Chapter 12

Kya

As Addison ran back and forth through the house, singing and shaking her booty, I couldn’t help but wish I had her energy. She held her play microphone up to her mouth and didn’t miss a lyric of Sacred Heart as it blasted from the radio, and she’d lined her stuffed animals up along the couch to be her audience.

“Addie, let’s turn that down and have some lunch. I don’t want your ravioli to get cold.” She dropped her mic and ran wide open to the table and climbed up into her chair.

“When I grow up, I’m going to sing, too, Mama.”

“Are you?” I thought of the lifestyle I’d had before she came along and cringed. Before Blitz had truly taken me under his wing and helped me. Before the slimy manager. I wanted better for her. I wanted her to pursue her own dreams and hoped that by the time she was truly old enough to make that decision, it was a different one.

“Yes, and I’m going to give front row tickets to all of my friends at school so I can call them up onstage.”

“That sounds like fun, sweet pea. You can do whatever you want. Whatever you put your mind to. You remember that.” And I will love you, all the same, no matter what path you take, because you are my daughter, my flesh, my bone, my blood, and unlike your shitty grandparents who still don’t know what they’re missing out on, I will love you forever.

I wanted to say all of those words. To tack them on so she’d know that my love was unconditional.

It had been a long time since I’d sat down and talked to my parents, and while I didn’t really miss my father too much because he’d always been an asshole, I missed my mother. We’d been close, and she’d encouraged my musical abilities. Of course, if she’d known where that would lead, she probably wouldn’t have. When I was just singing with my friends in the garage, they both had laughed it off and claimed it was an impossible dream. But when I booked my first show at the local pub just out of high school, the fight was on. They’d believed nursing was my true calling, even though I’d never expressed any interest and had never even liked to go to the doctor, much less give shots or take blood. But because my mother had always wanted to be one and her sister, my aunt Jodie, had become one, then I was supposed to follow in their footsteps. No thanks.

I’d never want to be like anyone who didn’t want to see their grandchild, who could write off their family because I chose to be successful in a different career. But they were convinced my music was blasphemous, that it was an affront to God and the church, and that the neighbors would look down on them for raising a drugged up, sexed up, devil music singing, unwed mother. Who needed them? Not me. I had made my own family, and they were a hell of a lot more loving.

I’d get by on my own as I always did.

Addie stabbed her ravioli and then wiped the sauce onto her lips. “Look, Mama. I have lipstick.”

“Eat it. Don’t wear it.”

“But I look good in makeup, don’t I?” She batted her eyes and looked into her spoon as if it might reflect. “I’m upside down.” She giggled.

“Yes, the curve of the spoon reflects that way. And you look pretty without makeup too. I’ve already told you, when you get a little older, we’ll talk. Until then, it’s Chapstick and clear lip gloss.”

“And nail polish?”

“Yes, nail polish is fine.” I couldn’t take away her and Sadie’s fun. The two loved to paint each other’s toenails.

“But nail polish is makeup, Mama.” She had been trying to find a decent argument for her case on wearing makeup over the past two weeks, ever since she’d watched Sadie and me make YouTube makeup tutorials for our channel. Sadie had found out we could use the platform to have a little fun with our fans, and so far, it was going well, and we were actually making a nice chunk of money. We had plans to launch our own makeup line as soon as we got rid of Whit.

“Then maybe you shouldn’t be wearing it.” I gave her a pointed look, and she frowned.

She changed her tune fast, shaking her head. “No, it’s not really the same, is it?” She licked the sauce off her lips and then bit into the noodle.

The phone rang, and I glanced over to see it was Sadie. I answered. “There’s the woman whose bones I need to pick.”

“What did I do?”

“Nothing. But my daughter is sure putting up an argument for painting her face.”

“So? Let her. It’s not a big deal. Look, I don’t have time to debate. You need to turn on the TV. Like, now.”

I got up and headed across the room to find the remote on the side table. “Why am I doing this?”

“Channel four and because Whit’s having a press conference with his lawyers.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” The screen lit up and answered my question.

…manager for the hard rock band, Sabbath Sundae is being sued. Sources say the band came out with the lawsuit earlier this week accusing their manager of embezzling money and reportedly misusing funds for lavish vacations. We take you live on the scene where the press conference is about to kick off after some technical difficulties.

The video changed, and my heart dropped like a stone to the bottom of a dry well. Not only was Whit the worm standing behind the display of a hundred mics, but Leonard Pace stood next to him.

“Kya?”

“I’m here.”

“I saw a clip earlier when they were trying to sort out the technical shit. I thought you’d want to know Leonard was the one representing him.”

