Chapter 40
When I arrive home, I put away my mermaiding stuff and knock on Alice’s bedroom door. I need advice before seeing Sully again.
“Enter,” she cheerfully says.
I open the door to find her sitting on her bed with her legs crossed and her laptop on her lap, a worn purple Tarot deck resting nearby.
“What’s up,” I ask, lingering in the doorway.
“You look like crap, sweetie.” She closes the laptop and pats the bed next to her. “Care to explain?”
I lie down, draping an arm over my eyes. “Sully texted when I was finishing the Cooper and Associates event. He’s sending a car so we can talk in person and—”
She smacks my thigh. “Girl, when will you open your eyes and see that bass player has it bad for you?”
I sit up too quickly, giving myself a head rush. “Does it matter? He’s going on a European tour soon.”
“Did he ask you to come?”
I focus on my hand running over the sheet, smoothing its wrinkles.
Alice inhales sharply, bouncing on the bed. “He did, didn’t he?” she shrieks in joy.
“He did after the music awards, but then…” I trail off. Then Gigi happened.
“He doesn’t want her. Not to be cliché, but it’s plain as day with him texting you. Needing to see you.”
“He’s acting weird and…” I shrug. “Plus, I can’t hop on a plane and go on tour. Saying it out loud doesn’t even sound real.” I bow my head, covering my face with my hands. “A weekend in Vegas is one thing, but an entire tour! I can’t. What about my life here?”
Alice rubs small circles on my back. “Your life? What life?”
I glare at her, but she’s right. Other than work and hanging out with Alice, I don’t do much, and I live in one of the most exciting cities in the world.
She takes my hand and squeezes it. “If the restaurant is holding you back, don’t worry.
I’ll help find someone to hold your place.
But traveling will be good for your brand.
I’m sure whatever events you have scheduled can go to another mermaid.
I keep saying you need sisters. A mermaid pod so you don’t work yourself to the bone and you still make money even if you don’t personally attend every gig. ”
I lift my head and dare to meet her gaze. She smiles, but there’s a flicker of sadness behind it. “And if it’s me in the way, I’ll be okay. Maybe Emily can be my new roommate.” She hits her leg with mine. “Kidding.”
Alice stands and stretches, then snatches up her Tarot deck from the bed.
“Want me to pull a few cards for you?” she asks, fanning them out with a little flourish. “Might give you some clarity before you see your man.”
I shake my head quickly, laughing nervously. “Thanks, but no. I don't think I can handle any more mysteries today.”
She shrugs and drops the cards onto her dresser.
“Suit yourself, mermaid. But when you’re ready, the cards are always ready too.
But I think this would be an amazing opportunity.
Especially for your career. All those beaches.
So many pictures to post on your socials.
New things to post in your store. You can blog about your travels. I’ll be with you in spirit.”
The anxiety building within my chest causes pressure on my heart and my left leg to jiggle uncontrollably. “I have a list of all the places I want to visit.”
“See.” She grabs my wrist and pulls me to my feet. “It’s time to see your boyfriend and make those plans come true.”
Alice shoos me out. “As for me, I got a dinner date to get ready for.” She winks and closes her door.
I shuffle into my bedroom and change into a cute little black dress with matching heels. I reapply my makeup and brush my hair. A car horn honks, and I drift downstairs.
When I slide into the car, I find myself alone. “Where’s Sully?” I ask the driver.
He pulls onto the street and glares at me through the rearview mirror. “At the house in Beverly Hills.” His voice is cold and stiff like steel.
“Oh…” I sink into the leather seat and watch buildings and cars whizz by.
The sickness in my stomach burrows deeper.
I swallow the nervous fear and close my eyes, picturing Sully shirtless and kissing me.
His hands on my waist, cupping my breasts, making me shudder and come apart as his body molds to mine.
It’s only been a few days, but I already miss him. His scent, his warmth. Just him.
The closer we get to Beverly Hills, the more I debate leaping out of the car at every red light and stop sign. Something tells me this is a trap, and I have no idea why. I squirm in my seat, knowing the rest of the band is there, eavesdropping on us.
My hands shake as I send Sully a text.
Almost there.
He replies within a few moments.
K.
What the hell? The dreaded one letter with a period? What’s going on?
The driver stops in front of a massive mansion with a fountain with an angel holding a pot where the water spills out. I missed the drive up by staring at my phone like it would decode Sully’s very short reply.
