Page 187 of Goodbye Note

I hadn’t seen it any of the times we’d hooked up or in any of the photos of him without a shirt on. It couldn’t be new. How had he kept it hidden?

My knees shook. I was going to be sick.

“I can’t do this tonight.”

“Are you going to be able to do it any better tomorrow?” Vallen asked.

“Nope. I’m back to witness protection, especially since his fans are going to burn me to the ground when they hear the album at midnight.”

While Dopamine-Fiend stagnated after my issues and subsequent breakdown, Second Star experienced the opposite. Every album seemed to make them bigger, which shouldn’t have been possible, but they continuously broke records.

Everyone wanted a piece of Arik.

Which had to be the reason Kiernan reached out to John to make this dual release and tour happen. What was the one fandom they could embrace with Arik’s new revelation? I was a pawn in this game, but since it was Dopamine-Fiend’s best shot at a massive comeback, I couldn’t deny it for the other guys. We’d worked too hard on this album to not have it listened to.

“Come on. Our stylist is waiting at the hotel, and we have to be at the party before midnight or John is going to murder me.”

* * *

“I hate all of you,” I said to the guys when I looked in the full-length mirror in the hotel room.

“Why? You look good!” Hugo, our stylist, said. “I love when they give me full control to dress you however I want.” If Hugo was anything, he was the most flamboyant guy I’d ever met, but he knew his shit. He’d been dressing me for a few years and made me go from punk, alternative, questionable fashion I was far too old for to best-dressed lists, and I was frequently called a DILF.

But this was obscene. “I’m barely wearing anything. What is this, mesh?”

“It’s the future. Joan of Arc is in. You’re a knight in shining armor.”

“It’s see-through, Hugo.”

“You have a jacket over it and abs. I don't see the problem. Fox said you had to look so hot you’d ruin your ex’s life. I’m just following directions.”Hugo held up his hands.

I turned on Fox. “What the actual fuck?”

“After listening to that slaughtering of an album, you should agree.” Fox wasn’t apologetic.

“For what purpose?”

Fox looked around. “I don’t know how to explain it to him. Anyone else?”

Bronx stepped in. “I know you’re the worst type of bisexual man and don’t know our culture, but I’m going to put it in child’s terms so you can understand. Okay?”

I glared.

“That album is a hate crime, so in response, you have to serve. Understand now?” Bronx said it all like he was speaking to a kindergartener.

I looked to Val to save me. “Why are they speaking gen bravo bullshit to me? I need to get out of here.”

Val just laughed.

“Back to my problem. I’d prefer not to be mostly naked in front of my ex.”

“It’s that or be actually naked. I only brought one outfit for you,” Hugo said, giving me a sassy, indifferent shrug like the asshole he was.

“If you didn’t dress me so well all the time, I’d fire you.” I rubbed my temples and looked in the mirror again.

“You can’t. You’d go back to dressing like gutter trash.”Hugo pursed his lips.

“I am forty-three. I should not be in a see-through shirt. No one wants that.”

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