Unexpected Harmony

16. Blinders coming off

Chapter 16

Blinders coming off

I n a world she’d been in since she was fifteen, it still surprised Aspen how celebrity gossip sites worked.

Until now, Aspen had mostly gone out with people in the industry. People who knew what was what and signed up to be followed, written about, photographed, and lied about.

It was all a game, and that was okay because, as players, they had signed up for it. That’s why she felt protective of Zoey in a way that she hadn’t with past partners. Zoey hadn’t signed up for this and Aspen wished she could shelter her from the ugliness.

Another article, another violation of her privacy, but this time, Zoey’s face was front and center, her tears streaking down her face. It was still surprising how Aspen could go from skipping through the morning to batting down storm clouds all because of one article.

This one linked her live feed of the disastrous proposal. Something she’d never brought up with Zoey before, having just assumed she’d known about it.

Her phone rang and with it her heart soared until she saw Morgan’s name. Oh, how fast a flutter of the heart could turn to lead of disappointment.

Shaking her head, she answered. “Hey, Morgan.”

“Aspen, what are you doing with this girl? You need to be more strategic about things. Think with your head, not your…Well, you know,” Morgan huffed.

“Hello to you too. I’m well, thank you.” Aspen glossed over her manager’s overbearing ways. The sky is falling schtick was getting a bit old.

“I’m serious, Aspen. You don’t know what damage this unknown could provide. Plus, what do you even see in her? Why her?” Morgan’s agitation was clear.

“What are you saying?” Aspen asked wearily. “Actually, you know what, I’m starting to think you purposefully sabotaged the dinner date the other night. That’s not okay, Morgan.” She was getting mighty tired of fighting for every little inch. Wasn’t she supposed to be in charge?

“What I’m saying is, maybe you lay low. Or better yet, go on a date with Aster. You don’t need to lower yourself to some unknown. I’ll set it up for Tuesday.” There was something clacking in the background. She didn’t bother to argue Aspen’s claim about the sabotage, proving Aspen’s suspicions were correct.

“How are my sales?” Aspen asked innocently, knowing there had been a bump, having checked the report this morning.

“That’s not the point. This is bad press. We need to work a better angle.”

“If you suggest going on a date with Aster again, I’ll fire you.” Aspen had reached her limit. In all the years she’d been in the business, she’d only fired five people, all of whom deserved it and much more. At the end of her patience, it was the only way to stop Morgan from continuing to be her steam-rolling self.

The gasp was expected, but Mogan’s tears were a surprise. Aspen felt her sympathy melt away when they stopped as soon as she didn’t give in and respond. The manipulation stung. Wondering how long it had gone on without her noticing, Aspen stayed quiet, waiting to see what Morgan would throw at her next.

“You’re nothing without me. I made you, and I can certainly break you. Don’t threaten me, Aspen. You’ll lose. You don’t even know this person. Is she worth losing your career over?”

Anger. That was predictable. Once the blinders were off, she couldn’t unsee the damage Morgan was causing. Sighing, Aspen didn’t say anything further, letting the silence grow into an uncomfortable monster.

“So that’s it? All my hard work and years with you down the drain for a piece of skirt?” Morgan spat.

“I’ll send your last paycheck over Friday. Expect my lawyer.” Aspen’s voice was an oasis of calm as she cut one of her closest acquaintances. Really, all she could think about was what had taken her so long to see this.

Morgan’s cackle was like nails on a chalkboard. She knew this wasn’t the end of Morgan, but it was the end of a bygone era. Hanging up the phone, Aspen couldn’t help but feel rudderless. This was a long time coming, but the comfort of familiarity had been stripped bare, leaving a raw wound needing healing.

Without thinking, Aspen pulled up her text messages, sending a quick one to Zoey.

Can we meet tonight? Incognito if possible. I’d love to see you.

She held the phone close, trying to pull comfort from Zoey’s connection on the other end.

Incognito is my middle name. Want me to pick you up, say around five?

Zoey’s response lifted her up. She looked at the time, seeing there were still seven hours away, but it was the lifeline she needed in order to get through.

Perfect. Can’t wait.

She put her phone down before stalking around the house for a project that would take her mind off of everything and keep her from looking at the clock every four minutes.

“So, you fired her?” Zoey asked as they walked along the crowded streets that were lined with food trucks.

Aspen had unleashed the whole thing, unable to keep herself contained when Zoey picked her up an hour earlier.

“Yeah. She’s been by my side for years. Damn, that makes me sound old.” Aspen shook her head but stopped when she felt the blond wig slip.

“It sounds like you had a minor disagreement, though. And maybe she was looking out for you?” Zoey stopped at a brightly colored taco truck and watched people leave with their food. “This one is calling out to me. Have you found one you want yet?”

Aspen’s appetite had been nonexistent but came roaring back when she got a whiff of the charred meat and tang of lime. “This one’s perfect. Honestly, this was just the small disagreement that finally broke me. Little things have been adding up for a while, so it might not seem like much with this issue today, but believe me, it was just the cherry on top.”

