Accidents Happen

Chapter 12

(Skylar's P.O.V)
"Skylar! There's someone here to see you!" My mom says from the stairs. Ricky grabs my hand and follows me up the stairs.
"Hi, Skylar. I'm your new manager, Claire." A woman says cheerfully.
"Oh, hi! I wasn't expecting someone so soon." I say smiling, shaking her hand.
"Let's just say, someone made a few calls for you." She says smiling and I look over my shoulder at Ricky.
"I don't know what she's talking about." He lies and I smile at him.
"Thank you." I tell him, making him nod happily.
"So, I will be here tomorrow at 7:30 to take you to set. Anything I should know before I go?" She asks me, her cheerful attitude getting me excited about working with her.
"I don't think so. Except that I can get a little pushy sometimes." I admit to her.
"No big deal. And Lisa no longer has contact with anyone associated to you." She tells me.
"Good, I don't need her sabotaging my career." I smile at her.
"I understand. It was very lovely meeting you. I look forward to working with you. And I look forward to working with you as well, Ricky." She says, shaking our hands before turning and leaving.
"You really did that?" I ask, turning to look at him.
"I might've made a few calls. I knew how stressed out you were over it so I thought I'd help you out." He shrugs, swinging our hands slowly.
"You are amazing." I smile, kissing his cheek gently.
"Oh, no, c'mon." He blushes, looking at the ground.
"Seriously, Ricky. I mean it." I smile, his smile growing.
"Really?" He asks softly and I smile.
"Really, really." I giggle, stepping closer to him.
"It wasn't a big deal, you know." He shrugs, looking at me. I smile and he leans in, his lips gently catching mine in a soft kiss. We pull away and he rests his forehead against mine gently.
"You know I'd do anything for you, right?" He asks softly, his hand still holding mine.
"Yeah." I smile at him.
"Good." He says and I nod, giggling softly.
"Stop being cute." He whines, making me laugh.
"I'm not meaning to be." I giggle, pushing him gently.
"You don't even have to try." He says, grabbing my other hand, making me giggle again.
"You know you have problems right?" I ask smiling at him.
"Yeah, I do. She's standing in front of me." He teases me and I laugh, punching his arm lightly.
"I'm just kidding, baby. You're the best problem that's ever happened to me." He says and I smile shyly, burying my head in chest. He chuckles softly, wrapping his arms around me tightly.
"Skylar!" My mom says from the kitchen.
"Mood killer." I giggle quietly, Ricky smiling and kissing my forehead gently before following me into the kitchen.
"This is the first home cooked meal I've had for a while." I say, my mom nodding in agreement.
"Always busy, huh?" Ricky asks me, nudging me slightly.
"Everyday. Sometimes it's so bad I don't get home until 3:00, then have to get up three hours later and do it all over again." I say and he nods.
"It can be pretty hectic sometimes, but it's the memories that make it worth it." He says smiling.
"I agree. Although lately, my memories haven't been too great." I admit, and he looks at me.
"I know, but just focus on the good, babe." He says, making me smile as he walks away and goes to sit at the table. I hear my phone start ringing, but I ignore it, sitting at the table and enjoying the first home cooked meal I've had in a long time. My phone starts ringing again and I groan quietly.
"I'll be back." I say and my mom nods, dismissing me from the table. I go upstairs to my room and grab my phone, answering it on the second to last ring.
"Hello?" I ask into the phone.
"Skylar! Hi, it's Simon from Hollywood Records. Do you know where Ricky is?" He asks curiously.
"I'm not sure. Why?" I lie, sitting on the edge of my bed, looking at the floor.
"Okay, well I was just wondering, he hasn't been answering his phone, so I thought I'd check with you." He says and I bite my lip, worried that he's caught on to me.
"Skylar, are you still there?" He asks after a couple seconds of silence.
"Yeah." I say, playing with the ends of my hair.
"He's with you isn't he?" Simon asks, his mood turning from cheerful to upset in just seconds.
"It's not his fault. Okay? I needed someone to talk to and he was the only one I could trust. It's my fault. Not his." I snap, hearing Simon chuckle, almost evily.
"I want you and him in my office in one hour. Understood?" He says angrily.
"Yes, sir." I sigh, defeated. I hang up the phone and put it in my pocket, standing up and walking downstairs.
"You okay?" Ricky asks worriedly.
"No." I sigh, sitting in my chair, the food on my plate suddenly seeming unappetizing to me.
"What is it?" My mom asks me.
"Um, Simon wants us in his office in an hour." I say, staring at the table.
"Sky, it'll be okay. We got this." Ricky says, grabbing my hand gently. I nod and look at my mom.
"You should probably call Claire." She says and I nod, taking my hand from Ricky's and going into the living room, dialing my new manager's number. I stand by the window, waiting for her to pick up.
"Claire speaking. What can I do for you?" She asks cheerfully.
"Hey, Claire. It's Skylar. I need you to come and get me, I have to go to Hollywood Records in an hour." I tell her, trying to fight off the tears that threaten to build up.
"Right away! I'll be there in 10 minutes!" She says and hangs up. I put my phone in my pocket and wipe my eyes, letting out a sigh.
"I know you're not crying." Ricky says, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind.
"I am." I sigh, leaning my head against his neck.
"We'll be okay. Remember what you said? We'll get through this, together?" He asks me and I nod slowly.
"I just...I don't wanna lose you." I say, closing my eyes as a few tears fall down my face.
"Hey, Sky. I'm not gonna let him take you away from me. Okay?" He says softly, hugging my waist a little tighter.
"I'm just worried he'll force me to stay away from you. Or worse, I'm worried he'll drop you." I sniffle, cuddling into him.
"If he drops us, fine. I'd rather be happy with you than to see you go through a living nightmare." He says softly, leaning his head against mine gently.
"I want you to live your dream, Ricky." I say, looking up at him without moving an inch.
"Sky, I promise. We'll be okay." He says softly, making me nod.
"I love you." I mumble to him, a smile coming to his face.
"I love you even more." He smiles, pecking my lips gently. I giggle, amazed at how easily he can change my mood.
"Claire's here!" My mom says, making me nod.
"We got this." Ricky assures me, grabbing my hand and walking with me out to the car. We both get in the car, waiting for Claire to speed off like Lisa did, but she actually doesn't skid on to the freeway.

(Ricky's P.O.V)
Truth be told, I was terrified, but I had to be strong for Skylar. I can only imagine how difficult this is for her. I mean, our jobs balance on her decisions. It's not her fault though, she signed the contract to help us out. Who knew we'd fall for each other? I guess Accidents Happen.