She’d seen him walk in to the restaurant, but he’d been wearing a suit again, and he’d been with a stranger that she could only have assumed was the investor he’d been talking to. She’d tried to avoid making a scene, and to leave quietly.
Except Bolton had held so tightly to her hand she’d been forced to dump her water in his lap. He’d released her immediately to try to sop up the mess, and she’d grabbed her purse and run, trying to put some distance between her and that asshole.
The irony that, six weeks ago, she would have judged Bolton to be the more respectable, upstanding guy over Chris, just based on their appearance, wasn’t lost on her.
He’s a no-talent thug. Bolton had scoffed, right from the start, and when Minh had given him a hard look and said, No, he’s a genius, Bolton had backed off.
But he’d found other ways—more subtle ways—to make digs at Chris. At his intelligence. His ability to lead. Whether or not taking a risk like he had on Phantom Studios was a good idea.
And all of it came down to how Chris had dared to be different.
She’d never been so angry. She’d never thought she could be that angry, especially when talking about someone not doing what they were expected to do. What they were supposed to do. Because, in the end, Chris was doing what he was supposed to do. He was different and wonderful and everything that was going to make his studio a success.
And she hadn’t had the nerve to break her own fear and tell him that she loved him. He’d thought the worst of her, and now he didn’t want her.
She couldn’t call him again. Couldn’t put herself on the line like that again. She’d tried, but…she wasn’t as strong as he was.
It was time to make a change, then. To break her own rules and get away from the pain. Maybe things would work out. Maybe they never would. But she couldn’t stay where she’d been for so long, in a place where she didn’t belong anymore.
She picked up the phone again and dialed.
…
Chris turned the envelope over and over in his hands.
The recording session was in three more days. Harmon had watched the film and called Chris to offer his investment in Phantom Studios.
Harmon wanted to keep the score as it was, though.
“Just get those last two pieces finished up, do the recording session, and we’ll get the ball rolling on the rest of it. I’ll have the papers sent over. We can do an official press release once you’ve finished the final recording.”
These last two songs from Minh would mean they’d be done, but he was having a hard time accepting that she was going to be a part of his biggest work forever. It galled him, to have to share his big debut with her. He’d thought she’d really seen past his defenses. But she was as blind as everyone else.
But he was running out of time, and he had to admit that without her work and her advice, he never would have gotten the investment…
Fuck.
She’d e-mailed him the two missing songs over the weekend, but he’d deleted them both. But she’d sent a hard copy, too, that had arrived this morning. He still hadn’t worked up the courage to pop the thumb drive in his computer and just listen.
Pussy.
What would be so wrong with just listening? What if it was decent? They needed to finish the score. The recording session was on Thursday, for fuck’s sake. What if it was great, and he missed the chance to record it?
But the fear of pain…how could he listen to something she’d written without thinking of how she’d hurt him?
He took a deep breath. Slid the drive out of the envelope…
That was the moment that Daria stormed through the door of the studio, the heavy metal door slamming against the wall and making the whole fucking building shake. Chris shot out of his chair as she strode toward him. “What happened? What’s wrong?”
She was in front of him in a second, poking him in the chest, getting up in his face. “What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” She reached out and smacked the side of his head, and not gently, either. “That’s what I want to know! Why have you been hiding? Where have you been?”
“Ow! Don’t hit me! And I haven’t been hiding. I’ve been at work. You could have found me here anytime. I swear to God, Daria! You scared the shit out of me! I thought someone—” The thought occurred to him, and he had to sit down again all of a sudden. “Has something happened to Minh?”
“Don’t be such a stupid shit-for-brains. Of course something happened to her. You acted like a complete douche and broke her heart. So, yeah, I’d say something happened.”
“That’s ridiculous. I never had her heart to break.”
“Do you really think she cheated on you?”
“She did cheat on me! You should know what that feels like!”
Daria gasped loudly, her face paling as she took a step backward. Chris heard a chair scrape back, and in a fraction of a second, Shen was standing next to Daria, holding her steady.
“Don’t be a shit, man. You’ve been acting like an asshole all week long. Be nice.”