Page 95 of In This Together

‘Hi, guys,’ she said, loosely holding up a hand in greeting as she neared them. ‘Is Sofia around?’

‘Probably best to hold off for now, Andi,’ Billy said.

‘Jay’s here,’ Seth added.

‘Jay? I thought he was in rehab for another week?’ she asked. But the evidence spoke for itself as Jay broke from the building, storming past Andi and deliberately crashing his shoulder into hers, almost knocking her from her feet.

Then there was an almighty bang from inside the building.

‘What happened?’ Andrea asked Seth, who was the closest person to her, and the first to reach out a hand to her elbow to steady her on her feet.

Before he could answer, the door of the studio was flung open again and in the open doorway stood Sofia – red-faced, mascara-stained eyes and undeniably livid.

‘Isn’t it enough that you tried to steal my label?’ Sofia yelled, dragging all eyes to her as she strode towards her sister. ‘That plan failed and so you go after my best artist. You arefuckingunbelievable, Andrea!’

‘Wow, Soph, we were?—’

Sofia cut Seth off with a scowl. ‘This isn’t your business. It’s between her and me.’

‘Sofia, calm down,’ Andrea said. ‘I came here to talk to you. I wanted to tell you about Jay.’

‘So it’s true?’ Sofia yelled, face-to-face with her sister. ‘How could you? How could you try to take over the label? Wasn’t it enough that you left us? Why, Andi? Why try to take this from me?’

Andrea held up her hands. ‘Please, let’s just go inside and you can hear me out. I don’t know what Jay told you but let me explain, please.’

‘Jay told me the truth!’ Sofia dragged her hands roughly across her face. ‘God, you’ve always resented me, haven’t you? Mom died and you had to take care of me and youhateme for it.’

Now it was Andrea’s turn to get mad. ‘I couldneverhate you, Sofia,’ she said through gritted teeth. ‘Everything I haveeverdone has always been with your best interests at heart. That I swear to you.’

‘Bullshit! Did you leave Sanfia for XM for my benefit?’

Andrea felt her nostrils flare as she inhaled, straightening her back, becoming taller on instinct. Her voice rose as she spoke. ‘Yes, I goddamn did. Iknewyou were never over that. I left Sanfia because I couldn’t stand that ass of a husband you chose for yourself and if I had stayed, you would have chosen him over me when it came down to it. I gave you a chance to keep both of us.’

‘That is suchcrap! You left because you thought you were better than Sanfia. And now you realise that I could manage just fine without you and you want to steal the label from under my nose.’

‘Grow up, Sofia. I told Jay I would buy him out on the condition he filed for a divorce.’

‘You didwhat?’

Andrea scoffed. ‘Right, so he left out that part, huh? I tried to let you sort things out for yourself but he was dragging you down and you were the only person who couldn’t see it! You would never have told him to go, so I did it for you.’

Sofia lunged for Andrea but she was grabbed around the waist by Billy, and she struggled against him as she shouted, ‘You need to leave, right now!’

Andrea shook her head. Like every time Sofia took a tantrum, she needed a day to take the edge off her stubbornness. It had been a near constant battle for Andrea when they were younger and some things never changed. ‘When you’ve come to your senses, let me know, Soph. We can have an adult conversation.’

Sofia visibly fumed, inhaling and exhaling fast and deep as Billy held her by the waist. ‘I never want to speak to you again, Andi.Ever.’

The words tore through Andrea’s chest and pierced her heart, but she wouldnotlet that show. As the two women stared at one another, as if they were strangers at war, the space around them fell silent. Until the click of heels against the sidewalk came quicker and louder.

24

ROSALIE

Rosalie reached them, hands on her hips and scoffed, staring at Sofia. ‘So I guess you did know all along.’

Sofia, who was clearly fizzing with anger, now also played at looking confused. ‘You guess I did know what?’

Rosalie pointed to Andrea. ‘Thatshehas been screwing my dad.’

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