Chapter 15

“Gia, slow down. I know you’re excited, but I can’t understand a word that you’re saying when you talk this fast.” Addilyn Wheeler climbed out of the taxi in front of her producer’s building. Peter was not happy with her. She’d been fighting him ever since his decision to introduce her into the country singers, but it turned out that Peter had been wrong. Her fans had gone crazy over the idea that she was writing her own songs and her affair with Kade hadn’t ended with her shame on the tabloids.

On the other end of the phone, Gia took a deep breath. “I said that your first three concerts are already sold out. At this rate, you’ll sell more tickets than you ever did during your pop music tours. Addilyn, you’re doing it.”

“Yes, I am.”

But she didn’t do it alone. Kade was a big part of her success, and now he was gone. She’d done her best to avoid any mention of him. She didn’t want to know if he was sleeping with Delaney Tucker, his newest contract. It was hard because every interview she did wanted to verify that she didn’t have a relationship with him.

Months of sizzling chemistry and two nights of unadulterated passion didn’t make a relationship, but that didn’t mean that smiling at the camera and laughing about the rumors didn’t hurt. She’d wanted to live a little and experience passion, but with Kade, she’d gotten so much more.

“Listen, I might be a few minutes late for lunch with you and Phoebe. Peter called this morning and demanded a meeting.”

“What do you think he wants?”

“Based on the information you just gave me? He’s going to want to figure out a way to make more money.”

“Addilyn. You didn’t use to be so cynical.”

“It’s not cynicism, Gia. It’s realism. Don’t worry about me. I’ve got it all under control.” Hanging up on her assistant, she hurried into Peter’s office. She couldn’t help but smile. For once, she really did feel like she had everything under control.

As usual, her producer made her wait a few minutes before ushering her into the office. She knew the man was busy, but she suspected that sometimes he did it just to make himself seem more important.

“Addilyn,” Peter said excitedly. “This is going better than I could ever manage. You are handling the media beautifully, and everything is coming up America Holden. At this rate, we’re going to have to extend you seven-month tour to a year. We’re going to ride this way all the way to the top.”

Sitting in the chair, she crossed her legs. “Give me complete creative freedom on my next album, and I’ll give you those extra three months.” Her voice was calm, and her eye contact never wavered as Peter’s eyes widened and stared at her.

“Addilyn, this album is a huge success, but I don’t want you to ahead of yourself.”

“You’ve been wrong, Peter, You’ve been wrong from the very beginning, and you know it. You will relinquish control to me, or we’re done. When the concert tour is up, I’ll end my contract with you, and I’ll find someone else. I’ve already got producers from Nashville beating down my tour for a shot at my next album, and I bet they’ll give me anything that I want.”

Peter’s eyes narrowed. “I gave you everything.”

“Yes, you did. And now it’s time to let me fly, Peter. You know that I can do this, but you’re afraid you’re going to lose me. If you keep holding on too tightly, you’re going to lose me anyway.”

He older man raked his hands through his hair. “Give me some time to think about it.”

Addilyn stood and smoothed a hand over her skirt. “You can have a couple of weeks. I’m sure you’ll use that time to try to figure out a compromise, but I think we both know that I hold all the cards. I don’t want to leave you, Peter. I like our relationship, and I have no desire to find anyone else, but I’m not compromising. Not anymore.”

“You’ve changed,” Peter growled. “Your outfits. Your activities. Gia told me that you threw out everything in your apartment. I bought you all that furniture when you could afford that condo.”

“I know. It was time for me to fill it with the things that I like,” she said with a shrug.

“This is Kade’s doing.”

“Kade’s gone.” She did her best to keep her pain out of her voice. “He’s been gone for weeks, and he’s not coming back. Everything that I’ve done since then has been for me, and I’m loving every second of it.”

“I didn’t drive him away, Addilyn, He left all on his own. You have to know that.”

Addilyn smiled. “You still don’t get it, Peter. That’s the problem. You want to blame this change on something. First I was bored. Now it’s Kade. I’m not blaming you for Kade. He made his decisions, and now I’m making mine. I should have done this years ago, but I was afraid that I wouldn’t succeed if I showed my true voice. Now I know that I can, and nothing is going to stop me. I look forward to talking to you, Peter.”

Calmly, she left his office. It felt empowering to finally take control. Checking her phone, she realized that she was late. She was supposed to meet Phoebe and Gia for lunch.

