Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Carlene spent most of the day fielding calls.
By early afternoon, her voice was hoarse, her coffee cold, and her patience nearly gone.
The label wanted statements. The band wanted reassurance.
The press wanted a scandal. And every time her phone buzzed, her heart jumped before she could stop it, half-hoping it was Jami and half-afraid it would be.
Tony’s voice cut through her earbuds as she scanned yet another thread of emails. “The label’s nervous, Carlene. They want an official press release by tomorrow morning.”
“I already wrote one,” she said. “It’s clean, factual, and doesn’t inflame anything.”
“They want emotion.”
“Then they can get it from the music,” she snapped, then immediately softened her tone. “Sorry. I’ll handle it.”
He sighed. “They’re not blaming you, but this is messy. Reed it was the major reason you brought me on. I'll draft a response tonight.”
“The label’s getting pressure from investors.”
She sighed and sat in the chair across from her bed. After the call ended, she stayed there, gripping the arms until her knuckles whitened. Every instinct told her to fight back. To expose Reed twilight had settled over the water. The scent of sawdust and sea air mixed inside, familiar and grounding. Jami stood near the mixing table in the studio, guitar slung over his shoulder, eyes lifting when she entered.
“You look exhausted,” he said softly.
“Flattering,” she said, forcing a smile. “You heard about the leak?”
“Yeah. I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologize for.”
He took a step closer. “Still feels like I should.”
For a long moment, they stood in silence. The tension between them hummed like the amps in the corner; quiet, constant, impossible to ignore.
“Tomorrow,” she said finally, “we issue the statement. I’ll take responsibility for the confusion and clear you of everything.”
“That’s not fair to you.”
“It’s not about fair. It’s about control. It's also my job.”
"Aren't you worried how that will look to the next company that considers hiring you?"
She took a deep breath. "All I care about right now is how this is affecting you. Hart & The Hurricanes. That's my job right now, and I'm deeply disturbed that my former company brought you into this vendetta."
He studied her face. “And afterward?”
She hesitated, unsure whether he meant the campaign or whatever this was between them.
“We regroup,” she said softly. “And we keep fighting.”
He nodded, but his gaze lingered on her mouth before he looked away. “Then let’s make sure they don’t win.”
She turned to set her laptop on the table near the mixing board and opened the new draft statement.
Her hands were steady again, but her heart wasn’t.
Because as much as she wanted to win this war, part of her already knew the battle she couldn’t afford to lose was the one she was fighting with herself.