Chapter 27
Raleigh
I HAVE EVERY BELIEF that Mae won’t follow me out into the night, but when she does so with the force of a summer storm, I have no choice but to turn back to meet her head on.
“What do you want from me, Raleigh?” she calls.
I flinch at the pain in her voice and try to remain calm.
There are so many fans just around the corner, some are surely pressed to the fence somewhere behind the car, listening to every word of this.
Taking a deep breath, I try to find it within myself to defuse the situation, but Mae has reached her limit.
“I go out after a show and I get berated,” she says, taking a step forward.
“I want to go visit my mother, you disagree.” Another step forward.
“I want to go back to the hotel and hang out until the early morning hours, and I’m irresponsible. ”
I try not to let my shoulders slump at her plea. I’ve been hard on her, yes, but would she be where she is today without my advice? No, I don’t believe she would be.
When she leaves me the space to speak, I find that my voice comes out much calmer than I thought it might.
“I have protected you and guided you through so much, Mae.” Sighing loudly, I realize that now is the time to speak my mind.
“Sometimes it feels like you’re throwing all my hard work in my face.
Trenton isn’t good for you more times than not, and I will not apologize for keeping you away from your mom.
” I hold strong, even at her grotesque wince.
“Everything I have done since you hired me has been for you.”
“Your hard work, Raleigh?” She stamps her foot. “Does it ever occur to you what I go through to keep up this, this charade.” She tosses her curled hair into the air and pulls at the plaid skirt that’s layered in tulle to high heavens. “I grew up on the edge, God forbid I keep that part of me.”
I shake my head, refusing to compare the two. Remembering the attention behind us, I lower my voice. “Living on the edge is one thing, but your relationship with Trenton is another. He put his hands on you for Christ’s sake!”
Mae’s horror turns to a fury. “I have listened to your bitching and complaining about your mother and Grant since the day we met!”
The face of the man who ruined it all for me flashes before my eyes, swiftly followed by the faces of my family and their reactions the day I told them I was moving to Nashville. When the horrors reside, the only face in front of me is Mae, the woman who gets to live my dream every single day.
“Okay, Mae. You win. Call your boyfriend and his manager and have them babysit you tonight.” Turning on my heel, I intend on combing back through the venue until the whole thing is packed up.
I find the back door, and when I step back inside, my whole body releases its tension.
I’m free of the situation. I stood up for myself—and so did Mae.
I can only hope she’ll take what I’ve said to heart and won’t barrel into a situation with her mother without a plan.
“Raleigh?” The voice that meets me as the heavy door slams behind me isn’t Mae’s. “Mae sent me to bring you back.”
Dalton stands in front of me, looking horrified.
“I’m not getting in a car with her.” Dalton opens his mouth to counter, but the distraction of my phone ringing takes my attention.
It’s a number I don’t recognize, which I usually wouldn’t answer on the first ring, but with everything happening, I need a distraction. A phone call will do.
“Hello,” I start, turning away from Dalton and the mess outside. “Who am I speaking to?”
“This is Officer McMillan. I got your number from the department in Nashville. We’ve apprehended an individual that was found loitering around your client’s hotel room downtown here.
” My heart sinks, thinking back to the day outside Mae’s apartment.
“We understand he is a prior offender and has violated his restraining order. Would Ms. Evans be available to come down and identify the individual?”
I swallow my shock.
“Who is it, Raleigh?” Dalton has stepped up next to me, a friendly hand rests on my shoulder.
Focusing on the task at hand, I address the officer first. “That won’t be necessary, I’m also listed on the restraining order—”
“Raleigh, what’s going on?” Dalton’s grip grows tighter, but it’s a desperate touch, nothing rude or harmful. Raising a hand, I mouth at him to wait. He exhales and finally lets go of me.
“I can come down myself and identify him.” Hanging up after the officer confirms the details, I turn to face Dalton with as calm of a demeanor as I can.
I open my mouth to relay the information but both a shaky breath and another ring of a cell phone interrupts.
It’s Dalton’s this time. I motion for him to answer it. Secretly, I’m thankful for a moment to compose myself, but I quickly understand that Dalton’s caller is involved as well.
“It’s Mitch,” Dalton begins, turning on his speaker.
“Hi, Mitch, it’s me.” Dalton says, not missing a beat. “I assume this is about the incident at the hotel?”
Mitch sighs. “I tried to call Raleigh first, but her line was busy. I just got a call from one of the men on our team, detailing what happened. Mae’s asking questions, and I don’t know how to proceed. Could you come back out and explain it, or tell me what to do?”
Though I truly feel for Mae and all the things she has to go through at the level of fame she holds, I can’t bring myself to want to be in her presence at the moment.
Stepping in, I try to take back some control.
“Take her where she feels most comfortable. If that’s in her hotel room, that’s fine.
If it’s somewhere else entirely, that’s fine too.
Just keep me updated until I can get there and tell her to keep her phone on.
Make sure she answers when Dalton or I call.
I’m going to go take care of this at the station. ”
Before either of us can hang up, I hear Mae’s muffled voice telling Mitch that she’s tried to call Trenton, but after hanging up the first time he isn’t picking up. Sighing, I decide at this moment to be the adult in the situation. “Just put her on,” I say, stamping my foot.
My defenses go up the moment Mae’s watery voice meets my ear.
She sounds scared and confused. “He wouldn’t let me get a word in!
He told me he wanted to stay in a separate hotel tonight, and that he was going out and then hung up.
Raleigh, I heard a woman on the other end of the line giggling like she was right beside him. Now he won’t answer.”
My eyebrows lift in Dalton’s direction but he motions me to keep going. “Mae, are you okay?”
“He’s cheating on me, isn’t he?” Her voice is trembling now.
I need to take control of this situation.
“I don’t know, honey. This is going to be a long night but I need you to try and hold it together until I can get to you. Can you let Mitch take you up to your room? I’m going to go take care of legal and then I’ll come straight to you okay?”
A drawn out sniffle gives pause to the conversation.
“We need confirmation, sweetheart,” Dalton says, coming to my aid.
“I’ll be okay,” she answers.
Trying not to break Dalton’s phone screen, I smack the end call button.
I hand the phone back to Dalton, but he grabs my whole hand instead.
Sneaking it away from my grasp, he pulls me into a hug.
I don’t let the world around me matter as I hug him back.
I allow myself one single moment to let the sadness do its work.
Taking in the scent of him, I’m transferred back to Christmas Eve and the way I had fit so perfectly into his life. Here, I fit so perfectly into his arms.
As the ease of Christmas fades away and the complexity of the evening takes over again, I come to my senses. Pulling away, I champion the depression and plaster my professionalism to my face and body.
“Drive me to the station?” I ask.
Dalton studies me a moment, his eyes raking in the sight of me.
If he’s concerned or confused by me, he doesn’t voice it.
Instead he crooks his finger and gently tilts my chin up at him.
The urge to tumble back into his arms and hide is nearly overpowering, but somehow, I manage to save face and keep it together.
Finally satisfied, Dalton nods and lets his hand drop to his side. He makes a quick call, and seconds later, a car is screeching up to the back door.