I'd turned the ringer off half an hour ago, but my phone still lit up every time August called. I closed my eyes so I wouldn't have to see the accusing screen.

Hiding in my apartment was the easy thing to do, but then again, what had hard work gotten me? I'd stuck my neck out and gotten my head chopped off in the process so there was really no point in me trying anymore. Best to just start collecting my trust fund and go be the person people already thought I was.

I opened my eyes to see my phone light up again and immediately shut them once more. By now the guys would be playing their second show. Ewan was probably pretty pissed, but the adulation would soothe him. He liked to pretend he didn't want the runaway success they were guaranteed, but he was a rockstar. Of course he did.

He said he loved you,

My eyes snapped back open and I shook my head. There was no way he was serious. And besides, it didn't matter. It was over.

He said he was only interested in things that last.

Well, that was nice, but it couldn't last. We were kidding ourselves from the get-go.

My phone lit up again. In a rush of bitter anger, I snatched it off the table and stabbed the answer button with my finger. "Bad timing, August," I snapped.

As usual she just rolled right over my objections. "I'm downstairs and it's starting to rain. Buzz me in before I scale the fucking wall, C."

Sighing, I reluctantly pressed the door button. Then I stood up and straightened my shoulders. If August sniffed out one iota of weakness in my resolve, she'd pounce. I had to let her know, in no uncertain terms, that my relationship with Wreckage was over.

I could hear her feet pounding up the stairs. Without meaning to, I took a step back right before she burst through the door. "Celia Silver, what the fuck did you do to my guitarist?" she bellowed.

I reeled back. "Your guitarist? That's what you're worried about?"

"I'm his fucking manager and he just bailed on a booking."

"Yeah but I'm your best friend and wait...what?"

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Yeah. Went fucking apeshit. Tore a bunch of shit off the walls and just booked it out of there. No one can find him and he's supposed to be on right now." She started pacing, turning in a tight circle in my tiny living room. "The venue manager is howling and I've got a real shitshow on my hands. So why don't you tell me what the fuck happened?"

I inhaled sharply and held out my phone. The gossip page was still loaded, the headline blaring. "Everyone knows," I said as she peered at it. "At Anthem."

I waited for her to wince, or sigh, or maybe fold me into a hug. I waited for her to acknowledge that my worst fear had come true.

But instead she just got an odd look on her face. "You know what Ewan was yelling about as he tore up the flyers?" I shook my head. "He was saying it was happening too fast and that the deal was off."

I winced. "No, he wants the deal. He's just freaking out because..." I swallowed. "Because he told me he loved me and I told him goodbye."

A flicker of something passed over August's face and was gone. "So somebody took your picture..."

I shook my head vehemently. "It wasn't just that," I protested, my face heating up. "My whole fucking office, August. They all gathered around to stare at it." I pressed my hand to my chest and tried to slow my breathing. "They said I couldn't sign a band on my own, even with my Daddy's help so...so I had to spread my legs to seal the deal." I stared up at the ceiling, refusing to cry again.

August was silent for a moment. Only the slow hiss of her breath told me how angry she was, so when she opened her mouth, I expected her to lash out in a torrent of profanity on my behalf.

Instead she sighed. "So a couple of people were mean to you at work, C. That doesn't negate everything you've accomplished." She stepped forward, leveling me with her gaze. "Honestly hon? Who gives a shit if they know who you are?" She touched my face and a flicker of a smile turned into a big, open grin. "It's more important that you know who you are."

I felt something loosen in my chest and suddenly was able to take a deep breath. August nodded slowly, and then faster. "That's it, C-dawg."

"Fuck," I exhaled.

"Yeah."

"August...."

"Yeah, I know. Don't worry about it though. You know now. So tell me, who are you?"

It doesn't matter if you're Celia Gilbert or Celia Silver. I love you, he'd said. "Fuck," I said again, turning to the door.

"Yeah girl!" August crowed. "Go get him!"