UNBROKEN (Friends, Lovers, or Nothing Book 5)

by Jackie Chanel

  Ramey laughed lightly. “So you do care who sees you. You’re not that drunk or stupid. Good. I was hoping that you still had some sense.”

  “What are you getting at, Ramey?”

  I was getting a little irritated that she was still in my room. She’d been talking for what seemed like hours on top of showing up uninvited.

  “I don’t want you to do something stupid, Aiden. That’s it. You can continue to let the world and your fiancée think that we’re mortal enemies. That’s fine because we both know that we aren’t. We want the same thing for each other. As much as I loathe Sunny, I love to see you happy. She makes you happy. I’m learning how to be okay with that.”

  I stretched out on the bed and turned the music back up. Ramey sat beside me. I felt her twirling a lock of my hair around her fingers, something that seemed as natural as breathing. My gut instinct was telling me that Ramey could be trusted, maybe even useful. I know this woman and know when she’s being vindictive and spiteful. Tonight, she wasn’t and it would be good having a third party’s opinion or advice.

  I gave Ramey a rundown of the problems that Sunny and I were having, starting with her lie by omission about being on bed rest. She was just as surprised as I was that Sunny would hide something so serious.

  “Maybe she’s scared,” Ramey guessed. “You’re so different from the man you were when we met. I can only imagine how much you’ve changed since she met you. You have to stop pretending, Aiden. You’re scaring your fiancée.”

  Ramey stretched out beside me on her side and propped her head up with the palm of her hand. The way she was looking at me and her position on the hotel bed reminded me of when Sara came home from college to visit and we’d hang out in my room or in Delilah’s just to talk. There was nothing romantic happening and I still felt comfortable with her being there.

  “I’m not pretending anything.”

  “You are,” she argued. “You don’t want the kind of marriage your parents had. You left Mt. Vernon so you wouldn’t end up like your parents. Stop pretending that you can actually walk away from the spotlight because we both know that you can’t and that you never will. You’re not going to be a soccer mom and the fact that you’re trying to make Sunny believe that’s what you want is pissing me off. You’re Aiden motherfucking Tyler. I was your wife, Aiden. I know your dreams, and last I checked, you haven’t made Rolling Stone Magazine’s 100 Greatest Guitarists list and aren’t in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame yet. You don’t have your own label either. But you’re talking about stopping? Who are you? If I were Sunny, I’d be running scared too.”

  “That’s what you think she’s doing?”

  “Abso-fuckin’-lutely. You’re freaking her out. She wants to marry the man she fell in love with, the ambitious guy who wanted to take over the world with his music, the guy who wouldn’t let something as simple as relationship drama have him holed up in a hotel room drinking straight vodka and crying on his ex-wife’s shoulder. This isn’t you. Seeing you like this bothers me. And, if it bothers me, I can only imagine what it does to her.”

  “For the record,” I laughed. “I didn’t invite you here and I have yet to shed a tear on your anything. But I see where you’re coming from. But you’re wrong about some stuff. I want some semblance of a regular life for my girls.”

  “Bullshit! If you wanted a regular life, you would have retired when Sunny told you about Summer. We are superstars, Aiden. That’s who we are and who we are meant to be. It’s who we will always be. Do you even remember all the bitching you used to do about no one understanding that? Listen to your ex-wife, Aiden. It’s nice that you want to give Sunny this regular life that you think she wants and live happily ever after, but it’s obvious to everyone except you that Sunny doesn’t want that. You need to give up on this “Stepford Wife” Aiden and be Aiden Tyler. That’s who we fell in love with. Sunny is rejecting this new you, this changed you because she doesn’t know that man. She doesn’t trust that man.”

  “She didn’t trust me before either.”

  “That’s her issue then. She has no reason not to trust you. You’re not a cheater.” She giggled. “A whore, definitely, but only when you’re single. If she can’t trust you, fuck it. Walk away. You’re too good to be with someone who doesn’t appreciate it. You don’t have to change or conform to what Sunny wants you to be. If you already aren’t the type of man that Sunny wants when you are being your true authentic self then fuck her. You can still be a real father to your children without being married to her.”

