As I open my mouth to ask about the contents, he closes his eyes. “Noah,” he warns. “Don’t ask me, please. Let’s leave it. I knew you needed me.”
Anguish burns through my veins, and I shake my head, unable for several seconds to put my thoughts into words. My heart clenches hard in my chest. “And you came.”
Rhett’s jaw is so tight he’s probably cracking his teeth from the pressure. “I’ll always come for you,” he grits out. “You willneverbe in a position where you have to wonder whether you can count on me or not. Because I will always be here.”
I stare into the dark eyes I know so well and feel something inside me knit back together. Slowly, I nod my understanding.
“No one is ever gonna hurt you again.” He cocks his head to the side when I cover my face. With the sort of care he offers an injured animal, he tugs my hand free, coming in close. “Do you hear me, Noah?”
“Yes.” I can’t stop the tremble of my lips. Swallowing hard, I pick up the coffee to give me something to do with my hands.
Rhett stares past my eyes and into my soul. “I keep trying to sort through everything that’s happened, butI’m getting stuck on one question.” He drags in a careful breath. “Why did you choose him? At the wedding I could see you weren’t happy.”
I lower my gaze to the granite counter, absently tracing my fingers over it as I brace myself to explain things. “I—” My lips snap shut. It’s Rhett’s gentle squeeze of my shoulder that finally brings me back to him. “It’s so complicated. I don’t know where to start.”
“The beginning is usually a good place.”
“You sound like Grandma Jo.” I spy his lips twitching into a smile.
“She’s a smart lady, so I’ll take the compliment.”
“It started with the contract I signed. We can talk details later, but essentially, I made a rookie blunder.” My nerves wreak havoc on my composure, and I swallow. “I didn’t fully understand that I was signing away the rights to my masters, giving him ownership of all new releases until my first five albums were produced.”
“Fuck.” Rhett’s eyes burn with anger.
“Yeah. Fuck is right. I’ve only recorded two of those five, which means he owns me and everything I create.” An aching chuckle bursts from my chest. “When I went to Harold Hemstock to ask him to release me from my contract, he said there was only one way he’d break it.” I press a few fingers to my temple, hoping to ease the tension.
Rhett’s eyebrow goes up. “This is Bradley’s father?”
“Hisson wanted his wagon hitched to mine. Thought marrying me would fix his failing career and reputation. He’s not well liked within the industry. He’s a fucking slimeball.”
“This was all for their fuckin’ egos?” Rhett growls.
“Yes.” I wince, sighing out my frustration. “I was so stupid. And stuck… for an entire year. At the end of which, it was agreed we’d part ways, and that’d be it. And I could get back to my life. One year in exchange for all my music and the freedom to do what I want and live wherever I chose sounded good at the time.” I naively thought it would be that simple. Little did I know it would break me.
Rhett rubs a hand over his face. “So this wasn’t the great romance they’ve billed it as?”
“No. It was always fake. We live together but have separate bedrooms. I thought I had everything under control, thought I could handle it.”How am I going to get through this conversation? He deserves to know.“In the beginning, warding off his sleazy advances wasn’t so bad. As time went on, handling his controlling ways became a part of my job description. It wasn’t until after I signed the second contract and the NDA that things started to escalate. Bradley became delusional. He was on some kind of power trip and thought I belonged to him.” I give Rhett a sad smile. “When I saw you at Boozin’ Boots, I realized how big a mistake I’d made.” I stop and stare into his eyes as regret eats me alive, gnawingat my chest until it’s hard to breathe. “Being back in Black River was a catalyst for physical violence.”
His brows furrow. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Clenching my teeth, I exhale hard. “He had photos of us from that night.”
“What do you mean? What kind of photos?”
“He had me followed.” I press my eyes closed before mumbling, “The kiss. Outside the bar.”
“Fuck.” The word rips from his chest.
“When I got back to the penthouse, he had photographs strewn across the table. Said I was embarrassing him publicly. And even though we weren’t a real couple, I couldn’t be whoring around where anyone from the tabloids might figure out that our relationship wasn’t what we were selling it to be.” Rhett takes hold of my hand to stop it from shaking and gives me the courage to continue. “That was the first time he hit me.”
His face darkens, flushing red with rage. Out of nowhere, he stands abruptly, knocking the stool over. His chest heaves as he stares at me, guilt building in his gaze. “I’m gonna kill that motherfucker.” Then, he pivots and plows his fist into the refrigerator. “Fuck!”
I gasp, watching him with wide eyes as he struggles for control, pressing his forehead to the cold steel. The sound of his labored breathing fills the air. He turns around, shoving his hands into his hair. His fury-filledeyes soften slightly as he rasps, “How many times, Noah?”
“More than he should have.” Quietly, I add, “Things got progressively worse closer to the wedding. But nothing as bad as—” I stop, needing a moment to finish.“Thatnight. The night you found me… was the first time he didthat.”
Rhett steps closer, holding my focus. “I need to know who and how many were involved.” His voice is clipped. Fiery. Furious.
