Chapter 34 – Lumen #2
“There is,” Mr. Hawthorne says. “This offer contains a right-of-first-refusal clause that pertains to any future songs written in the next two years.”
“What exactly does that mean?” I ask.
“If you write any additional songs within the next two years, you must first offer them to Ruined Records,” Mr. Hawthorne says, clearing his throat.
“They would have thirty days to make an offer, if they were interested. If they do, you’re under no obligation to accept that offer.
We can always negotiate for a better number or walk if they aren’t willing to play ball. ”
“She would just have to give them first dibs, basically?” Riser asks.
“Correct,” Mr. Hawthorne says. “You can decline for any reason. Now, if they pass, you can sell your creation to anyone. There’s no noncompete clause.”
“I don’t think I know what that means,” I say, grimacing. “Sorry. I do. I’m just…” My entire body shudders. “They offered almost seventy grand for the songs I wrote?”
“They did.” Hawthorne chuckles. “And don’t feel guilty. That shows me they anticipate making it back tenfold once Tangled Desires makes it into the studio following the tour.”
Jesus.
Well, that’s good news for Theo and his bandmates.
A tiny piece of me is resentful, and I don’t even know why.
If I sign, I’ll be more than okay. It’s an extreme amount of money for the work I put in to create those songs. On top of that, Riser, Mal, and Kincaid make me happy.
Knowing I’m going to have to watch Theo’s career explode and see him move on in the public eye causes an uncomfortable pang in my stomach.
Everything is still fresh.
That hurt will get better with time.
Thinking about my dad obviously brought up those feelings of nostalgia because he was with me every day while my dad was in the hospital.
“I think Lumen is a little overwhelmed,” Riser says. “Can you email over the contract? Kincaid will want to read it thoroughly before she signs.”
“Of course,” Mr. Hawthorne says, verifying my email. He hangs up, and I drop my phone in my lap.
“How ya doing over there?” Riser asks, smoothing his hand down my arm.
“Almost seventy thousand dollars?” I shake my head, laughing a little hysterically. “I’m great. I won’t have to beg Theo to pay off the apartment complex.”
“That is a win, even if, morally speaking, he should give you half without you needing to ask.” Riser teases his fingers back up my arm and runs them through my hair.
“Sorry. I’m a little frazzled.” I lean over, resting my face on his chest. “Your scent is like taking a heavy dose of anxiety meds, and I’m going to shamelessly soak it up, if you don’t mind.”
“You don’t even need to ask,” he says, pulling me closer.
Goddammit.
My heart is in danger.
He’s so easy to be around.
By the time we make it back to the bus, Kincaid and Malcolm have returned from the gym. Parish, Tennyson, and Wren seem to be out, which is a relief.
Riser helps carry in the laundry while I handle most of the shopping bags. I drop everything onto the floor between the bed and the wall and tackle getting the sheets on the mattress.
I’m just tossing the blanket over the freshly made sheets when Kincaid’s hazelnut scent hits my nose, and I peek around to see where he is.
He stands in the hallway with his hands resting on the sides of the doorjamb.
“Where did you and Riser go?” he asks. “I asked him, but he told me to talk to you if I wanted to know.”
“I needed a few supplies and to wash the sheets. Riser was kind enough to come with me to keep me company.”
“The roadies wash all our laundry. They would have done your shopping too. Unless you just wanted to get off the bus.”
His head tilts as I grab the bags from the floor, dropping them onto the blanket.
“Riser mentioned that.” I smile, trying not to be awkward.
Based on the frown on Kincaid’s face, I don’t think I succeeded.
He steps inside the bedroom, sliding the door closed behind him. He crosses his arms over his chest, and I freeze.
Oh, God.
Did our test results come back?
Is it bad news?
He really doesn’t look happy.
“What’s wrong?” he asks. “Did you lie to me last night? Did I hurt you? Everything seemed fine when we fell asleep—”
A slightly hysterical laugh escapes my lips. “I’m fine. You didn’t hurt me.”
“Be real with me, Lumen,” he says, his tone pleading. “If I fucked up, I need you to tell me that, so I can fix it.”
“Oh my god,” I groan, bringing my hands to cover my face. “My period started. That’s it. You didn’t break my vagina.”
“Huh,” he says, sounding far too smug.
I jab a finger at him without looking at him. “That’s not something to get cocky about.”
He chuckles, skirting around the bed and coming to a stop at my side. I have no idea how he does it, but he picks me up, turns me toward him, and tosses me down on the bed.
He plants a knee between mine, stretching out over me languidly.
His chest presses against mine, and he lowers until our lips brush.
“If you need a little all-natural pain relief, let me know. I’ll be happy to give you as many orgasms as it takes for the dopamine and endorphins to kick in.
It’s really the least I can do.” He nips at my lips, and I open for him.
My hands weave under his and around his back, pulling him even closer as he shoves his tongue into my mouth.
The kiss is sensual and slow. It’s crazy to think he was once again worried he hurt me, but God, I hope we can move past those fears quickly. Although it’s literally a nonissue, I know how irrational worries can be.
I’m still worried how my conversation with Malcolm is going to go.
If I sign that contract…
I just want to make sure that his song will remain his own, but I’m worried it’ll hurt his feelings if I tell him that I can’t work on it anymore.