Page 68 of Shattered Echoes

I need help, but where do I turn?

Nicole's words echo in my mind, “It doesn’t stop the guilt, it doesn’t stop the pain,” her pain mirroring my own. Realizing Colette's absence hits me anew. A fresh wave of grief washing over me. How do I go on? Will I ever be able to move past this and be the man she wants? What if we turn out to be bad for each other like Cassie and I were?

Desperate for some semblance of support and clarity, I decide to call my manager, Ricky. He’s the one who saved me when I OD’d. The phone rings, each beep echoing in the silent car, my heart pounding in my chest. When Ricky answers, he sounds cheerful.

"Who the fuck is this?" Ricky's voice is casual, almost amused.

"Yo, man, it's Antonio. What are you up to? What's going on? The whole thing has spiraled out of control," I blurt out, my voice shaking with emotion. "I just talked to Nicole, and everything's a mess. I don't know what to do."

"Antonio? Amato? Oh wow, bro." There's a pause, then he continues, "Why are you calling me? Like, you don't remember I'm not your manager anymore?"

I blink in confusion, surprise clear in my tone. "You're...you're not?"

"What? Man, I quit," he says, sounding almost amused. "I know you're in rehab and everything, but I'm definitely not sticking around for your comeback tour."

What the fuck is he saying?

"But why?" I stammer. "I know things have been rough, but I thought you'd be there. You've always been there. I always planned to return to music, and I thought we would do it together."

Ricky just laughs, the sound hollow and mocking. He sounds high or drunk, his voice slurring. "Man, why would I keep limiting myself? Do you really think I was put on this Earth just to serve you?"

Serve me? I never treated him that way, I think to myself.

He's still laughing, and it feels like a knife twisting in my gut. "Anyway, thanks for the big break."

This sounds so crazy. What big break?

"What are you talking about?" I ask, confusion clouding my thoughts as I hold the phone tighter.

"You do not know how much money I've made, man," Ricky says, his tone gleeful. "Who knew people love celebrity drama so much?"

Now, my head is spinning. What celebrity drama?

My blood runs cold. "What are you talking about?" I demand. “What celebrity drama?”

“Your celebrity drama, of course,” Ricky slurs his words. “When my journalist friend approached me for info, I was unsure at first, but after seeing the bucks on the offer, I spilled the beans faster than a waitress in heels on freshly mopped tiles.”

“I thought Nicole was the one who spilled the secret? When did you become such an asshole, Ricky?” I ask, beyond shocked.

“'Don't get your panties in a twist too early, Amato, because that's not all,” Ricky says, his tone dripping with smugness. “I realized I shouldn't limit myself to just my friend, so I gave pieces of all the info to different sources and made a bank!”

Asshole! I scream in my head, although my clenched jaw keeps the word from coming out from my lips.

Rage surges through me, hot and blinding, the pieces slowly clicking into place. "What? Nicole thinks she's the one that caused it, and she’s been blaming herself. So, it's been you all this whole time?"

"Oh, she did kind of corroborate the story," Ricky replies nonchalantly. "People heard her talking about it. So, when the news came out, they were like, 'Oh, I heard her say that.' Maybe that's why she thinks she's the one who did it. But yeah, man, it was all me."

This piece of shit!

"You bastard!" I yell, my grip tightening on the phone. "Do you have no conscience? How could you do this?"

Ricky laughs again, the sound cruel and mocking. "Conscience? Man, this is business. You think the world gives a shit about your feelings? Get real."

"How could you betray me like this?" I shout, the words ripping from my throat. "I trusted you! You saved my life once, remember?"

Was it all pretense? Did he save me only to keep his golden goose alive?

"And now I'm rolling in wealth," Ricky says coldly. "Thanks to you. So really, I should thank you."

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