Page 94 of Living on the Edge

“I mean it—you can’t tell Callum.”

“Never.”

“I’m supposed to be writing a story about Angus’s lying about his identity, and the impact it’s having on the band.”

“Are the rumors about them breaking up true?” Her eyes round.

“Not that I know of, but that’s not the point.”

“Oh. He doesn’t know.”

I shake my head.

“And now you’re sleeping together.”

“Now we’re dating. Like feeling out a relationship. Joking about the future.”

“It’s potentially serious.”

“Yeah.”

“So what’s the problem? He’s loaded. If you get fired, big deal.”

“I can’t…” I pull in a breath. “I don’t want to be in a situation where I depend on him. Not unless we were married. And even then, I’d still want my own thing.”

“But that’s not how relationships are supposed to work.”

“You know my parents’ history. My mom was blindsided when Dad left. She had to work two jobs sometimes to get through because she didn’t have a career. Yes, he sent money, but it wasn’t always enough. She still had to cover all the bills, the extras. If you ask me, she died because she worked herself to death. And that willneverbe me.”

“I understand that, truly. But what are you even doing if you’re not going to trust him? How can you fall in love and build a future if you’ve got one foot out the door?”

“It’s not that I have a foot out the door, it’s that I don’t want to give up my career to be on tour with him.”

“You shouldn’t have to. It’s not like you’re a nurse working at a hospital five days a week. You can write from anywhere, do your Rockin’ with Ryleigh thing from anywhere… what’s the problem, Ry?”

“I don’t know. I guess part of me is afraid this all might blow up in my face so I’m protecting myself. And I know he’s going to be upset when he finds out the real reason Rich embedded me with the band.”

“As a spy.”

“Basically.”

“Tell him. Just get it out there and be done.”

“Tomorrow,” I say after a moment. “I don’t want to tell him right before a show, especially when everyone is annoyed about the time change, but tomorrow is a travel day. We’ll have time.”

“Good.” She nods.

“When are you going to break up with Callum?”

She laughs. “When I get tired of orgasms? I mean, the man is hung like a freakin’ stallion. He just has to put it in, he hits my G-spot and I come, like, twelve times.”

“Jesus.”

“I have a casting call in L.A. next week, so I’m going to physically leave him then, and I think I’ll just break up with him over the phone. It’s easier that way.”

“You think he won’t take it well?”

“I don’t know,” she says thoughtfully, reapplying her lipstick. “I think he likes having someone he can boss around. And since I generally just ignore him, he has to work for it, which he’s not used to. Plus, you know, he gets to say his girlfriend is a model.”

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