Page 17 of From You to Me

“Evy, are you alright?” she shouted with concern.

“Yes,” I blurted as I turned to face her. “I’m fine. I just didn’t eat this morning.” I gave her a small smile as I tried to comprehend what was happening to me.

Lily exhaled a heavy breath. “You scared me there for a second. I thought you were going to die.”

“No.” I shook my head and shivered as a freezing breeze washed over us. “Come on.” I gestured to the living room. “Let’s go inside.”

She nodded and followed me. My brain was still muddled. What was that? I’d never experienced anything like that before. I frowned.Was that an asthma attack? Did I have asthma?

Lily headed straight to the kitchen as she rummaged through the fridge and handed me a bottle of water.

I took it gladly, gulping it like a dehydrated fox.

She rolled her eyes as she took inventory inside the fridge. “I swear my brother has nothing good to eat. This isn’t going to work.” She closed the fridge. “Let’s order something.”

I nodded, still reeling from that weird experience.

We soon huddled up in the TV room, enjoying some greasy burgers. This was the coziest and the darkest room in the entire apartment, with a full-blown TV system, soft, fluffy couches, and even a popcorn machine.

“These are so good,” I moaned as I sank back into the couch.

“I know, right? Katy suggested this place. You know how big of a foodie she is.”

My heart squeezed upon hearing her name. I missed my best friend. “How is she?” I asked softly.

Lily gave me a knowing smile. “She’s good. Busy actually. I hardly see her these days.”

I frowned. “Why?”

“Katy decided to stay in LA with Lan. They are finally engaged and wanted to set roots in LA.” She grinned. “And you know Katy, she has been going nonstop over these past years. It’s good that the band is finally taking a break.”

My eyes widened in shock. Jay would never take a break; he loved what he did. “Wait, what do you mean that the band is taking a break?”

“Well, not the kind of break that you’re thinking. This is all very hush-hush, and no official word has been given out yet. But the band has decided they no longer wanted to be a commercial money-making machine for the label. Their deal ends with five studio albums, anyway. They’re planning to announce it after the tour is finished.”

“I don’t understand. Does that mean they’re going to stop making music?”

She shook her head. “No, they are planning to produce their own music. They have the means to do that now. Emmie didn’twant to make album after album just so the label could squeeze in some extra cash. He wanted to take it slow, make music he was actually proud of, and play shows that felt authentic to him. The rest of them agreed, feeling the same way. Actually, I think it would be good for them. They have exhausted themselves over the years, and don’t get me started on the press—they were brutal.”

Although I counted it as a blessing, I couldn’t help but ask, “Why New York? Why not go back to Bellevue?”

“Matt actually wanted to start his own nonprofit label to help indie unsupported artists and discover new talent. The rest of them wanted to be a part of it too. They were very excited to start a new venture, and it felt right for them. They grew out of LA and wanted a fresh start. So they decided NYC would be the perfect place. But Bellevue would always be home.”

That actually made a lot of sense. I was glad they were at a place in life where they could do anything. And I loved that they were following their hearts instead of what the world demanded them to do. That meant they were leaving the label. It meant they were leaving that bitch.

“But what about Pacific White? Are they okay with all this?” I was curious to know about their friendship with White and how far they had taken their relationship over the years.

Because she was always pictured with the band, almost as if she filled in the gap that I left behind. And it hurt, it hurt so damn bad especially when she was pictured by Jay’s side. I also knew deep down that bitch wasn’t going to let the band go that easy, so I wondered how she was letting all this happen.

“The label doesn’t know it yet,” Lily continued. “I think they suspect something because the band has been putting off signing the deal renewal. The guys don’t really care about breaking it off with them, but Emmie and Katy wanted to wait until Cece’s back to tell her the news because they know she won’t take it well.”

Upon hearing that wretched name, I stiffened as the iciness started slithering through my body. “What about her?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Cece is stuck in Australia at the moment. She’s closing a major deal for her label there, or at least she is trying to. We’re not sure when she’ll be back.”

A sigh of relief that I didn’t know I was holding escaped me. I was glad she wasn’t here because I don’t ever want to see her again.

“But enough about all of this. You were actually going to tell me what happened before your dizzy spell hit you, so why did you pretend to cheat on him, Evy?” she asked with a curious expression.

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