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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Skylar

This is…weird.

I mean, Elton isn’t exactly the most normal person on the planet, so it makes sense. But aliens? Really? That’s a stretch, even for me, and I supported his Guac-You-Talking-About Night. Trust me, it was insanely hard to find how to make guacamole cocktails, hence the birth of I’m-Gonna-Guac-Your-World.

Still…aliens? I get that this is supposed to be an Out of This World Night, but come on. There has to be a limit, right?

There doesn’t seem to be, though, because people are absolutely eating it up. Rhys, Max, and I are busy working overtime to give people their Stellar Slushies and Probe Me, Daddies. I can’t even begin to tell you what the hell Cassius is playing, but the crowd loves it. Elton gave us a challenge this time around, and it looks like we’re delivering.

“Um, little dude!” Max shouts, eyes wide as saucers as he stares at the multiple people trying to get his attention. “I don’t think I can handle this!”

“You’ve got this, Max!” I yell back with a wide smile as I make three drinks at one time. “Just focus on one, and then move on to the other.”

“Okay, but what’s in a vodka soda?”

“Skylar,” Rhys growls, the vein in his neck throbbing as he hands someone their drink. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

I wave away Rhys’s concern. “He’s fine .” Leaning around Rhys, I wave at Max. “Aren’t you?”

“Wait, do we even carry soda?”

“ Skylar !”

“Fine, fine! I’ve got it!” Jeez, you think this place could run for one second without me. I hand over the drinks I was making and hip check Rhys out of the way so I can help Max. After I show him that, yes, we do carry soda, and yes, a vodka soda really is as simple as it sounds, everything is smooth sailing. Rhys can just get too grumpy for his own good sometimes.

I spot Elton and Knox heading to the bar and shoo away a customer blocking them. They stop in front of me, and I already know what Elton’s going to say before he opens his mouth.

“I’ll get you a Blue Nipple,” I tell him with a wink. Turning to Knox, I have to hold back my snort. “How much sex did it take to get you to wear those?”

Knox snarls, but how intimidating can he look with an antenna on his head? He turns to Elton and growls, “I fucking hate you.”

“Oh, but you look so handsome,” Elton coos, rubbing Knox’s tense shoulder. “It’s the least you could do since you wouldn’t wear the suit.”

If the suit Elton’s referring to is the same one he’s wearing—bedazzled with blue and white crystals made to look like stars—I can understand why Knox said a firm fuck no . I make them their drinks happily and smile when Elton tells me he likes my costume. While Rhys is wearing a regular XO shirt, and Max is just shirtless and covered in sparkles, I actually put effort into my look tonight. It took ages to find the right color fishnet shirt that I’m wearing, paired with the sequined shorts that Cassius and I had to make by hand, so this outfit took some time.

“Thank you,” I say, a light blush coating my sparkled cheeks. “Cass helped me pick it out.”

To this, Knox scoffs, his hand that rests on the bar top, balling into a fist. “Wonderful.”

I don’t particularly like his tone. It reminds me of Knox pre-Elton, but I let it slide. He might just be extra grumpy tonight. Or he might think that aliens are dumb too. Either way, I also hand him a Blue Nipple and reject their tips when they try to hand me some.

“Little dude! Where’s the tequila?”

I smile, even though I’ve already shown Max twice where it’s at. Before I can go rescue him, Elton’s hand snakes out to grab my wrist. “Hey, our…special guest has arrived.”

My heart skips a beat. All thoughts of Max and his inability to get our patrons drunk flies right out the window. Jaw dropping, I look around as if I have any idea what this person looks like. “Where?”

“I sent her by the stage,” he tells me, and I can tell he’s really into this whole secretive plotting we’re doing. “Is Cass ready for her?”

I bite my bottom lip. Well…

Here’s the thing. After the shelter, I contacted one producer. I figured there was no harm in just seeing what’s up and hearing her out. So…I might have secretly contacted her for him and invited her to Theme Night.

Without him knowing.

“Wait,” Elton says, shaking his head as his eyes widen. “You didn’t tell him?”