Stepping in line, Aspen started studying the menu. Now that her appetite was back, she was having a hard time choosing.

“I get that, and I didn’t mean to imply that you did anything wrong. I was just making sure. I can’t help but feel a little guilty. From what you said, a lot of it had to do with me, and I don’t want you to end something on my behalf. If that makes sense?” Zoey turned to her, her forehead wrinkled in concentration.

Unable to stop herself, Aspen leaned forward, capturing her lips in a kiss. Zoey’s hands started for her hair but stopped when they felt the wig’s texture and instead landed on her hips, gripping tightly.

They sheepishly pulled back when someone cleared their throat behind them, indicating it was their time to order.

Aspen stayed in Zoey’s orbit but fought embarrassment at losing control in public, even if she wasn’t recognizable at the moment. After ordering she said, “It does make sense, and I get why you would think it would have to do with you. To be honest, it has to do with you a little, but only in a way that my goggles are off, and I can see clearly.”

“Well, you are wearing glasses now.” Zoey tugged at Aspen’s frames, part of her incognito outfit.

“Especially with the glasses.” Aspen grinned, grabbing their ordered food and handing one basket over to Zoey. “Let’s go sit over there.” She indicated with her elbow to a picnic table.

“Do you want any of this hot sauce?” Zoey asked when they sat down. She piled sauce packets on the table, grabbed two, and ripped them open with her teeth.

Aspen’s taco was frozen halfway to her lips as she watched the ferocious display with fascination. “No, no. I’m good.” She snorted when Zoey looked up, a packet hanging from her teeth.

“Aught?” she asked, unable to say the W with any success.

A flutter in her chest began as Aspen continued to watch Zoey construct her taco. Aspen’s day had started off horribly, but sitting across the bench from Zoey, she realized for the first time what it was like to have a person to count on—someone who wanted to be with her, for her, and not her fame. If anything, her fame was the hindrance.

As she gazed upon the trucker hat and loose shirt Zoey had borrowed to help blend in, wanting in on the disguise, Aspen finally felt a partnership. Someone she could be vulnerable with and not have everything aired in some trashy magazine a day later.

“Do you not like your taco?” Zoey asked, dipping her head for another bite.

“No, I love it.” Aspen’s next bite was filled with flavor as she contemplated their future.

“Want to walk down to the water fountain?” Zoey asked after their last bites.

“Sure.” Aspen wiped her hands on a napkin before picking up their trash and throwing it away.

Reaching out, she grasped Zoey’s hand. She loved that they didn’t need to fill the night with endless chatter but instead just enjoyed the time they had. Reaching the round fountain, they watched, mesmerized as the water danced to a tune playing in the background. Multicolored lights lit up the area, improving the impromptu show.

“Whoa, look at that. It looks like they’re dancing.” Zoey pointed to the water, two spouts teasing and twisting in a pattern resembling a dance.

Aspen’s face hurt from smiling as she tucked Zoey under her arm. A position she was quickly thinking of as “theirs.”

“This is perfect,” Zoey whispered, placing her head on Aspen’s shoulder.

“Agreed.” Aspen pulled her closer, knowing it was the impeccable end to a difficult day.

“Kelsey, come on. I already saw it.” Zoey lowered the device her cousin was trying to hand to her.

Yesterday had been fantastic. She’d gone on a perfect date and ended with her bra shoved to the side in an intense make-out scene in the front seat of her truck. If she hadn’t had to get up at bumfuck o-clock this morning, she might not have had the wherewithal to stop the progress. Not that she wanted to stop where they were headed.

“Did you see the proposal?” Kelsey asked, one hand on her hip and the other holding the device.

“What proposal?” Zoey asked, holding herself back from snatching the pad.

“That’s what I thought. Since you ignore gossip, I figured you’d be in the dark with the juicy news. Unless Aspen told you.” Kelsey held the iPad out, already cued to the disaster they were discussing.

Zoey’s stomach lurched as she watched in horror as the video played out. The zoom in between Aspen’s ex and Aspen’s stricken face had Zoey’s stomach rolling. It almost felt planned. The whole video cut crisply, even though it was a livestream. Like someone was expecting the reaction and picking up quickly where things left off.

Flinging the iPad away from her body, she tried to get her stomach to settle. The horror of having to go through that and for everyone to see.

Suppressing her first instinct to reach out, Zoey knew she needed some time to process things, and muddying the water with another perspective wasn’t going to help.

“They’re saying you’re a rebound because of this,” Kelsey added when she realized Zoey wasn’t going to offer any information.

Thinking back to the night before, Zoey scoffed. Nobody had been privy to the looks Aspen was giving her. If she was only a rebound, Zoey would eat the stones she used to create the paths in Aspen’s yard.

“What are you going to do?” Kelsey twisted on the couch, sitting cross-legged to face her.

“I need a little bit of time, and then I’m going to talk to Aspen like an adult.” Zoey felt a tickle of a song that might have potential. Reaching for her notebook, she threw down the notes before they left her head.

“Want to kick rocks on the beach?” Kelsey offered.

