Surviving (Surrender 2)

There are endless stories surrounding how friends and family members worried about the success of Sayge while their lead singer dealt with a cheating fiancée. There are reports of several other men in her life, but what is the most surprising is how she came back in the picture. It’s been told that Declan decided to give her a second chance, against the wishes of everyone close to him.

Raine Mitchell, a national model, was originally chosen for the “Surviving” video. She told us that Raven was in the creative meeting and had a fit when she learned Declan would have to be intimate with her. Raine felt she had great chemistry with everyone in the group, especially Declan. She was released from her contract within twenty-four hours. Her agent told her Raven did not approve.

MJ Labels, who signed Sayge to a multi-record deal, is owned by a family friend of Raven’s. She threatened to pull in a favor and have the deal eliminated unless he married her. Raven is from a very influential family with ties that run deep in Nashville. While Mrs. Brown painted her in a very positive light, we have learned differently.

Friends, family, and fans are screaming their support for Sayge to succeed. Maybe now that the truth is out, they can cut ties and free themselves of any unwanted burdens.

I stop reading because the words jumble and tears spill down my cheeks. The pictures that accompany the online article are all from my personal library. There are shots of not only Paris, but also, concerts and charities. There are also personal texts from me to Finn that go back to last fall. This is one hundred times worse than the postings that came through Facebook last month. Someone has released personal information about us and twisted it into hateful lies. How did this reporter find out about Christie? How did they find out about Raine? What the hell is going on here?

Even though we are in the library, the buzz around my table is getting louder, and I know people are reading this article. I pack up my things to leave trying to keep my hair in my face so no one will see my tears. I get up to leave and feel a strong hand on my arm.

“RJ, it’s me. I’m gonna get you out of here. Even the campus policy can’t stop the fucking idiots from taking pictures and screaming. Hold onto me tight, and no one will touch you.” Finn whispers in my ear. I curl my body around his and let him walk us out.

He leads me to his truck and shields me as I get in. He gets us out of the parking lot and away from peeping eyes before I lose it. Sobs wrack my body until I can’t breathe. I’m not sure how long we drive, but I feel him lift me out of the truck. Then another set of arms reach around me, and I smell the familiar scent of Declan.

His face is a mixture between worry, anguish and rage. He walks us over to the couch while Finn goes through my bags pulling out my laptop and cell phone. My dad and mom come through the door, and my dad is screaming into his phone.

“Now! File a suit against them now for slander and get that fucking article pulled. It’s already done enough damage. Every single word and accusation in that piece of shit is false. So, call in whatever favors you have to. We’ll get a plan together later on who to go after first, but find out if anyone talked to Christie.”

Robbie comes in next looking like he could kill someone. My mom sits on the other side of me and holds my hand since Declan won’t let me go. The door swings open again, and Nate, Blake, and Cooper come barging in looking furious.

No one speaks for a few seconds waiting for me to say something. The only thing that comes out of my mouth is “How?” Another round of tears spills out.

“We don’t know, Baby Girl, but we’re here to find out. I’m doing everything I can to get it pulled off the internet right now.” My dad leans in front of me and cups my chin. “You need to calm down. Getting this upset could trigger a migraine and we need you to be healthy, okay?”

I nod my head and take deep breaths. Robbie brings me a bottle of water and a shot. I raise my eyebrows at him, and he shrugs his shoulders.

Declan still hasn’t spoken. The look on his face is agonizing for me to see. The thought of him in pain turns my emotions from sad to angry.

“I’m better, let’s start talking. Tell me what you know.” I try to sound calm directing my question at anyone who will answer.

“I’m scanning your systems right now for any kind of intrusive entry into your personal files on your phone and computer. It’ll take a minute.” Finn answers.

“Mike’s on his way over right now to talk about our next steps. We’re going after this fucking rag with everything we got.” Declan tells me.

“Holy Shit.” Finn hisses.

We all turn to look at him, and his face is full of fury.

“I just did a Google search on your name Raven. It’s not good. There are pictures all over the internet of us in Paris. There are few of you and Brent and Kyle at school, but mostly me. They are linked to Facebook pages, blog sites, local publications, etc. How the fuck did these get leaked?”

“I’m so sorry this is going to look so bad for all of you.” My voice cracks.

“Raven, stop. This was a deliberate set up, and we need to get to the bottom of it. This was meant to make you look manipulative and conniving, which couldn’t be farther from the truth. Whoever wrote this had no idea the fucking backlash they’re about to get. We don’t give a shit if we look bad, because it’s all fucking lies.” Cooper tells me.

Mike walks in, and the look on his face is scary. I slink back into Declan a little, and he holds me tighter. “What the fuck do we know so far?”

“Just another minute.” Finn says.

“Declan, why are you so quiet? What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking I’m gonna kill someone. I’d like to start with the fucking reporter then I want to go after the sources.”

“I can tell you right now, there are multiple sources. Raine came right out and spoke, and I swear it was Sami that talked about me not allowing fans to come backstage. Remember my birthday party, Mark turned her away.”

“Yeah, but who knows all the other shit?”

“I don’t know, baby.”