Page 28 of Heart of a Rebel

Of all the guys in the band, Rome and I have the least in common. We shouldn’t get along since he pisses me off more than not. But maybe it’s like the yin and yang tattooed on Rome’s stomach. Two opposing sides balancing each other out. Finding comfort in the polar opposite. Because even with all our differences I feel closer to him than almost anyone else.

“How’s it going at Adrian’s?” I change the subject.

Rome twirls my hair around his finger, but it’s not flirty, he’s just naturally affectionate with women. “Guy’s a little uptight.”

“That guy’s also your boss now.” I nudge him in the side.

“Good luck with that.” He laughs, and I can’t help but agree. Of all the jobs Adrian could have accepted, I’m pretty sure being Enemy Muse’s manager has got to be the worst.

“Hey.” Rome looks down at me with a worried expression. “Things all right at your mom’s since I left?”

“Sebastian’s been keeping an eye out, and I avoid the place when her friends are over. But other than that, she’s usually either out somewhere getting wasted or sleeping off whatever she’s coming down from. Besides, we’ll all be gone soon enough.”

“The suits want us back in a couple of weeks to start recording right?”

I nod. A couple of weeks and I’m not sure the next time I’ll be back in Fairfield. “Then who knows what’ll happen.”

“Can’t fucking wait.” Rome squeezes my shoulder but then frowns when he catches an uncertain look on my face. “It’s going to be great, El.”

“You going to be able to handle it?”

He draws his lips between his teeth and thinks that over. “Been through worse.”

I have no doubt about that, but I don’t think he’s looking at it the same way I am. Just because Rome knows how to handle the worst of times, doesn’t mean he copes with them in the best ways.

“Besides, how bad can it be?” Rome smiles. “Anything’s better than where we’re coming from right?”

“Right.”

He smiles and unwraps his arm from around me, planting a hand on my knee and patting me twice. “I’ve got you, El. We’ll all get through this together.”

Together.

It’s how we started, and the only way we know how to do this, so I believe him.

“Boys.” Three men I recognize from the label walk up to the table.

A tall one with blond hair tips his chin at me. “And lady.”

He probably thinks he’s being polite, but all it does is get under my skin. The guys don’t notice because it doesn’t impact them, but I’ve seen it this whole trip. How they get treated differently than I do. How their questions are heavily regarded and mine are brushed to the side. How they look to Sebastian for the answers when it comes to our creative direction when I wrote half of the music.

To them, I’m an accessory in the band. Up there to look pretty and contribute in ways they deem appropriate, and that’s it.

Adrian stands up and shakes their hands, while Sebastian falls into conversation with one of them, clearly not noticing.

One of the men waves for a waitress, putting his Rolex on full display. Everything about the three of them exudes money. From what they’re wearing to the bottle of champagne they order. They throw dollar signs around like they’ve never spent a day without it in their life, and although the guys seem to be appreciating it, I’m not impressed.

“El,” Sebastian says, and I realize everyone is looking at me.

“Sorry, lost in thought.” I smile, and a dark-haired exec looks at me like he’s thinking,of course you are, pretty dumb girl.

“A toast,” another one of them says.

I look down and realize there’s a new drink in front of me and so I lift it up, joining the rest of them.

Now that a few suits are added to the mix we’re drawing more attention from the female crowd that has started to circle.

“To this new adventure,” one of the execs says, smiling.

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