CHAPTER TWENTY
CARLY

This morning Adair burst into my office with all the confidence I’ve come to expect from him. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my entire life and that includes the time I had to tell the cops my brother was a danger to me during last year’s tour. Today, I took the first real step toward making a life for myself. A life which does not revolve around Adair Miller, even though the memories are still a part of my branding. I couldn’t make a clean break. What does that say about me? What he said about how much his brothers have given up hit home for me and really made me realize I need to stand on my own feet without expecting to be a part of this for the rest of my life. I need stability and I can’t rely on anyone else other than myself to provide it. I take a deep breath as I push the door open to Griffin’s studio. The walls are a bright teal that makes me smile just looking at it. It’s like summer blew up in here and it’s perfectly him, since he and London met on The Summer Tour, he wanted to make sure that was represented in his space.

“Oh, hi Carly,” he says, waving his hand in a gesture for me to walk over to where he’s hunched over the production equipment. Bright neon lights flicker across the board.

“I hope I’m not interrupting,” I say with a nervous quiver in my voice that even I can hear. I hope he didn’t notice, even though I don’t know how he could have missed it.

His eyes study me before he answers. I guess he did hear it in my voice after all. Great. “I’m just wrapping up some final touches on this demo I wanted to send over to the guys today for their approval.” He flips his thumb out pointing to a chair at the side of the production area. “Have a seat and tell me what’s going on.”

“Nothing,” I say matter-of-factly.

“Carly,” he says, spinning around in his seat to face me. “I’ve known you longer than anyone else here. Don’t try and lie to me now. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” I nod and rub my palms against my sides to wipe the puddles of sweat from them. “I just need to talk to you about something Adair told me this morning.”

“Whatever he did,” Griffin holds up both hands, “I’ll punch him.”

A chuckle escapes me as I shake my head. “It’s not like that. I mean—”

“It is like that, isn’t it?”

“It’s always like that with Adair, but that’s not why I’m here.”

His eyebrows come together wrinkling his forehead in a confused and concerned look. “What did he do?”

“He didn’t do anything.” Not this time, anyway. “He told me about how you made all of this possible.” I gesture toward the studio on just the other side of the glass. “He also told me what leaving The Machine has actually meant for all of you; and I just wanted to tell you that I appreciate the offer you made me, but I’m going to have to decline.”

“Carly…” Griffin’s hands go out in front of him in a knee-jerk reaction. “We can’t get someone else in here in enough time to save our butts from The Machine’s attacks.”

I would never make them bring in someone else. “That’s not what I mean. I have a business proposition for you.”

His eyes narrow as he leans back in his chair. “I’m listening.”

“Your offer, while incredibly generous, wasn’t the best thing for Amaryllis,” I start off.

“We made you an offer and we intend to stick to it. What we offered to pay you isn’t even enough to cover everything you’re actually doing for us here.”

Always the gentleman and the hero. I can’t fault him for that. “And I appreciate it, but I would like to offer my services to Amaryllis in exchange for office space.”

“Yeah, of course.” He nods, confused. “Do you need a bigger space? We can move you into one of the other studios we had planned on renting out.”

I hold both hands up to stop him. “That’s not what I mean. Instead of paying me the six-figures you offered, let’s do a tradeoff. One friend helping another friend, while we’re both trying to get our new businesses off the ground.”

“You help us, and we just let you keep your office?” Griffin scowls. “We’d let you have that office, anyway. You don’t have to do anything for us. You’ve already done more than you know.”

“Actually, I think it’s the other way around. You guys were all there for me even when my own family wasn’t. It’s time for me to pay that back in the only way I can.”

“You don’t owe us anything.”

I refuse to accept that. “I will keep running the brand and marketing, while building up my client list to include those outside of Amaryllis, so all my eggs aren’t in one very confined basket.” I take a deep breath. “And in exchange, instead of payment, I’ll get to run my business from the back office like I’ve been doing anyway.” I cringe.

“Wait,” he sits up, realization hitting him. “You already started your own business?”

I nod. “I have.”

He jumps up and wraps both arms around me in a big bear hug. “I’m so proud of you!” He’s more excited than I was when I got the paperwork in the mail. “Do you have cards? Give me all the information so we can send everyone we know your way.”

The tears are already stinging the corners of my eyes again. My nose burns. I swallow hard, but the lump in my throat doesn’t budge. “I have to go,” I tell him. “But before I do, I just want you to know that your support has meant the world to me.”

He gives me a sad smile. “I’m sorry Stone isn’t here.” His arms squeeze me around the waist again. “Just now, you’re family to all of us. Even if some of us are more of a challenge to get along with than others,” he says, gritting his teeth.

He’s right. This is my family. Sometimes you have to take the good with the bad.