It took me a few days to figure out how to word it all, but I eventually caved and texted Cameron.

Emma: So Stewart Sfuria has been spreading pretty foul shit about Leo and I. Why am I getting the feeling you're behind this, somehow?

I should have left it at that and waited for him to reply, but I was too eager, too angry. The longer I thought about it, the more it made sense to me that Cameron would want to sabotage us. Why he'd use a rude reporter who'd propagate untrue facts about Leo and I, I wasn't sure. Maybe he didn't want to go through the effort of ruining us himself. Maybe he wanted to make sure we couldn't trace the cruelty back to him. Or maybe he'd lost his mind and this was his last resort. He wanted to not only break us up, but destroy us for whatever pain he perceived we'd caused him.

He'd caused pain. He'd broken up with me on false pretenses and dropped out of Leo's staff with barely more than a day's notice. All because his ego was bruised and he thought he knew what was going on in our heads.

So I wasn't done berating him for it.

Emma: If you're the one enabling this, you need to stop. You know damn well that Leo and I are really together, and we're not going to break up. Quit trying to interfere. YOU left US, and this happened in the wake of your disaster. Deal with it, and move on. I can't be friends with someone who wants to hurt me.

By the time I hit send, regret poured into me. Had I been too harsh? Overreacted? Was Cameron the one targeting us via a reporter he'd paid to do us dirty? It made sense...but at the same time, it was out of character for him. He had some mild rage issues, as I'd noticed when we dated, but not to this extent. Would he stoop so low?

I couldn't help overthinking for the rest of the day, as I waited and waited for his reply.

It never came. Either he was pissed at me figuring out the truth, or that I'd dare accuse him, or he'd changed his number. Or he didn't have time to answer.

So nothing from him showed up on my screen. Not that night, not the next day...not ever.

I had told him we shouldn't text too much, but this was different. I'd accused him of something grave, something huge, and he didn't even have the audacity to respond to defend himself. That, if anything, made him look guiltier in my eyes. Which hardened my resolve and I stopped feeling bad for sending those texts.

I'd bring it up to Leo sooner or later, to let him know I'd found our culprit. Then he'd take over, deciding how to deal with Cameron's attitude, his foolishness. Soon enough, we'd be out of the negative press and able to live our semi-normal lives again. I held on to that hope as tightly as possible, letting it soothe me out of nightmares at night.

But Sfuria kept going. Whoever fed him money to keep writing fucked-up things about us hadn't stopped. So if it was Cameron...he hadn't felt threatened in the slightest by my texts.

Now I had to involve Leo.

After a delightful roll in the sheets—every time we had sex, Leo made me come harder and harder, and I wondered if there would ever be a plateau with him—we lay side by side, satiated. A perfect moment to bring up the Cameron and reporter situation, right? Leo would be too tired to argue or get mad, and with the lights off, I wouldn't see the redness spreading over his face. I didn't want to, not since our meeting with Petra when he'd looked like a volcano about to unleash deadly lava.

"Hey," I said, nudging him as he scrolled through his social media; our nightly ritual after a round or two of sex. "I have to tell you something."

He dropped his phone beside him and flicked on the lamp to his side, before turning to me, propping up on one elbow. "Me first, if that's all right."

I gulped, sidetracked by the sudden light, and his gorgeous face as he smiled at me. "Uh, okay, sure."

He cleared his throat. "I've decided to agree to that duet with Sapphire."

That was a huge announcement. My jaw dropped, and when he laughed at me for it, I frowned. "Hey, don't mock me for being surprised. That's big." I playfully pushed him backwards, my fingers brushing over the glistening sweat on his chest. "When did you decide this?"

He let out a lengthy sigh, his minty breath blowing over my cheeks and forehead. "This morning. I'd been tossing and turning about it," he said, to which I nodded. He'd been more restless than usual in his sleep, and it was hard not to notice it, especially with my own disturbed slumber. "But I had a bit of an epiphany, I guess. When I woke up, I realized everything Petra said was right, and it wouldn't hurt to," he swallowed, wrinkling his nose, "give Sapphire a shot."

I didn't want to get too excited, because it'd show him just how much I liked Sapphire, and I didn't want him to think I'd been listening to her music in secret or anything (which I had been, but did he need to know that?). "Well, I'm glad to hear it." I patted his shoulder, then squeezed it. "Petra is right, and it's a good move for your career."

