Page 63 of Goode to Be Bad

“We’re with you all the way,” Zan said.

Brand: “Word.”

I shook my head. “Thanks, guys, but…”

“But nothing. Has anyone ever said that to you? Anyone ever make you believe it?” He held up his phone. “Believe the millions of views your two videos have gotten in under a week. Nobody even really knows who you are, yet. Those numbers are organic. They are all yours. My reach, sure, but it’syou. They wantyou.”

I shook my head. “I can’t, Myles, I’m too scared.”

“You can.” He touched my chin, so I had to look at him. “I’ll be right there with you, every single moment. Promise, my heart to yours.”

“Why are you forcing this?” I asked, my voice raspy.

“Because you’ll never jump if I don’t push you. The only way you’ll ever fly is if I push you out of the nest, because I know you can fly.” He cupped my jaw, his smile so tender it cut like a razor to my heart. “Because I believe in you.”

“Dammit,” I whispered. I shot to my feet and did what I always did—I ran.

He let me go. I only went as far as the limo, because I’d learned my lesson about running off in strange places—no Bast to rescue me here. I sat in the limo and let myself cry for a few minutes. I’d been keeping it pent up for too long, and it had to come out.

He believed in me? How could he? Why? I didn’t deserve this.

All those silly dreams as a girl, sitting in my room with my guitar or ukulele, playing my silly little songs about teenage crushes and heartbreak and loneliness and being misunderstood by the big, bad world.

Those silly little dreams, the ones where I’d sing into my mirror, recording myself on Dad’s old boom box, and later on my computer, pretending I was singing for thousands of people, to a sold-out stadium. There’d be flashing lights and people screaming my name.

I’d just wanted to beseen, back then.

I didn’t know what fame was back then. Now, having been around Myles, I had a much clearer idea about what it meant for him, but shit, I had no idea what it meant for me. I’m about to find out, I think. I can feel that, and it’s terrifying.

God, there are so many things to be scared of, and they’re all piling up and coming to a head.

All those silly little dreams, crushed in a moment by a father’s careless words: “You’re just not talented enough, Lexie.”

All those silly little dreams.

And here was Myles North, superstar, top of any list of sexiest men alive, top of any list of most talented performers. Award winner. Showstopper. Globetrotting multi-millionaire.

A man who kept hisfourGrammys in a box in a storage unit, because he cared more about playing music than he did anything else.

Except for me.

He believed in me.

I couldn’t ignore that.

But I wasn’t sure I could be what he wanted me to be.

He wanted to love me.

He wanted me to love him.

There would be a moment, soon, when I’d have to make a choice—believe his words, or Dad’s.

You’re just nottalented enough, Lexie.

or

I believe in you.