Page 45 of Discover Me
"I wish you had figured this shit out months ago." But there's no real heat to the words. "Better now than never, I guess."
Liam clasps my shoulder briefly. "Go. I'll run interference with Tom, tell him you're sick or something. Take care of yourself and take care of Micah."
I head out to my car, the afternoon sun beating down on the parking lot. The heat from the rut makes everything feel more intense, colors brighter and sounds sharper. My skin prickles with sensitivity, every brush of fabric against my body sending sparks through my nervous system.
I'm about to pull out my phone to call Micah when Tom appears, seemingly out of nowhere. He blocks my car door, his expression calculating.
"Kellan! Perfect timing. We need to talk."
"Can it wait?" I don't have the patience for this right now. "I'm not feeling well and need to go home."
"This will only take a minute." Tom pulls out his tablet, already swiping through screens. "We're moving up the timeline for your relationship with Micah. We've reworded some of the songs and really feel like it's going to be better this way."
Dread pools in my stomach. "What are you talking about?"
"Some of the songs talk about heartbreak but also getting over heartbreak, moving on to better things." Tom's voice is matter-of-fact, like he's discussing weather instead of destroying my life. "This new relationship of yours has to tank faster to fit the narrative. I need a few good dates out of you, really sell the love story. And the live video on your socials is going to be this evening. Then next week, everything is going to explode. Public breakup, maximum drama, perfect timing for the album release."
"What the fuck?" My hands clench into fists. "That's not what we agreed to. The contract says three weeks, not one."
"Contract has flexible timelines based on promotional needs." Tom doesn't even look up from his tablet. "It's in the fine print. Don't worry about it. He's just a Beta. You'll be fine. And you canfind a pretty little Omega after the album releases, settle down properly."
"This is bullshit and you know it." My voice rises, anger cutting through the rut-induced fog. "You're jerking him around. He agreed to three weeks, not one. He's got a life to go back to, plans to make. You can't just change the terms without his consent."
"He's still getting paid the same amount," Tom counters. "And you'll get your apartment back, your privacy restored. It's a win-win situation."
"It's manipulation and you fucking know it." But even as I say it, I know there's no use in fighting it. Tom holds all the cards. The contracts, the money, the power to make or break our careers. Fighting him head-on has never worked, will never work.
I grumble and then sigh, defeat settling into my bones. "Fine. When's the live video?"
"Seven pm. That gives you a few hours to prep." Tom finally looks up, his expression satisfied. "Make sure Micah knows to smile and be enthusiastic. We need this to look genuine."
Tom walks away, already on his phone making more calls and arrangements. I climb into my car, hands shaking with anger and the rut making everything worse. I need to get home to Micah immediately, need to warn him about what's coming. Tom just cut our time together by two-thirds, compressed everything into a condensed timeline that doesn't give us any room to figure out what we actually want.
Micah
I sit at the kitchen table in Kellan's home, staring at the money in my bank account on my phone screen. The numbers don't make sense, refuse to compute no matter how many times I refresh the banking app. I keep counting the zeroes, losing track of them because it doesn't make sense they would pay this much just for my secrecy and participation in a fake relationship.
The payment hit my account this morning, a direct deposit with a reference number that means nothing to me. But the amount is staggering. Enough to pay off all the late bills thathave been crushing me for the past month. Enough to cover my phone bill for the rest of the year. Enough to put a significant dent in the medical debt that's been keeping me up at night.
I've already transferred the money to pay everything off, watching numbers disappear from various accounts as debts get cleared. My mortgage is current for the first time in six weeks. The electric company won't be sending disconnect notices anymore. The collection agency that's been calling three times a day can finally be told the debt is satisfied.
It's surreal, this sudden financial stability after drowning for so long. Part of me feels guilty, like I'm profiting off something that's becoming increasingly real. The contract might say this is a business arrangement, but the way Kellan kissed me this morning, the way he looked at me with those desperate eyes last night, the way he holds me like I might disappear if he lets go—none of that feels fake.
I need someone to talk to, someone who knows the truth and can give me perspective. I pull up Jamie's number and call him, pressing the phone to my ear as it rings.
"Hey! How's city life treating you?" Jamie answers on the second ring, his voice cheerful.
"It's complicated." I lean back in my chair, staring at the ceiling. "I think we’re going to make it a real thing. Kellan and me. He keeps saying things about not wanting it to end, about finding a way around the contract."
"That's great!" Jamie's enthusiasm bleeds through the phone. "I knew there was something there. You don't look at someone the way you look at him unless it's real."
"But I'm worried it might ruin everything he's worked for," I admit, voicing the fear that's been growing since this morning's conversation. "His career, his band, his image. Tom controls everything and if Kellan goes against him, there could be serious consequences. I don't want to be the reason his life falls apart."
"Let whatever happens need to happen," Jamie says firmly. "You can't control everything, Micah. Kellan will make it work if he wants it to. If it's meant to be, you'll find a way. And if it's not, at least you'll know you tried instead of wondering what if for the rest of your life."
The words settle something in my chest, makes the anxiety ease slightly. "When did you get so wise?"
"I've always been wise. You just never listened before." Jamie laughs. "Text me later and let me know how things go. And seriously, if you need anything, I'm just a phone call away."
