Lost in You

ass over here, pronto.”
    “Fine! Who is the meeting with?”
    “Another musician. It’s for a small tour, starting immediately. You need this tour to fix your reputation before it tanks. Hadley, don’t be late. I’m getting sick of your games.”
    I sigh heavily as I roll out of bed, throwing my phone into the chair. My neck is sore and I’m tired. Ryan and I were on the phone until about three in the morning. I can’t imagine how tired he is with having to go to school today; at least I got to sleep in.
    I drag my sorry ass into the shower. I have a meeting with some artist that wants to do a mini tour before the end of the year. Lovely. That means I’ll be on the road for the holidays. Not something I really want to do, but Ian insists and Lord knows I can’t afford to piss him off. He says I need to do something to make up for my “blunder”. It’s not like I went out on stage naked. I missed an interview. I can’t imagine who Ian is bringing in to help my image.
    But I have a feeling I’m not going to like it.
     
    Walking into Ian’s house is like second nature. I half expect to find Anal Anna lounging by the pool. I don’t know why Ian has a house in Los Angeles, especially when I live in New York City and that’s where we’re from. Ian living here makes things extremely difficult. I don’t want to be here. Being on the East Coast also puts me closer to Ryan and allows me to be in my own home instead of a hotel.
    I know I’ll find Ian in his office; I think he sleeps in there most nights. Voices carry down the hall. The closer I get, the more familiar the second voice is. My hand shakes as I twist the knob, pushing the door open slightly. The creak in the hinges gets their attention. They both turn and look at me. Ian’s smiling and leaning back in his chair, his hands behind his head. I know he’s done this on purpose. This is my punishment for wanting to be with Ryan and I have a feeling I won’t be able to get out of this newly inked deal, whether I want to or not.
    I want to turn and run out of the room, out of the house, when he stands. His movements are slow, calculated. He holds onto the arm of the chair like it’s his lifeline. I’m trying to look away, but my eyes betray me. Coleman notices, his mouth turning up. I look away, closing my eyes. I can’t look at him without reliving that night.
    Meeting him at fifteen, we started dating a year later. It was intense and far too committed for being so young. Both of us were determined to be successful recording artists and let stardom go to our heads. Well at least he did. He couldn’t or wouldn’t say no to anyone, which was a slight problem for me, especially when I found another woman in our bed.
    It only took one night for my life to turn upside down. We had been living together for about six months. I missed him and decided I needed to see him, regardless of being on tour. We had been on opposite sides of the country for far too long.
    When I opened the door, it was like one of those Lifetime movies. Clothes spread out on the floor leading to my bedroom, champagne bottle tipped over and the moaning. I’ll never forget that sound as long as I live.
    I knew I shouldn’t have opened the door, but I couldn’t resist. My heart was already breaking. I just needed the visuals to split it in half.
    They both looked at me, she smiled and he… he threw her off of him and came after me, apologizing as he chased me down the hall. I made it to the front door before he trapped me against it. He held me there, his naked body laced with her scent pushed against mine. He was crying, telling me how much he loved me and that she was a mistake. A stupid, stupid mistake.
    I left that night without looking at him. I couldn’t. The next day Ian had moving trucks at the apartment and I was front-page news. The break-up was messy and spread across the tabloids. Everything I did was scrutinized. Every date I went on we were hounded by the press. It was never-ending and the only way to make it stop was to stop dating. 
    “I didn’t expect you to be on time.”
    I jerk up and stare at my uncle. I don’t know why he has to be such an ass, but maybe he needs a reminder of who signs his paycheck. I stand in the doorway with no intention of moving.
    “Are you going to join us?”
    “No, I think I’ll wait until your meeting is over before we start ours.” I look down at my watch. “How much longer? I’m busy.”
    Ian lets his chair spring