I was going to, truly, but I was afraid he would turn down the idea without giving it any more consideration. This producer could open a lot of doors for him, and he doesn’t have to walk through them, but isn’t having options nice?

“Figures,” Knox snorts as he downs his drink. “They don’t tell each other shit.”

I wrinkle my nose at him. “That was kind of rude. What do you mean by that?”

“Ignore him,” Rhys snaps as he throws Knox a pointed look. “He’s drunk already.”

“Lennox Sanders!” Elton yells, slapping his husband’s arm. “No, you are not!”

As Knox flushes under Elton’s stare, I wag my hand between them before things can escalate. “Okay, okay. Talk now, fuck it out later. Where is she, Elton?”

Elton turns his now narrowed eyes toward me and shrugs. “Like I said, she’s by the stage. You’ll know who she is when you see her.”

“Great!” I turn to Rhys, already tipping the partition up. “You’re gonna be okay here?”

Rhys’s eyes widen comically as Max appears next to him, holding a grater. “Um, what do we use this for?”

“You’ll be fine!” I shout, not waiting to hear what Rhys tells Max as I book it to the stage. I don’t want to make Nancy wait, so I topple through people to get there, arriving breathless in front of her. And, ew, a little sweaty. “Hi! Nancy?”

I’m guessing she’s the producer from the way she’s dressed. Instead of hanging with the alien theme, she’s in a simple but stylish suit. Not stuffy or anything, but definitely here for business.

She smiles kindly as she extends her hand in a greeting. “Yes, and you must be Skylar?”

“That’s me!” I giggle, brushing my clammy hands against my shorts. I swallow dryly, all of a sudden nervous as I gesture to the stage. This is a big deal for Cassius, and I don’t want to fuck it up. “Shall we?”

She nods, and I’m so happy this all timed out so right. We part the curtain to the backstage area just as Cassius switches his track to a prerecorded set. He takes a step back from the mixer to grab some water, his chest shining with a thin sheen of sweat from how hard he was going. When my eyes see the bruise on his side, I remind myself to tell him again that he should stop going to that stupid gym. But he insisted he likes it, so to each their own, I suppose.

When he sees me, his eyes light up and a crooked grin makes its way to his lips. “Hey, sunshine.”

“Hi,” I say shyly. He goes to kiss me, but I sidestep him quickly, which has his brow furrowing in confusion. Before Nancy can appear, I bite my bottom lip and shrug. “Please don’t be angry.”

He shakes his head. “Why would I be— Skylar, who’s this?”

“This is Nancy!” I rush out, even using jazz hands as she approaches us. “She’s a producer for Unknown Studios!”

Cassius stares blankly at her outstretched hand before turning to me. “What did you do?”

I gulp, a bit confused by the irritation in his tone, but I keep a smile on my face for Nancy’s sake. “Well, when she reached out, I thought I would make an introduction. You know, she’s heard your mixes and?—”

“Skylar, a word, please,” he says through barely gritted teeth.

He steps to the side, and I follow, throwing Nancy a quick smile over my shoulder before turning to him. “Now, I know you said you didn’t want to meet any producers, but?—”

“You thought surprising me with this was a good idea?” he asks. I think it’s meant to come off as a simple question, but there’s a hint of anger in his voice. Something restrained, like he’s fighting his hardest to keep his cool.

Nancy clears her throat at the uncomfortable tension that now hangs around us. She doesn’t seem pissed, but definitely isn’t happy. “I see there’s been some sort of miscommunication here.”

“No, there hasn’t?—”

“Yes, there has been,” Cassius says. When his words come out with a bite, he clears his throat and smiles. “I don’t know what Skylar told you, but I’m not interested in your studio.”

“Cass,” I try to argue and give his arm a little squeeze. “Let’s not jump there.”

But the damage is already done. Nancy tips her head at Cassius, then at me. “I can see where I’m not wanted nor needed. It was nice meeting the two of you. Now, if you don’t mind, I have a rather busy night.”

I scramble to find a way to fix this disastrous introduction. “Wait, I’ll walk you out?—”

“Unnecessary,” she says curtly. “I can see myself out.”

