Without thinking, I storm across the room and slap him across the face. I’ve never done that before or ever had the urge to go through with it. Not when he treated me like shit. Not when I caught him cheating on me. But the moment he threw my life choices back in my face and stomped on what I have with Skye, I burned from the inside out.
“I can’t believe you just did that.” He’s actually stunned. “I just wanted to talk to you.”
Bullshit is what I want to say. If he wanted to come here to talk, then he wouldn’t be throwing around accusations and hurtful words.
“No. Now, please leave.” Please is a hard word to say in this moment, but I’m running low on options.
“Oh, great.” He looks behind me. “You’re just in time for the show.”
I turn my head back toward my door and make eye contact with the one person I’ve been trying to get a hold of. The one person I’ve wanted to tell the truth to since I got here.
Skye is standing in the doorway, her eyes burning holes into Theo as he stands there with a red mark across his cheek.
I’m not sure how much she’s heard, but I’m certain it was just enough to understand what’s going on.
My knees go weak as soon as she speaks. “It seems you need a reminder that ‘no’ is a complete sentence, and I’m the only one that gets to hear her beg.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Skye
Theo scurries out of the hotel room like the cockroach he is. The door clicks shut on his pathetic exit, and my focus doesn’t follow him for a second. It remains locked on Violet, who lets out a heavy sigh and rolls her eyes toward the ceiling, a gesture of pure exhausted irritation.
“He’s always been such a coward,” she mumbles.
I let my silence build as I continue to stare at her. My anger is hot, and I take two steps forward and stop just inside her space. I’m not touching her, but I’m present.
She looks at me then, the fear from his intrusion is gone, replaced by the guilty tension that I’m fully pressing onto her. Her lips part to talk.
“Don’t.” I tilt my head, studying the lines of stress around her mouth. “This isn’t some stupid romance movie. I don’t have the patience for a shit ton of miscommunication excuses and dramatic stories.” I cross my arms, causing the leather of my jacket to creak. “So, start from the beginning, and this time… tell me everything. Then, we’ll deal with what everythingmeans.”
It isn’t a request. It’s the only path forward I am willing to allow.
“First,” I interrupt as her mouth opens to speak. “I want to hear you say it,” I mutter, my voice rougher than I intended. “You and Solace. You’re the same person.”
It all makes sense now. Why she seemed so familiar to me the night I saw her at the bar. I’ve always had a thing for Solace’s mouth. I mean, I get she’s a pop sensation, and everyone fawns over her, but there’s just something about the bright red pout of those lips that always had a way of hypnotizing me.
I see the fight drain from her as her gaze drops to her hands. And then, she talks.
“You weren’t supposed to find out like this,” she admits, but she seems sincere. Like she had all intentions of telling me at some point. “Yes, I am Solace. Violet Lockwood and Solace are the same person.”
The words fall from her lips, and I swear I see her outer shell cracking as she speaks. Like she’s breaking away from a prison she never thought she’d escape.
“I never meant to lie to you, Skye.” Her eyes lock onto mine. “But the truth of this is complicated.”
My jaw tightens, and she rubs the back of her neck.
“Before anyone knew me as Solace, I wasn’t supposed to exist as an artist at all.”
I frown slightly. “What?”
“I was a ghost.”
The words hang in the air.
“A ghost vocalist. The industry hires them all the time. Singers who record the real vocals for tracks that will later be released under someone else’s name.” She glances at the door like someone can hear her speaking.
I feel myself inflate with the need to protect her if she’s in danger, but I’ll ask questions after she finishes explaining.
