Page 128 of The Drummer

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

The limo ride back to the hotel is quiet but not awkward. Eli and Sweeny had already left in pursuit of other entertainment by the time Callie and I returned to the table, so it’s only the three of us now. A pensive aura hangs over the inside of the car, as if we have a mutual understanding that we each have our separate internal demons to sort through.

My cheek still smarts from its collision with Jana’s palm, but not nearly as much as my heart.

There’s no point in waiting any longer.

“I have to tell you something,” I blurt out. “It’s about Jana.”

Callie stiffens against me and sits up straight.

Luke shoots a concerned look from the seat across from us. We don’t do the pretentious limo thing very often, but thought Callie would find it fun. She did, of course.

Well, until this moment, I guess.

Luke’s gaze practically pleads with me not to ruin our new-found serenity with drama from the past, but we can’t have true peace until those ghosts are cleared from the present. We definitely can’t have a future. He should understand that better than anyone.

Callie’s pained stare scours my face, and I can’t meet it. I’ll just have to plow through to the end, or I’ll get derailed and make a bigger mess than I already have.

I check the privacy window to make sure it’s secure, then lower my gaze to the leather seat below it.

“Another story is going to break in a couple of weeks,” I say in an even tone. “In order to fix the narrative about you two, I had to trade something.”

“I thought you gave him the Penchant reveal,” Luke says in confusion.

“I did. But it wouldn’t have been enough. I had to give them something else, so I told them the truth about me and Jana.”

The air turns stale as I try to pull in a deep breath. I feel their stares burning into me, but I still can’t meet them.

“What truth?” Callie asks, an edge in her voice.

My lungs constrict as my fingers curve around the edge of the seat. “The truth that the whole thing was fake. It was a setup by our PR teams.”

Before I lose my nerve, I launch into the rest of the story. I tell them about the agreement, the terms, and how she broke them almost immediately. I explain how everything they saw and thought was realwas, even though it was based on a lie.

I can’t guess what they’re thinking as the truth pours out, but it feels good to finally come clean. Luke probably won’t care except for the fact that I told Orin before him, but Callie…

She’s impossible to predict. Her ability to read people and scrape at the core of their actions is frighteningly strong. Her compassion, her grace for mistakes when accompanied by sincere regret—it’s part of what makes her so special.

But she also doesn’t know our world, and has shown unfiltered disdain for the ugly aspects of fame and fortune. There’s no question this story falls into that category.

Then again, so does my sincere remorse for doing something stupid.

When I finish, I dare a look.

Neither of them said a word the entire time I was talking. I thought it was better that way, until now.

Luke releases a breath. “Damn, dude. Let me guess, this was Vince’s idea?”

“Barry’s, but Vince made it happen.”

He huffs a dry laugh and shakes his head.

I have no choice anymore. I’ve put it off long enough and force myself to confront Callie.

Brows knit in thought, her hazel eyes glisten with a mix of emotions I can’t read.

“So let me get this straight,” she says finally.

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