Page 108 of Love You Like This

“Block him,” he hands the phone back.

“I can’t.” I turn the phone off and set it beside me. “He’s the lead music journalist for one of the biggest music publications in the world.”

“I don’t really give a fuck.” He leans forward, his eyes narrowed behind his aviators. “No one gets to speak to you like that. Ever.”

“This is why I have to resign. It’ll be a distraction.”

“No.”

“Darren,” I say his name with exasperation.

“Jade.” His tone is firm and final.

We sit there, staring each other down at a stalemate. “I’ve known how much music means to Xander since the moment we met. It’s the same for Stone. The band is the only thing keeping Tobias from spiraling out of control. I can’t, in good conscience, put any of that at risk.”

He shakes his head and stands. “I’m going to let you decide what kind of statement to release. The band is my job, and I assure you, you aren’t putting anything at risk.”

I stand up to walk him out. Mom must be in her room as we walk through the condo to the front door because she’s nowhere to be found. He sets his hand on my shoulder before I reach for the handle.

“I need you to dig deep, Jade. Remember who you are. The woman who won’t even let me have enough space to rest my balls when I sit down isn’t going to allow a bunch of misogynistic assholes to force her to abandon a job she loves. This is your life, and you make the rules.”

I nod as tears spring to my eyes.

He rears back. “For fuck’s sake, don’t cry.”

A watery laugh escapes me, and a tear rolls down my cheek. “Sorry. I’ll keep my humanity in check for you.”

“Thank you.” He adjusts the collar of his crisp, white shirt.

“Didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable with my vulnerability.” I give him a wan smile.

“Just don’t make it a habit.” He pats my head like he would a dog. “What do you want me to tell Xander? He knows I was meeting with you.”

“You didn’t tell him where I am, did you?”

“No, just that we were meeting to discuss our next steps.”

“Good. Tell him I need time to figure everything out, but that I’m fine.”

He leaves, and as I close the door behind him, I start running through options for the public statement I’ll release. I grab a Diet Coke from the fridge and curl up on the couch with my laptop. It takes multiple drafts and endless second-guessing each word and sentence before I settle on the perfect statement.

Thirty-Nine

XANDER

Smoke curls into the air off the ribs I’m grilling as I rotate them. I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing with them, but I need something to distract myself with. Tobias, Stone, Darren, and my dad sit around the table on my deck as the sun sets over the water. I could have ordered food or hired a chef, but this has been therapeutic. Smells good, too.

Once I’m satisfied with their progress, I close the lid of the grill and sit back down with them. We’re all here to figure out how to keep Jade from quitting on us. I keep thinking about the statement she released.

She was firm in her assertion that nothing untoward happened and no contracts were breeched. The thing that haunts me is that there was no indication of what she planned on doing moving forward. She didn’t mention resignation in the statement, but from what Darren told me, she is considering it.

He’s currently going to war with the editor of Music Daily over something their lead reporter texted her. He wouldn’t go into detail with me, but it had to be bad. He’s gone into battle mode, though, and lost his suit jacket and tie. His shirtsleeves are rolled up to his elbow as his fingers fly over the screen of his phone. A scowl crosses his face every time he puts his phone down between their volley of messages.

I drop down into my chair and lift a bottle of beer to my lips. “Has Haze talked to her?” I ask Stone.

“She has. I think all the girls are getting together right now.”

“Fuck.” I rub a hand over my face. “Half of Jade’s friends hate me.”