Rock & Roll Nights: The Lila and Rivers Edit

42. Lila

42

LILA

T he next morning came way too quickly.

Rivers and I had been out in that deserted lot for hours, talking about what he’d been through and how it had broken him, and by the time we came back to the hotel the sun had already been getting close to making its return trip into the sky. I’d dropped him at his room after making him promise that he wouldn’t go anywhere or do anything without talking to me first and had made my way back to my room to see that it was nearly four in the morning.

And then remember that I had a meeting with Taylor at eight.

I’d crawled into bed with a quick glance at Anna—asleep, thank God—and had fallen asleep almost immediately.

And now I was awake and had, according to my clock, half an hour to make myself presentable before I had to go do the mental gymnastics it always took to have a conversation with Taylor James.

God, I hoped she didn’t expect too much of me today. And I hoped Anna was going to be in this meeting to do most of the talking.

* * *

“I’m dropping Rivers,” she said before I sat down.

Anna wasn’t here. And evidently this meeting was going to take just as many mental gymnastics as the last one.

“I thought you’d already decided about that,” I said, pulling my coffee cup toward me and taking a quick, hot sip.

“I wasn’t sure, honestly, but now that he’s leaving the band there’s no reason to keep him. Nothing left to save, as far as I can see.” She took a sip of her own coffee and then eyed me closely. “Why do you look like you barely slept?”

“Because I barely slept. What do you want, Taylor? I just got up half an hour ago.”

She smirked like she knew exactly what I’d been up to, which made me wonder suddenly if she had spies on me or Rivers and did know where we’d been last night, but then she went right back to business.

“We’re both done with Rivers. He’s no good for your reputation anymore. Your next mission is to break up with him. Very publicly. Make it something big and splashy and make sure there are photographers there getting pictures of it. I want it in all the papers. I want a clean break. We’ll put you and Anna into the band and carry on without him. He’s told me he’s heading back to Nashville so there shouldn’t be any trouble from him on this. We can leave him behind and take you toward your bright, shining future.”

Oh God, I hadn’t had enough caffeine for this yet.

Though I guessed Taylor wouldn’t accept that as a reason for putting off the conversation.

Still, at least I had a plan already in place. I’d received another email this morning, and it had given me exactly the answer I’d been hoping for. And an address.

An address in Jonesboro.

“I have a better idea,” I said, putting my coffee down and gazing calmly at Taylor. “I don’t want to have a big, splashy breakup with him. What if I could do something even better?”

Her face shuttered. “Like what?”

I leaned toward her, relief and triumph rolling through me. “The best publicity of a lifetime. The feel-good story you’ve never had with him. And a guarantee that if it works, I’ll save Rivers Shine from the spiral he’s in, save the band, and save your contract with him.”

It was a huge promise. Bigger than anything I’d ever promised anyone before, and twice as tricky. Would it work? I had no idea.

But I was willing to bet on it, because if it did, it might be the only thing that could teach Rivers that he was worth a hell of a lot more than he thought he was. It might pull him up out of the tailspin he’d put himself into and show him that he deserved good things in life. Show him that he deserved love.

And I’d give just about everything I had—including a contract I hadn’t even signed yet—to teach him that.

If I could convince him to follow me a bit further down the yellow brick road. Believe in me a bit longer. And trust me with the biggest secret he’d ever kept from anyone.