19. Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Sixteen
Rose
“ S o, how did that go?” Juno asked the second I walked in the door. I nearly jumped out of my skin.
“I told you that you didn’t have to wait up for me.” I put down my purse.
“One of the most famous women in the world went to a bar with different-colored hair and I’m her bodyguard. Of course I waited up.”
“I’m fine,” I said. “Really.”
“And what happened?”
“He opened up to me way more than he ever did as Lila.” I could still feel the way my heart loosened as he did so. Some of those caged thoughts were free and I was able to finally help him with them.
“Oh.”
“I think he could trust this version of me more.”
Juno was silent for a long time. “I’m . . . happy for you, but seeing him as Rose ? This is risky.”
I looked at my hands. She wasn’t wrong. It was risky and Mom would be so upset if she knew I was blurring the lines like this. But then I thought about that rooftop bar, unseen by Lila’s eyes.
“But this feels less complicated when I’m me ,” I said. “All of it does.”
“So you plan to have one side of you ghost him?”
“He still has to hear the rest of my album.”
“Okay, then ghost him as Rose.”
“I can’t . I’ve promised to help him meet his dad. ”
Juno blinked. “You did what ?”
My cheeks heated. “The point is, I’m entangled.”
“That might not be a good thing,” she said. “People could get hurt here. Barry could find out and think you’re playing him. Or worse, someone sees you going to the same place Lila is and notices that you seem similar.”
“It would be easier if he knew. I bet Barry would know a way out of this.” I rubbed a hand over my face.
“You’re not thinking about telling him, are you?” she asked.
“Maybe that’s a good idea.”
“No. That’s not a good idea.”
“Why?”
“Because what if he tells? Your NDA doesn’t cover anything as Rose .”
“He didn’t say anything before he signed one.”
“Yeah, when he met you. Think about how much a secret like this could sell for.”
Mom had said something like that once. And the idea of someone selling my secrets haunted me. A simple picture of me with the wig in my hand would earn a lot of money. I didn’t think Barry would sell me out, but he would be angry.
And people did say stupid things when they were angry.
Like I had by releasing a song detailing how Blaze had cheated on me.
“Pick a version to be and stay there.” Juno’s words were firm.
I thought about how it felt to write those songs with Barry, how it felt to sing for him. Then I thought about the rooftop terrace—a new side of him—one where he knew me without all the strings.
“I don’t know if I can.”
“Think of all the people who could be hurt. Him included.”
I bit my lip. “I have no clue what to do.”
“Lila knows him best.”
“But Rose comes without all the issues of fame.” I sighed.
“So then be Rose.”
I looked out the window, unable to answer. Neither option felt right and I wasn’t sure what to do about this stupid situation I’d put myself in.
Barry
Barry: What was this guy’s name?
I texted Ruth and Tom and threw my phone on the couch. I paced the floor, wondering if I should tell them not to worry about it. Then grabbed it, hoping they’d responded. When I saw nothing, I tossed it again.
I checked the time. It was early afternoon and I knew neither of them would fuck with me during their work hours.
But then there was a knock on my door.
And they were both on the other side.
“What the fuck?” I muttered. “Don’t you two work?”
Ruth rolled her eyes. “Haven’t you ever heard of a day off?”
“Have you ?”
“Yep,” she said. “Now, you texted for info?”
“You could have just answered.”
“Barry,” Tom said softly. “We know you aren’t the kind of person to ask something like this without a lot of thought.”
I glared. He was right.
“ And we want to check on you,” Ruth said. “That involves seeing you with our own eyes. So, how are you?”
I thought of my conversation with Rose, a session I didn’t quite regret, but I didn’t know if I had done the right thing. “I’m making it.”
“So not good,” she said. “Can we come in?”
“How did you get into the bar anyway?”
“You keep a key under your mat,” she said. “The same way I do even to this day.”
“I tried to tell her it was still breaking and entering.” Tom sighed. “But she wanted to check on you.”
“And you?”
“I did too. This couldn’t have been easy news to hear.”
I wasn’t sure they even cared. I was their half-brother, which meant they only had to half care.
“And we do have information on your actual father,” Ruth said, and any thoughts I had disappeared in the weight of that revelation. “His name is Wilfred.”
“Where is he?”
“Mom’s town in West Tennessee.”
“I . . . can’t remember where that is.” I never thought I would need to. She’d buried that part of herself.
“Lyles,” Ruth said. “It’s tiny, but she’s living next to him.”
“Do you know anything else?”
“No, but we can reach out to her and get more information,” Ruth offered. “We get it if you don’t want to talk to her considering . . . everything.”
“It’s the last thing I want to do, but yes, thank you.”
“Are you okay?” Tom asked. “You can tell us anything.”
“I’m giving this one chance,” I said. “But if it goes south, then I’ll stay exactly where I’m at. I don’t need anyone.”
But even I didn’t believe that. And judging by the way Ruth and Tom looked at each other, I didn’t think they believed it, either.
“Okay,” Ruth said. “Now, get your keys.”
“Why?”
“Because we should have a nice family lunch, if you’re free.”
All I’d been doing was sitting with my thoughts.
“What do you want to have?” I asked.
“There’s a brunch spot not too far from here,” Tom suggested. “It’s pretty good.”
I almost didn’t know who the fuck these people were.
“Come on,” Ruth said. “We won’t talk about work.”
“And what would we talk about?”
“How I had to put out an oven fire last week, maybe?”
“What?” Both Tom and I said at the same time.
“See? I’m basically a hero.”
“I do want to hear this story,” I said, and I went to grab my keys. “Let’s go.”