When Mrs. Infamous Chose The Masochist...(BOOK 5)

Chapter 13

Mae's eyes widened after I told her I was Remington's fiancée, and I thought she'd scream at me to leave, but she ended up to leaving the booth. I guess the fact that Remington is engaged now to someone like me baffled her and she ran out of things to say to me or Rem. I wasn't sure if I did something good or bad, so I just turned to face Rem and ask if he was okay after all that with Mae. He let out a sigh of relief and nodded before placing a hand on my cheek and pulling me in to kiss my lips. The sudden action caught me off-guard as I kissed back lightly and rested my hand on his chest. He pulled away and whispered with a soft smile, "I didn't think I'd love you more than I already do. But hearing you defend me while also calling yourself my fiancée so proudly makes me want to kiss every inch of you right here in the booth even if everyone is watching." His words made me blush furiously as he gave me a small wink before we both walked out of the booth, my hand still holding his.

We found Mae outside the room in the hallway, looking upset about what happened, but more toward herself. I decided I should talk to her so she doesn't feel any resentment toward me. I asked Rem to wait for me for a few minutes, and he did so without any questions as I walked through the door and closed it before stepping closer to Mae. She had her back leaned up against the wall with her arms still crossed, her face unreadable yet she remained silent and didn't say anything even when I leaned back on the wall beside her. I hung my head and looked at my feet as I began speaking, "Look, I, um...I didn't mean to talk to you like that. I really don't mean any disrespect toward you or anyone in your group. I'm a songwriter so I'd understand how you feel if someone said something about a song I wrote. But Remington would never try to bring you down, he just wants to help you reach a better level with your music, in the most constructive and respectful way. I would have told you all this calmly, but I just couldn't keep hearing you say awful things about Rem that weren't true."

She didn't respond in any way for a couple of seconds and I was afraid I've already made an enemy out of Rem's first love from his past. I lastly stated, "Anyway, I'm sorry. Please don't hold this against anyone else" before I turned to walk away, but then I heard Mae call out, "How?" I stopped walking when I heard her and turned around before walking back to her, confused about what she just asked, "Pardon?" She looked me up and down and raised a eyebrow in suspicion before clarifying, "How in the world did he make someone like you his fiancée? I would've thought he'd pay you or he made some kind of deal with you. But the way you talk about him is so free of bullshit, you sound like you're genuinely in love with him." I couldn't help it as I blushed and faced away from her. She exclaimed in pure shock, "Holy shit, you really do love him! But why? The Remington I knew was hurtful and manipulative, not caring about anyone but himself. What has he done for you to be so devoted and caring toward him?"

I laughed and just said, "It's a long story. I don't think you want the details if you keep thinking of Rem as something he isn't anymore. At least since he met me." Her expression changed when I said that, and she almost looked guilty. I let out a long sigh as I began to be honest with her, "Listen, I'm not trying to make you friends with people you can't trust. I'm just asking you to understand that Remington isn't like that anymore. Whatever happened between you two remained in the past and I'm sure he hates himself for what he did to you. You two aren't just singers, you're both real artists who want to make the best music for your fans to enjoy. If you two could learn to work a little better at least with an open mind, I think your song could turn out better than expected." She looked back at me and while I thought she'd still be upset, she rubbed her forehead and let out a groan as she said, "I guess I've been more stressed out about this collaboration than I expected. I should be better than this."

She looked at me and asked me, "What's your name?" I smiled in silent enthusiasm as I replied with, "Carina Wisteria. I just graduated college a few months ago and joined this label as a songwriter." Mae raised her brows and nodded with approval as she held her hand out and I took it before we shook hands and she properly introduced herself, "Mae Amberleigh, lead singer and co-creator of ELYSIAN. I didn't go to college but I worked my ass off to get to where I am now. Still, I'm surprised Remington ended up with such a pretty girl who's got a degree." I shrugged as I let her hand go and explained, "I don't mean to be defined by it. I just wanted to make sure I'd be able to take care of myself and not rely on anyone. I love Remington, but he knows for a fact that I'm much too independent to fully depend on him for anything and he accepts that perfectly." Mae nodded and seemed intrigued, "Huh...a woman who defends the man she loves yet she's doesn't entirely need him to be a great success.  Now, I'm very interested to hear about how you two met." I laughed and told her, "I'd love to, but you should get your work done for today. I've already held you back enough." She shook her head and stated before going back inside, "Nah, that was me. But I appreciate your humble nature, it's refreshingly human."