Something flickered across Della’s face. Doubt? Anxiety?
Mattie knew in that fraction of a second that she wasn’t going to like what she was about to hear.
“I signed with Self Evident Records,” Della blurted. “They’re going to produce my first solo album.”
White noise filled Mattie’s ears. Time slipped sideways. The surreal moment stretched and twisted and bent around Della’s shining face until she looked like a character in a cartoon.
Della continued to bounce and smile, as excited as she was the day they’d gotten their first puppy. “Finally,finally, I’ll be taken seriously. I’ll get to do stuff with more edge, moreadult. I can’t wait.”
Mattie tried to process what she was hearing. Her youngest sister had always been the center of attention, both in their family and on stage. When people thought of The Bellamy Sisters, they pictured Della first. Mattie had always known that, and it didn’t bother her. All that mattered was the music. But her thoughts raced ahead to the next logical step on this roller coaster her sister had just thrust them onto without consent: Della couldn’t go solo and still be a Bellamy Sister.
With one stroke of a pen and a flippant announcement, Della had changed their careers forever, and she hadn’t even talked to them before she’d done it.
Just like that, life as they knew it was over.
The future stretched out like an enormous blank wall thatMattie couldn’t climb, couldn’t go around, couldn’t see through.
If they weren’t The Bellamy Sisters anymore, what were they?
Mattie exchanged looks with Piper and Lizzie.
Della’s smile faltered. “Well? Aren’t you going to congratulate me?”
Piper found her voice first. “You can’t be serious.”
Della stopped pacing next to one of the dressing tables and thrust out her chin in the defiant way she’d done ever since she was a toddler. “I signed the papers yesterday.”
“Yesterday.” Lizzie’s voice was breathy and high pitched, not at all like her usual take-charge tone. “Renic signed you yesterday? How long has he been talking to you about this?”
“This is bullshit,” Piper’s voice rose, loud enough to make Mattie wince.
“Why?” Della glared at Piper. “Why is it bullshit, Piper? Because you didn’t think of it first?”
“Because you didn’t thinkat all.” Piper squared off in front of Della. “You never think about anything but yourself, you spoiled, selfish brat.”
“Let’s just…everybody, calm down.” Lizzie raised her hands in a placating manner. “Before someone says something they really regret.”
Piper whirled to face Lizzie. “Youknowthis is the most self-centered thing she’s ever done, and that’s saying something considering it’s Della. She’s just wrecked all our lives without evenaskingus. Without telling us anything. This is what happens when you treat someone like they’re the baby. They act like one.”
“Hey!” Della shoved Piper.
Lizzie stepped in between the two. “Back off. Both of you.”
Mattie felt like she was moving through a molasses-filled nightmare. One word kept circling around her brain until finally she found her own voice. “Why?”
Della swiveled in Mattie’s direction. “Why? BecausefinallyI’ll be treated like an adult. I’m tired of always having to be what everyone else wants me to be. Renic says if we keep going the way we’ve been going, I’ll be stuck as a pop princess forever. I’m more than this.Weare.”
“More than what?” Piper’s voice rose. “More than us? You just kicked what we’ve built together to the curb with no more thought than you’d give to spitting out a used piece of gum. Did you think about how the fans will take this at all?”
“Piper…Della,” Lizzie said in her soothing Mom tone that she used whenever they squabbled as kids. “We all need to calm down.”
Piper and Della didn’t even notice.
“And stop blaming Renic. This has your selfish fingerprints all over it.” Piper’s voice was rough and low, and her eyes flashed with dangerous light.
The tension was so thick Mattie found it hard to breathe. “Hey…you guys…can we just talk about this?”
She might as well have been invisible.