Her two friends had already opened a bottle of wine and were laughing hysterically as she joined them at the table. The small cafe was out of out-of-the-way, but Addilyn loved it. They always secreted her away into a corner so she wouldn’t be bothered, and they had the most amazing cheesecake she’d ever tasted.

“What could possibly be so funny?” she asked as she sat down and reached for the wine.

Gia held up her tablet. “We were just watching the last interview with Delaney Tucker. The entire interview was about Kade. You could tell that she was furious.”

Addilyn was careful to keep the jealousy from her voice. “Why were they interested in Kade?”

“He may have been hot before, but that’s nothing compared to now. Every producer wants him. He’s riding your coattails all the way to the top, and now it seems that Delaney is just barely hanging on to him.”

“He’s not riding my coattails,” Addilyn scowled. “He’s talented, and he deserves this.”

Her two friends fell silent and stared at her. “Addilyn, this isn’t an interview,” Phoebe reminded her. “You don’t have to pretend with us. Kade Hardy is a bastard, and you’re supposed to bash him when you’re with us.”

She shrugged. “There’s no need to bash him. You both warned me about Kade’s reputation I started the affair, so if nothing else, you’re supposed to tell me that you told me so.”

“That doesn’t make him any less of a bastard, and you get at least a month of complaining about him. Maybe more,” Phoebe announced.

Addilyn chuckled. “Is that based on some sort of formula?”

“Of course. One month for every night that you spent with him.”

“Oops.” Addilyn reached over the wine to pour herself a glass. “Then I get two months of complaining.”

“What?” Gia gasped. “How? I was with you for every second while you were recording the album.”

Addilyn snorted. “Yes, and you officially get to add excellent cock-blocking to your resume. He came to see when the recording was finished. He wanted to congratulate me.” Her voice cracked as she remembered that night.

Gia reached over and squeezed her hand. “Addilyn, I didn’t know. Are you okay?”

“Of course she’s not okay. I’m going to kill him,” Phoebe snarled. “Right after lunch.”

“Cheesecake should always come before murder,” Addilyn joked. “No, it’s fine. Seriously. I wanted something that was just for me, and Kade gave that to me. It didn’t end the way that I wanted it to, but I knew that it was going to end, so I guess it doesn’t really matter who walked away from whom. If nothing else, I’m thankful for him. He gave me the courage to finally stand up to Peter, and today, I told him that if he didn’t give me complete freedom on the next album, I would find another producer.”

Gia gasped in terror, but Phoebe squealed with delight. “I knew you could do it!” She raised her wineglass. “To Addilyn for finally finding her voice.”

Her assistant’s eyes were still filled with fear, and Addilyn pinched her in the arm. “Gia, Peter may have hired you, but you work for me, and you go where I go. I pay your checks so that you can relax.”

“Oh!” Gia perked up and raised her glass. “In that case, I will toast to you!”

The three women clinked their glasses and laughed. It was easy for Addilyn to pretend to be at ease, but inside, she could only feel satisfaction at her success. There was still something missing, and while she knew exactly what it was, she couldn’t say it out loud. She could barely to admit it to herself.

Still, it was a little easier surrounded by the people who did love her. The enjoyed her lunch with them, she laughed and teased. Afterward, Phoebe insisted on buying her a present to commemorate the good news. Shopping excursions with the model were never quick, and it was hours later when Addilyn was finally in the taxi on her way back home. A dainty silver bracelet glittered on her wrist with the perfect engraving inside.

I always knew that you could fly.

“My wife is a huge fan,” the driver said as he stared at her in the mirror. “She just bought your album, and she plays it nonstop.”

Addilyn didn’t mind when people wanted to talk to her about her music. “Tell your wife that makes me very happy.”

“She’s crazy about that song, Sweet Desire. I’m not usually a country music fan myself, but it’s hard not to be affected. Is it about anyone in particular?”

“No,” Addilyn lied. She tried not to think about the way that Kade touched her when she sang that song. “It’s just about that kind of chemistry couple experience when they are truly in love.”

“It’s right on point!” The driver pulled up to her condo, and she paid him, making sure to leave him a generous tip. She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn’t even see the man leaning against the column outside her building.

“Hello, Princess.”

Staring at him, she tried desperately to remember how to breathe. “Kade.”