I cling my head, combating again the tears stinging my eyes. That guitar apparently meant extra to me than I believed it did. Or perhaps it’s the images that at the moment are gone that hassle me a lot. Both approach, the loss is simply now actually hitting me.

Remy leans in, attempting to seize my consideration. “You gonna be alright, dude?”

After a minute, I take a deep breath and straighten up. “Let’s simply get this fucking assembly over with.”

We head again to the convention room. Nyx hasn’t moved from her seat, nonetheless wanting bored. It takes each ounce of restraint I’ve to not lunge throughout the desk at her once more.

Whereas everybody will get settled, I take a minute to check her, in search of any signal she may give away that might show her guilt. Her hair is as brilliant purple as ever, and her confidence is approach greater than it needs to be, however there are darkish shadows beneath her eyes, and she or he’s misplaced a number of weight. She’s virtually unrecognizable from the woman all of us knew simply months in the past in Vegas.

If she hadn’t triggered us a lot bother and heartache, I’d care that she seems to be like she’s having a tough time. However understanding how a lot she’s harm Jake up to now, and me now promoting her bullshit tales, has eliminated that wire from my circuit board.

I might’t give a shit what she says about me or does to me. Nyx might inform twenty lies about me or kick me within the head each single day for the remainder of my life, and I’d not give a fuck. However she has harm the folks I care about and dragged the Basis into the mud she created now, too, which is unforgivable.

She smiles with a hubris solely constructed by hate, and all of us glare at her. There is no such thing as a love misplaced on this room. I discover Jake and Remy slide their chairs away from her ever so barely as if to both get additional away from her for their very own good, or maybe for hers.

Cassidy lastly begins going over the phrases of the NDA. I strive to concentrate, however I’m seething the entire time. “Thanks for agreeing to return right this moment, Nyx. We recognize it. And whereas I can’t offer you authorized recommendation as that may be a battle of curiosity, I wish to reiterate my concern that you simply don’t have illustration on this assembly.”

Nyx shrugs as if this isn’t an enormous deal, and she or he is aware of precisely what she’s doing. “I’m advantageous alone, thanks.”

Cassidy nods and continues. “Then you definately received’t thoughts if we report this dialog?”

“Nope. I’ve nothing to cover.”

I can’t assist however shift uncomfortably in my seat and see a number of others do the identical. It’s not that we now have something to cover both, however we all know how the slightest fact will be blown out of proportion and twisted and became one thing hideous. We’ve all seen it and particularly seen Nyx do it to us. And now, I’ve acquired my current outburst to fret about.

I’m wondering which tabloid will purchase this story from her.

Eliza begins the recording, and Cassidy continues.

“Proper, effectively, we requested you right here to debate arranging a possible settlement with you in an try to stop the inflammatory tales being bandied about within the press. We’re conscious that a big portion of the tales quote you as a supply, and as you’ll be able to count on, we want a solution to halt spreading rumors on the web as a lot as potential.”

“I don’t inform anybody something that isn’t true.”

I can really feel all of us inhale as if we’re about to begin arguing the purpose, however Cassidy shortly holds up a hand to cease us earlier than we are able to utter a syllable. Surprisingly, I don’t soar over the desk.

“We perceive that’s your place, and as I mentioned, we need to maintain the press gadgets centered on the band’s music as a lot as potential. We want to restrict and management the private data launched, as we imagine there may be a person proper to privateness.”

She has the audacity to scoff at this. “Privateness? You guys are celebrities now. You don’t get privateness. You’ve all clearly modified and let your fame go to your heads.” Her phrases are edged with anger or jealousy, I can’t inform which, or perhaps it’s each, however it makes it apparent why she’s doing this.

Mackenzie should discover it, too, as a result of she leans nearer and says, “You’re the one which give up. You’re the one who left with out saying a phrase. You gave up on this band on the slightest signal of an issue, so so that you can say something about these guys simply exhibits me what sort of individual you actually are.”

“Mackenzie…” Eliza warns, attempting to rein her in, however as soon as Mac will get began, there is no such thing as a stopping her.

“No, I don’t know if I’ll get this opportunity once more to inform this bitch what I actually suppose.” She seems to be round at us, and none of us within the band have a single factor to say about it. We’re silently cheering her on. Turning again to Nyx, she says, “You noticed what Jake was going by way of after the accident. You had been even there with me cleansing their home earlier than he got here dwelling from the hospital, so it could be just a little bit simpler for him. You had been the one who picked him up from the hospital, for Christ’s sake, and noticed how devastated he was about Andy’s dying. You noticed firsthand how a lot these guys grieved for shedding their buddy. And so that you can take any of that grief and use it to your personal financial acquire is absolutely the lowest factor a human being can do. No, you already know what? You’re not even human. You’re fucking scum.”

Nyx doesn’t react in any respect. She doesn’t flinch a muscle. It’s virtually as if she anticipated this from us. And I suppose it’s predictable. In spite of everything this time, we get her in a room; in fact, we’ll give her a bit of our thoughts. I don’t know if she anticipated Mackenzie to be the one to do it, however it’s on the market all the identical.

I don’t have something so as to add, and as I look round on the different guys, particularly Jake, it doesn’t seem like they do both. Mackenzie just about summed up how we’re all feeling proper now. Jake does look extremely uncomfortable, and I do know he’s going by way of loads sitting close to her like he’s. Being in shut proximity with somebody who makes an attempt to wreck your life isn’t precisely the best factor to do.

“Okay…We’re providing you a financial settlement in trade to your silence and your continued silence going ahead.” Cassidy pushes some papers throughout the desk towards her. “I’ve ready this non-disclosure settlement for us to signal, which protects all of us from any future points that may come up.”

Nyx raises her bloodshot eyes to Cassidy. “You wish to purchase my silence?” The snigger that comes out of her causes the tiny hairs on the again of my neck to rise. It’s then I see the pure evil within her. There’s now not a query of whether or not or not she’s simply morally grey. That snigger is the one proof I would like that evil exists on this world and may present itself in an individual. “You suppose you’ll be able to shut me up by throwing me just a little money?” The papers are slid again.

“We expect this settlement is useful for all events concerned.” Cassidy pushes the papers again in the direction of her. “You may take your time with the contract. Learn it over, or have an lawyer take a look at it for you. There is no such thing as a stress so that you can signal something right this moment. We ask you to contemplate our provide significantly, as this would be the just one not involving litigation.”

That final half will get Nyx’s undivided consideration, and her head snaps up. “Litigation? Actually? You suppose you stand an opportunity in court docket towards me for these tales?” She seems to be across the desk at us individually, and none of us look away. All of us meet her gaze head-on. We’re a united entrance towards her. “Like I mentioned, I didn’t say something that wasn’t true. What folks do with that fact has nothing to do with me.”

Cassidy doesn’t again down, both. “This settlement provide doesn’t mirror our confidence degree of success in court docket. We’re merely attempting to avoid wasting everybody’s time by attending to the half the place you stay quiet, and the band can get on with making music.” The willpower on Cassidy’s face is spectacular, and I’d hate to face her as an opposing social gathering. I can solely hope Nyx feels a fraction of that.

Supply: www.seynovel.com