"There's more," he said, his expression turning serious. "I agreed to the duet, but first, I need to meet her in person." He pushed himself up into a seated position and fetched his water bottle from the nightstand. I watched the worn-out outlines of the stickers on the metallic surface as he tipped it back to drink from it. "Since I've never met her before, I need to get a grasp of her personality, you know? Before I can fully commit to this. I need to see if she's who she appears to be, or if she poses. If her out-there vibe is all an act."

I saw the logic in his reasoning. "It wouldn't hurt, for sure. You've never navigated the same circles, and she's newer in this business, so who knows who she really is?"

"There's," he winced, replacing his bottle on the nightstand, "still more." He switched back to laying on his side, but scooched closer to me, his nose almost colliding with mine. "Petra reached out to Sapphire's manager to negotiate this meeting, and while it's been agreed upon, they had one tiny clause to complete this deal."

"One clause?" I widened my eyes. "Surely not something you can't provide? You have everything, and so does Sapphire."

"I do have everything, but she doesn't." He gently tucked a hair away from my face, his fingertips sending chills down my arm. Or was it his unreadable expression? Or the suddenly too-gentle tone of his voice? "She wants you."

"Huh?" I lurched backwards, jamming into the pillow I'd set aside while we made love. "What do you mean she wants me? I don't—" I coughed, choking on my own saliva in shock. "What?"

"She wants you there," said Leo, cupping my face as he stared straight into my eyes. "At the meeting. She specifically requested you to be present when I meet her."

"But," I tugged my lower lip between my teeth, "why? I'm...nobody. I don't get it. Why would my presence be the clause to you two actually meeting up?"

He shrugged, pulling backwards to fetch his phone. "I have no idea. I can show you Petra's email, if you want proof? Though I don't see why you'd think I'd lie to you."

I shook my head as he handed me his phone. "You wouldn't, I know that. I'm just...taken aback, I guess. I don't see why someone as huge as Sapphire would want to meet me."

"Well," Leo smirked as he traced a finger along my jaw then down my neck, "I wanted to meet you without ever having seen you, too. Remember? Cameron mentioned, like, two words about you and I knew I had to make your acquaintance." He sounded so proper, like a god talking down to a worshiper, thanking them for their praise. "There's something about you, Emma, that doesn't translate to words. It's why I fell in love with you."

I melted into the mattress, every inch of me burning. My body temperature, my blood's temperature—everything climbed to a peak I could barely tolerate, watching Leo lick his lips in desire for me.

"I think I need a cold shower," I said, sensing my skin scorch under the covers. I threw them off, which only worsened the problem, because now Leo saw my nakedness exposed and his irises rounded as he drank every bit of me in.

"Ah, but first, let me shower you with my love." Before I could squirm off, he grabbed me, yanked me close, and hopped on top of me. I sensed his growing erection between my legs, and knew there was no use trying to dissuade him, or bothering to even dissuade myself.

I wanted him, he wanted me, and it was time for round two.

***

A few days later, we were to meet up with Sapphire and her team at the TriBeCa penthouse. It was closer to where she lived, and according to her manager, she had a hard time getting around town, too, like us. But in her case it was worse, as she'd just finished a tour that received rave reviews, and everyone wanted a piece of her. A positive piece—which made me realize how smart Leo's decision to work with her was.

She'd bring us a much better image. Now if she lived up to Leo's expectations...we might see ourselves out of the bad limelight.

And Cameron will hopefully cease trying to sabotage us.

I hadn't been here in months, and walking into the lofty lobby reminded me of the first night I'd visited, for Leo's private party. It looked different in broad daylight; not so intimidating, nor so bright. And wearing sneakers instead of high heels, my footsteps didn't clack over the marble tiles and cause me to cringe.

In the living room, I spotted the L-shaped couch where Leo and I had fake-flirted in front of his guests. We sat down and waited for Sapphire to arrive, discussing the TV show we'd watched the night before.

I was antsy, and so was Leo. We both fidgeted in our spots, struggling to keep our hands busy. I knew why I was nervous, but why was he? He'd met plenty of high-profile celebrities before, and always kept his cool. In fact, he was too cool sometimes, so much that most people thought he was high on drugs when they shook his hand.

