Page 17 of Speechless
She did some deep breathing before giggling as she watched me sketch on her leg. “Remember when you gave Mama that little flower tattoo on her ankle to celebrate her sixtieth? I thought she was gonna wet herself.”
“Yeah, good times.”
Our mama had always been pretty conservative, but she wanted to do something fun and out of character for her milestone birthday, so we’d taken her to Vegas for the weekend and when we got back, I’d given her the tattoo she’d always talked about getting to honor her late mother.
“Have you talked to Mama lately?” Grace asked.
“You know if we don’t call her every damn day she threatens to send out a search party.” I rolled my eyes. “She called as I was getting out of the shower this morning, wanting to know if I’ve had another date with Austin.”
“And? Have you?”
“Uh, no.” I didn’t want to get into another Mav discussion with my sister, but I knew I’d have to explain what happened with Austin eventually. Might as well get it over with. “He called to tell me we couldn’t see each other anymore.”
She winced as she watched the needle pierce her skin. “Seriously? Why?”
“He’s Mav’s producer. What are the odds, right?” Probably pretty good, since Austin was the most sought-after producer in Nashville and Mav was the latest artist people couldn’t stop talking about.
“You’re kidding.”
“Wish I was.” I wasn’t that broken up about not seeing Austin again. He was hot, and seemed like a good guy, but anyone who was willing to put his career ahead of me, wasn’t the man to steal my single status.
“How did he find out about you and Maverick? You told him?”
“Uh no.” I knew how bad this was going to sound, but I didn’t lie to my family. Ever. “Mav did. I guess he didn’t want there to be any secrets or awkwardness between them. You know, since they work so closely.”
“I call bullshit, sis. It sounds like Mav just couldn’t stand seeing you happy with someone else, even after all these years.” Before I could object, she said, “You know what I heard on the radio? That he told some D.J. that he’d written that song, Setting You Free, for his high school girlfriend. You were basically his only high school girlfriend. At least the only one who meant anything to him, which means he wrote that song for you.”
“Hmm.” I already knew that, since he’d dedicated it to me at the show, without naming names.
“You don’t sound surprised.”
“I guess you haven’t seen the video online.” It had been making its rounds on socials. The song Mav sang and the girl he was looking at in the crowd when he sang it. Me.
“What video?”
“I guess one of his team posted it online. It was just Mav singing that song…” I dreaded telling her this part, but I knew it was only a matter of time before she saw the video for herself. “And dedicating it to me.”
“What?” she screeched, drawing the attention of everyone around us.
“Would you calm down,” I said, between clenched teeth. “I don’t need everyone to know my business.”
She rubbed her forehead. “I don’t like this at all, Codie. It sounds like he’s trying to get you back.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. He’s probably just trying to get a head-start on making amends with the people he wronged and starting with me. You know that’s one of the 12-steps. He’s probably read the Big Book and—” I shut my mouth when she gave me the look, letting me know I was wasting my time trying to convince her.
“What are you going to do about this? Please tell me you’re not seriously considering—”
“It’s frowned upon for people to start new relationships in their first year of sobriety, so even if I was still interested in Mav, which I’m not, it would be a moot point.”
“Oh please, when have you ever known Mav to follow the rules?”
She had a point. “But the rules do matter to me. Meetings, the program, they saved my life. I don’t have to tell you that. And I hope it can do the same for Mav. So, I’m not going to do anything to undermine his recovery.”
“It sounds to me like you’re putting him first, again. What about your sobriety, sis?”
“My sobriety would never be at risk because of a man. I’m over all the co-dependent shit. And you, of all people, should know that.”
She bit her lip, watching me work. “You’re the strongest woman I know, no doubt. And I couldn’t be prouder of you, but I still worry, ya know.”
