After his meteoric rise to superstardom, Jim O'Brien is no longer a small-town boy who plays in bars and dreams of success. His handsome face is plastered on the covers of celebrity gossip magazines, and his voice alone is enough to make girls swoon...
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It was the Friday of the Best Label Awards ceremony. Raindrops drummed against my apartment windows. I stood in the middle of the living room, folding a giant pile of laundry.
Ava was working the morning shift but promised to stop by later. I couldn't wait to see her. Too busy recording our second album, I spent way more time at the studio than at home, sacrificing sleep and hot meals.
Our goal was to drop a single in August. It would placate Wyatt and give our fans something to look forward to. Good things couldn't be rushed, but at this point, I would do anything to get rid of the pressure we were under.
Before my thoughts veered into the territory of worries and stress, I reached for the remote to turn on the TV.
The intercom buzzed right away. For a moment, I thought it was Ava, but she would open the door with her key. I tossed the remote onto the coffee table and went to the front door.
Frowning at the image on the intercom screen, I let my guest in.
Riley stepped out of the elevator. I opened the door wider. "Come on in."
Her wet hair stuck to her mascara-stained cheeks. She made her way inside my apartment with her eyes downcast. Once we were in the living room, Riley's body shook with sobs.
I put my hands on her shoulders. "What happened?"
She held her hand up, asking me to give her a moment.
"I'm sorry." She sniffled. "There were paps, and my car was too far. I didn't know where else to go."
"It's okay," I said. "Here, take these."
I fetched a tee and a pair of sweats from the pile of folded clothes and handed them to Riley. "The bathroom's down the hall. Coffee?"
"Yeah, it'd be great. I'm freezing."
I went to the kitchen counter to fix the drinks. Riley reappeared in the room a couple of minutes later, wearing my shirt and sweatpants.
I nudged her toward the couch. "Let's sit."
Riley curled her hands around the mug and stared into it as if it held all the answers she needed.
I wanted an explanation for her tears and the unexpected visit, but pushing wouldn't make her talk. I sipped my coffee and waited for her to say something.
"Noah and I had a fight," she said, her voice cracking at the end of the sentence.
"A bad one?"
Riley nodded. "I'm sorry for turning up here like that. I needed to talk to someone who'd understand."
"That's what friends are for. What exactly happened?"
Leaning against the back of the couch, Riley rubbed her eyes. "I got a new role. It's a great movie, and I'm honored they chose me."