  I sat up on the bed and kissed Ramey’s forehead. What she so bluntly said made perfect sense. She giggled and snuggled into the crook of my arm.

  “How come most of our meaningful conversations happen now that we weren’t together?”

  “Because you’re an asshole that never listens to anyone, especially your wife and girlfriends.”

  “Well, y’all usually only stop yelling at me like you’re my mom after we break up so there’s that.”

  A few minutes later, Ramey slid out of the bed and picked up her jacket. She had to go because she was working on not leaving Gia and Hendrix with the nanny so often. I walked her to the door and thanked her for stopping by because I’m not an asshole.

  “Ramey!” I said as she strutted down the hall. She stopped and turned around.

  “What?”

  “You’ve changed a lot too.”

  “I know.” She grinned and started walking again. “But I’m still the baddest bitch you’ve ever met. Remember that.”

  Shaking my head, I closed the door and locked it. Ramey, despite the lack of empathy in her words, actually gave me a lot to think about. Right now, I just need some space. Some time and definitely some space.

  Chapter 26: Brighter Day

  “HE LEFT YOU?” Erica screeched into my phone. “Like left left or ‘I’m going to the liquor store’ left?”

  “Unless he went to Russia to actually make the vodka, I’m pretty sure it’s the first one. How far away are you?”

  “About ten minutes. You know, you’re actually pretty calm about this.”

  “He’s not serious,” I assured my friend. “He’s mad that I don’t want to move back home and he’s stressed. I know Aiden. He wasn’t serious.”

  “You said you haven’t seen him in two weeks. Sounds pretty serious, Sunny.”

  I was trying to be optimistic but Erica wasn’t helping. The fact of the matter is that I’m sure where Aiden and I stand. This time he was the one being unreasonable and stubborn. I should have been pissed that he walked out of our session. I should have been more scared that his declaration of “I’m done with you” was actually true, especially considering that I haven’t seen him in so long. But I’m not.

  Something is broken between me and Aiden. It happened in Philly and the rubber band we used over the holidays to provide a temporary fix just snapped. I’m not sure how to fix it but I’m staying positive that we will.

  That’s why Erica is picking me up and we’re venturing out to the S.T.Y.L.E.Z studio. The bridesmaid dresses have finally arrived and my favorite client, aside from Daniela, is stopping by the studio. Zoe Rochelle is one of my first clients. I started making dresses for her in Atlanta for beauty pageants and homecoming ceremonies when she was fifteen. She’s gone from winning beauty pageants to walking the runway for some of the most famous designers in the world. She headlined six shows in New York, and still comes to me for most of her red carpet looks. She’s so amazing and so loyal that I’d do anything for her.

  After the studio, Erica is going to take me to see Dr. Margolis. I’m right at thirty-five weeks so she’s going to decide if we need to schedule a C-section or not. I called and texted Aiden to remind him of this appointment but he hasn’t responded. I hope he shows up. I don’t even know if he’s in town. There’s a good chance that he’s not. Delilah mentioned she pulled looks for him for a couple of events, but for the life of me, I can’t remember if they were in California or not.


  When Erica and I walked into the S.T.Y.L.E.Z studio, I could not stop smiling. Even though there were boxes and clothes everywhere, it felt so good to be in my space again. Delilah, Kirk, and Candace have been constant fixtures at my house but being in-house feels so different.

  The first thing I did was look at our calendar. When a regular wall mounted white board wasn’t big enough, we painted an entire wall with dry-erase paint. The wall was full and at the bottom Delilah had written in big bold letters

  NO MORE CLIENTS ALLOWED

  The Oscars are approaching faster than we expected. We’ve been preparing for this one day of the year since I found out my due date. Even though I’ll be at home with Winter, the S.T.Y.L.E.Z team will be working. We’re bringing in four extra people from the fashion schools to help Delilah and Kirk because we’re styling four actresses for the ceremony and two of them are presenting. Thank God for technology because we’re going to be utilizing Facetime on our phones and iPads while they’re getting dressed. Six head to toe looks plus all the clients we’re styling for the after parties. It’s so much work for one day but the S.T.Y.L.E.Z team is a well-oiled machine. We’ve been picking dresses for three months. I think we’re ready but Delilah’s right. We can’t afford to take on anyone new, or old, right now. If they haven’t already booked us, they’re SOL.

