Page 76 of Ignacio

“What’s that?”

“You have to move in here permanently with me.”

Delta pushed him onto his back and climbed on top of him. “We had an agreement. Our arrangement was supposed to end when you received funding and I released my first single from the album. I’m releasing my first single next month, which falls within the six-month guidelines.”

“That’s where you made your mistake,” Ignacio said regretfully.

“Oh?”

“You didn’t get it in writing.” He shrugged. “So now you have to stay. Indefinitely.”

“Is there anything I can do to fight this decision?”

“No. Nothing. Sorry.”

“You don’t sound sorry.”

“Because I’m not—not really.” He tucked her hair behind her left ear and gazed into her eyes. “So what do you say,mi amor?Let’s see if we can buy this place and make it our permanent home in Atlanta.”

“I love that idea. Because I love this house. And I love you.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“I’m starving,” Vivian said as she wheeled her chair to the dining room table.

“You’re always starving,” Delta teased, taking a seat across from her.

Her decision to come here and cut off her father hadn’t been made lightly. The trip to New York and her success in the meeting made her realize she had become complacent, allowing her father to control much of her career with very little pushback from her. The trip also made her realize she could advocate for herself, and when she found a new manager, she intended to speak up more often so major decisions were more collaborative instead of one person being in control.

Nonetheless, her heart was heavy. Making fun of her sister was a way of fighting the queasiness in her stomach because she knew, after this dinner, her family would be irrevocably broken.

“Whatever. You’re only saying that because you survive on a diet of carrot sticks and ice cubes. The rest of us normal folks don’t have to worry about our appearance, thank you very much.” Vivian grinned across the table at her.

“I’m eating bread today.” Delta picked up a roll, broke it in half, and stuffed the bread in her mouth.

Vivian let out an exaggerated gasp. “Whoa.”

“I know I didn’t see you eat a piece of bread.” Edward’s deep voice filled every corner of the dining room as he entered, with her mother close behind him.

The smile on Vivian’s face died as she looked across the table at her sister. Delta’s insides shriveled up. “I had a little piece,” she said.

“Good grief, Eddie, she’s allowed to have bread every now and again,” her mother, Jocelyn, said. Her skin was two shades lighter than Vivian and Delta, and she wore her hair in a curly bob.

“She has promo pictures coming up. She doesn’t want to look bloated.” Edward sat down and smiled at Delta. “You know I only have your best interests at heart, don’t you?”

“I do. Thanks for the reminder.” Delta carefully placed the leftover bread on the table. “Are you feeling better?”

“Much better, thanks. Doctor said it was acid reflux. He recommended antacids and gave a list of foods to cut back on. See, we all have to cut back if it’s in our best interest. How did things go in New York? I want to hear all about your interviews and meetings,” her father said.

As dinner was served, Delta launched into a recounting of her time in New York, where she had been accompanied by her publicist and an assistant. She explained that her interviews had gone well, and the radio DJs liked the sample of “On My Knees,”the first single to be released from the album.

“That’s good. Your promotional gigs for next week were confirmed today. In a couple of days, I should have the schedule for after the new year. You know the drill. Things are going to be crazy leading up to the release of the first single off the album, which will be crazier than normal because of the publicity surrounding your relationship with Ignacio.”

“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about the album,” Delta said, slicing into her grilled chicken breast. She had steamed vegetables on the side, while her family was eating roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, and brown sugar-glazed carrots.

“What did you want to talk about?”

“My first single won’t actually be ‘On My Knees.’ It’s going to be ‘I Don’t Miss You.’”

---