Page 96 of Between Now and Forever

I scowl at him.

“Fuck you. This is not about sex,” I growl.

The elevator doors open and we step into the lobby.

“Carter, wait,” he calls after me as I stride away.

“Why don’t you just let me be?” I ask.

“Let’s sit. Please.”

Heneversays please. I stop and turn to face him, ignoring the annoyed cry of the woman who runs straight into my chest.

“What?”

“This deal could change your whole life—in a second.” He snaps his fingers together.

“I’ve had enough change, thank you,” I say caustically.

He sighs, hands on hips, his expression bleak. I hate myself for doing this to them.

“We fucked up pressuring you so much. I was sure you’d see how crazy you were being. Offers like that come once in a lifetime. And you act like it was nothing.”

“You’re being dramatic. There’ll be other deals. The timing is bad.”

“Why? ‘Cause you’re so busy teaching talentless snot-faced preteens how to play the piano? You are a star and now the whole world knows. Don’t throw this away.”

I can’t ignore the niggle of regret.

He’s right. The offer was amazing. This agent is the most sought after in the entire country. He turns his clients into deities. He’s done it for both of my siblings.

But since that disastrous night at the piano, the news and gossip sites have picked my brother’s life apart. My sister’s too.

Despite my refusal to participate in any of it, I haven’t been able to avoid it completely. A huge publication printed an article about our family. In it, they disclosed that I was adopted.

Now, perfect strangers come up to me while I’m waiting for the bus and tell me that they’re adopted, too. They want to talk about whatever it is they think we have in common.

I don’t think of myself asadopted. My parents and my siblings are my family. How we came to call ourselves that is none of anyone’s business.

But after the letter I got today, I know I can’t pretend that I’m safe from scrutiny!

If I was able to get my hands on this information, then anyone with a little time and better connections will too.

“I have a job and regular gigs and lessons,” I say.

“You’re wasted on that shit.” His scorn grates like nails on a chalkboard.

“You’re wasted on all the meaningless trysts you think you can just walk away from,” I shoot back, aiming below the belt.

“What do you mean? IthinkI can walk away from? I know I can.” He laughs like I’m crazy.

“I know you think so. But everything has a consequence, and you live like yours won’t ever catch up with you.”

“They already did. Look at what happened with Camille.”

At the mention of his psycho ex, I groan.

“I owed her more than I gave her,” he says and I hate how he still beats himself up over her.

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