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- Chapter Twenty-Seven -

Bach

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“It was the right thingto do.”

Violet had said that five times now.

She'd be less comforting if she knew the full extent of what I'd done. I hadn't told her, though. Not yet. There'd be time for her to learn. Sherman had been amicable to my terms—he was happy to take Violet on, give her a good job with a pay raise. I hoped it would be enough to keep her from hating me too much.

Maybe I had to go back to not caring about if people hated me. I hadn't given a shit about anyone or anything for most of my existence. When had that changed?

Violet flipped through her phone as she spoke. “I prepped Sally and Chianne as fast as possible. The award board wasn't happy with the last-minute entries, but... well, I guess they've been pretty excited to see what Beats and Blast will do this year.”

I knew why they were excited. And that reason was no longer here to amaze them.

She's free.

It had killed me to write Amina's letter. It was worse that she hadn't spoken to me since the other night. I'd made her cry. ME, of all people. Fuck... that was the worst.

“I wish I could have said bye to her,” Violet mumbled. “I guess it's not that shocking she'd pack up and leave without a word. I wonder—”

“Please,” I sighed. “Stop talking about her.”

“Sorry.” She looked at me from the corner of one eye. I waited for her to say more, but she respected my wish and buttoned up.

I really didn't want to talk about how I, too, had wanted a proper goodbye. I was a coward, putting the responsibility in Farrah's hands to deliver the news. And she didn't even know what was in that envelope she'd handed off yesterday.

The only ones who knew were me, Amina, her aunt's lawyer, and...

“Bach, I'm surprised to see you here,” Sherman said. He was standing beside me in the aisle, his bright blue and gold suit made more garish by the red carpet. He hadn't looked so damn happy in years. I hated being the reason.

Violet leaned around me, glaring at him. “Excuse me? Why wouldn't we be here?”

I squeezed the arms of my chair to keep myself sitting still. Sherman's smile inched lower, until he wasn't feigning surprise. “You have no one on your roster anymore. Unless you're here to enjoy the show for purely recreational reasons?”