Chapter 15

Vy

HER PHONE BUZZED. She tried to stop the alarm but when she looked at the screen she noticed it was a message. From Carter. She groaned. They had stayed in the studio past 3 in the morning. She hadn't even tried to pretend she wasn't going to sleep in the control room when he left.

What could he possibly want from her? She was in the studio already! Ever since the whole Alice revelation, she played along with his whims more willingly. As if it was somehow her fault that Alice had messed him up. Even more than the already was.

She managed to open the message on the fourth attempt, she found a link. She followed it and dragged her feet to the bathroom down the hall.

Why would Carter send her a link to Kent's morning show? She was in the bathroom down the hall, splashing water over her eyes when she remembered that being a national holiday, Kent probably have a special edition of his gossip show.

"Welcome our next guest." Kent was saying while Vy tried to rub with toilet paper the mascara smudged all around her eyes. "Our very own Sing Captain and Illyrian rock legend, Tim Carter!"

Carter on Kent's show? Did IBC have a sniper with his rifle trained on his head? Carter had made it clear that he wouldn't be caught dead on that show outside his contractual obligations for Sing.

Five minutes into the interview, she forgot all about fixing her makeup. She bolted to her car and drove straight to Andrew King's studio where she knew Alice had band practice that day.

She parked car badly up the street and ran inside the old building which housed King's studio.

"I need to talk to Alice Lewis," she said to the guy on the door. "It's an emergency."

Her wild woman look must have been convincing because the security guard stood up.

"Miss Lewis is with the others in the recording booth," he said, and pointed toward the corridor on the left. "At the end of the hallway, make a right. You'll see the door to the control room and recording-"

"Thank you," she said and rushed the way he pointed.

"If the light is on, don't go in," he shouted after her.

The red "Do not enter" sign was lit, but Vy opened the door anyway. The music screeched to a stop and she heard Andrew King's angry voice from the control room. She ignored everything other than her friend.

"Alice, I need to talk to you."

Alice stood up and Vy grabbed her hand, pulling her outside.

King had stormed out of his control room and rounded on her. "What do you think you're doing? They were recording."

"I'm sorry, Mr. King," she said. "She needs to hear this."

He must have sensed the acute fear in her, because his anger abated.

"What?" Alice asked in a whisper.

"Can we go somewhere?" she said.

"Vy, seriously, what the hell!" Sebastian asked getting out of the recording booth.

"What?" Alice asked again, her voice even fainter.

Vy clenched her jaw and took her phone out.

"TC was on Kent today." She turned on the screen and pressed play. "I had no idea he was going to do this. It's all over social media already."

Her hand shook so much, Sebastian took the phone from her and all four of them watched Carter's interview.

"Are you ok?" she asked Alice when it was over.

"I... don't know. I need to think." She tried to offer her support, but Alice added. "Alone."

"Go into my office," Andrew said. "Take as long as you need. No one will disturb you."

"What the fuck was that?" Sebastian asked as soon as Alice was gone.

"It's complicated," she said.

"He's out of control," Andrew said.

"What would you know?" she said angrily.

Sebastian was looking from one to another, bewildered, but before she could tell her brother anything, Andrew's reply distracted her.

"You can't be defending him."

"What do you know about what she did to him?" she fired back.

She didn't condone Carter's behavior, but anyone could get unhinged after finding out he'd been lied to for months.

"I bet I know more than you," Andrew said, and took her by the hand.

He dragged her along the corridor until they got into another recording booth. He slammed the door closed behind them. 

"How much do you really know about Alice?" he said when they were alone again. "How much do you know about any of us? We're all gravitating around you like planets around the sun. Even Carter is orbiting around you since you showed up in his life. And you take it for granted that it's how it's supposed to be."

"When has this become about me? What do I have to do with what they do to each other?"

"Things are never black and white, you spoiled child! Your choices affect other people. When you came to Sing, you left a void in Alice's life. You matter to people more than you think. Do you know Diane cried when she saw you get hurt in the Jungle? Do you know Bryce feels he doesn't belong because he thinks he can't replace you? Do you know Helen hasn't picked a bridesmaid outfit because you didn't have time to go with her dress shopping? Do you know Sebastian wanted to meet Carter and you didn't even introduce them?"

She stared at him open mouthed. All she wanted was to cut herself from him. She wanted to stop hurting. She hadn't meant to hurt anyone else.

"No," she said. "I didn't know."

"Don't worry, they don't hate you," he said sarcastically. "Everyone makes excuses for you. She's busy. She has to take care of her career. Carter is working her too hard. You're leaving a trail of bodies behind you. I hope it's worth it."

All the hard work, the sleepless nights, the hundreds and hundreds and miles spent driving up and down the country, they seemed to be worth it up to that moment. She had thought she was doing everything perfectly.

Her parents were pleased she was not flunking all her classes at Salona.

Carter was content that she kept to his unreasonable work schedule.

She vented her frustrations singing in a few night clubs in Orsino and the neighboring cities.

Most of all, she had kept her word. She stayed away from the man who was now shaking with anger in front of her.

She had considered that missing her friends was the price she had to pay. It had never occurred to her that they were paying it alongside her.