“You were in Drex Martin’s video?” Rhyson stands over me, scrolling through the same story on his phone, a frown puckering his face.

Drex hasn’t entered my mind in months. Seeing my name linked to his in print rattles me, floods my mind with fractured images from a dark night I’m glad I barely remember.

“Yeah, it was a fluke, but yeah.”

“Fluke?” He tosses the phone onto the lounge chair and returns his eyes to my face. “How do you mean?”

“It was my first month here.” I pick at a few chunks of cheese, but my appetite is suddenly gone. “I was taking a dance class at the rec center, and one of the instructors was booked for Drex’s video, but sprained her ankle.”

I shrug, giving up completely on the food and lying back in the lounger, crossing my ankles.

“She’d seen me dance and recommended me to take her place. It wasn’t a big deal. Didn’t get much attention since the song didn’t do that well.”

“His songs never do.” Rhyson’s voice is heavy with disgust.

“You guys know each other?” Dread creeps over me as I wait for his response.

Rhyson scoots behind me on the lounge, coaxing my head back against his chest so he can run his fingers through my tangled hair.

“Let’s just say if life was a Marvel comic,” Rhyson says, pulling my elbows up on his knees so I can get more comfortable between his legs. “Drex and I would be arch nemeses.”

The dread that was creeping over me freezes into a sheet of ice covering every inch of my body.

“Wh-why? What do you have against him?”

“Plenty, but it started with what he had against me.” Rhyson pushes my hair to the side, dropping a kiss on my neck.

“I met Drex at the School for the Arts, same as Marlon and Jim. He assumed I would be an entitled, arrogant prick and hated me on sight.”

Rhyson laughs behind me.

“When in all actuality, I was a total and complete dork. He tried to make life hell for me. Petra and I were still dating, even though she lived in Russia. We were basically glorified pen pals. I mean, my parents kind of orchestrated it. But we were dating, and she was on tour here, so she visited.”

“What happened?” I ask, afraid of how this is unfolding.

“He fucked her.”

Oh. God.

“He wh-what?” I turn, twisting around to see his face.

“Yeah, he’s the one she cheated with.” Rhyson’s mouth tips in a wry grin. “We weren’t in love or anything, but it still hurt and was embarrassing as fuck.”

“So that’s why you hate him.”

“Oh, it goes much deeper than that.”

Deeper than Drex screwing his girlfriend? How much deeper could it go? I’m afraid to find out.

“Not sure if you remember when my first album dropped,” Rhyson says, “but there were several tracks leaked. And they weren’t even mastered. They sounded awful. It almost ruined my release. Definitely cost me sales. I know he was behind it.”

“No way. Oh my gosh, Rhyson, are you sure?”

“I can’t prove it, but he was in the studio a few nights, and one of his boys was an engineer on the project. There’s no doubt in my mind.”

This is so much worse than I thought.

“Even now,” Rhyson continues. “If he’s at Wood, they give me a heads up. I’m not the only owner, and he and I are cool with some of the same people even though we aren’t cool with each other. But everyone knows we can’t be in the same room. If he’s booked, they let me know.”

“Why do you think he hated you so much?”

“I don’t know how it started, except jealousy maybe. He had no idea that I’d been through hell. From the outside looking in, it probably seemed to him that I had it all. He just always wanted what was mine.”

His phone rings, and Rhyson grunts, glancing at the screen.

“I promise this is the last call.” He swings one leg over the lounge, standing up. “It’s Bris again.”

He leans down, teasing me with his eyes before kissing my lips quickly.

“Apparently everyone’s really interested in my new girlfriend.”

He walks a few feet away, giving me just enough space to draw a deep breath and consider all that he just told me.

He just always wanted what was mine.

How can I tell Rhyson that Drex had something else that was his? How can I tell him that Drex had me?

I’M TIRED OF THIS ALREADY. IT’S been a week since the pictures posted and the story broke, and photographers still seem to be everywhere I am. I keep telling myself it will die down, but as soon as I step out of the rec center after my dance class, a pack of photographers swell forward, hurling questions at me, shoving cameras in my face.

“Kai, how long have you and Rhyson been together?”

“Are you living with him?”

“Will you be going on the road with him?”

I ignore them, just like Rhyson told me to, lowering my head even though my hair is pulled up and doesn’t shield my face from the cameras’ flashes.

I estimate how long it will take me to run to the bus stop, already regretting telling Rhyson I’d be fine without Gep. The girls from my class laugh and squeal behind me, but I don’t turn to say good-bye. I take off running, partly to put distance between me and the paps. Partly because I can’t afford to miss the next bus.

A few of the persistent ones chase me for a little bit, but honestly, I’m not that big of a deal. I expect this rabid interest to pass soon. Rhyson’s the star. Not me.

Not yet. Maybe after this lunch meeting, I’ll be one step closer.

As soon as I sit on the bus, my phone rings.

“What took you so long to call me back, San?”

“I do have a job and all, Kai. I mean, I know I’m not dating a rock star like you, but you’re not the only one with a life.”

“San, this is serious.” I can’t believe I’m having to swallow back tears on the Metro, surrounded by people who could have been Googling me this morning.

“What’s wrong, pipsqueak?” His voice holds concern that undoes me even more, forcing a tear down my cheek.

“I’m going to lose him,” I whisper, lowering my head and cupping my hand around my brow to shield my eyes.

“Kai, calm down. That guy’s nose is wide open for you.”

“No, listen to me. D’you remember Drex Martin?”

“I thought you said we weren’t ever to talk about him again?” San slows his words down because he knows for me to bring up Drex this must be serious.

“Rhyson hates Drex. Like despises him to the point of won’t be in the same room with him.”

“It can’t be that bad.”

“No, it is.” I close my eyes, replaying my conversation with Rhyson and the horror I felt the more he shared. “Petra, Rhyson’s only other girlfriend, cheated with Drex in high school.”

“Damn. That’s bad, but it was high school. I’m sure Rhyson’s not still stuck on that.”

“And then Rhyson’s convinced Drex leaked those tracks from his first album.”

“Aw, hell. That is bad.”

“If Rhyson ever finds out I . . .” I look around the bus, not sure who might be listening or have their phones recording me. “He can’t find out, San.”

“I think you should just tell him, Kai.”

“No, you don’t understand.” I press a trembling hand to my forehead. “We just started, and I love him, San. Like, I love him. I can’t lose him now.”

“You won’t. Rhyson’s not unreasonable. He’ll understand that you and Drex had your thing before you even knew him. Just—”

A beep from another call cuts off whatever San would have said. I glance at my screen. My heart lifts and falls when I see R. Geritol.

“I gotta go, San. It’s Rhys. Can you still drop me off at his place later?”

“Yes, and tell him!”

“Bye, San.”

I switch over.

“Hey, baby,” I say quietly.

“Hey, Pep. You okay?”

I try to steady my voice and sound as normal as I can.