Sadie had grilled me about who he was for the longest until I had finally shown her a few pictures on his social media and some from the many charity events he’d been to with his father and the slew of girlfriends. “I can’t believe it. This has to be a nightmare.”

I went quiet as Leonard prepared to speak. I couldn’t wait to see what the asshole had to say for himself and that crooked fucker he was representing.

“Good afternoon, and thank you for this opportunity today. I’m Leo Pace, representing Mr. White. I’d just like to say the allegations made against my client are absolutely false. Mr. White, as the band’s manager for the past five years, had certain rights, and all monies in his care were properly distributed. My team and I will prove there was no mismanagement on his behalf.”

Despite the fact that he was one of the absolute hottest men I’d ever laid eyes on and nothing like the young nerd I’d deflowered in high school—and much more mature and handsome than the young, cocky asshole I’d slept with in the tour bus five years ago, I felt like crawling through the TV screen and ripping his head off. “No mismanagement? Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Mama?”

I turned to see Addie standing behind me, one of her stuffed animals in her hand and a look of worry on her little face.

“Go finish your lunch, sweet pea.”

“You said a bad word, Mama.” She walked over and hugged my leg as if my cursing told her something was very wrong.

Sadie spoke in my ear, “I don’t see how they think they can prove that, Kya. The records are clear, and we have them. We have the proof. You should call Leonard and tell him that. There’s no telling what Whit’s said or done or what kind of fake evidence he’s providing. The man has to be being used, right?”

“He’s really crossed the line this time. I mean, it’s one thing to treat me the way he did, but I understood, you know. I chalked it up to him getting back at me, but this. It’s the ultimate betrayal.”

“Careful you’re not throwing stones in glass houses, Kya. You let him down first.”

I looked down to my daughter and felt the pang of guilt knowing exactly what she was referring to. Addie grabbed one of her stuffed animals and carried it back to the table as I continued with Sadie. “That’s different. I didn’t set out to deliberately hurt him or anything. I did him a favor.”

“Well, he must really hate you.”

My ass hit the couch, taking out half of Addie’s crowd. “Thanks. That’s such a comfort.”

“I’m just saying. This is, like, unforgivable.”

“Not to mention, that’s not the biggest problem with all of this. Leonard works for his father’s firm, which happens to be the biggest and most well-respected in Chicago. If I know him at all, he’s going to eat us for lunch. Even with the evidence we have. He’s the smartest person I know, Sadie.”

She growled through the phone. “I’ll call Susan. Who knew the asshole would use our money for the best legal team in town.”

I pulled a purple bunny from under my butt and held him tight against my chest. “I can’t believe this is happening. I’m going to have to face Leonard, aren’t I? Whether in a courtroom or a meeting, it’s going to happen.”

“You knew you’d have to face him again sooner or later, right?”

“I mean, I guess I knew living in the same city, it could happen, but I stay on my side of the tracks, and he stays on his.”

Sadie let out a deep breath. “You grew up next door to one another, and for all you know, he could be living down the street, and you’d never know it.”

“We’re in different worlds. I’m sure he graduated to a life of charity events and stuffy courtroom action, while I’m down at the arena performing for a much different crowd.”

Sadie gave a half-hearted chuckle, the way she did when I’d overreact. “You’re both eating lobster, Kya.”

It wasn’t the same, though. “Only right after a show, and then by the time I get to book another one, that’s gone. If I didn’t scrimp and save, I wouldn’t have what I have. He hasn’t lived in a bus or slept in a single motel room with five other people. He’s probably never seen the inside of a tattoo parlor or smoked a joint.”

She chuckled a bit louder than before if only to lighten the mood. “You don’t smoke weed, and your only tattoos are barely visible when you’re not half-naked on stage.”

“See? I’m sure when he gets in front of his courtroom crowd, he’s not half-naked.” The whole half-naked thing was an exaggeration anyway. I was always completely covered, even if it was see-through lace or satin. I always had on my underwear, a bra, a tank top, something. I did have a child to be an example to, and I would never have her looking into my past and being embarrassed by me. There’d be no sex tapes or amateur footage of me on stage on the internet looking like a fool.

“We’re going to rip this guy a new one in court, Kya. Don’t stress about it, okay? I’ll talk to Susan about the situation with Leonard. We need to make sure this won’t hinder us, and if it helps in some way, even better.”

“I don’t see how it could help.” I’d been content to let him live his life, and I live mine. But this, it was the worst betrayal. And as hurt as I was, I knew with certainty that all those years ago, I’d made the right decision to steer clear of him.

But now, nope. Now, I was going to have to face him, and whether or not the lawyer ripped Whit apart in the courtroom, I was going to give Leonard a piece of my mind. So much for friendship.