Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Cassie
Miranda takes a slow step closer, a predator sizing up her prey. When she reaches towards my face, I flinch, but she doesn’t hit me. Instead, she tucks my loose waves behind my ear in a pathetic farce of a caring gesture. My breaths come in shallow pants as I wait for her to pounce.
“I thought you might say that.” Her malicious glee melts into an expression of pure heartbreak.
“I’ve been so worried about my daughter.
I didn’t realise how bad things were until she ran away and abandoned her responsibilities.
She’s had problems since she was a teenager, but I never expected anything like her recent behaviour.
Shutting out the mother who’s always been by her side—it breaks my heart that she’s so lost.”
In the blink of an eye, she sheds her mask, a cold, reptilian look taking its place. “See? It will be so easy for me to make the world hate you. Who will support you after you’ve so heartlessly abandoned your mother? Who will work with someone so… unstable?”
Nausea rolls through my stomach in violent waves. I can’t believe she’d go this far. To use my depression diagnosis against me. The very diagnosis she tried to gaslight me into thinking was all in my head when, spoiler alert, that’s how mental health fucking works.
“What happened to you?” The woman before me is irredeemable. She has crossed every line imaginable. Miranda was never a warm mother, but even when she threatened to do exactly this, I never thought she would really go through with it.
A cruel smile plays on her lips. “This is what will happen if you don’t do as you’re told. I will ruin you before I let you walk away from me.”
“You’re disgusting.”
“I am your mother,” she snaps. “I make the decisions, not you. Anthony, take her to the car.”
Ant steps forward, and my heart breaks. I can’t believe that after everything he just heard, he’s going to take Miranda’s side. He was like a big brother to me and now—
“You’re forgetting something important,” he says.
“What’s that?”
Ant gives me his back, standing between me and the threat in the room, like he’s always done. Hope flutters to life in my chest. “I don’t work for you, Miranda.”
Her lips part and she stares at him, blue eyes wide with shock. “But I ordered you to come here.”
He shrugs. “I was always going to fly over and support Cassie. When you showed up demanding I come with you, I figured, why not? I’d let you think you were in charge and pay for my trip and keep an eye on you for Cassie all in one.”
“No, that’s—”
“Also,” Liam interrupts, stepping up to Ant’s side.
“I knew you would try something shady. You’ve been threatening Cassie, threatening to play the poor abandoned mother for years.
Unfortunately for you, not only is the daughter you like to call stupid actually really fucking smart, but she’s also got smart friends. ”
Uncertainty creeps into Miranda’s eyes as she looks between Liam and Ant. Still, she doubles down. “What are you trying to say? Everybody knows the two of you stayed friends after Country Hearts. If you speak up to defend her, you’ll only end up looking bad.”
“That’s what’s so great about this. I don’t need to say anything. You have said more than enough for everyone.” He holds up his phone, and Miranda’s face turns white as a sheet. “I started livestreaming as soon as we came down here.”
Oh. My. God. My eyes feel like they’re bugging out of my head as I gape at my best friend’s back.
“No. That’s not—you can’t—” Miranda splutters.
“I can and I did, you reprehensible cunt.”
I almost choke on my laughter. Miranda’s face is utterly priceless, and Liam’s mother is going to wash his mouth out with soap when she finds out he dropped a c-bomb. Although… considering everything Miranda has done, maybe she’ll make an exception just this once.
Austin comes forward from his spot by the door. “It’s time for you to leave.”
“Who the hell are you?” Miranda snarls, her composure well and truly a thing of the past.
“I’m the man who’s going to make sure your daughter knows how fucking incredible she is for the rest of her life.”
Austin and Ant share a look while I’m still busy processing Austin’s declaration.
“Time to go.” Ant hooks one arm through Miranda’s and Austin does the same on her other side.
“Wait,” I call out. The three of them freeze. “Miranda, just in case it wasn’t clear—you’re fired.” She screeches in outrage, and I give her a little finger wave while Austin and Ant march her out of the B&B.
“Oh my God,” Bailey says, staring at Liam in shock.
“Did you know he was filming?”
She shakes her head. “I had no idea.”
I turn to Liam. “You’re an evil genius.”
He ruffles his floppy chocolate-brown hair. “I have my moments.”
