So far, he hadn’t even told me he wanted me to be his girlfriend for real. Or stick around two seconds longer than the end of the tour.
“Then why did he hire me in the first place, Brody? He said he needed me because ‘together, we sell.’ He said he needed help staying in the minds of the fans, that this album had to be a success or the record company wouldn’t let him do another solo album.”
“That’s true, but Jesse doesn’t need more money or more fame, Katie. He just wants to keep bringing Jessa’s lyrics to the world. That’s what this album was about.”
Shit. I didn’t fucking know.
I mean, it’s not like he told me.
I had no idea all of this was for his sister. To try to help her?
“So he wants this album to be a success… so he can make more music with her?”
“He’s hoping it will convince her to come home and write with him again full-time.” Brody glanced over at me. “He’s afraid if we can’t get her back for the music, we’ll never get her back.”
I noticed this time he saidwe.
“Do you think she’ll come back?”
“No,” he said, and my heart kind of fell at his bluntness, at the thought that Jesse wasn’t going to get what he’d hoped for. “It’s not like we don’t all hope… but the girl’s been gone a long time. She changed when Dirty left on their first tour. Jesse’s always blamed himself for that.”
“But couldn’t you guys just pay for her to come home? Maybe she could take a break from modeling or something?”
“Jessa Mayes doesn’t need money from big brother,” Brody said. “And she wouldn’t take it anyway. She doesn’t even accept royalties for the songs. It all just goes into a trust account.”
“Why?”
“She says she wants to make her own way. Incredibly stubborn on that point.” He gave me a meaningful look.
“I get it,” I said. “But I’m not Jesse’s sister. I’m not family. I’m not even his girlfriend.”
“Maybe that’s how it started five weeks ago,” he said, “but things can change, Katie.”
Yeah. Things could really fucking change.
We were getting closer to the very familiar mega-mansion where I knew I’d find Josh. Even though I hadn’t been there in over two years, I knew there was no way he would ever miss Sunday brunch at his parents’ house. And I’d been so sure, when I got into Brody’s truck, that I had to talk to him. To face him once and for all, to tell him I was over him and that he needed to let me go. No more showing up uninvited in my life. No giving photos of us to the media. No moreus.
I’d thought it would be the bravest thing I could do to face him, but I was wrong.
It would be truly brave to take a chance on loving someone again—and give him a chance to love me back.
“Um… can we turn around? There’s somewhere I need to go.”
Brody looked at me, curiosity piqued. “Yeah?”
I took a deep breath and nodded.
Finally, I knew what Jesse wanted. And if there was anything I could do to help him get it, I had to do it.
Because that’s what love was, right?
“Yeah,” I said. “Do you think you can take me to the airport?”
CHAPTER 36
KATIE
I was pretty excited.
