Page 144 of Next to Everything We Wanted

She gave me the run-down of her job and what it was like working with celebrities and “making their dreams come true.” I wanted to interject at some parts, but I kept quiet and listened. She seemed excited when she talked about the past, though less excited when she talked about the current state of the label.

“Things have been slow, but we’re getting there.”

“Nice.” I nodded. “Now, what about the stars you’ve worked with? Who were the biggest ones?”

“Some of the biggest stars I worked with have to be Stacey Stokes and Charm Street. Especially Charm Street—I was very involved with them.”

My heart skipped a beat. “My friend Raina listens to Charm Street. What was it like working with them?”

Mom bit her lip. “I can’t say too much to protect their privacy.”

Dang it. Why had I held onto hope that she’d spill the beans to me?

“It was just like working with the other stars. I liked the boys. Well, one of them had a smart mouth, but they followed instructions well. And the girls loved them. They were the definition of a teenage dream.”

I wondered who the one with the smart mouth was. It couldn’t have been Gavin, right?

I mustered a smile despite how badly my hands were trembling. “That’s cool. Who was your favorite member?”

“Out of the four? I think Justin. He’s a charmer.”

So not Gavin. I wanted to ask who her least favorite was, but I assumed she didn’t want to talk badly about the boys. That was better than I could say for Gary Cole, who never resisted an opportunity to slander any of his stars.

Some of my nerves calmed. Maybe she didn’t have a bad business relationship with Charm Street after all. If I told Gavin about my mom, maybe he wouldn’t freak out and dump me.

“Is something wrong, Sienna?”

I blinked, realizing I’d spaced out. “Oh, I’m fine. Just thinking about what it’d be like to be in your position. Working with so many stars and being part of the behind-the-scenes process.”

“Are you thinking about working for a record label one day? Or signing to one?”

“Maybe one day my band will sign to one. I’m not sure what the future holds, but I’m saving up for fashion school next fall. My main career focus is to become a fashion designer.”

“Well, I wish you luck. And if you ever need me to help pay for something, let me know.”

“Dad and I have it covered.” Well, wealmosthad it covered. I still needed a few more thousand to attend the least expensive school on my list. I wasn’t sure whether or not I wanted to go somewhere close or far away, like New York. It could be cool to hang out with Caleb and Gracelynn (separately) in the Big Apple, but I also didn’t know how Dad would fare without me.

“Still, let me know. I’m willing to help.” She flashed me a smile, her teeth perfectly straight. “I have to get ready for my flight now, though I hope I’ll be able to talk to you soon. Maybe I can call you during my trip.”

“That’d be nice.” I smiled back, the first genuine one I’d given her. “Stay safe, Mom.”

“Bye, Sea. I love you.” Mom kissed the screen before hanging up.

Sea. I’d forgotten she was the one who first gave me the nickname. Pain tightened my chest.

I sighed, staring at my lock screen. Why did I think I’d be able to get information about Charm Street out of her whenshe planned to have a general conversation with me? When she thought I was forgiving her?

Though, it was interesting to hear her talk about things she was passionate about. I wouldn’t go as far to saynice, but definitely interesting.

I opened my laptop and searchedCharm Street and Ruby Estrella. The first thing that popped up was an article.Ruby Estrella speaks on Gavin Hanville’s departure from Charm Streetand Mercury Heights Records. I clicked on the article, nerves buzzing inside me.

“I’m devastated to lose someone like him at our label,” Estrella said. “He started as the best boy in the band to work with—even better than Justin, and everyone knows how much I love my boy. I knew Gavin’s time with us was coming to an end when he isolated himself from everyone. He lost the happy and innocent boy he used to be and turned into someone I didn’t recognize, and the transition was sad to see. Out of all the boys, he was the last member I expected this change from.”

Then it said she laughed. Like this amused her.

“But that’s what happens in the music industry, am I right? It’s not our fault when people who just wanted to make music become corrupted. We don’t do it to them—they do it to themselves. We all did our best to make his dreams come true, but he wanted something else.”

My jaw dropped. This had to be fake, right? There was no way my mom—even in her most selfish state—would speak like that. She’d just told me that she didn’t want to talk too much about her experience with the guys to protect their privacy.