Page 123 of Movers and Shakers

Maybe he was the one who was going to come out on top.

Tears gathered in my eyes. I was frozen, unable to consider what to do to begin making my fans happy again.

Every single thing in my life was wrong. This was why I lived for everyone else; the second I was selfish, people got hurt.

There was a knock at my door. I shut my eyes, knowing it was Juno wondering where I’d gone. She needed help cleaning up Blaze’s mess, yet I was stuck here like a fool.

“Juno,” I said. “I still need a minute.”

“It’s not Juno.”

When I heard the voice, I thought I had to be dreaming.

Because it sounded like Barry.

But there wasnoway he was here in LA.

However, when the door opened, the man himself peeked inside.

“Well,” he said, “I’m glad you’re not naked, or else I’d have a lot to apologize for.”

“Barry?” I asked. My voice cracked as all of the regrets I felt mixed with pure confusion. The tears threatened to fall; he saw them immediately. When he did, his entire demeanor changed.

“What’s wrong?”

I didn’t get it. Why did he even care? I’d hurt him. He wasmadat me. Didn’t that mean he was done, that he’d leave and never look back?

“Why are you here?”

“I’m here to talk. You can’t just write a song about me and expect me to sit back in Nashville and not come find you.”

“You came across the country just to talk to me?”

“Sunshine, I’d do a lot more than that for you. Just say the word.”

My jaw dropped. “But—‍”

“No arguments.”

“No, you shouldn’t be nice to me. You shouldn’tcareabout me. Not after what I did.”

“You know I never listen to what people tell me I should do. I do what I want. And Iwantto be here, Lila.” His lips twisted. “Rose? What do you want to be called?”

I blinked, still baffled by everything that he was doing. “I . . . I don’t know. My mom only calls me Rose because she doesn’t really like Lila. My dad lets my name slipsometimes,but I’m not around him enough for him to call my name often.”

“That’s not confusing at all.”

“Yeah, sorry. Just call me whatever person I’m playing.”

“You’re the same person no matter your hair color,” he said.

“I’m not supposed to be.”

“But you are. I thought I was losing it, but I saw the similarities.”

It should have worried me, but the fact that he still sawmemade me feel better than anything else today. “That’s why I don’t let people see both sides of me, but you’ve always been different. God, I’msosorry I didn’t tell you. I’m sorry for all of it. Breaking up with you and then reconnecting as Rose and then waiting so long to finally admit it and—‍”

“Breathe,” he instructed. “We can talk about it all. Just do me a favor and don’t come up with any other alter egos, okay?”

---