  “You came because Zoe called?” Delilah asked.

  She was going through a selection of jewelry that Liza Stromberg sent over and matching it with dresses. Kirk and Candace were putting together our kits and seeing what else they still needed to shop for.

  I sat at my desk and asked Erica to roll a rack of party dresses over to me since I’m still not supposed to be on my feet. I don’t want to have a C-section in two weeks. I want to have my baby naturally. I don’t need the added recovery time because I have to lose this baby weight and prepare for my wedding.

  My wedding is going to happen in April. I’m sure of it.

  “Hey, Bubbles, have you heard from your brother today?”

  “Yeah. He’s in Charlotte for Final Hour’s album release party.”

  Damn. That was salt in my wound. I wanted him at the doctor’s appointment and he knew that. He absolutely knew that and knew not being there would hurt me.

  “What’s going on with you two?” Kirk asked. “He knows we find out if our baby is coming in two weeks today, right?”

  “He’s got his ass on his shoulders because I’m not buying into his Atlanta sub-division idea. I’m not moving back to a place I left for a reason.”

  “I actually kind of like the idea of Musicians Row,” Erica put in her two cents.

  “You would because you’re not going to be there. You’ll be in Boston and have you actually heard his plan? It’s bananas!”

  “Well, you know how Aiden is. If he can have his band and everyone he loves within eyesight when he’s home, he’s a happy man.”

  “That’s crazy,” Kirk said.

  I was happy to have someone agree with me for once. I know Aiden has the best intentions but this idea is beyond stupid. He wants everyone to build a house on the same lot which he plans to have gated off and call it Musicians Row. When I say everyone, I mean everyone. Mike and his girlfriend, Eddie and his family, Sara and Tahir, Paulie and Delilah, Dina, and us. And he wonders why I think this is a horrible idea. I’ve never seen a group of people so co-dependent in my life like him and his friends.

  “Let’s pull the one-shoulder cranberry BCBG and the black bell-sleeve from my collection. Do we still have that berry colored sheath dress from Zac?” I asked Delilah.

  “No, but we still have the one from Theory. We own that dress.”

  “Okay, cool. So let’s give Zoe three options. She can’t handle more than three. She can wear her own shoes and jewelry. It’s just a movie premier and she’s never worn any of those dresses before.”

  Kirk pulled the dresses and placed them on a rack we keep marked Zoe because she’s in here so often.

  “Do you want me to go to her house tomorrow and help her?” he asked.

  “Definitely. She’s just coming in for a quick fitting. Make sure she doesn’t wear boots. You know how she is about her boots. Where are we on the jewelry from Cartier for Eva?”

  “Megan is dropping the pieces off the day before the show,” Delilah answered.

  I picked up my work phone on my desk anyway. “I should call her. No one else should have anything similar to what I picked out. I can’t send Eva down the red carpet with the same jewelry as someone else. Maybe we should go vintage just to be sure.”

  Delilah took the cordless phone out of my hand and sat it back on the charger. “Megan is well aware of our exclusivity agreement. I know my job, Sunny. Don’t you want to see the dresses that Maria sent? They traveled all the way from France.”

  A smile as wide as the Pacific made its way across my face. I smelled Dior as soon as I walked into the studio. I always know when never-seen-before Dior couture is in my presence. I couldn’t stay seated for this unveiling. I eased out of my chair and watched Kirk open a huge box with all the anticipation of a child getting to hold her first pet for the first time. I held my breath as Kirk pulled out five black garment bags with Dior written in white on the left.

  My bridesmaids will never be able to complain about their dresses. Not all of them know yet but they’re getting custom Dior. I better not hear any complaints. I unzipped one of the garment bags. With Kirk’s help, we lifted the dress out of the bag and hung it on the dress hook so we could admire Maria’s work with all the reverence it deserves.

