Page 53

***

The Sterling that you see on your screen looks nervous, at least to you.

Kai and Maeve both swear it’s not true, but you know your own face.

It’s been several months since you’ve seen yourself on camera—not since you filmed The Midnight Show at the beginning of the summer, and it’s a little startling to see what six straight months of stress has done to you.

Ryan was right; you are too thin. You’re pale and sharp around the edges, even as you smile at the host and take a seat across the desk.

It seems impossible that there’s a TV show set in America that you have never graced, but Inside Story is one of them.

They do long-form documentaries and, from time to time, culturally-significant interviews.

The set looks more like a newsroom, with an enormous, broad triangular desk in the middle; the host on one side.

There are two chairs opposite, with the shape of the desk making it so that everyone is cheated towards the cameras.

Behind you, a digital screen is black except for the words: Inside Story: A Very Special Interview.

You are ready first, so you get chatting informally with Ariel Pettyfer, the host. You’re discussing something inconsequential—maybe dynamic pricing on Ticketmaster?

—when Gabi walks in. Even though you’ve been girding yourself for this moment, even though you’ve talked on the phone three nights in a row, you aren’t quite prepared for the flood of emotions that courses through you.

Relief. Sadness. Anger. Love. It all hits you in a bittersweet wave when your feet guide you out of the chair and straight into her outstretched arms. She wraps herself around you and immediately bursts into tears.

“I’m so sorry, Ster. I’m so, so s-sorry,” she sobs.

“Shh, baby,” you whisper, rubbing her back.

Her wardrobe people seem to have made a similar decision to yours; she’s wearing a simple camel-colored dress with a draped neckline.

The hem falls just above her knees. You can feel her mic pack under the zipper.

“No apologies. I love you. Let’s get this done, okay? Just like we talked about?”

“Yeah.” Resolutely, Gabi steps back and wipes her eyes.

Someone from makeup is on set instantly with tissues and powder.

You stand aside while they patch her face up.

It’s probably not going to be the last time she cries today , you think distinctly.

Your stomach turns. You haven’t eaten all day. Too nervous. Too on edge.

“You okay, Gabi?” Ariel says with real concern when you two slide into your seats.

“Uh-huh,” she says, squaring her shoulders. As if all five feet and one inch of her could magically grow taller, like Jack’s beanstalk. Like she’s psyching herself up.

“I know we’ve been over the questions extensively on conference call, but you can stop at any time, okay?

” Ariel says. She’s looking at both of you, but, realistically, the comment is for Gabi.

Nothing short of a bomb going off in the studio—and not a bomb threat from an anonymous punk-ass, an actual explosive—is going to stop you.

Even if you feel like you could throw up at any minute.

“You call cut , and we can take a break. Five minutes, ten minutes, whatever you need. We can take as long as necessary.”

Deep down, you know that her motives aren’t entirely altruistic.

When this show airs, it will be the ratings explosion of the year.

Maybe even the decade. The special will premiere on prime time on New Year’s Day, and be simultaneously streamed on three platforms. You can’t imagine what ad space is selling for.

If she plays her cards right, Ariel could win an Emmy for this.

She, the showrunners, and the network stand to make a fortune off what’s about to happen.

Still. You’re glad that Gabi’s comfort is on everyone’s mind.

The director yells action, and Ariel switches over to her poised, professional-reporter face.

“Good evening, everyone, and welcome to Inside Story. I’m joined here tonight by two very special guests: internationally-celebrated pop superstar Sterling Grayson and up-and-coming artist Gabrielle Rose.

The two have been embroiled in a public maelstrom over a situation concerning Gabrielle’s husband, NFA player GoGo Heller.

After six months of bad blood and Heller slinging arrows at Grayson on social media, Gabrielle and Sterling have come together to bury a hatchet and set the record straight.

Gabrielle, Sterling, thank you for joining me. ”

It was a condition of the interview that Gabi get to the heart of the matter as soon as possible, right off the bat.