I step outside and look up at the stone fortress with ivy crawling its walls. It looms in the distance like Dracula’s castle, and I’m the victim about to be eaten.
The pink and purple flowers leading to the wooden door aren’t inviting. The singing birds sound like a warning. Even the sun’s warmth chills my blood.
The door opens before I can knock. A twenty-something woman in a black pencil skirt and white blouse waves me inside.
I follow her wordlessly through the gorgeous living room with antique furniture and a giant picture of Marilyn Monroe above the brick fireplace.
She leads me into the dining room and points to a chair. “Sit,” she orders as if I’m a dog.
I linger but give in, dragging out a chair and sitting on the edge of its cushion, ready to bolt.
“Where’s Sully?” I ask over my thundering heartbeat.
The woman sighs as if my question inconveniences her. “He will not be joining us. Please wait here.” It’s the wickedness of her smile, the evil gleam in her eye, and the sharp echo of her heels that send my soul flying to the ceiling. If he’s not here, why am I?
My gut was right. Something is wrong.
A door opens somewhere inside the house and heels click on the tile floor.
I look up to find Gigi grinning at me, her cat-green eyes blazing beneath thick black lashes.
A red dress hugs her perfect figure, pushing up her breasts and complementing her glowing skin.
Gigi’s like a model who just stepped off a billboard or glossy magazine cover.
She’s all glamorous with a stone-cold bitch glare directed at me.
“It was you who texted me,” I say, trying to keep the surprise from my voice and failing.
She scoffs. “You’re smarter than you look.” She takes Sully’s phone out of her bra and tosses it on the table.
Sully would never send Xs as kisses. I should’ve known. But if she has his phone, then where is he?
“Did you steal his phone?” I stand firm. “Why can’t I speak to him?” I demand, sounding stronger than I feel.
She rolls her eyes. “Enough of this.” She snaps her fingers, and the pencil skirt woman reappears with paperwork in her hands.
“This is my assistant, Laura.” She gestures for Laura to set the pile of papers in front of me. “I want to make you an offer.” She snags a pen from her bra and tosses it in my direction.
I cackle, shaking my head. “You sound like the mob.”
“I’m worse than the mob, honey. I can do more things than they ever could,” Gigi says, her cold glare slicing into me, drawing blood.
I shift in my seat, my foot tapping anxiously against the floor. I glance around, but the rest of the house stays hidden from view.
Are we alone? Where is the band? Why do I feel like I’m about to be eighty-sixed?
“Here’s the deal.” Gigi smacks her lips, glancing at her phone like she has a million better things to do. “I’m ready to support your little mermaid gig Amy told me about—I’ll invest forty thousand dollars to kickstart your brand. Consider it a generous donation.”
Laura brushes her hands down her perfectly smooth skirt to avoid my gaze. It’s like Gigi’s offering me a full-ride scholarship to the dream university I’d never afford to get into myself. “Allow me to boost your career. You could be famous by this time next year.”
As if I need her help. I’m already creating my own splash. But I doubt she cares.
I leaf through the papers, beyond confused. Why on Earth would she want to give me fortune and fame? We don’t even know each other. Unless it’s a buyout. Hush money. A parting gift from Sully.
My heart leaps into my throat, and I must speak before the words choke me. “What’s the catch?”
Here we go. They’ll say to leave Sully alone, and he’ll find out about this conversation and go off on them again. This is a never-ending battle.
Gigi nods at the paperwork. “It’s all there. I help you, and you kill this…thing between you and Sully.” She wrinkles her nose as if our relationship smells of rotting garbage. “Liquidate your relationship. Never tell a soul you were with him.”
“You can’t be serious. This is—”
She holds up her hand. “I’ll spell it out for you. You were never his girlfriend or fuck buddy. Yes. You met him during a meet and greet with your favorite band. Lucky you.”
I clench my jaw to the point my teeth might break. They don’t know about Sully posing with me during my mermaid shoot. What would they do if they saw those pictures posted online? Could they sue me?
“I have more than just one photo.”
Gigi leans forward, resting her palms on the table across from me, and stares into my being. “Whatever other pictures you have must be deleted.”
My blood boils, but I hold my tongue. I skim the words before me, and it’s like I’m signing divorce papers. The phrases are all legal terms that make my brain pound. Do I need a lawyer for this shit?
