didn’t have as much in common as we used to, and maybe the fact that we didn’t speak for so long cemented the fact that we weren’t going to be friends for the rest of our lives.
I figured I’d give it one more shot after my show that night. Maybe Dillon could give us some time alone. I wished he wasn’t coming, because there was nothing more I hated than acting out our fake relationship, but he’d been home in Detroit for a concert and had gotten into a fight with his girlfriend in public. The media had witnessed it and printed the pictures, making it seem like they were in a lover’s quarrel, which looked bad since he was supposed to be dating me, not some girl in Michigan. She’d apparently threatened to end things with him if he didn’t tell his management team to fuck off, but I knew his hands were tied. He loved her, and he wanted to be with her, but they were giving him a hard time.
May be Dillon and Ryder’s boyfriend Jake could hang out with Paul and the guys from Star Finger. They’d probably all get along well. That would give Ryder and me some time to talk. Maybe we just needed to clear the air.
My phone dinged as I was looking around the room to see if I’d forgotten anything. I grabbed it off the bed and looked at the screen. It was a text from Ryder.
I’m sorry. I can’t make it tonight. Frat thing came up. Maybe next time.
I sank down on the bed and dropped my shoulders. That was it. He was blowing me off. I hated the feeling, but the worst part was that I always felt this way. I was always getting rejected by guys, and I was tired of it. Of course, this was different. Ryder wasn’t into women, which made it worse because he was blowing me off as a friend, not as a girlfriend.
With a heavy heart, I gathered up my huge Marc Jacobs tote and left the suite, sliding my sunglasses on as I closed the door behind me. Pablo, my main security guy, was waiting outside.
“Ready Sydney?”
I nodded. My throat was so thick that I was afraid if I spoke, Pablo would know I was about to lose it. It was going to be a long day.
* * *
That afternoon Dillon showed up in my hotel suite and collapsed on my couch in a heap.
“I hate this,” he grumbled, and then he looked up at where I stood drinking a bottle of water in the kitchen. “No offense.”
I shook my head, walked over to him and perched on the arm of the couch. “None taken. I’m only doing this because there isn’t anyone in my life. If I had a boyfriend who my management team told me I couldn’t be with, I’d feel the same way. Even if you are adorable.” I said the last part in a baby voice and poked his cheek with my index finger.
“Stop it,” he said, giggling and swatting my finger away. At least he was smiling.
He sat up and leaned his head back against the couch. “Meredith is so pissed. She’s seriously going to break up with me. I know it.”
“Is it worth it?” I asked him, and he looked up at me for a few seconds.
“Is what worth what?”
I slid down next to him and tucked my feet under me. “Well, you have this awesome chance to make it in the music world, but you can’t be with the girl you love. That sucks, but I think you have to ask yourself how much she loves you if she won’t support what you need to do to achieve your dreams.”
He rolled his head so he was looking at me. “She doesn’t understand this world. Hell, I don’t understand it half the time. I was so naïve when I signed that contract. I was so excited to have been chosen to be in Westside that I didn’t think it through. I never expected this.”
“But Meredith knows we’re not really together, right?”
He shrugged. “I told her, but she doesn’t always believe me. She’s always been the type of girl who took the tabloids at face value. She couldn’t even fathom that fake relationships like this happen in the real world, unbeknownst to so many people.”
“It happens all the time.”
“I know. I know that now, and a part
I figured I’d give it one more shot after my show that night. Maybe Dillon could give us some time alone. I wished he wasn’t coming, because there was nothing more I hated than acting out our fake relationship, but he’d been home in Detroit for a concert and had gotten into a fight with his girlfriend in public. The media had witnessed it and printed the pictures, making it seem like they were in a lover’s quarrel, which looked bad since he was supposed to be dating me, not some girl in Michigan. She’d apparently threatened to end things with him if he didn’t tell his management team to fuck off, but I knew his hands were tied. He loved her, and he wanted to be with her, but they were giving him a hard time.
May be Dillon and Ryder’s boyfriend Jake could hang out with Paul and the guys from Star Finger. They’d probably all get along well. That would give Ryder and me some time to talk. Maybe we just needed to clear the air.
My phone dinged as I was looking around the room to see if I’d forgotten anything. I grabbed it off the bed and looked at the screen. It was a text from Ryder.
I’m sorry. I can’t make it tonight. Frat thing came up. Maybe next time.
I sank down on the bed and dropped my shoulders. That was it. He was blowing me off. I hated the feeling, but the worst part was that I always felt this way. I was always getting rejected by guys, and I was tired of it. Of course, this was different. Ryder wasn’t into women, which made it worse because he was blowing me off as a friend, not as a girlfriend.
With a heavy heart, I gathered up my huge Marc Jacobs tote and left the suite, sliding my sunglasses on as I closed the door behind me. Pablo, my main security guy, was waiting outside.
“Ready Sydney?”
I nodded. My throat was so thick that I was afraid if I spoke, Pablo would know I was about to lose it. It was going to be a long day.
* * *
That afternoon Dillon showed up in my hotel suite and collapsed on my couch in a heap.
“I hate this,” he grumbled, and then he looked up at where I stood drinking a bottle of water in the kitchen. “No offense.”
I shook my head, walked over to him and perched on the arm of the couch. “None taken. I’m only doing this because there isn’t anyone in my life. If I had a boyfriend who my management team told me I couldn’t be with, I’d feel the same way. Even if you are adorable.” I said the last part in a baby voice and poked his cheek with my index finger.
“Stop it,” he said, giggling and swatting my finger away. At least he was smiling.
He sat up and leaned his head back against the couch. “Meredith is so pissed. She’s seriously going to break up with me. I know it.”
“Is it worth it?” I asked him, and he looked up at me for a few seconds.
“Is what worth what?”
I slid down next to him and tucked my feet under me. “Well, you have this awesome chance to make it in the music world, but you can’t be with the girl you love. That sucks, but I think you have to ask yourself how much she loves you if she won’t support what you need to do to achieve your dreams.”
He rolled his head so he was looking at me. “She doesn’t understand this world. Hell, I don’t understand it half the time. I was so naïve when I signed that contract. I was so excited to have been chosen to be in Westside that I didn’t think it through. I never expected this.”
“But Meredith knows we’re not really together, right?”
He shrugged. “I told her, but she doesn’t always believe me. She’s always been the type of girl who took the tabloids at face value. She couldn’t even fathom that fake relationships like this happen in the real world, unbeknownst to so many people.”
“It happens all the time.”
“I know. I know that now, and a part
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