Not only does this avoid wasting time with waffling and pleasantries, but you figured it would be good for her nerves to rip off the proverbial band-aid.

Ariel, accordingly, wraps up the hi, hello, how are you? patter quickly.

“Gabrielle,” she says, “I understand that you have a statement that you would like to read, addressed to your husband?”

Gabi blinks rapidly, but her face remains expressionless. “I do; thank you,” she says. There is a copy of the speech freshly-printed on the desk in front of her. She clears her throat and begins to read.

“GoGo,” she starts, “by the time this episode airs in a couple of days, all my things will have been moved out of your house in Miami without you knowing, and I’ll be somewhere safe with my loved ones.

You will have been served with both a restraining order and divorce papers in Las Vegas.

” At this point, Gabi gingerly puts her papers down and levels her gaze directly at the main camera, reciting from memory.

“During the course of our marriage, you gaslighted and manipulated me. You abused me in every way that a person is capable of. You controlled my comings and goings, my faith, my career, my money, and my day-to-day life. You told me what I could and could not do, and when I could do it. You steam-rolled my personal agency, you violated my body and my trust, and you broke me down until I was just a shell of myself. You oversaw my phone calls to my family to make sure I said the right things. You hurt me. You always said that, if I left, you’d release humiliating personal footage of me.

I’ve been in contact with the authorities and, if any compromising pictures or videos leak, I’ll have you arrested and charged.

It’s over, GoGo.” She sucks a deep, shuddering breath. “You don’t control me anymore.”

She didn’t say anything that she hadn’t already confided in you privately—in fact, you know a lot of monstrous details that she would never want aired on TV—but it still jolts something inside of you to hear Gabi say all those things out loud. Without meaning to, you reach over and grab her hand.

Ariel looks down, nods thoughtfully.

“Can you walk us through Sterling’s involvement in this story?” she asks Gabi.

Gabi looks up at you, as if asking permission, despite the fact that you have been over all this. You squeeze her hand reassuringly.

“GoGo had beef with Kai,” she starts. “And Sterling. Because of the photos.”

“To be clear, we’re talking about Kaius Reinhart?” Ariel says. “Sterling’s partner?”

“Yes.”

“And what photos are you referring to?”

You cut in. “There is a set of photographs that haven’t been seen by the public,” you say.

“They were taken by a paparazzo outside a restaurant in Miami last year. GoGo threw a water bottle at the photographer and broke his camera after having a fight with Gabi and pushing her. I paid the kid for the memory card and turned the photos in to the police anonymously.” Frowning a bit, you lift slightly off your seat and pull a tiny plastic container from your back pocket.

“This is the memory card in question. It’s never been altered, doctored, or tampered with, and I am willing to submit to any forensic investigation asked of me to prove that point. ”

“So, GoGo knew that you had to be the source of the photos?” Ariel said. “And you said that Kaius was involved?”

“Yes.” You fold your hands. “GoGo and Kai were involved in an altercation in the Cyclones' locker room on the first day of mini-camp last summer. It was the first time Kai had seen GoGo since GoGo got arrested for hitting Gabi, and GoGo made some incendiary comments. I can’t speak for Kai, obviously, other than to say that I know he is not proud of his actions.”

“GoGo was so, so mad,” Gabi says. “He told me that Sterling Grayson didn’t know who he was messing with, and that he was going to take him down.

He constructed a whole story about Sterling planting evidence and made himself seem innocent.

He painted the picture like Sterling was using all his star power to ruin GoGo’s life, when, really, he fully wanted to ruin Sterling’s. ”

“And he got you to go along with this?” Ariel prods gently.

Gabi looks like she’s going to cry again.

“He did, yes. He had already hurt me for the first time at that point, and I was terrified of what he’d do if I didn’t go along with what he said.

And I loved him so much. I wanted to please him, and it was so hard.

He said that we were engaged, and that I had too much loyalty to Sterling.

It was some kind of test for him, I think. He had a lot of those.”

“Tests?” Ariel repeats.