My jaw hangs slack as she disappears behind the curtain. What the actual fuck just happened? I turn to Cassius, ready to ask him why he was so dismissive, but he’s already tossing his empty water bottle at the ground.

“Cass,” I say, bewildered by his attitude toward her. “The least you could have done was hear her out.”

To this, his head snaps up, and I see it again. The control that he always possesses is slipping. He’s trying his hardest to remain calm, but his twitching vein and slightly curled lips are a dead giveaway that he’s pissed. “Not now, Skylar. Please, go back to work.”

I shake my head. “I thought I was doing a good thing. Why did you?—”

“Because I’ve told you time and time again that I’m not interested in being signed!” he roars, gripping his roots like he wants to tear them from his scalp. “We talked about this a week ago, and I specifically told you I didn’t want to meet any producers.”

“I know, but I thought that it would be good for you,” I argue, my lower lip wobbling the angrier he gets. “I know you say you don’t want more than this, but?—”

“I don’t !” he screams.

I take a step back. Cassius never uses that tone with me. Fuck, he never uses that tone with anyone. This isn’t like him. He isn’t filled with this much…fury. Cassius is an anchor, not the raging storm. I’m a little scared as he approaches me. Not that I think he’d ever hurt me, but because I’m horrified at just how angry he is with me.

“Do you not think this is enough?” he questions, the vein in his neck throbbing with rage. “Is all of this”—he gestures around the backstage area—“not good enough? Do you think I’m some type of loser who pines for the day he can make it big?”

I shake my head slowly, chest tightening with emotion. I hate that he’d ever think that. “No, I don’t.”

“Then why did you do this? What am I supposed to think?” He scoffs and drags his hand down his face. “I think that you did what you wanted, Skylar. I think you were selfish and not thinking about what I wanted. Like always.”

My heart cracks as my vision blurs with unshed tears. “Wh-What’s that supposed t-to mean?”

“I—” He violently cuts himself off and takes a step forward. “Are you crying?”

“N-No,” I sniffle, even though I can feel the tears tracking down my cheeks. “I h-have allergies.”

He drops his head and mutters a curse under his breath. When he looks at me again, there’s nothing but remorse and agony in his stunning blue eyes. He opens his arms, a sad tip to his lips, and I run into him like the idiot I am.

I crash into his body, letting my tears out as he rocks me back and forth, all the while apologies spill from his lips. “I’m so fucking sorry, sunshine. I didn’t mean to lose it on you.”

“It’s okay,” I mumble against his bare chest. “I shouldn’t have done that without asking you. I was just trying to help.”

He pushes me away just enough that I can look him in the eyes. Cupping my cheeks in his large hands, he tips my head back so he can brush his lips against mine. “No, you didn’t do anything wrong. I was a dick for no reason.”

I want to believe that, but… “You’ve been off for a while, haven’t you?”

Not necessarily off, but just different. It’s so subtle I’m sure no one else notices, but I do. He’s not walking around shitting on everyone or secluded in his room and hiding from the world. But it’s the little things I see. The tension he carries on his shoulders, the way he hasn’t been able to fully relax in weeks. Something is going on and tonight’s behavior proves it.

His hands are still on my face as he tenses. “What? No?”

“It’s okay, Cassy,” I assure him, reaching up to encircle his wrists. “You can tell me what’s wrong, you know? I just want to help.”

Licking his lips, his eyes zero in on mine, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he thinks through his next words. I’ve always said Cassius was considerate of his thoughts and actions, but he’s never been so bewildered by them. That’s what he is. I don’t know what else to call the way his eyes widen or how his fingers tremble against me. He opens his mouth, but nothing but a sharp exhale comes out.

I shift on my feet. I don’t like this. He can tell me anything. He has to know that. “Cass?—”

He crashes his lips against mine before I can say my piece. I try to focus on what I wanted to say, but the pressure of his mouth on mine and the way he flicks his tongue along the seam of my lips has me melting. I forget about it all. The way he spoke to me, the way he acted toward Nancy, and the cruel things he said.

I forget it all because I just love him that much.