“No, I’m going to help my parents make their famous enchilada dish.” Zoey wanted to nest in her house, spend time with her mom, maybe see if Theo wanted to have a jam session—anything to help her work through the twisting road of thoughts that was threatening to run her down.

“Fair. I’m going to run home and then drag my parents back here for dinner, so make extra.” Kelsey lifted from the couch, blowing an air kiss in Zoey’s direction before leaving the house in a hurry.

“Need any help?” Zoey asked as she walked into the kitchen, chuckling when her parents sprung apart.

“Oh, Zoey, yes, that would be lovely. There’s some cheese in the fridge you could shred.” Erin indicated with her head as her hands were wrist-deep in chicken.

“How are things going?” her dad asked as he walked back to his station to cut veggies.

“I’m assuming you saw the articles and everything?” Zoey pulled out what she needed before washing her hands.

“We did. You are a striking couple, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is what you’re thinking and feeling.” Her heart expanded at the warm look her dad was giving her. She had surely lucked out in the parental department.

Zoey relaxed as her muscle memory took over the mindless act of shredding cheese. “I’m not upset about not knowing about the proposal. I suppose she just assumed I knew. I know I would if the roles were reversed. What I’m scared about is being a rebound. We’re still so new, and I’m afraid to give my heart over to her because of all the unknown. Dammit.” She tsked in pain at her scraped knuckle, rushing to the sink to try to soothe the pain under the cold stream.

“Just when you get one aspect of your life figured out, you find another avenue to fret over,” her dad teased, gently grabbing her hand and dabbing it with a paper towel.

“It’s my M.O. Got to keep things on our toes. That’s why they call me Zo.” Zoey snorted at her odd rhyme, shaking off the excess water before wrapping her finger in a bandage and returning to the cheese. She picked off the last layer to ensure no bodily fluids made it on to the plate.

“How are you handling the articles? I admit I wasn’t prepared for them. I knew Aspen was a superstar who would have people following her everywhere, but she’s so down to earth that it’s easy to forget all that comes with it.” Erin washed her hands before starting to season the bowl of chicken.

Zoey’s elbow found its way to the kitchen counter and she watched her parents do the well-timed dinner dance. Twisting here, turning there, passing a plate before it was even asked for. Zoey ached for the domesticity of it all. “I don’t pay attention to things like that, so it was a shock, but honestly, I don’t really care. The only opinion I care about is Aspen’s. The only thing I’m worried about is the fact that she’s on vacation right now. I’m not sure how I’ll handle things when she’s back in the rhythm of her life. Will it be too much? Will we get time together? Do we have to do long distance, and if so, for how long? You’re right, Dad; I went from one major decision to something else. I’m sure Allison and Nora will have a field day on trying to unravel the mess in my brain.” Zoey gently knocked against her temples.

The piano started in the living room. “Ah, three o’clock on the dot.” Erin tapped her watch. “I love that Theo is more reliable than our alarm clocks.”

“I’m going to see if he wants company. Unless you need any more help?” Zoey inched her way out of the kitchen.

“You have proved to us yet again the detriment to having a scatterbrain in the kitchen. Your blood sacrifice is well enough. Go, have fun with your brother.” Her dad shooed her out with a grin.

At the piano, she hovered, waiting for Theo to finish the song he was playing before stepping forward. “Mind if I join you?” she asked as the last notes ended.

Sometimes, he stayed put, answering her by doing nothing, but today, he slid over, leaving room for her to take the lower register.

“What are we playing today?” she asked, her hands poised over the keys.

A mischievous grin spread across his face as he played the first notes of “Fair Warning.” It was one of the first songs Theo heard and played back perfectly almost six years ago. A song she’d forgotten about until just now, a song by Aspen Lake.

Chuckling, she waited to come in until Theo nudged her elbow. They hadn’t played it in a few years, and her fingers were rusty on the notes. Of course, Theo was playing perfectly. Sometimes he kicked her off the bench if she kept messing up, but today he seemed content playing the song and spending time with her.

By the third rendition, her fingers remembered the path, and they were playing perfectly. An easier time in her life filtered through, before her breakdown when everything seemed so simple.

Would it ever get there again? Probably not, especially if she continued to date Aspen, but a new ball of light was opening into the void of the unknown. Maybe, just maybe, if she dared to jump, Aspen would be waiting to catch her. She wasn’t delusional enough to know they wouldn’t have problems, but this path of the unknown, while scary, didn’t have to be shrouded in shadows.

It had been a long time Zoey had been excited about something she couldn’t plan or see, but as she recited the words to “Fair Warning” in her head as she played, the lyrics of the hopeful song cradled her as she leapt, ready to finally let go. To see what was possible if she let Aspen fully in.

The fifth time brought tears as the weight of indecision lifted from her shoulders. Feeling free when the song ended, she placed her hands in her lap, trying to formulate a text that could encompass everything she was ready to say.

Ruffling Theo’s hair, she stood. “Thanks, Bud.”

Theo moved onto a different song without missing a beat, as if knowing exactly what she’d needed to help her work through her feelings. Shaking her head, Zoey headed back upstairs, needing a moment to herself before family dinner.