Page 175 of The Comedown

Nothing about it seemed random at the time though.

Was it random?

I study Collette’s suddenly blank expression.

“The Mousais are what set Bodee off, huh? He found out somehow?”

The sudden subject change doesn’t even faze her. Almost like she’s been anticipating this. No, not almost. She has been expecting this.

Goddamn it. She’s still hiding things from me.

“He knew I was in talks to perform, yes. He demanded I turn it down.”

“Why?”

“Why is he always trying to stop my success? Because he doesn’t have a hand in it anymore.”

I remember what DJ Arique said about not being able to work with Collette directly.

“He’s still got a hand in it,” I mutter to myself, but Collette hears it and nods.

Bodee’s been determining who Collette can and can’t work with her entire career to keep her right where he wants her—just successful enough for him to be credited for his discovery of her, but not enough to surpass him or his influence.

But…that doesn’t mean Collette hasn’t been able to find her own success. She has. Even before The Mousais, she’s gotten other big gigs just by herself, and he never reacted like this. It still doesn’t make sense why he went so hard now.

“Did he know your talks included me being up there with you?” It can’t be a coincidence that only hours before we got confirmation I’d be performing with Collette—a feat Collette alone is responsible for pulling off—Bodee showed up trying to nix the whole thing.

“He didn’t mention your name, but he has an inside source, so I don’t know what all information he was privy to. It’s possible.”

That’s it. That’s the missing piece to this whole puzzle. Bodee found out I’d be performing alongside Collette, and he didn’t just want recognition for his ex-wife’s accomplishment, he wanted all the recognition. With Collette and I not only singing together but also being together, he wouldn’t have gotten it. He’d still be mentioned for sure, but not necessarily accredited. To get that, he’d need to remind everyone of Collette’s origin story, and what could do that better than the child they made while they were together?

“He’s still got a hand on you,” I say painfully, because that hand wouldn’t have had the means to pull any of this bullshit if I hadn’t put Collette in potentially scandalous situations to begin with.

Collette doesn’t bother denying it, only saying, “And until Holter turns eighteen, he’ll continue to.”

Even if she’s right and Bodee did decide to leave her alone then, that’s over four years off. For four more years, she’s just gonna keep touring her ass off with anyone who’ll have her, missing out on everything she wants, everything Holter wants, everything I’m offering her?

And she’s just gonna let Bodee keep that level of control over her and her career?

“Why didn’t you agree? You could’ve. It wasn’t a done deal yet. So, why didn’t you walk away when Bodee told you to?” Her ex threw everything he had at her, and she still didn’t cave.

“Because I wanted you to be able to experience what’s been kept from me.”

“You didn’t have to. That’s not your job.”

She laughs a bitter sort of laugh, and I already know I’m not gonna like what’s next.

“Isn’t it though? That’s why I was hired for The Family Julez Tour…to improve your image.”

Called it. I don’t just not like what she said, I fucking hate it.

“Which they got right. It worked. You’re performing at The fucking Mousais. It doesn’t get any better than that, Julian. Your label will have no choice but to listen to your ideas now.”

I was half-joking about extending this tour. I want to stay on tour with Collette, but I don’t want to stay on this tour with her. This tour is controlled by the record label I’ve been trying to get out from under for the past two years. No matter what I’ve fucking done, how far I’ve taken things, I can’t get them to drop me.

I shake my head, telling her, “You weren’t hired for that. I requested you.”

“You never considered why they agreed?”