Ava knows who Jimmy O'Brien is - her first love and soulmate. Forced to spend time apart, Ava and Jim deal with their trust issues and insecurities.
When the lovers finally reunite and resolve to fight for each other, their fragile happiness is put...
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The release of our album happened today after months of hard work and second-guessing our decisions. We opted for a low-key gathering to celebrate because it was too soon to predict how the album would do, and everyone was afraid to jinx it.
Dermot stopped by The Rooftop to congratulate us and wish us good luck, and once he left, it was Cay, Andre, my bandmates, Ava, and her friend Isla.
Although Jay tried hard to seem unfazed by Ivy's absence, I could tell it bothered him just from the looks he sent Isla's way, almost as if he expected the poor girl to use telepathy to make her friend attend the party.
"To Beautifully," Cayden said, raising his tumbler with whiskey on the rocks. "May it be your most successful creation."
We clinked our glasses and gulped down the drinks. My gaze collided with Ava's, who smiled at me shyly, clutching her goblet.
She looked stunning in her long red dress tonight. Content too, and her happiness had a lot to do with her new job. I wanted her to succeed in what she was passionate about. Although I could give her anything she needed, being self-sufficient was even more important to her now that she knew the truth about her birth mother.
I forced myself to tear my gaze away from Ava's crimson lips I couldn't wait to kiss and turned to Nick, who'd been on his phone since the celebration began.
"Checking what they say about us?" I nodded at the gadget in his hands.
He chuckled. "No. I don't want to know. Let me fool myself for a little longer, imagining everyone loved every song."
"What's not to love, Nicholas?" Jay winked, leaning against the wooden bar. "There's this song…Wait, what's the name…" He scratched his head. "Right. It's Riveted. Everyone's in awe of Jay Ashford's vocals. They say the guy can sing, unlike Jim O'Brien."
"Jay Ashford has a death wish," Finlay said, opening a bottle of water.
"Nah, he's right." I slung an arm around Jay's shoulders. "It's high time someone put O'Brien in his place."
Nick snickered. "Speaking of putting someone in their place, I heard rumors about our ex-boss."
Jay scrunched up his brows. "Wyatt? I assumed he and his little niece slithered away and hid under a stone like the snakes they are."
"Not without trying to get a job at pretty much every label first," Nick said. "Ben from Independent Records was at the party I went to yesterday, and he said they got Wyatt's resume last week. I'm sure Ben's label was Wyatt's last resort. They're small, very niche, and don't have enough resources to pay someone who's used to making as much as Wyatt."
"He's an industry pariah now. So sad. Well, not really." Jay laughed under his breath and shifted his gaze to me. "You must be happy, Jimmy boy."
I was happy no other musician would have to tolerate Wyatt and his abusive behavior, but not being hired wasn't enough punishment for the trouble he caused. While I was relieved his niece left Ava alone, a trace of skepticism lingered. People like her and her uncle didn't give up easily, and Wyatt's financial troubles might make him mad and thirsty for revenge.