  “Oh my God,” Erica inhaled sharply. “Is that what you wanted to show me? Is that our bridesmaid dress?”

  The dress was almost an exact replica of the dress that Charlize Theron wore to the Mad Max premier last year. When I saw her on the red carpet, I had to have that dress. It’s a long, strapless, and fitted seafoam dress with a deep train about three feet long. The real beauty of this dress is that it’s entirely hand-stitched. Plus Maria added clear sparkly gemstones modestly along the bodice to give it a more sparkly wedding look. It’s simply gorgeous and so perfect for a spring wedding or a red carpet event. Since my bridesmaids are always attending some event, even Dr. Sara will be able to wear this dress again.

  “This is your dress,” I said proudly. “Want to try it on?”

  “Yaassss!” Erica sang and snapped her fingers. She stripped down to her underwear while Kirk took down the dress. The dress fit perfectly. I was surprised that it fit so well on the very first try. God, I love Dior. They always get it right!

  Erica ran her hands over the soft shimmering silk charmeuse and shivered in delight. “I love this dress. Kinda makes up for me not being the Maid of Honor.”

  “Good. That color works beautifully on you. I was afraid that we’d have to switch colors and let you and the other girls wear coral and Delilah wear seafoam.”

  “No, that’s beautiful on her,” Candace commented. “But Erica looks good in almost every color we put her in.”

  “This is why I love coming here,” Erica said as Kirk unzipped her. “You guys are certainly generous with compliments. I love it.”

  She put her street clothes back on then nudged me with shoulder. “Gotta love having a stylist and a designer as a bestie. Best of both worlds, huh?”

  “Where’s my dress?” Delilah asked.

  “Maria’s still working on yours.”

  All of a sudden, I lost my balance and almost fell over. I caught myself by ripping a clothes rack. I felt a pop in my lower abdomen just as a wave of nausea overcame me. My heart began to flutter rapidly in my chest, skipping beats like I was having palpitations.

  “I can’t breathe,” I gasped.

  “What? What’s wrong?” Erica rushed in front of me and grabbed my free hand. “Talk to me.”

  “I can’t,” I struggled.

  I really couldn’t. It felt like I had no control of my body. I felt like the wind was knocked out of me
then I couldn’t catch my breath. The room was closing in on me and all I could hear was my heart pounding in my ears. Before long, the green smoothie I had for breakfast was all over the front of Erica’s t-shirt.

  “Call 911!” I vaguely heard Erica yell.

  Fear settled in like an old relative coming to visit. My doctor had warned me that I could go into labor at any moment. I wasn’t sure what was happening but I knew that whatever was going on with my body at that moment could cause early labor. The eerie feeling that whatever was happening to me wasn’t going to end well was confirmed by the dancing lights in front of my eyes then everything went dark and silent.

  Chapter 27: Harder to Breathe

  “WHY ARE YOU nervous?” I asked Shay. “This isn’t your first show.”

  “I know but these are industry folks. I’ve been listening to some of these people since I was a kid. I mean, Babyface is going to be there. Puffy is going to be there.”

  I desperately looked at Apryl Cox, Shay’s manager. I don’t know why she was just standing around watching her client have a nervous breakdown. I’m just here to represent the label. My job isn’t to babysit artists.

  Standing in Shay’s hotel room in Charlotte was not where I expected to be. I was supposed to be getting dressed and heading to City Club to celebrate Final Hour’s comeback album. We’ve worked hard to make sure this album was perfect from beginning to end. Now the world gets to hear it.

  Last week, we released some tracks that didn’t make the final cut and the response blew everyone away, especially Dreamz and me. We were expecting a positive response but what we got was more than positive; it was exuberant.

  The album was released to stores and iTunes this morning at 12:01. Already, the digital downloads combined with the pre-order sales are unbelievable. Now we celebrate. Christian and Carson wanted to perform a few songs from their album at the release party and chose the song they recorded with Shay.