the button to open the gate and the yellow cab crunches up the driveway at what seems like an agonisingly slow pace.
She hops out, clutching a small case, before handing the driver some cash. Finally, she turns her attention to me. Her glossy chestnut hair is loose across her face. Tired eyes dart over me, drinking me in.
‘What are you doing here?’ My palms itch to touch her but I don’t, not until I’m sure it’s what she wants because for the first time in forever I can’t read her. She’s different tonight. Instead of the high walls and the cool confidence, this Chloe looks drained. Broken. I hate that I’ve done that to her.
‘I told you we need to talk.’ She opens her arms to me, beckoning me into them. ‘I have a few things I need to say to you. Things I should have said earlier.’
‘Can I please say something first? I want to explain. I need you to understand.’ I run a hand over my chin.
Chloe nods, following me as I drag her small case into the hall.
‘There are things about my past I never told you. I was ashamed, although there’s nothing shameful about being homeless. Truthfully, it made us who we are, so even though it was rough, it made me ruthless, which is what makes me good at my job. Without those experiences, I might not have had what it takes.’
She nods as if she’s finally reached the same conclusion with her own circumstances.
‘When we got to the States, Dad left us with his sister. She had no more interest in us than he did. We hitched across the country to LA. Ryan was determined he was going to make it to the big time. Apart from wanting to provide for us, he wanted to make himself worthy of Sasha after running out on her. It was rough. The horrors we saw and endured…’
Chloe squeezes my hand but doesn’t interrupt.
‘Sofia was the first friend Ryan and I made on the streets of LA. Barely more than kids. We had no idea how to survive. If it wasn’t for Sofia’s streetwise savvy, we mightn’t have made it past the first night.’ A shudder rips over my spine.
‘She knew which corners were safe. Which to avoid. The soup kitchens that were legit and the ones fronting as cover for scum to exploit the vulnerable.
‘Then one day Richard Lambert saw Ryan busking on the street and offered him a contract with Diamond Records. I had nothing to bring to the table. Nothing except my brother’s unwavering loyalty, and a drive to succeed that was stronger than steel. Ryan refused to take the deal unless I represented him. Both of us had grown so distrustful after everything.
‘Richard and his scout wanted him so badly, they accepted. While Ryan got an education in being a star, I gained one in spotting them.
‘When I went back to get Sofia and Lula, they were gone, nowhere to be found. We were only getting started. I didn’t have the resources to hunt them down. No matter how many times I cruised the streets we used to sleep on, I couldn’t find them.
‘Over time, my searches got less frequent. Ryan was going on tour and I was going with him. Taking on other artists. Eventually replacing the scout that brought Richard to us.
‘I never forgot Sofia and Lula, but I am ashamed to say I didn’t look nearly as hard for them as I should have, eventually passing the buck to Declan, never expecting to actually find them.
‘That is my shame. I spent years thinking if I’d have found them earlier, maybe I could have got Sofia the medical attention she needed. Then finally, somehow, I realised what I told you the other day. When your time’s up, it’s up. Sofia’s condition meant she was never going to live a long life. I just wish she could have seen it out in comfort.’
Chloe’s eyes well with tears that spill over onto her unusually pale cheeks. ‘I’m so sorry, Jayden, for all you went through. Our parents. What happened. It affected all of us more than I ever realised.’
‘It did. But we’re here to tell the tale at least.’ I yank her into me, crushing her against my chest, revelling in the way she nestles against me. Inhaling the scent of her shampoo. Emotion surges through every vein and artery.
If anyone could see me now, they wouldn’t believe it. But I’m done with anyone else who’s not here. With anyone who’s not us. I’ve paid my debts. I’m done trying to save the world. The only thing I need to salvage is us. I’m willing to take a risk on getting hurt, on being left, or having her taken, because loving her as much as I do, I can’t do anything else.
Liquid topaz eyes gaze up at me. She bites her lower lip awkwardly in the way I’ve grown to love.
‘Jayden, I love you.’
My heart swells, tripling in size. A lump lodges in my throat.
‘I couldn’t say it before, but I felt it. I’ve known since the last time I stood in this kitchen. From the first time I slept in your bed. Maybe even before that, but that was the first time I admitted it to myself. Admitting love is like pointing out a weak spot to poke or hurt, but trusting the other person not to do precisely that. I’m sorry it took me so long to trust you.
‘I hate you didn’t tell me about Lula. I hate you couldn’t open up to me when I opened up to you, but I get it more than you’ll ever know.’