Bailey smacks a kiss on his cheek. “You’re brilliant—and mildly terrifying.” She grins up at him.
“For sure. I’m glad you’re on our side,” I half joke. Truthfully, I’m beyond grateful for everything Liam’s done for me over the years, especially this.
“Always,” he solemnly replies.
“Can I say something to the viewers before you end the live?”
“Sure.” Liam points the camera at me. “Go ahead.”
“Hi everyone.” I wave awkwardly. “You’ve probably got a lot of questions for me.
While I understand that, I’m not in the right headspace to answer them right now, so I’ll do another live soon where we can get into all that.
For the time being, I’d like to say thank you for the support you’ve shown me over the years.
I wouldn’t be where I am today without all of you.
A few things are going to change. I’m not the person I was at sixteen.
As you’ve probably gathered, there are a lot of people who didn’t want me to grow up. That’s why I took some time away.”
Shoving my hands into the front pockets of my shorts so I’m not tempted to wring them nervously, I clear my throat.
“You can absolutely expect more music from me, but it will sound a little different to what you’re used to.
Some of you will love it, some of you will hate it—hopefully not too many of you,” I joke.
“Music is an enormous part of who I am, and I know how lucky I am to do this for a living. While I don’t regret releasing any of the songs in my back catalogue, it’s time for my writing to evolve.
I’ve changed a lot in the past eight years.
Honestly, I’ve changed a lot in the last few months.
Whatever music I release next is going to reflect that. ”
I take a shaky breath. “Alright, I’m going to sign off.
I’ll schedule that live soon, but for now I’m going to take some time to be with the people closest to me.
Remember, if you’re ever struggling with your mental health, you can always ask for help.
Later today I’ll share a post listing free resources available in the UK and US. Thanks for listening.”
Liam ends the live, slipping his phone back into the pocket of his navy shorts. “It’s done.”
My shoulders slump with relief. “I don’t know how I can ever repay you for this, but I’m going to try.”
He’s already shaking his head no before I finish speaking. “You don’t have to repay me. We’ve had each other’s backs since we met—just keep being the kind of friend you’ve always been.”
My throat clogs with emotion. “I love you—both of you.”
Bailey gives me a fond smile. “We love you too, now get over here.” She waves me closer, and the three of us fall into a group hug.
* * *
Austin
Ant and I watch on like silent sentinels as Miranda’s car drives away until it fades into the distance. I’m sorry Cassie had to go through all that, but I can’t deny I’m happy that wretched woman is out of her life for good.
I’m about to open the door to head back inside the B&B when Ant clears his throat. Curious about what he has to say, I turn to look at him.
“Did you mean what you said? About making sure Cassie knows how special she is for the rest of her life?”
“Yes.”
His dark brows raise and Ant folds his arms over his chest. I have a few inches on him in height, but the man still manages to make me feel small in a way that I haven’t since I was a kid.
It’s partly because of his powerful presence, but mostly because his damn muscles seem to have muscles.
He’s built like a brick shithouse with the face of a supermodel.
If I were the jealous type, I might be concerned over how much he obviously cares about Cassie, but she told me all about him on Sunday night.
She thinks of Ant as the big brother she never had, and if this talk is what I think it is, he loves her like a sibling too.
“You know your life is going to change if you’re with her, right?”
“I know. Losing some of my privacy is worth it when it means I’m gaining her. We might not have known each other long, but I know my life is better with Cassie in it.”
“Good.” He nods, relaxing his posture. “I’ve been by her side since she was twenty years old—that girl means the world to me. I don’t know if Cassie will want me to stay here as part of her security team, but even if I don’t, I’ll only ever be a phone call away,” he warns.
“Cassie can take care of herself, but she’s trusted me with her heart and I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure it’s never broken again.”
He smiles, but there’s a thinly veiled layer of menace right beneath the charm. “See that you do.”
Where I might have bristled at such an obvious threat in the past, I only smile knowing that if I ever break Cassie’s heart, I’ll invite her friends here to kick my arse myself.
“You get all that out of your system? Cassie’s had a tough few days, so when we go back in there, we are going to present a united front. She needs our support right now, not to referee a pissing contest.”
Ant raises his brows but doesn’t argue. “Lead the way.”