After the third comment, I tuned him out.
She said she loved me.
Elsie loves me!
I wanted to dance on top of Capitol Records and scream it to the world. The sense of relief and joy vibrating through my body was palpable.
“She loves me, Bill.”
“Yup. You’re a lucky SOB.” Billy nodded solemnly.
The joy I’d been feeling five seconds ago sank with doubt as I remembered her rage and despair when she left yesterday. I considered the weeks of self-doubt and fear she fought. Was she really capable of standing out there and facing the world? Or was this spike of bravado temporary?
“I can hear you thinkin.’ Knock that shit off.”
“Billy, she’s been hiding away since she was fourteen years old. What if she puts herself out there and decides she can’t handle it for real? What if she and I make a go of it and she ends up leaving me, anyway?” I wanted to have faith in Elsie, but the back and forth was making my head swim.
Billy sat down in front of me, his face somber.
“Ma man, life isn’t about being certain. It’s about taking chances and rolling with it. Remember when we first met? You asked me if I had someone.”
I nodded. “Yeah, you said it was the same ‘ol story.”
“I fell in love with a woman named Violet. Goddamn, she was pure perfection. Younger than me–just starting college. We met and spent two of the most amazing months of my life together. Went to see her one day, after leaving her in bed that morning, and she was gone. Cleaned her whole apartment out, didn’t even leave a note.”
My heart broke for Billy. To have something powerful and have it ripped away, not even knowing why.
“It’s been years, but if Violet sent me this video, telling me she loved me, I’d take her back in a heartbeat. Even if it was just for one day. Because that one day would be the best day of my life.” Billy smiled, imagining it. “Now, say you reconnect and Elsie does skedaddle after just a few months, you’d have had the best few months of your life, and you know it.”
I nodded. I was letting fear of being hurt cloud my brain. It was what Elsie used to do; the very thing I wanted to drag her away from.
“So?” he asked.
“So, what?”
“You gotta make a video response, man,” he waved his phone around.
“I do?’
Billy shook his head in disgust. “Don’t you know how this shit works? Someone makes a video about you, then you have to respond. Don’t leave Elsie hanging, bro!”
My eyes bugged out. Leave her hanging? Shit, I was so out of touch with social media; it was embarrassing. I patted my chest, evaluating my appearance. I looked like shit and I smelled worse.
“I can’t go on camera like this! I look like I got spit up by a trawler.”
“Yeah, you look a few shades below shit. Smell worse. Go fuckin’ shower and put on your human face. Start thinking about what you wanna say.”
***
“You promise me this isn’t dumb as hell? I feel like a thirteen-year-old boy asking his crush to the dance.” I stood holding large sheets of paper. The plan was to duet Elsie—whatever that meant—and hold up cards with writing on them to respond and punctuate her points.
I was relying entirely on Billy for this shindig. It was awesome having a friend help me through this. I never thought I’d click with another guy after Benny.
“Will you trust me? The drummer in FiveDust loved the just out of high school crowd, and TikTok was all those groupies could talk about. They’re going to love it. She’s going to love it!”
Hello. My name is Elsie Clarke. You’ve probably seen me in such publications as TMZ as I was flagrante delicto with my boyfriend, Skyler Dalton.
I AM SKYLER DALTON AND ELSIE CLARKE IS MY SOULMATE.
I won’t waste my breath lecturing the media on the invasion of privacy. I have more important things to say.
BUNCH OF DICKBAGS
Yes, I’m involved with Skyler. And no, my father owning the label has nothing to do with it. People meet at work all the time; Skyler and I were working on his album.
I’M NOT JUST INVOLVED, I’M OBSESSED WITH ELSIE.
And you know what? I don’t care if he uses me for extra music. I’d give it to him for free.
I WILL SING ANY WORD YOUR WRITE DOWN, BABY.
Because I love him. And that’s what people who love each other do. They give to each other.
I LOVE ELSIE. I GIVE HER MY HEART, MY SOUL, AND MY STAGE. WITHOUT RESERVATION.
