Page 51 of Her Filthy Mistake

Every muscle in my body tightens as I stare at the photos of Jace with that woman draped all over him. His hands are on her hips as she wraps her arms around him and nuzzles his neck. This can’t be true.

Shit. The day Mom and I got our hair done, the hairdresser was going on and on about Jace being on the island and how one of the guests kept gushing about him. And how good he was. Heat floods over me. Apparently, we were talking about two different types of good. I thought they meant what a good singer he was, and she was talking about how good of a lay he is.

I swallow over the lump in my throat. No. There must be an explanation. He–

He what? He loves me? He never said that.

“He knows that you bring on new talent for me. He knows from your mom that you have a soft spot for helping people. I’m sure he told you all about his struggles to stay sober. How hard it was to never get seen in the music industry. I’m sure he told you all his hopes and dreams. He probably even wrote a song for you. Do you honestly think those things are legitimate? They’re in the How to Get a Record Deal Handbook. It’s like he read the manual and memorized it line by line. And you fell for it hook, line, and sinker.” His eyes are soft as he studies me. “But it’s not too late to save your self-respect.”

“Stop!” I jump out of my seat and shove the chair under the table. “You’re full of lies. None of this is true. He wouldn’t manipulate me. It was my idea for him to sing again. He didn’t even want to.”

“Ri-i-i-ight.”

God, he’s a dick. “And that woman. I know all about groupies and how photographers tell stories that aren’t always true. That’s how the paparazzi make a living. You’re the one trying to manipulate me. I quit. When I get back home, I’m packing my things and moving.”

“Where?” His face is full of condescension. “To Vegas? You’re going to shack up with the security guard?” His laughter curls around me, making my stomach churn. “Baby girl….” He lifts the drink and downs the remaining liquid before slapping the glass on the table. “When you realize I’m the one that has your best interest at heart, I expect you to come crawling back to me, begging for forgiveness. Because without it, you’re going to be out on your ass. Jace is a mooch. He’s a user and someone who’ll ruin your reputation. He loves fame. And groupies. And sex with groupies. Drug-fueled sex with groupies. And I won’t stand for that. No one humiliates me. The man is your step-uncle. It’s embarrassing. I’d be the laughingstock of the music industry.”

Yeah, so much for his concern for me. It’s all about him.

“I’m sorry you feel that way, but I still quit. Consider this my two weeks’ notice. I won’t be returning to my office. When I get back, I’ll call Felix and ask him to deliver my personal effects.” I spin on my heel with as much dignity as I can muster, barefooted while wearing a bikini with sand stuck to my skin.

With the sun beating down on my face, I stand in silence while staring out at the resort. When I arrived, it never crossed my mind that I’d be choosing Jace and quitting my job to be with him.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Jace

My heart bangs in my chest. Zoe left with her father 30 minutes ago. I know he hates me, but everything I’ve done over the past several years has been above board. There isn’t one reason he’d be against us now. Is there? I rake a hand through my hair. I get that I’m older than her and that legally, I’m her step-uncle, but we’re not blood, and I didn’t watch her grow up from infancy, having some ridiculous obsession with her.

Shit. I shove my hands into my pockets. What if he forbids Zoe from seeing me?

Dude, she’s an adult. She can make her own decisions. This is not the Dark Ages or some century where a father bequeaths his daughter to another king for a bounty. Everything is going to be fine.

I walk over to the trashcan and pull out the balled-up piece of paper. The page where I wrote the lyrics to the song I sang on the beach two nights ago.

As I smooth it out, my shoulders relax. It’s a good song. And there were no twinges to need alcohol or drugs to put it down on paper or to sing it. It felt good. Like Landon said, it was as if I was back in high school, sitting in my room writing music. Back before I joined the band.

If I’m being honest now, after all these years, they were in it for the chicks and the free booze. If you’re popular, people buy you shit to get you to hang out with them. They got addicted to the lifestyle, and I drowned because they lost their ambition. Not that it was any better. I drowned in the same stuff, just for a different reason.

I grab the guitar the performers gave me, swipe my phone open, click on the camera app, and hit record before sitting down on the sofa and singing the song I wrote for her. Every note comes from my heart.

This time, I sing for myself. Yes, I’d love to get back into the business and finally fulfill a dream I’ve had since the first time I picked up a guitar, but that’s not as important as finding myself again.

Am I ready to step into the spotlight again? It’s the next step: writing and recording songs, trying to regain a following.

When the last note rings out, the door snaps open. I spin around, expecting to find Zoe, but instead, it’s her father.

“Jace.” His eyes are hard as his jaw flexes in anger. “I told you to leave her alone. I told you years ago to stay away from my daughter.” Seething rage flickers brighter in his eyes. “I told you if you left her alone, I wouldn’t destroy her to punish you. But here you are, violating that fragile trust we’d developed over the years. The fragile trust that has kept me from blacklisting you.” His eyes narrow. “Of course, you’ve managed to fuck up your career fine on your own. If you can call singing at a few random dive bars as a career.”

I rise from the sofa as my hands ball into fists. “I’m not trying to cause problems. I stayed away from her and haven’t contacted her once.”

“Until now.” He slaps his hands on his hips with his chest heaving. “You need to end things with her now.”

“No.” I match his stance, and for once, I’m not backing down. “I won’t. If she decides she doesn’t want to see me, then I’ll honor her decision. But this time, I’m not sacrificing my future because of someone else’s bullshit agenda. I love your daughter. She’s beautiful–”

“Whatever.” He rolls his eyes and waves his hand in the air. “They’re all beautiful. She’s a wet hole to screw. Find a different one.” His eyes bore into mine. “Because if she leaves me for you, I’m cutting her out of everything. Out of her position and future in my company. Out of my life. Out of her inheritance. Out of the music industry altogether. And you know that’s all she’s dreamed about since she was a kid.”

“Why?” Bile rises in my throat as I shake my head in disbelief. I understand him destroying me, but Zoe? His own daughter? It makes no sense.

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