Page 51 of Until the End

Carson grips my shin, connecting us in a way I didn’t know I needed. He’s always doing stuff like that. How he knows when I need these touches, I’ll never understand, but I love it.

“Let’s go shower. I think I can finally feel my legs.”

Giggling at my silly man, I sit up on the bed. He scoops me up before I can even think about standing and carries me into the bathroom.

The water begins to steam up the space, but we just stand there, holding each other. “I’m so glad you’re here, Duck.”

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

Chapter 30

Ginny

Mariana firmly grips my hand in hers. “It’s so good to meet you in person. Please, have a seat.” She gestures to the sitting area in her spacious office that looks out over LA. In her sleek lavender pantsuit, Mariana seems formidably approachable. Her dark hair is pulled back in a ballerina bun, and her makeup is light and natural.

“Thank you. It’s great to finally meet you, too.”

“How do you feel being back in LA?”

I settle onto the couch cushions while Mariana sits in the chair next to me. “Good and bad. I’m excited to be working with you and to start recording the album, but there are a lot of rough memories here, too.”

Mariana’s expression is soft and lacks pity. It makes me respect her even more. “Well, let’s get some paperwork signed, and then we can chat, yeah?”

Understanding dawns on me that she wants to get the NDAs signed to allow us to speak plainly without having to worry that our secrets will be sold to the highest bidder. It happens, of course. A piece of paper can’t physically stopsomeone from breaking an NDA, but it does make legal action a whole lot easier.

Mariana and I go through each page of the paperwork. I’ve already read through all of this, but she wants to make sure I understand all the clauses. We talk comfortably throughout the mundane process, and by the end of the hour, I feel like we’ve connected more than the first time we chatted.

Once the paperwork’s filed, Mariana describes the opportunities she wants me to think about. She has a couple of movie deals she thinks I’d be perfect for, which makes my eyes bug out at her. They’re both musicals, and I guess my voice would fit one of the characters. I tell her I’ll think about it, but I’m pretty sure my answer will be no.

“There’s something I wanted to ask you about,” I start. Mariana raises an eyebrow, indicating she’s listening. “Writing music has always been my favorite part of this job. I’ve been wondering if I should transition into writing songs for other people more than myself.”

Mariana leans back in her chair, her expression thoughtful. “Is it the fame you struggle with the most, or…?”

“I do have a hard time with that, yes, but to be honest, the touring is hard on me. Having to put myself out there night after night for months on end is more exhausting than I could ever describe. By the time we get to the last shows, I feel like I don’t have enough energy to give the crowd a proper performance. I’m half-assing it, and I feel guilty. The thing I love most is knowing that people are resonating with my songs. I don’t need the glory of people fawning over me to get that.”

“Do you never want to tour again?”

I pause. I’ve never thought about that as an option. “No, I liked touring at first. Sharing my music with the world was a blast. Then the second album came out, and the schedule was grueling. It only got worse from there.”

She nods. “I think we can find some commonground between what the studio will try to demand and what we’ll accept. I want you to have the life you dream of. If you’re not happy, neither am I.”

I think this is the start of a great partnership.

“Where to, Miss Ginny?”Daren asks from the driver’s seat.

“Dinner. Let’s find something to bring back to the hotel.”

“Anything in particular you want?”

“Oh, what about that Indian place with the best naan?”

“Carson will love that. He was excited to try new foods while he’s out here.”

I smile at that. “I was hoping he would be. Did you guys talk much on the drive over?”

“We did. I got to know him a little better, and I have to say, you’ve picked a good one.”

“Took me a minute, but I finally did.”

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