I’ve been writing music for artists in this industry since I was sixteen years old. I’ve won Grammys. I’m a fuckin’ musical genius, and I’m not being egotistical when I say that.
TEN GRAMMYS. SHE’S WORKED WITH TRAVIS WHITE, SQUIRE, AND NELLIE PATRICK.
I’ve stayed behind doors since an accident took the life of my mother and left me scarred. I hid because I was afraid of things like this—some two-bit, has-been reporter whittling my career down to the scars on my skin. People, we are more than what we show the world.
I WANT TO BE MORE THAN WHAT I SHOW TO THE WORLD FOR YOU, ELSIE.
Until now I’ve hidden to avoid this drama. But that ends today. Prepare yourself because there’s going to be a lot more of Elsie Clarke going around.
I WILL BE RIGHT BY YOUR SIDE IF YOU’LL HAVE ME.
I pursed my lips, sending her an air kiss, and Billy shut off the camera. “How did I do?”
“You’re gonna Tik her Tok, dude,” Billy laughed.
Daddy’s Home
Elsie
Feelings washed through my body as I sat at my piano working through a song. It’d been a week since I stormed out of Skyler’s house and six days since he responded to my viral TikTok.
I smiled as my fingers ran along the keys. The emotions I kept having were conflicting. Betrayed. Violated. Embarrassed. Because the photo was still making rounds in the more seedy tabloids. Joy. Hope. Excitement. Because Skyler loved me. I hadn’t seen him since I left his house that morning, choosing instead to go back to Twentynine Palms and immerse myself in music for an album of my own. Right now he was in LA, working with Camille and Amelia, fighting tooth and nail to make the photographer who took them pay.
People had my back. I was loved.
Amelia came to see me almost every day; I told her she didn’t have to make the trip. I think she’s worried I’ll change my mind about coming out of hiding. She keeps talking about all the things we should do, making plans with hard dates involved, so I won’t back out.
The sun was shining through my bay windows, warming my face as I ran through a song I’d written for my debut album. The sounds matched my feelings perfectly; my body hummed at the synchronization.
The doorbell rang, interrupting my reverie, followed by a bellow from the floor below.
“Elsie? Where are you?” My father. He was here.
Panic swept through my body. Shit. I looked like shit.
“I’m upstairs, Daddy! I’ll be down in a minute.” Running around my room in a panic, I grabbed fresh clothes, put on deodorant, and brushed my hair. I looked at myself in the mirror and, though I wasn’t put together perfectly, I resembled a human and smelled better.
He was waiting for me in my living room; Miranda was with him. My father stood when I entered the room. He looked good, tan from his time in Italy, wearing a pair of gray slacks and a white button-up with the top few buttons undone. His salt and pepper hair was styled perfectly. Even I knew my dad was a silver fox!
Miranda sat kitty-corner to him, looking more styled than Jackie O. Red sheath dress with pearls and black pumps accentuated her golden skin and blonde hair. She was forty but looked like she was twenty-six. I wasn’t sure if it was from natural maintenance or surgical, but it worked for her.
“Elsie, my girl,” my father rose from where he sat and hurried to me, taking me in his arms. His hug made me feel like a little girl again. I wrapped my arms around his waist and buried my head in his che
st. It was hard meeting his eyes.
Amelia had reported back when she spoke to him through the week, so he knew of my tabloid and Skyler situation. He’d called me repeatedly, but I never answered the phone. How was I supposed to talk to him, knowing he’d seen me naked on the cover of a magazine? I knew that’s why he was here.
“I’ve missed you,” I mumbled against his chest, trying desperately to hide my embarrassment.
He laughed. “I wouldn’t know with the way you’ve been avoiding my calls.”
I groaned. He was right. “I’m so sorry, Daddy.” I cried against his chest.
“Shh…baby girl, don’t apologize. You’re not to blame for this,” he whispered against my hair, gently rocking me back and forth. The motion was comforting. He’d come all the way from Italy to be with me; I felt so loved.
Miranda stood behind my father and cleared her throat. We pulled apart, giving his wife the attention she was looking for.
