"Sorry. I wouldn't have given him the heads-up if I'd known he'd react like that. Didn't think it a big deal."
I shrugged. "It's not really, but River can get very … crazy sometimes."
"I've known River-heck, I've seen him date a bunch of chicks-but he's never been fucked up over anyone. He's so chill. Didn't give a shit if some chick threatened to leave him because he wouldn't give them what they want. But with you … he's this multi-talented stalker that won't take no for an answer. Don't mind me being blunt, but damn, he's all-in with you, Cara."
"Just to put it to rest; I'm just as crazy for him."
He was my heart. Forever.
Chapter Eight
"I heard you're quite the supportive girlfriend these days," Ari murmured out of the blue, joining me as I casually sipped my drink while I watched River across the living room, entertaining guests.
We had just recently emerged from the library fifteen minutes ago, and just when my blood pressure began to temper and decline, here came Ari, threatening to pester that fragile stability. He reminded me of Paul Giamatti from Straight Outta Compton. The greasy hair, the glasses, and that foul creepy attitude matched with Ari's less than vibrant persona.
Diverting my eyes from across the room to the simpering manager, I gave him a leveled look, not backing down from his scathing temperament.
I wasn't going to let him intimidate me like I was some girl without a backbone like he did years ago. No, that time was long gone. If he expected me to cower from his foreboding brashness and arrogance, then he could think again.
Matching his unwavering cold stare, I felt my heartbeat's steady rhythm, clearly not unsettled by his presence. "I am supportive, always have been, always will be."
His eyes turned to slits as he studied me closely, marginally dubious. "Well, I hope you'd be just as supportive when he goes on tour. Because he will. It's expected of him. So, try not to throw your little tantrums when he's under a lot of pressure. You owe it to him after all that money you made him forfeit."
Frozen on the spot, I stared at Ari Braun, the very same man who basically gave the nail to secure my coffin in the early days of River being here in Hollywood. He saw me as an inconvenience to River's stardom, and he had wasted no time to get rid of me. He successfully achieved it, but much to his chagrin, River wasn't ready to close the chapter on me. So here we were, two years on, facing similar battles, leaving the same distinctive distasteful mark on the people he deemed dispensable.
"Does he know you're such an asshole?"
The man nonchalantly shrugged before flickering a blasé stare. "Of course he does, or he wouldn't be where he is now without me navigating his career to new unimaginable heights."
My eyes sparked pure disdain. "You don't own him," I loathingly remarked, detesting the fact that this vile, greedy creature pulled the strings to River's success.
"Nor do you, so don't get in my way. You've caused enough setbacks as it is." He threw me one last glance. "Good, now you know where we both stand. Enjoy the rest of the evening."
Like I could enjoy the party after a tense, combative talk with him. I wanted to quip a smartass retort, but I was so caught up in my hatred of the man that my brain lagged from the hostile argument.
Exposing Ari's horrid attitude to River wouldn't help the cause. I had tried to reason with River about Ari ages ago, and we had ended up having a row about control issues. So, for the time being, I was going to let bygones be bygones.
For the rest of the evening, I enjoyed the close company of my friends and acted like the supportive girlfriend. I knew stakes were much higher this time around. The snakes gathered, biding for the right time to break us apart. I knew Ari was just one of many who would benefit having me out of the picture. Willa, Hailey, and his management team were quite high on the list.
Amidst all that, I continued to graciously smile as if to putatively give them a big fuck you. This was all a game, one I could beat them if I played my cards close to my heart, and not be so easily disheartened by other people's selfish objectives. This was between River and I. The rest was just noise. And that was all there was to it.
From that night on, our lives had shifted to hectic to mad chaos.
The glowing reviews of River's unreleased tracks amplified to new heights. His fans began to anticipate it. And for the incoming weeks, River had barely any time to himself as he prepared to release his first album. Brown Eyes had stayed number one for three weeks straight, surging into the charts with such a speedy rate that even I was impressed at his power to garner such a large base of followers. I travelled with him for TV show appearances, radio interviews, and magazine shoots. And when that day finally arrived, I was beyond proud of him, and I quickly burned out from the maddening pace he was living.