Page 124 of Between Never and Forever
Red’s voice cuts me off, and I whip around to face him. He shakes his head once.
“You signed a contract.”
I grit my teeth. He’s right. I’m not supposed to tell anyone about any bullshit with my label or they could sue me six ways to Sunday. But what the fuck, man. I groan and purse my lips, tilting my head to the side as I stare off with Red.
“Savannah. Do not.”
I sigh and turn to Levi. I meet his eyes once more, and I make sure he sees that I’m serious.
“It’s a publicity stunt. The label is making me wear the ring so the media thinks I’m engaged to Torren so we can try to avoid any more negative press surrounding the band’s breakup. It’s not a hiatus. I told them I’m done, but they’ve given me an ultimatum like the money hungry, controlling douche bags they are.”
I hear Red sigh. Poor guy. He deserves a raise. I glance at him.
“Sorry, Red.”
He shakes his head, but he doesn’t say anything else.
“Why would they do that? Why wouldyoudo that?” Levi asks, and I shrug.
“It’s this or they announce they’re replacing me. They want The Hometown Heartless to carry on without me, as if I’m not the whole fucking band.”
Just saying that out loud makes my stomach twist up in knots. After this round of tabloid lies, I could have just fucked everything up, but I push that thought out of my head for now.
“They gave me until we’re done filming to make a decision about leaving, but I gotta wear the ring to buy the time.”
Two and a half months.
I have two and a half months left.
How are the days moving so quickly? How have I been here for this long already?
Levi’s eyes bounce between mine as he considers my words. I can’t read what’s going on in his head. I used to be able to read his emotions, but right now, whether it’s the darkness or the alcohol or the heightened emotions, I just can’t tell, and it’s making me nervous.
“Where’d you get the ring,” he asks finally, and every muscle in my body goes rigid.
I don’t answer, and his nostrils flare.
“He proposed, didn’t he?”
When I still don’t answer, he scoffs.
“That sleazy fucking loser has no respect for women. No respect for you. All he cares about is bro code. I knew the tabloids talked about you two all the time, but Jesus Christ. Do you really have no sense? Don’t you care about yourself at all?”
My temper flares at his tone, at the way he’s talking like he knows anything at all about the situation. He doesn’t. He knows nothing. It’s been eight years. Things are different now.
“Don’t act like you know about me and Torren, Levi. You don’t know him.”
“I was there when he defended the guy who assaulted you, Savannah. You forgetting that? If I hadn’t stepped in, his brother would have raped you, and Torren would have let him because he took that fuck’s word over yours.”
I don’t believe that. Not anymore. I’ve had years to think it over, and I really believe Torren would have defended me if he’d seen Sean in action. God, it sounds so fucked up, but it was drugs and mixed signals and Torren struggled with going against his blood. Sean had been his protector since birth. Torren looked up to him his whole life. He’d only known me less than a year. He didn’t want to believe it.
But how do I explain that to Levi?
I know he’s right about Sean. I know what it feels like when someone has no plans to stop. I felt it in Oscar’s forceful, painful touch. I felt it with that sham of a foster father and the sick rules he made me follow. I felt it in Terry’s gaze every time he looked at me. I’m so conditioned to it now that I can sense it, and I felt it with Sean, but Torren has more than earned my trust since that night.
“What Sean did that night on the beach was fucked up. I agree. It never should have happened. I know that. But when I decided to kick Sean out of the band, Torren stood by me. He backed me even when our band was still sleeping in the van. Even when we had to rework all our songs to make up for losing the keyboard. We were nobodies, and he supported me. Turned his back on his older brother. His family won’t even speak to him now.”
Levi scoffs and shakes his head.