“Hello, Elsie. It’s good to see you again, though I’m sorry it’s under such trying circumstances,” Miranda said, her tone somber.
Geesh. She made it sound like we were going to a funeral.
“I know Amelia and Skyler are working with the lawyers to get this shit swept under the rug. I’m sorry you had to experience this. Your mother and I went through some drama years ago ourselves, but the industry has changed so much since then. They’ve become pariahs.” My father led me toward a couch in the living room and sat next to me, taking my hand in his.
I wiped the tears out of my eyes and straightened my back, putting on a brave face.
“I’m not sure what we can do about the pictures, Dad. Images like these get on the internet and never go away. Amelia and I’ve come up with a game plan, though. We’re going to address it head-on.”
“Elsie, I don’t know what you were thinking, getting involved with a man like that. What did you hope to get out of such a liaison?” Miranda had to open her big mouth. Though her voice was gentle and sounded concerned, her words cut to the quick.
I snapped my head in her direction and tried to keep my upper lip from snarling. “This isn’t Skyler’s fault, Miranda. He didn’t plant the paparazzi.” I defended him. I wasn’t mad at Skyler—I didn’t believe any of the things written about him. It was just so humiliating being so exposed.
My father put a comforting hand on my knee and gave it a slight reassuring squeeze, effectively bringing my attention back to him. “Are you sure he didn’t take advantage of you? I haven’t spoken to him yet. The whole situation makes me so angry. I didn’t want to kill the man before speaking to you,” he said.
My stepmother piped in again, as if I cared for anything coming out of her mouth. “And of course, you weren’t answering your telephone, so here we are,” Miranda said, waving her arms around, her voice dripping with censure.
“Miranda…” my father’s voice held a warning as his eyes locked with hers across the room.
“Seriously, Ellis?” She shrugged him off as if his gaze had no effect on her. “For all we knew, she was dead, if it wasn’t for Amelia keeping you updated. It was inconsiderate of her, and you know it!”
My father didn’t argue with Miranda, he just gave her a stern look. Arguing with Miranda was like talking to a brick wall. You just had to accept and tolerate her. She never had the gentlest touch. At that moment, I was incredibly grateful my father refused to have children with her. Not that she’d tarnish her figure with reproduction.
“We’re handling it.” I squeezed his hand. “But really, Miranda. You can’t blame me for not wanting to call my father to talk about naked photos of me, can you?”
“Here’s what you do.” Miranda got up and began to pace. “You go out there, make a statement. Tell the press you were mesmerized by working with such a renowned musician and couldn’t help yourself. Tell them the label is in no way responsible for your behavior. In fact, Ellis, she should really take a break from working with new artists. Who knows what kind of things are going to come out of the woodwork? Wait…” she paused mid thought and turned to face me. “How many of the people you’ve worked with have you slept with, Elsie?” she asked as if it was the most natural question in the world.
I reared back at her insult, pulling out of my father’s arms and turning to her.
“You think I’d sleep with everyone I worked with?” I clench my teeth as my hands turned into tight fists.
My father lifted his hand as if to diffuse the situation, but Miranda ignored him.
“Why else? You can’t possibly think there’d be a relationship between you. I mean, look at him! And look at you!” Miranda waved her hand at me from top to bottom. “I’ve never discouraged you, Elsie, but you have to be realistic here…”
“Enough!” my father shouted at her, rising from his chair and stepping towards his wife. “Are you saying my daughter isn’t good enough?” he questioned through tight lips. Miranda was smart enough to back up a few steps as his face grew red.
“Ellis, be realistic.” Her dainty hands came up in a defense mechanism and I was rooted in place as I watched the scene before me unfold. “He could have any woman he wants.” She continued unashamed. “Why would he want to be with someone he couldn’t take out in public?” Miranda appealed to him.
The horrible part was, Miranda sounded like she was making sense. Like she was being the voice of reason. A week ago, I would have agreed with her.
I took a deep, calming breath and let it out slowly before turning to my father. “Dad, if you don’t get her out of here right now, I won’t be held responsible for what I do,” I said, glaring at her.
He pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, “Miranda, I think…”
“No, Ellis! This doesn’t just reflect on her, it reflects on you! On me! On the label!” She was stomping her foot to punctuate her words. “If she’d listened to me and gone to see those doctors, this wouldn’t be a problem. But no…” Her perfectly manicured finger was pointing in my direction.
My father jerked forward and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her toward the door. He whispered sternly into her ear and pushed her out.
Turning toward me, he ran both hands through his hair and exhaled. “I’m sorry, Elsie. She had no right to say those things. I hope you don’t think that I…”
“No, Daddy. I know you don’t,” I smiled gently at him, though my heart was thundering wildly. My father didn’t have an unloving bone in his body. Especially when it came to his girls.
“I’m just relieved he didn’t take advantage of you. Being my daughter, me owning the label…wasn’t impossible. I need you to know I never once thought what…” he waved his hand toward the door to where Miranda left.
I shook my head. “No, I know you’d parade me in front of the world if I let you.”
“Damn right I would,” he said, his voice choked with emotion.
Now that my father was here, I wasn’t sure why I’d hid from him. Sure, I didn’t want to talk about the whole being caught naked bit. I also wasn’t sure how to tell him about Skyler. I never dated growing up, never brought someone home to meet dad. It was so…awkward.
“You’re not the type of girl to give herself to a man without reason, El. Do you love him?”
My smile was huge. “Oh, yes.”
He returned my joy. “That’s wonderful. And how does he feel about you?”
I grinned, pulled out my phone, and showed him the TikTok Skyler duetted with me. I couldn’t help but laugh as I watched him become fascinated with the app. He was so old school.
“I always thought highly of Skyler,” he said. “Especially after how well he handled things with Benny. He was the one who got him into rehab and held his hand, keeping him sober for a long time. Those two worked so well together, but I always knew Skyler was the train on that engine.”
“He’s amazing, Dad. He’s so talented and giving.” I told him about how Skyler took care of Nancy now that Benny was gone. Like the rest of
the world, he didn’t know.
“So if it isn’t him, are you hiding away here because of the media?”
“No. I’m working. I’m going on the Amy Evans show next week and I’m preparing some songs.”
His eyebrows lifted into his hairline. “You’re going on a talk show? To perform?”
The look on his face cracked me up.
“I sure am. I’m also working on an album. Skyler and I are talking about touring together in the summer.” My smile was so wide, I’m surprised I didn’t break my face.
“Who is this person in front of me, and what have you done with my daughter?” He pulled me in for a tight hug. The soft linen of his shirt met my scars and cooled my emotions. I took a deep breath breathing in his scent and relaxed in his embrace. This was his dream for me and it was finally coming true. When he pulled away, the relief on his face was palpable. He’d always wanted me to stand up for myself and follow my dreams. My dream coming true was his dream coming true.
“It’s going to be okay, Dad. I’ve got Skyler, his manager, Camille, Amelia, and a ton of people rooting for me. I did not know how many people had my back, honestly. All the artists I’ve worked with have reached out, supporting me publicly. It’s been hard, but amazing.”
“When you open a door, people will start walking through.” My dad nodded, looking satisfied.
“Daddy, about Miranda…” I didn’t want my father to feel bad for what his wife said. I may dislike the woman, but I wanted him to be happy.
“No. Don’t excuse her behavior,” his voice was firm. “I’ve been retired for six months and I feel like I’m married to a different person. She’s changed. Or maybe I’m just seeing her for who she really is. Either way, I’m not sure what I’m going to do, but it can’t continue like this.” His face fell and my heart clenched. As much as I didn’t like Miranda, she had made him happy when they first married.
“I’m sorry, Daddy.” I really was sorry. He deserved to be with someone. Being the owner of a huge label and dating had to be difficult. He probably felt the same way Skyler did about the women who chased him. They saw the fame and the money, not the man. “You deserve happiness with someone who wants to be with you.”
Scarred Melody: A Rockstar Romance: Bold Melodies Book One Page 23
