30. Avery
THIRTY
Avery
G rayson stumbles back, like the ground is shifting beneath him.
When I see it, I don’t think before throwing the truck door open and racing across the street toward him.
His body blocks whoever it was he came to speak to from view, and when I step around him, my stomach drops.
Penelope stares up at him, a mixture of confusion and mild concern on her face.
It’s only when I touch his arm that Grayson moves, as if I’ve dragged him to the surface of reality. He looks down at my hand before meeting my gaze; hurt and something that looks a lot like grief clouds the blue of his eyes.
“Wait for me upstairs, Gray.” I rummage through my clutch, pulling out the keys to my apartment.
The cold metal digs into my palm before I hold them out to him, praying he’ll take them.
He doesn’t reach for them right away; his eyes remain locked on mine like he’s searching for something or worried that if he leaves, I’ll disappear.
“Please,” I whisper, my voice cracking. “Wait for me.”
He hesitates, his fingers brushing mine as he takes the keys and heads for his truck.
The sound of his door slamming shut echoes on the otherwise empty street.
Within seconds, the engine roars to life, and I watch his taillights disappear around the corner as he drives around the back of the coffee shop.
For a moment, it feels like the whole world has gone still, like it’s holding its breath, waiting to see how this will all play out.
I can only imagine what must be going through his mind.
Sure, he knows that I’m leaving, but we haven’t talked about the future or what that might mean for us.
Hell, I can only imagine how triggering Penelope turning up to drag me back to Nashville must be for him.
Yes, it’s different from last time, but it still ends the same, with me gone.
It’s only when the sound of his engine is no longer in the air that I turn to Penelope. “Why are you here, Pen? We agreed that I’d let you know when I’m coming back.”
“It’s good to see you too, Avery.” She looks me up and down before pursing her lips. “I must say, you look different. Is it something in the air here or a certain cowboy that has put that glow on your face?”
I ignore her question and fold my arms over my chest. “I told you when I left that I needed space, Pen. Tracking me down for whatever it is that you need is not giving me that.”
My stomach flips as I watch her slip into business mode with ease, her polished composure reminding me of exactly why I’ve always been a little afraid of her. “I gave you plenty of space, Avery. It’s time for you to come back to Nashville.”
Shifting on my feet, I swallow around the panic clawing at my throat. “I’m not coming back yet. We had a deal.”
Penelope lets out a laugh of disbelief, the sound harsh and brittle on my nerves.
“No.” She says it so matter-of-factly that I’m not sure how to respond.
She lifts her gaze to mine, all pretense of friendliness gone.
“You have commitments, and there isn’t space or time for you to be gallivanting around with some hot cowboy who’s only ever tried to drag you back to this place.
There are contracts, Avery. Rehearsals. Sponsors.
Millions of dollars tied up in shows with your name on them and songs that you need to get in the studio to record before the tour starts. ”
Ignoring her comment about Grayson—for now—because what the heck, my mind scrambles to figure out a way that everyone wins, but I come up empty.
“And I said I would be there. Just not right now.” We haven’t had time to figure out how to make us work when there’s nearly two thousand miles between us.
“We don’t always get what we want. You’re coming back with me in the morning because there isn’t ‘a way’ for you to get that extra week.
I don’t care what you’ve got going on here, Avery.
We—yes, you and I—are on the hook for over a million dollars if you don’t attend rehearsals and get those tracks laid down. ”
More than a million dollars?
My ears ring so loudly I almost miss the rest of what she’s saying. I’ve done well in my career, but not well enough to have that kind of money lying around. When I can finally form words, I stutter out, “A mil-million?”
She straightens her blazer before inspecting her nails, like this is an everyday conversation.
“Did you not read any of the contracts I’ve sent you?
Yes. People still have to be paid, and tickets will need to be refunded if you don’t turn up for the tour, or worse yet, you put on a show that’s not worth the money being charged. ”
Suddenly, I feel so out of place in my velvet black dress.
I’d picked this outfit because I knew Gray would love it, but now?
Now my past decisions are ruining us. I turn away from Penelope, nausea rushing through me.
This can’t be happening . I don’t wanna leave, not now that things are good between me and Grayson, and certainly not before we’ve had time to talk about our future, but what choice do I have?
I don’t have a million dollars sitting in a bank account somewhere that I can throw at this problem to give me more time with the man I love.
Most of my money has gone to my label, marketing my album, paying my management team, and keeping a roof over my head.
Opening my mouth to argue, I quickly close it again, the words dying on my tongue. I want to tell her that we will have to figure something else out because I’m not the same person I was when I left.
I want to scream that I haven’t had enough time and beg her to just leave. But the words won’t come because I don’t have a choice. Not really.
Turning to face Penelope, I blow out a heavy, defeated breath. “When do I need to leave?”