Hat Trick (Fake Boyfriend 5)

“Hey, that’s my song,” I correct. “And, wait, there’s video?”

I knew I shouldn’t have joined that band on stage the other night.

“It’s everywhere,” Luce says. “I’m surprised you haven’t seen it.”

“My brother made us turn off social media.”

I feel the shift in the group around us, but I ignore it. Whether it’s over the fact “Someone Else’s Perfect” is my song or because my manager is here and I’m in trouble, I don’t know.

“I don’t get what the problem is. I wrote that song, and if Harley is trying to pull some copyright bullshit—”

“He’s trying to pull you back on tour and back into the unhealthy grasp he has on you,” Luce yells.

“Dude!”

Luce knows about my NDA.

“Jay, you and Harley are about the worst-kept secret in Hollywood right now,” Luce says. “Hope your vacation was long enough because he’s making you come back.”

“Who died and made Harley the fucking pope?”

“Since when does Jet follow what the pope says?” Noah mumbles.

I ignore him. This can’t be happening.

Harley cannot do this to me.

“The label wanted us apart. They got their wish. There’s no way they want me to come back.”

“Harley is throwing a full-on diva tantrum about it. Says you’ve got to get your ass back or he’s walking. He’ll refuse to go onstage.”

“Oh, so he can threaten the label when it comes to having me as his side piece but not when it has to do with him coming out?”

“I can’t believe you were fucking one of the guys from Eleven,” Maddox says.

Shiiit. I turn to the guys. “You guys can’t say anything. It’ll be both our asses if it gets out to the public.”

The whole group looks at me as if I’ve offended them in some way.

Talon gestures between them all. “Kid, you think we don’t know how to keep a secret, thank you very much?”

Oh. Right. All have been closeted athletes at some point. “Sorry. I just—”

“I’m sorry for overstepping, but I assumed you told your big brother figures.” Luce turns to them. “Hi, I’m Luce. I’m the one who keeps him in line while he’s away from you guys.” He assesses each of them. “You have to be Matt.” He shakes my brother’s hand. “I’ve seen photos.”

Meanwhile, I’m seething. “This is bullshit.”

Luce turns his attention back to me. “This is serious, Jay. They’re talking breach of contract.”

“Because he sang two whole songs in a bar?” Soren asks beside me, seemingly as pissed off as I am.

“No. Because there are photos of him partying, drinking, singing, and doing everything he wouldn’t be doing if he had serious nodes. I gave you an out, and now we both have to go groveling to the label and Eleven. Not to mention Benji and Freya have both called me asking me what’s going on.”

My bandmates know about Harley, just like I know they’re on and off together, but we don’t talk about it. I feel bad for running away without an explanation, but I needed out. I needed away from that environment where Harley kept coming to me and I kept taking him back.

As much as I didn’t want to continue after he decided to marry a woman for show, I was scared that I didn’t have the strength to say no if I stayed.

“I can’t … I can’t go back.” Tears pool, threatening to fall, and fuck that guy for making my eyes leak. “I’ll pay to get out of that contract.”

Luce scoffs. “You can’t afford it. Even with ‘Someone Else’s Perfect’ royalties.”

Matt steps forward. “Then we’ll pay.”

“No,” I snap.

Noah grips my shoulder. “Don’t let your pride get in the way here. If you don’t want to go back on tour, we can make that happen.”

He’s right that it’s my pride not letting them bail me out. I’ve never wanted to take advantage when the rest of our family does it to Matt so often. But it’s not just the money. I also don’t want Harley to know I had to get my big brother to protect me from him.

“It’s my mess,” I say. “I’ll … I … I need a minute to think.” I walk away from all of them without so much as a backward glance.

Of all the footsteps to follow me, there’s only one person I could see right now without losing it, and I hate to say it, but Soren’s not him. It’s Luce.

I’ll never admit it to my manager, but he knows how to handle me.

It’s a relief when it’s Luce’s voice behind me. “Jay …”

“Come on. You can lecture me all you want. I just need to get away from them.”

“Aren’t they all like family?”

“Exactly.”

Luce laughs. “Ah. Gotcha.”

We enter my hut, and I close the screen door behind us.

My chest is heavy, my brain foggy, and every inch of me vibrates in frustration. “What are we gonna do?”