“Where’s Sully? I need to speak to him.” My voice cracks, betraying me.
Gigi nudges the pen toward me. “He’s busy. Just sign the papers and go. Your ride’s waiting.”
“This is insane,” I whisper, my pulse pounding. “You have his phone and he’s not even here. It’s like you’ve—” I swallow. “It’s like you’ve made him disappear.”
She lets out a cold, humorless laugh. “Sweetheart, he’s not dead. He just can’t stand the sight of you.”
My fingers tighten around the pen. For a brief second, I imagine stabbing Gigi in the neck, then smashing the chair into Laura for looking so damn smug.
But I stay still. I won’t give them the satisfaction.
“And if I don’t sign?” I lift my chin and stare at the back of Gigi’s meticulously braided bun, avoiding her eyes. If I look at her, I might scream. Or cry.
But I won’t break.
Gigi moves around the table, appearing like she’s floating in that long red dress. “I’ll ruin you.” Her words twist the knife in my gut, but I won’t show the pain.
Her lips turn into a sneer as she sits on the table a foot away and taps her scary, long, blood-red nails on the papers. “I don’t know what you thought you and Sully had, but it’s over now. I’m offering a clean break. Now be a good little fangirl and sign these papers.”
The base of my skull prickles, and it spreads along my spine. Gigi may have a model face and an angel’s voice, but staring into her eyes is like seeing the devil. My body goes cold.
“I’m not doing anything until I speak to Sully in person.”
Gigi moves faster than a bullet, pulling my chair away from the table with me in it. How is she this strong? Maybe she is a she-demon.
“He’s off-limits. You’re dealing with me now.” She crosses her arms and narrows her eyes. “Now sign these fucking papers.”
I find my voice hidden underneath all my hurt, confusion, and spite. “You can shove those papers up your tight waxed ass.” I stand and push the papers with such force they flutter to the ground.
She sighs, tsking. “Haven’t you seen us online? We’re meant to be. That’s what our fans say. You can’t come between us.”
She moves closer, and I’m frozen in place, turned to stone by her glare. “He’s mine. He could never be yours. All you are is a woman playing make-believe. And as a mermaid!” She cackles, shaking her head. “How pathetic.”
Gigi grabs the blue pendant hanging around her neck and idly runs it along its silver chain. The massive sparkling diamond ring on her left-hand glints in the light, deliberately catching my eye.
“You see this?” she purrs, holding up her hand like a queen showing off a crown jewel. “Sully gave it to me last night.”
The room seems to tilt, but I lock my knees, refusing to stumble.
A lie. It has to be.
But for a split second—only a split second—the old wound reopens.
The memory of Teddy and his cruel prank. The hope that twisted into heartbreak when he ended things, and tried to ruin my career, instead of proposing.
I shove the memory away, blinking fast.
“That’s funny,” I say with a tight smile. “Sully never mentioned being anyone’s fiancé and he said those pictures of you were faked.”
Gigi’s laugh is like shattered glass—sharp, cruel.
“We’re keeping it private. For now.” She winks. “Can’t risk the media getting too wild before the tour.”
My mind races.
Sully had just asked me to come with him. Would he really do that if he were engaged to someone else?
But the doubt—tiny, toxic—creeps in anyway.
Men have lied to me before. Played me before. Maybe I was being played again, too foolish to see it. Still, I meet Gigi’s catlike gaze head-on. “Until Sully tells me himself, I don’t believe a damn word you say.”
Her smile fades, just a crack. She slides closer, her expensive perfume coiling around me like smoke.
“You poor thing,” she says softly, almost pitying. “Still clinging to a fantasy. Still thinking someone like him could ever choose someone like you.”
Each word strikes like a whip. She wants me to break. She wants me to run.
But I stay frozen, fists balled so tight my nails dig into my palms.
I don’t know what the truth is yet. But I know I’ll find it—from Sully. Not from her.
Gigi circles me, her heels clicking a slow, mocking rhythm. “You have two choices, little mermaid. Walk away with a career and a nice fat check.” She nudges the papers with the toe of her designer shoe. “Or stay…and be crushed. Trust me, love, you don’t survive long standing in my light.”
I smile, sweet and slow, even though my heart’s shattering inside.
“Guess we’ll see,” I say.
Game on, bitch.