Page 106

Was Siena with Bunny for this interview? Surely they’d had some conversation about how to navigate the questions they anticipated might come up.

“Hey, it’s Bea. Um… Can you call me back, like, ASAP?” Bea rolled her eyes at herself. “It’s kind of an urgent thing but not an emergency.”

She hung up and glanced back at the television.

“I hope you join us on the twenty-fourth!” Bunny grinned as she turned to the television. “I know it’s going to be afamilyfriendly event.”

The way she said that word. She was sending hints out there. Bea stared at Siena’s name again. Should she call or wait? The news cut to commercial, and Bea shuddered. Energy flowed through her instantly.

She’d thought it was so odd the way that Bunny had left the club, but now it made total sense. She was protecting herself, because they were getting too close again. But Bea wanted to be close. If she didn’t, she would have held her ground and kicked Bunny out as soon as she’d entered the dressing room the first time.

She couldn’t wait. Hitting Siena’s number again, she waited as it rang until it went to voicemail.

“Fuck,” Bea muttered.

She was just about to call again, when Siena’s name lit up her phone. Bea answered with a short, “Hey.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Uhh…” How did she explain this one? “Are you with Bunny?”

Bea looked back at the television screen, like she could see into the news studio and whether or not Siena was standing right next to Bunny.

“I was. She’s just getting changed.”

“I need your help.” Bea moved to her dresser and immediately started pulling out clothes to change into for the day. This was going to involve an in-person meeting, and she had to be ready for it as soon as Siena had time.

“What’s going on?”

“I need to sing at the Holbrook event.” Bea held her breath, waiting for Siena’s response.

But she was met with silence.

“Siena?”

“Hold on.” Siena clearly held the phone away from her ear as she said, “Bunny, I’m going to be a few minutes. Take your time.”

“I don’t want to take my time,” Bunny growled.

“Do it,” Siena ordered. She came back louder. “One more second. Let me get… somewhere else.”

Bea twiddled her thumbs as she waited, still barely breathing. Was this a good sign? That Siena was interested in trying to make this work out? Or was she moving away so that Bunny wouldn’t ream her for changing her mind?

“All right. What’s going on, really?”

“I…” Could she say the words? “I need to do the concert.”

“I need to know why. Because after the last two weeks, I’m not just going to stick you back in it without a good reason.” Siena’s voice was so firm and unmoving.

Bea had no doubt that she meant business. “Because I love her.”

Again silence.

Bea’s heart rapped hard in her chest and then it moved into her throat. She felt like she was going to puke. She needed to get those words out for Bunny, not Siena, but panic set in either way.

“I need more than that,” Siena slowed down.

“Can we meet?”