I had to make a decision.Now.
And I was too scared to makethe right one. Too much of a coward.
Fox had been wrong. I didn’t just needsupport. I couldn’t change my life. Not everyone was cut out for doing what hedid. I needed what I had.
“I had nothing to do withthe leak,” I said, my throat closing up as I forced the words out.
It hurt. It physically hurtto say it, and my stomach twisted again even as tears started stinging at thecorners of my eyes.
Crying wouldn’t solve anything.It’d only make things worse. I needed to get through the rest of this meetingwithout making a complete idiot of myself.
“That’s settled, then,” Johnsaid. “Mr. Faulks, you can remove yourself from the premises, or we’ll removeyou.”
“Right,” Fox responded. “I’llsee myself out, then.”
I heard him shove his handsin his pockets, a defensive gesture I’d never seen him pushed to before.
I didn’twantto see it. Icouldn’tface Fox hurt and defeated. Hurt and defeatedbecause of me.
What kind of asshole was I?
This was what LA did topeople, wasn’tit? Took their souls away.
Mine was screaming for Foxas he turned, elbow brushing against me, and headed for the door.
He didn’t slam it shut.The click of the latch closing was so soft it was almost inaudible, but itechoed in the suddenly silent room.
Uncle Vincent smiled like he’d won something.So did John.
Dwayne was the only oneshowing me any sympathy, but he’d proved he couldn’t be trusted, either.
The only person I couldtrust had just walked away. After I’d thrown him under the bus.
“Can I go?” I asked. “If youwant this album finished on time, I need to get back to work.”
“Of course,” John said,smiling at me like he hadn’t just ripped my heart out of my chest and crushedit under his Armani loafers. “Thank you for coming in, I know your time’sprecious.”
I didn’t sayfuck you, but onlybecause I was biting down on the inside of my cheek so hard I could tasteblood.
“Thank you,” I managed,still holding back tears.
The hallway was empty when Igot outside, the lights above the elevator at the other end counting down tothe lobby.
Fox was gone. He was gone,and even if I ran after him now, he wouldn’t want to talk to me. Whyshouldhe?
Fuck me. Fuck me and mycowardice, and the way I’d thrown Fox’s kindness and support in his face tosave my own skin.
I’d never deserved him.
At least he knew soonerinstead of later.
TWENTY-TWO
FOX
The answer had been staringme in the face almost since the moment I’d arrived in LA and I’dbeen too dense to see it until today.
Vincent, standing there inhis thousand-dollar suit with his smug little smile and his eggshell-bluecoffee cup. As ifthatwasn’t enough to tell me he was the guilty party,he’d been playing with that ridiculous keychain. The revolver-shaped USB stickI’d seen Dave with. It had to be the same one.
