Page 80 of My Rockstar Ex's Broken Vows

8:02 PM

The courtyard is tucked awaybehind the hotel. It's surprisingly quiet for a spot in the middle of SoHo, except for the occasional hum of traffic from the street beyond. They’ve done a good job surrounding it with a live sound barrier in the form of huge potted plants.

It’s a cool spring evening, the kind that makes you want to sit outside just to feel the air shift against your skin. Sienna leans back in her chair across from me, her long skirt flowing with the slight breeze. Her wine glass catches the low light from the sconces lining the walls.

She looks relaxed, which is something I haven’t seen much of lately. Her hair’s loose, falling over one shoulder, and every now and then, she tucks it back behind her ear in that distracted way she does when she’s deep in thought.

"You seem content," I say, swirling my whiskey in its glass. "Are you happy?"

"I am," she responds without hesitation. "It's a beautiful spring night and I'm sitting here with the hottest new rockstar in New York. How could I not be?"

"You know what I mean. Are you really happy?"

She hesitates for a beat, then sighs softly. "I’m getting there. Marcus is still throwing curveballs, so that’s... annoying. But overall? Yeah. I’m happy."

I raise an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly. "Curveballs?"

She gives a small shrug, swirling her wine absently. "He’s pushing for private school for Ollie now. Filed papers and everything. I’ve got a meeting with the headmaster on Friday to learn about the school. I’m just going to say I did."

My jaw tightens, but I keep my voice calm. "What are your thoughts about the school at this point?"

"I think Ollie’s happy where he is, and I don’t want to uproot him just because Marcus says so," she says, her voice steady but firm. "But I’ll do the meeting. Gus, my lawyer, thinks it’s smart to at least entertain the option for optics, if for nothing else."

"I hear you," I say quietly, my gaze softening. "I’m sorry he keeps putting you through the wringer. You’re a fighter."

She smiles, though it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. "I’ll survive. I always do."

"You shouldn’t have to deal with this alone," I murmur, reaching across the table to brush her hand with mine.

Her smile warms a little, and she gives my hand a quick squeeze. "I’m not. Not anymore."

"Hey, let’s leave Marcus out of our evening together. Let’s talk about something more exciting. Like, your album. I have many thoughts to share about that amazing mock copy you gave me."

"Yeah?" I lean forward, resting my elbows on the table. "Good thoughts or bad?"

She laughs softly, shaking her head. "Good. Really good. Like I’ve told you, I’m obsessed with every single song, Callum. Your sound and the way your songs play out is so unique. I can’t express how much I love it. I’ve been playing it on repeat since you gave it to me."

The warmth in her voice does something to me, something I can’t quite name. "You’re just saying that to make me feel good."

"I’m not," she says, her expression serious now. "It’s... raw. Honest. And beautiful. I’m not just saying this because it’s you—I’d love it even if I didn’t know you. And that song with Finley James? It is seriously iconic. You guys have good harmony. PR knew what they were doing to play that one up."

It thrills me to no end hearing her say this. Strangely, I've gained a confidence about my work on this journey, but her approval is the one that lets me know I really do have something good to share. "Thanks," I murmur, my voice quieter than I intended. "That means a lot."

She tilts her head, studying me. "So, when’s the release date? Will we have a big party to celebrate?"

"End of August," I say, taking a sip of my whiskey. "I'm sure there will be several parties. It will be a busy, and hopefully fun, time."

Her eyebrows lift. "August?! Why so far away? It’s done."

I let out a laugh, shaking my head. "Not even close. What you’ve got is just a rough mock-up. It’s like... an idea of what it’s going to be, but there’s still so much left to do. They’ll probably make me re-record a few tracks after quality control picks them apart, and then we go through final mixes, mastering, and the whole deal. Plus, there’s marketing. Music videos. PR appearances. And scheduling the release to line up with other stuff. A lot of boring things to get us from A to Z."

She blinks at me, processing all of that. "That’s... a lot."

"You have no idea," I say with a grin. "But it’s worth it. This is the part where it starts to feel real, you know? And, August will be here before we know it."

She nods, a small smile playing on her lips. "It suits you."

"What does?"

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