Love in the Mix (Love in the Mix #1)

Chapter 24

twenty-four

LUNA

I t’s been weeks since the anti-Valentine’s Day show. Weeks since the clip of Xavier, Sebastian, and I made its rounds on social media. After the first derogatory comment, I decided it was the proper time for a social media detox. I quickly deleted them all and locked myself in my apartment for weeks. Didn’t speak to a single soul. Shut down my family and friends immediately, all except one.

I glare at Jeri, my supposed best friend, as she barges into my small and cluttered apartment. "Just. Leave. Me. Alone." I throw a pair of dirty socks at her.

She rolls her eyes as she barely has to move to miss my wild throw, unfazed by my hostility. She's the only one who ever fights back against my asshole Luna persona. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. You're brooding and miserable. What else is new? While you’ve been brooding, I’m out here cashing in favors and saving your career.” She drops her bag on the counter and begins rummaging through the cabinets. Well, fucking joke is on her, there’s nothing in there.

“Are you going to keep me in suspense or are you going to explain what the fuck you’re talking about?” I ask, completely over any conversation with her. Underneath the annoyance is a thin line of guilt that slowly grows at the thought of her trading favors for me in any way. The slam of cabinet doors has me peering over the couch, watching Jeri pour herself a large glass of wine, and making her way over to my depression pit on the couch. I should be embarrassed. Candy wrappers, empty soda cans, and takeout cover the table in front of us, but I just don’t have the energy to care.

“Anyway, you're going to get a call today. Don’t be a dick and answer it. In fact, I’m here to make sure you do."

“Oh, yeah? Am I? Are you a psychic now? Who’s going to be calling?” I narrow my eyes suspiciously.

"You'll see. Just answer it, trust me." With an infuriating wink, Jeri snatches the remote from my hand, turning up the volume and intentionally drowning out any response I could possibly have.

I don’t want to fucking be here. Fuck all this, and it’s mother. My foul mood seems to travel anywhere I go. Honestly, fuck Jeri. She knew exactly what to do to bring out me of my exile.

When Brian McCarthy personally got in touch to invite me to play his club, Craic, in Las Vegas, I really couldn’t resist the money, or the exposure. Turns out Jeri knew somebody, who knew somebody, and got to Mac. Trusting people really hasn’t come easy after everything that happened with Ruby and Dylan, but Jeri has been there every step of the way. I’m not sure how I’ll ever repay her.

Being in this building makes me nervous. I know Xavier and Sebastian had been here just a few nights ago. It makes me miss them more than one night should account for. From all reports, they have also been extremely tight-lipped since our night together. I’m not really sure if I’m happy about that, or extremely annoyed.

Standing backstage, I can't help but take in the overwhelming atmosphere of Craic. The place is fucking massive, easily holding thousands of people, all of them moving like a single entity to the pulsing beat.

The lighting is insane, constantly shifting and changing. Beams of light cut through the darkness, painting the crowd in a dizzying array of colors. It's almost nauseating, but I’ve truly never seen a more beautifully put together club. You could definitely tell this place was designed by a DJ. Mac knew what he was doing when he gave this place an Irish twist.

Jesus fucking Christ . I really wish I had asked him more questions. If I had known on top of everything else that she would fucking be here, I would’ve happily played in traffic. Yet, here I am, listening to the sound of my own music haunt me as I sit backstage. I move to stand to the left of the stage and the DJ booth immediately catches my eye. It's designed like some modern take on an Irish castle turret, as the bane of my existence plays the song I created and she stole.

How Ruby Knight and I ended up at the same show is fucking bullshit. For a solid year, I’ve been able to avoid her, never bothering to speak to her again after I caught her and Dylan fucking in my bed, in my house. Falling out of love with Dylan was simple. Probably too simple. But it wasn’t until two weeks later when the betrayal really sunk in as I watched as Ruby debuted our single to the world as her own. It went viral, and every video I would see just dug that knife in deeper. Easily the worst summer of my twenty-eight years of life. We were supposed to celebrate together, share this moment together. She took everything from me, my career, my fiancé, and my fucking house.

Craic’s crowd was losing it for the last song. The rest of her set was mediocre by my standards. Her lights and pyrotechnics were weak, hitting at random times with no real thought. The crowd now moves like a wave across the room, jumping, dancing, spinning and singing the lyrics at the top of their lungs.

It’s hard to look at a person who was once your everything. Favorite person and partner in crime, the person you chose and chose you back. I had invested everything into her and Dylan. Being the black sheep of my own family had me desperate to form my own. One where you were never judged for what you did or didn’t do. Where your accomplishments were not weighed in monetary value. It all fell apart so spectacularly that I realized that even found family is a joke and worth nothing more than the knife in the back they give you.

Her bright eyes catch mine as I watch from backstage, a smug smirk across her lips as she flails around the stage. I break eye contact, feeling my blood boil, red splotches that cover my chest. My gaze is ripped from hers as I see blonde curly hair moving on the other side of the stage. All the blood that was once pulsing through my veins comes to an abrupt stop as the ice settles in, cooling me to the core.

Dylan. That motherfucker, standing where he used to stand and cheer me on. Now he sits here cheering on his next meal ticket. The man who used to tell me to keep going, who pushed me out of my awkward shell. Fucking using me to every advantage, every dollar.

Lost in thought, not hearing the cue for the final drop, I hear the crowd go wild as all her lights and screens turn completely black as the song continues to play. The words across the screen take my breath, but the picture that appears after shatters me.

COMING SOON

GET DOUBLE TEAMED WITH ME