His demeanor today, though, was one of a junkie needing another hit. Flighty and on the move, never settling in one place.

"Hey," I said, as he got up and paced for the third time. "What's the matter? Why are you so on edge?"

He grumbled as he marched back and forth on the other side of the coffee table. It blocked me from him, otherwise I'd have reached over and stopped him; he was making me dizzy. "I don't know. She's late."

I checked the time—it was noon, and Sapphire's manager said she'd be there around noon-ish. "No, she's not. Tell me the truth."

"I don't know," he growled, though not directing his irritation at me. He turned to the window and glowered outside. "Something's up. Something's...wrong. A gut feeling, I can't explain it."

He didn't need to explain it; I got gut feelings, too. But my current one was good, so I didn't get why his wasn't. Why he was so restless and nervous, and why he wouldn't sit his ass back down and relax.

It'd be easy. Sapphire would come in, introduce herself, either be a pompous bitch or sweet as pie, he'd either tell her to fuck off or give her an enormous hug, and that'd be that. What was so complicated about this?

The ding of the elevator got us both jumping. I lept up from the couch, twisting around to witness her arrival.

Across the way, in the lobby, the elevator doors slid open, almost in slow motion. A black-skinned woman walked out, not in the high heels and pant-suit I'd envisioned her decking herself in for some reason, but with ankle-high customized Converse sneakers in a neon pink shade, wearing tight, high-waisted and holed jeans, and a loose but low-cut off-the-shoulder maroon and violet sweater. None of the colors she wore technically matched, but the hues made her stand out even more and look more beautiful.

She was radiant. Waltzed in as if she'd been here before, eyeing the paintings and decor as she made her way to the living room. She removed her big rimmed sunglasses and plastered a bright white smile over her pink-tinted lips.

"Leo!" She saw me, then lit up further. "Oh, and Emma, you came!"

I didn't know how to respond, so I smiled back, her positive attitude contagious. Her presence brought warmth and comfort to the room where moments ago, Leo was angsty and I was worried about him. Now we stood next to each other in absolute admiration of this bold but clearly harmless woman.

Whatever Leo had pictured her as, he'd been proven wrong. Her energy was infectious and wonderful, like a rainbow popping up after a rough storm.

"So happy to meet you both," she said, arriving at the couch and kissing our cheeks like a French woman would. "Sorry for being late—I know my manager said noon-ish, but I hate being vague like that. You weren't waiting too long, were you?"

Up close, I was struck by her eyes—purple. So realistic, I wondered if she was human.

She caught me staring, and instead of scolding me, she grinned. "Contacts," she said, pointing at her eyes. "But don't tell anyone. As far as my fans are aware, this is their real color."

Her voice was smooth like an aged whiskey, yet sharp like a mature red wine. It flooded me with heat, but not in an uncomfortable way. Everything about her was exhilarating and pleasurable. She was taller than me, but not as much as Leo, who slightly towered over her. And he was as much in awe of her as I was.

I wasn't jealous; she didn't inspire that at all. She was that kind of person that drew attention when she walked in, and held it. It wasn't annoying at all.

The elevator dinged again, breaking me from my trance of fixating on Sapphire.

"Ah," she said, dropping onto the couch, in the exact spot I'd been sitting seconds before. "That must be my team. Sorry, they come with me everywhere, and my manager insisted they accompany me today." She almost sounded annoyed, yet even that timbre coming out of her mouth was refreshing, down-to-earth. Normal.

The doors parted, and a thin man in a brown suit exited, his stance hurried. "There you are," he said curtly, ignoring Leo and I as he shimmied over to sit beside Sapphire. "All good? No surprises?" He peered around almost in disgust, or in fear of something lunging out to eat him.

More footsteps signified he hadn't been alone in the elevator. Two more people exited, one in front of the other. The first was a woman hefting a bag nearly bigger than she was, arms crossed and eyes bewildered as she studied the decorations. And behind her was—

No. No way. It couldn't be.

Sapphire followed our gazes but didn't register our shock. "My stylist, Iza, who wanted to meet Leo because she's a fan. And," she gestured at the second person, that Leo and I still couldn't comprehend the arrival of, "Cameron Vasquez, my brand new personal assistant."

♪♪♪