AllFreeNovel
Share Us
They must have gone outside.
I turned toward the front entrance of the school as my mind raced with possibilities. Who was that man and what were they talking about? I left the front entrance and turned to my right. I figured I could walk around the outside of the building to get to where Callum and this man were likely talking. If they were still here, that is. I had a quick pang of guilt as I thought of Liz sitting down for the second half of the play with two empty seats next to her, but I reasoned that she would approve of my quest. She was a big supporter of Callum and me being together and here I was, trying to make sure he wasn’t in any trouble.
“You haven’t left us any other options.”
I heard the voices floating to me as I neared the auditorium. This portion of the building seemed to be an add-on, and it jutted out from the original portion of the building. It meant that, as I walked toward them, I couldn’t be seen, but I could hear them clearly only a few feet away from me.
“And the other guys are on board with this?” Callum’s voice sounded strained and a bit frantic. I sensed panic in his voice, and I knew for sure something was wrong.
“I told you they all decided. They need someone dedicated to what we’re doing. Someone who cares.”
“Seriously?” The accusation made me mad, and it wasn’t even directed at me. I could only imagine what Callum was feeling. “You’re telling me I’m not serious? When I’ve sacrificed everything to make that group successful!”
“You used to,” the man said. I had a vague recollection of Callum telling me about his manager, a man he didn’t like much. “But you’ve made it very clear your priorities have changed.”
“Because I want to spend time with my family? Because I don’t want to be in a new city every single night getting barely any sleep between stops?”
“You knew what you were signing up for,” the man said. “When we first started all of this, I told you I would take you to the top. I tried to prepare you for it.”
“Oh, you took us to the top?” Callum’s voice was dripping with disdain. I could hear him struggling to keep control. It reminded me of his confrontation with my ex. I could only hope this argument wouldn’t end in a black eye like that one had. “We should have dropped you years ago, Brady! We’re the only successful band you’ve ever had.”
“Wow, how conceited can you get?” Brady fired back. “You’re a big client, Callum, but I have plenty of other work to keep me busy. If you don’t like my work, then why don’t you talk to your bandmates about it? I can tell you with certainty they have no problem with the way I’m managing this band. In fact, they’re the ones who told me to come here. They know this tour is a great opportunity for you all, and they wanted me to convince you.”
A tour?
“They all want to do this?” Callum asked. I sensed hesitation in his voice, as if he couldn’t tell what was true and what was false. He sounded vulnerable, and part of me wanted to go to him. But the words of his manager kept me in place. Was Callum going back on the road? Was he about to leave after everything we had just talked about?
“They’re all on board,” Brady assured him. “And when you hear what they’re offering you, you’ll understand why. This tour is a big deal. And there’s even more money because it’s so last-minute. I wouldn’t come here if I didn’t think it was the right move for the group.”
“Couldn’t we join the tour late?” Callum asked. “We could go right after the summer.”
“They don’t want two replacements. They want one,” Brady said. “The tour dates are booked. Sold out arenas all over the country.”
There was silence then. I took the risk of leaning out just enough to get a glimpse of Callum and the man standing with him. I could see the blond man’s back, but Callum’s face was there, looking pained and confused. He cast his eyes up to the sky and ran his hand through his hair.
“I can’t do it, Brady. I have plans with my family and ... I can’t just drop everything and leave.”
“Then Liam will do it.”
The words were shockingly final. Brady said them quickly and definitively without any room for conversation.
“No way!” Callum cried out. “He doesn’t have the voice for that. They’re my songs!”
“You’re wrong there,” Brady said, spitting back in disgust. “Those songs belong to the band and the record labels who recorded them. And if you try to take a single one with you for this new solo career you’re planning, then we’ll sue you. You can be sure of that.”
“This is ridiculous! You can’t shove me out of my own band.”
“Who’s shoving you out? You’re the one saying no! You’re the one refusing to put your career and this band before the other things in your life.”
I saw Brady step away, as if he were about to head back to his car. Callum reached out in desperation and grabbed his arm.
“Wait! Don’t do this—just let me think. You’re putting me in a horrible situation.”
“I don’t have time to wait. We’re doing this tour with or without you. So, are you in or are you out?”
“Let me talk about it with my sister. I need a bit of time to see if this can work.”
But Brady was pulling away again. He crossed to the parking lot and Callum followed him, both walking closer to where I was hiding behind the corner of the building.
