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“Bea’s not home,” Jake says. “Sorry, dude.”

“Oh.” Easton sighs loudly enough that I can hear it. “Well.”

“Yep. Sorry.” Jake’ll probably close the door in his face.

“Am I wasting my time?”

Okay, that I didnotexpect.

“I came to apologize, because I went overboard, clearly. I know I don’t know her very well yet, and I know you guys know her way better, but even I can tell she’s enormously talented. You have to give her that much.”

“She’s the most talented musician I’ve ever met,” Jake says.

Could he really mean that?

“But until she believes it, she won’t ever want to write songs,” Jake says. “The one song she ever wrote won a contest and broke me out.” He snorts. “It’s the whole reason people know the name Jake Priest.”

“Are you serious?” Easton asks. “Then why aren’t you pressing her?—”

“I’m a complete jerk,” Jake says. “I always have been, you know. I don’t even remember a time when I didn’t piss off everyone I met.”

“Why does she put up with you?”

“I have no earthly idea,” Jake says. “I really don’t.”

“But if you told her to try writing real songs,” Easton says, “she might listen.”

“I’ll never pressure Bea to do anything. Not ever,” Jake says. “If you’d ever met her biological grandfather, you’d know why.”

Jake closes the door then, and I slump to the floor, dropping my face on my knees. My grandfather. He never asked me to do anything.

He ordered.

It’s his job, to be fair. He orders everyone. He’s not mayor of New York anymore—now he’s the governor. He only got worse with the promotion, if you can call it that. He hated my mom worse after he changed jobs, anyway. She kind of fell off a cliff after that campaign, but she’s always been his biggest liability.

And they’re the reason Seren and Dave could never adopt me.

He’s the reason I can’t call them Mom or Dad. If I ever slipped and said something on record, on a video, anywhere. . .Grandfather would lose it. I shudder. He’s made it very clear what he would do to me if I do anything to harm his career.

Is that what’s been holding me back?

More than being afraid I’d fail, have I worried that Grandfather wouldn’t accept it if I started singing? I have no doubt he’d find it an unfitting career for a young lady, but would he really get angry? What would he do?

Whatcanhe do?

He’s threatened to shut down Seren and Dave’s inn before. If I ever let on that I lived with them, that the mayor’s granddaughter was in a foster home, he said they’d pay for it. But would he really make good on that old threat? It’s always been easier to be quiet and keepmy head down. It’s always been easier not to make him angry.

But thinking about that kind of makes me furious.

And that helps me finish the song.

When I walk out, Jake’s there, watching me like he’d watch someone who just lost their job or got dumped. “You alright?”

“Fine.” I sit at the piano and start to play.

It’s right.

I can feel it.

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