DRASTIC (Book 4 of the Soundcrush Series)

Chapter 51: Smart Girls Conspire With Hippie Chics

New combo! Marley and Ashlynn! I truly think these two are cut from the same cloth. Love them together!

Marley

It's not often that I have difficulty communicating. All of my professional training has taught me how to listen, process, and respond with logical language.

For the life of me, I can't make Riley hear me right now. For the second day in a row, I'm trying to quit my job. For the second day in a row, Riley is refusing to let me.

We are Facetiming, and he's giving me this look that should be impossible to make, but somehow I can read it well. He's demeanor is teetering between paternal indulgence and complete exasperation with me.

"Marley, nothing has changed since yesterday."

Well actually mate, quite a bit has changed since yesterday.

I feel the weight of my clothes on my newly alive skin as I think about the way everything tipped this morning. The fight with Darius, Bodie's confessions about his thug night, my final dismissal of Dr. Watkins between me and Bodie.

I feel awake in a way I can't remember feeling. I feel scared for Bodie. I feel full of anxiety about what is to come with the drug sting. I feel uncertain about learning to coparent.

But I also feel magicked by Bodie's scent, the timbre of his voice—even his absence right now is affecting me.

For the first time in my whole life, I feel loved by a man who will fight for me like I will fight for him.

"Riley, I can not take a salary for being Bodie's sobriety companion when he and I are romantically involved." How many other ways can I say the same thing?

"Is Bodie's sobriety still one of your top priorities?"

"Yes, of course, but—"

"Are you planning to encourage him to stick to his methadone therapy, his exercise regimen, and all his other sober habits?"

"Absolutely, but—"

"Still willing to go with him to the drug testing, the methadone clinic? Still willing to moderate between him and his assigned methadone counselor?"

"You know I am, but—"

"Then you are doing the same job, love. Let's hold off on any formal changes—"

"Riley, you aren't listening. All those things I want to do because I love him. I'm in love with him. My professional judgment is completely compromised."

Riley laughs at that one. "You were in love with him the day I hired you. Your judgment has always been compromised. I only wanted to give you a little leverage to wield while he was still using. Now that he's sober and fully invested in you and Darius, you have a completely different kind of leverage with him. Erego, nothing has to change—"

"It does. It really does. Taking a salary for counseling the man I love—the man I'm sleeping with," I hiss reluctantly, "it feels wrong. It feels like I'm either manipulating him or...devaluing myself. Devaluing our relationship." I conclude.

Riley rips off his glasses and frowns. "Manipulating him. Devaluing yourself? And your relationship"

"Yes."

He rubs his eyes. "Well, that hits a nerve."

Oh. Wow.

"Riley, I was speaking strictly about my feelings. I was not making a judgment about you and Rowan del Marco."

"I know that." He's rubbing his glasses now. He puts them back on and levels carefully before looking straight at me.

"Marley, can I ask you two perfectly frank questions with you?"