Page 12 of Rush

Riley strides right in front of me, grabbing my hands. “You don’t have to hold it together now, okay? Not with me.”

A tear slides down my cheek before I can stop it, and she squeezes my hands tighter.

“I don’t get it,” I say hoarsely. “I gave him everything. I let him in. And he…” My lip quivers. Tears breach the walls I’ve barely built, streaming in front of Riley. She has always been my rock.

She wraps her arms around me and hugs me hard, holding me while I sob.

“Did he give you a reason?” she asks, as she lets me go, searching my face for answers she won’t find.

I shake my head.

Riley’s eyes fill with tears as well, though hers burn with rage; she pulls me into her arms again as I cry against her.

I don’t know how we ended up on the floor, a mess of tears, but we lay there in silence; the kind that makes you feel empty and full all at once. I wipe my eyes, trying to pull myself back together when Riley finally breaks the quiet.

“And how does Broderick fit into all of this?”

“He came over to surprise me for my birthday. I thought it was Alex, we kissed, I cried, he felt bad, so he stayed, the end,” I rush out, heaving a sigh.

I wish it were that simple.

“You kissed!?” she screams, sitting up from the floor to look at me.

“I was drunk. It was dark, and I thought he was Alex.”

“Right,” she says. “You know...guys don’t just show up on your birthday like that for no reason, Elena.”

I open my mouth to deny it, or maybe to admit what I can’t bring myself to admit, when a buzzing on the nightstand cuts through the conversation like a siren.

I get up off the floor and reach for it, thankful for the interruption, but my stomach twists when I see Kylie’s name flashing on the screen.

“Hey,” I answer, trying to keep my voice steady.

I watch as Riley hops gets up and sits on the bed in front of me, mouthing ‘speaker’.

I hit the button, and Kylie’s voice fills the room, fast and unfiltered.

“Elena, hi! Okay, so I’ve got good news and bad news.”

I glance at Riley, concern painted on her face as she fiddles with her damp hair.

“Okay...”

“So, good news first, your album is blowing up. Streaming numbers are insane. Seriously, you’re about to chart in three countries.”

My mouth falls open. “What?”

Relief sweeps over me as Riley claps in silence, her eyes wide with excitement. I let out a shaky laugh, head dropping into my hands.

I can’t believe it.

“It’s huge. Everyone is talking about it, and your birthday performance last night is still trending.”

“Okay. Now the bad news?”

She hesitates for a moment, and I know it can’t be good.

Riley stills as we both stare at the phone, waiting.