Page 37 of Roar Letter Word

ADDIE

Addie was ecstatic, positively over the moon. Ever since Bruce had shown up, her entire mood had altered.

It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy spending time with Mahes. She really did. He made her feel like the only woman in the world. He burned for her, and she burned for him. No one had ever made her feel that way.

But she wasn’t who she was without her art. Many boyfriends in the past had to learn to deal with that. They couldn’t comprehend why singing, writing, performing, and recording albums were so important to her if she hadthem.

It was amusing, really, how sentimental women were painted in romantic comedies and erotica novels. In her experience, it had been the men who were far more concerned about her having something outside of their interactions, but she’d learned that wasn’t really what romance was in the first place.

It was jealousy, it was possessiveness, it was an outdated sense of control men wanted over her. They liked what they saw on the big screen at shows, the money she raked in, but once the honeymoon phase of sleeping with a pop star fizzled out, they were left with a cold and cruel reality.

Which was that she had something that wasn’t them. Men didn’t like that, in her experience. If Mahes was another on the list, she would give him the same ultimatum she had made so many times before … let it go and accept it, or find the door.

Addie really didn’t want it to come to any of that. It was far more complex, and her feelings were far deeper and more intimate than anything she’d shared with anyone before. It would surely break her heart once again if it came down to having to save her career from another destructive relationship.

So she pushed it all away to the point where she wasn’t thinking about Mahes at all. She was thinking about the show, her first ever show in that galaxy. She was getting the same rush of adrenaline during rehearsals that she got when it was time to tour. Interacting with the dancers, preparing the set list, and speaking with the tailors energized her. The show would be close to her recent one back on Earth but with more of the flair and drama that was specific to Nova Aurora.

Bruce was with her the entire time, sharing her unbridled enthusiasm. He had gotten everything together so quickly that Addie was both amazed and impressed. She hadn’t even realized that choreographers, dancers, and set designers all existed on the planet. She secretly wondered if Mahes had kept that all from her, but she had only really been there for a week. Addie managed to let it go, channeling all of her energy into planning out a performance of a lifetime.

She rehearsed for nearly twelve hours, loving the way her muscles ached once she was driven home, the way sweat had poured down the front of her forehead and armpits. It was messy work, being that entertaining. But she loved it. Every sore blister and muscle ache was what made her who she truly was in her heart and soul.

Bruce was staying in one of the separate guest rooms on Mahes’s estate, so they strolled inside together at nearly midnight. They were still lit up from the whole day of practice. Addie felt like she was moving through the most beautiful dream.

They said their farewells, and Bruce headed off to bed. Addie didn’t know if she was going to be able to sleep at all. Her body was still coursing with endorphins and exhilaration.

She was so distracted that she forgot that she and Mahes were still sharing a bedroom. She flicked on the overhead lamp rather than the spinning lantern and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Mahes sitting in bed.

“Fuck!” she yelled, grasping at her chest. “Sorry, honey, I forgot you were in here.”

Addie realized the words that had slipped out of her mouth two seconds too late. Mahes was reading when she walked in and placed the book on the bed next to him. The look on his face was disheartening, one of bitter anguish.

“You forgot you were atmyestate?”

He bit down on the wordmy, tasting it the way a predator gnaws into the final bite of his meaty dinner. She had struck a nerve in him.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” she said, moving toward the bed. “You must know I don’t mean it like that.”

Mahes shook his head and then swung his feet onto the floor. Addie’s heart began to race when he came toward her, expecting him to pull her into his arms the way she was used to. Instead, he just stood there with his arms behind his back, his head tilted thoughtfully.

It brought forth the self-conscious feeling that she was sticky from sweating all day. She couldn’t look at him like that. She had seen it so many times before, and it always signaled the same thing. The apocalypse of a barely begun relationship.

“I have to tell you something, Addie. I know you’re not going like it, but I feel our kinship has thrived upon truth. Even truths we don’t necessarily enjoy hearing.”

It was like trying to stare into the sun. She gazed down and skirted past him into the connected bathroom ensuite.

“I’m a bit gross from rehearsal. Do you mind if I shower first?”

She had already gone into the bathroom and was trying to strip off her clothing. Her heart galloped in her chest, prepping her for a heated argument. One, she was an expert at ending.

“We have to go over this now, Addie. The day after tomorrow will be your last day here, and …”

Mahes’s voice broke. Addie stood in front of the long mirror over the sea-glass-soaked countertop, the soft glowing lights illuminating his and her expressions. She was struggling to get her top off, her head stuck in the hole and weaved into her tangled hair.

“… and I don’t know if I am going to see you again.”

Addie was finally able to strip off her top and let it fall in a flop to the hardwood floor. She was still in her sports bra, an expensive one that was tailored to her size. She stopped and made eye contact with the king, whose eyes seemed to have glossed over.

Addie wasn’t sure if it was the way the light was hitting him or if he really was struggling to get the words out.

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