Page 40 of The Masks We Wear

I sigh, shaking my head, “Brody-”

“No. I’m doing this, Harvey,” she declares.

My chest deflates. “You don’t have anything to prove to anyone.”

“I know. I’m doing this for me.”

All it takes are those words and one glance at her to know she isn’t budging. To know that she is stronger than I ever gave her credit for and I couldn’t be any prouder of her. “Okay, then the show is on.”

She nods as I rise to tell the girls and just when I’m about to open the door she calls, “Harvey?”

I look over my shoulder to give her my attention. “Yes?”

She gives me a weak, shaky smile, but a smile nonetheless, “Thank you.”

“For?” I raise a brow in confusion. I didn’t do anything for her. What could she possibly have to thank me for?

“For being the only person who’s seen who I am without the mask and still believing in me.”

I give her a genuine smile, a small one, but a real one. “You’re worth so much more than you give yourself credit for.”

She smiles back at me as I open the door to let the girls back in. They take one look at me with hopeful expressions on their faces, most likely hoping I convinced her to cancel the tour but when they see the look on my face, theirs fall. “The show is on.”

Selene pushes past me and charges inside. “Brody, are you sure about this?” she panics. I’ve come to know Selene Stone fairly well recently and I’ve never seen the put together, calculated, and rational woman this way. She’s always presentable and controlled and right now, her usually slicked back and styled hair falls in tightly coiled curls at her shoulders, her makeup undone, and she wears a sweat suit. The sight of a disheveled Selene is so reassuring to me because it shows me she genuinely cares about Brody and loves her, not that I ever had to question it.

Brody nods, “I’m sure.”

Ivory laments, “Well, if you change your mind, that’s okay too.”

“Say the word and we’ll fly back home, B,” Aria adds, nodding.

Brody shakes her head, “I’m fine.”

That’s all she’s been muttering all day. “I’m fine.” To her friends, to the cops when they came to take her statement, to everyone. I know it’s a lie, we all do, but we don’t argue with her.

Selene sighs, rubbing her forehead. “Your parents saw the news. They’ve been calling me off the hook and I’ve been giving them bare minimum answers. They want to come here.”

Brody blows out an annoyed breath, “I don’t feel like seeing them right now. My mother will find a way to make my attack about herself and when I call her out for it, she’ll get my dad involved and he’ll tell me to shut my mouth just so he doesn’t have to hear her talk anymore.”

Selene frowns, “I know.” She pauses. “What about Andrew? He’s been calling too and he wants to see you.”

Brody shrugs, “I don’t know if I’m ready to see any of my family yet. Just hold them off if you can.”

Selene nods and takes her phone out of her pocket, making quick work of calling who I can only assume is one of Brody’s family members. “Got it,” she says confidently as she chargesout of the room with purpose, slipping back into manager mode.

Brody

PART OF ME REGRETSbeing so adamant about continuing with the concert. I wasn’t entirely sure of my regret until we left the hotel to drive to the show and paps were snapping photos of me and shooting questions at me about my attack. I wanted to break down every time a camera flashed in my face and at one point, I was almost positive I was going to until Harvey shielded me from their view and broke one of their cameras.

Now, we’re waiting backstage. Aria and Ivory are in my dressing room with me and the three of us are in our show clothes, hair and makeup styled to perfection. We look picture perfect in the mirror, but I most certainly do not feel picture perfect inside. Harvey has been seated in the corner, watching me as if ready to leap out of his chair and catch me at any second should I fall, metaphorically speaking, of course. Every time we make eye contact, he gives me gentle nods and smiles of encouragement. It’s fucked up really, the way that it took me nearly dying for him to be nicer to me and for me to be nicer back in return. I guess everything happens for a reason and it makes the sting of the attack hurt a little less.

Selene comes into view, peering into the dressing room, “You’re on in five.”

Aria and Ivory nod, the usual excitement of a new show filling them with anticipation. I, on the other hand, focus on my breathing. I take deep breaths in and deep breaths out, but it doesn’t seem to help with the nerves or the fear over what I could be walking into. I feel warmth at my back in a second and know without having to turn around that it’s Harvey, here to catch me from falling. I turn and look up at him and when he sees my face, he knows every thought going on in my head. He interrupts Aria and Ivory’s chit chat with, “Do you guys mind if Italk to Brody for a moment? I’ll walk her onto the stage when it’s time. We have a few things to go over concerning recent events.”

I raise a confused brow as Aria and Ivory nod, giving Harvey what he asked for as they exit the dressing room, closing the door behind them. “What do we have to go over?” I ask, confused, once we’re alone.

Harvey raises two gentle hands to my face, cupping each cheek in one of his abnormally large, calloused hands. “Nothing. I just wanted to check on you and see how you were doing. You look like you’re gonna turn blue in the face.”

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