Page 42 of Save Your Breath

What if we could begoodtogether?

But I know without testing those waters that they are treacherous.

This man, this father — he is not opening a floor for discussion. He is laying down the law.

And I respect him enough to honor it, even if it fucking stings.

“I understand, sir,” I finally croak.

Mr. Conaway lets out a long breath. “Good.”

He stands then, rounding the desk and clapping a hand hard on my shoulder. He squeezes, waiting until I look up at him.

“She’s like your sister now, Aleks. Protect her — and I will protect you.”

I nod, looking back at my fingers curled in my lap. They’re pruny from the pool and still buzzing from how it felt to touch Mia.

I realize right then that I will never get to touch her again.

“Now, enough of this serious talk,” Mr. Conaway says. He grins, clapping me on the back and prompting me to stand with him. “What do you say you and I grill some steaks tonight?”

Just like that, the conversation is closed, the expectations clear, the lines drawn.

When I’m excused from his office, I don’t go back to the pool.

I go to my room.

I try, and fail, to forget what it felt like to touch Mia, to have her close enough to kiss.

And I know this will be the first test of my strength as a man.

This Isn’t the Plan

Mia

A week before the album drop, Garrett Orange made a video review that got even more attention than his article.

In this new video review, he not only repeated his earlier sentiment that my album was a feminine-rage, man-hating disgrace, but he also hammered home that the songwriting was tired, the album sounded just like the two that came before it, and that I was clearly“desperate for attention now that Austin Westbrook has stopped giving me any of his.”

He then went on to cite how Austin politely declined to answer any questions regarding our breakup or my new album in the last month, as if my ex were some kind of saint.

I tried to ignore it, trusting Isabella when she told me that my fans were defending me in the comments, and the only ones agreeing with him were angry old men — but I still felt the impact of the hit.

I still felt like no matter what we did, this man’s word would overshadow any evidence against his case that I was some lovesick crazy girl pining over her ex.

For the last two weeks since New York, the only chatter concerning me was excitement for the new album and, of course, my new relationship. Photos and videos from my appearance with Aleks when I went on The Daisy Kent Show had been posted everywhere within an hour of us leaving the building.Fans made memes and video collages with music from my last album and shared even more theories about when we started dating.

The most viral moment of all was of Aleks nearly ending the man’s life who had dared to scream at me. And when I saw the video from the fan’s point of view — Aleks seething, his jaw tight, eyes narrowed and vein pulsing in his neck… well, I understood.

It was hot as hell.

But now, Garrett Fucking Orange had the spotlight again. And to make matters worse, he had insinuated that if Aleks and I really were together, that I was likelycheatingon Austin with him before we broke up.

Which was complete bullshit — I had been faithful to Austin.

But Ididhave a song on the album about the times I thought about cheating in my mind.

It wasn’t real, it was me exploring the feeling of being in a relationship that seems so perfect from the outside but, in reality, is in shambles.