Page 84 of On the Beat

“Poppy,” he repeats. “Right. The sister you aren’t talking to?”

“Did you finally get a permanent tattoo?” I tentatively sip my beer, not totally convinced that it isn’t poisoned. “And Poppy and I just saw each other a few hours ago.”

“I see.” His expression is inscrutable. Naoya wipes the beer off and ties a flowery apron around his waist, dotted with red blossoms. Roses, maybe? “My tattoos are none of your business, either, Black. Now, since I’ve given you my answer—“

“No, you didn’t. You just asked me to convince you to say yes. Well, here’s an answer. It would be good publicity. Long-feuding pop stars finally come together for a worthy cause and sing a song together at the Grammy awards. What do you think? Picture the headlines.” I sound like George Hugh.

“What’s the worthy cause?”

“Last time I checked, fame was a good one.” It’s the only one I have left. No family. No girl. All I have left is my job, and she chose hers over me already. “Fame, and my sister. Aren’t you two friends now?”

“Don’t bring Poppy into this.” Naoya crumples his beer can and chucks it into the bin. “Just tell me why you’re really here.”

I set my still-full can down on the table, trying to understand what his relationship with my sister really is. “Call it the spirit of Christmas, Naoya. I felt like a reconciliation was in order.”

He takes a long swig of his beer before finally replying. “I guess fameisa worthy enough cause for me, if you’re going to be so cheesy. I’ll have my people talk to your people. See you in rehearsals, Ryder.”

“I didn’t think you’d agree so easily.”

Naoya shrugs. “Your sister sent you here, didn’t she?”

“What else do you know about Poppy?” My brows furrow.

“I know she wants us to get along, for some reason that neither of us will ever understand. But it’s not going to happen if you keep coming over unannounced, please, get out.” He waves me out, and then Gustav comes to escort me out, sealing my fate.

My heart lurches. I have a performance with Naoya Sugawa at the Grammy’s, and this is either going to be the best or worst decision of my career.

Chapter 36: Isla Romero

It’s been a week since I got back from the Philippines. A week of unpacking. A week of rewriting the ending to my Ryder Black article and wondering if I should send it. A week of avoiding Jane Thornton at the office and checking my inbox obsessively for my replies fromFBLA. A week of deleting and re-downloading the Instagram app so I don’t end up checking Ryder Black’s profile a dozen times a day, even though it’s probably run by his publicist.

A week of wondering why I feel like my heart has been strapped to the bottom of a car tire and run over repeatedly when there was absolutelynothingbetween Ryder and me. Absolutely nothing of importance, or affection, or meaning at all.

What we had was never real. That’s why I never expected him to get mad when or if he ever found out about the stupid article. After all, if we weren’t real, why would it matter if I destroyed everything?

However, despite my protestations of being perfectly fine, my roommate has decided that I look tired and decidedlyunrefreshed from what was supposed to be a vacation. So, Kaiden decided to drag me on a beach day, along with his new girlfriend and a bunch of his friends, whom I know in passing.

Three hours after kidnapping me to Malibu, Kaiden plops down next to me, rolling out his beach towel a foot from mine. “You know, this beach trip was supposed to make you look a little bit less like a freshly reanimated corpse. Instead, you look like you want to crawl into a cabana or maybe a coffin and die. You’re my best friend, Isla. What’s wrong?”

I stare out at the ocean. It doesn’t scare me the way it once did. Nothing feels the way it once did. “I’m fine.”

“Oh, right. I forgot you have that fear of drowning. Damn. I guess this whole day is a waste.”

Glancing over at where his new girlfriend—Jeanette or maybe Janet or maybe just Jenny—is sipping a Pina colada and reading a brightly coloured romcom, I doubt that this beach day will go down the drain. “Kaiden, it’s just jet lag. Ignore me. What about your girlfriend?”

“She’ll be fine. Once she starts reading, I can’t even get her to stop unless I bring her food. It’s one of the many things I love about her.” Kaiden sounds genuinely transfixed by this fact about his girlfriend.

It makes me want to punch him in the nose.

“Why do you look so heartbroken? It’s already been one week, so don’t try to use the jet lag excuse on me.”

I kept my job.

I lost the guy.

“Is it work?” He prods me. “Did Jane fire you? I know you didn’t turn in the article she wanted—“

“I… had a thing with Ryder Black.”

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