Read Online The Debt 8 (Club Alpha) by Kelly Favor - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kelly Favor
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way, they were.
Finally, they parted ways, but continued
swimming and relaxing in the amazing water, blissfully lounging, and Raven
found herself staring up out of the porch and into the night sky filled with a
million stars.
Some time later she checked the charts
again and discovered they were at number one and she’d gotten texts from a lot
of people, including Mack Zee.
This
team is unstoppable! Mack had written.
She smiled at that. She liked and appreciated that he was
trying to show her that he took her seriously as Jake’s manager, and didn’t
just consider her some girlfriend who was tagging along and served no real
purpose.
Of course, there was still a chance that
Mack was playing a larger and more devious game on behalf of Club Alpha, but
Raven refused to let that fearful and negative thinking dominate her mind.
It was only when she got a text from
Skylar that the smile faded from her face.
I
am so proud of you!! And I already
downloaded the song—I cant stop listening to
it. NUMBER ONE ON ITUNES ????!!!! I always knew you were the best. Miss you! XOXO Sky
Jake swam over to her. “What’s up?”
“Well, your song’s at number one
already. I know you don’t care…”
“Let me see that,” he said, taking her
cell phone and checking it. “I’ll
be damned,” he drawled. “We are at
number one. That’s insane.”
But when he turned to share the joy with
Raven, he saw the look on her face.
“Jake,” she said softly.
“No,” he replied instantly.
“It’s time for me to go back to Boston.”
He shook his head. “I need you here with me, Raven. I’m scheduled to get back into the
studio to work on the final songs for the album.”
“You’ll be fine. Rory’s coming back and he knows what you
need now. Besides, you can always
send me the rough cuts if I’m away.”
Jake stared at her, his eyes
wounded. “Why do you have to go now?”
“Because Skylar needs me there.”
For the first time, he seemed to
understand that it was really happening. “And you can’t even tell me how long you’re going for?”
“I think a week should do it,” she
said. “I want to tie up loose ends
with my family. They’ve been
homeless for too long and I want to help them sort things out.”
“Raven, I can help them. I’ll go down as soon as this studio work
is done and—“
She shook her head. “It’s not your responsibility,
though. It’s mine. They’re my family.”
Jake put his hand up to her cheek. “I know four million seems like a ton of
cash, babe, but it’ll go fast if you start buying everyone you know a brand new
house.”
She laughed. “And what about my cut from the single
sales, and the album sales when it comes out? I co-produced those songs. We both know that I’m going to have a
lot more than four million in my account soon.”
Jake fell silent.
Raven wrapped her arms around his
shoulders, clasping her hands on the back of his neck. Her body pressed into his and her eyes
stared deeply into his eyes.
“It’s just for a week so I can tie up
loose ends and be there for Sky. I
can’t just run away from everyone and everything in my life forever.”
“I know,” he said, and a ghost of a smile
formed on his lips. “I never thought
I’d say this to anyone in my life after everything I’ve been through.” He swallowed and his eyes filled. “But I love you and I need you, Raven. I can’t lose you now.”
“You’re not losing me. It’s just for a little while, and we’re
strong enough to handle some time apart.”
But as they got out of the pool and then,
later, as she lay awake in bed and heard the sound of Jake’s deep breathing,
Raven wondered if she’d just unintentionally pulled on the thread that would
unravel everything they’d created together.
***
She flew commercial back to Boston,
making sure to put on a cap and wear sunglasses for
Finally, they parted ways, but continued
swimming and relaxing in the amazing water, blissfully lounging, and Raven
found herself staring up out of the porch and into the night sky filled with a
million stars.
Some time later she checked the charts
again and discovered they were at number one and she’d gotten texts from a lot
of people, including Mack Zee.
This
team is unstoppable! Mack had written.
She smiled at that. She liked and appreciated that he was
trying to show her that he took her seriously as Jake’s manager, and didn’t
just consider her some girlfriend who was tagging along and served no real
purpose.
Of course, there was still a chance that
Mack was playing a larger and more devious game on behalf of Club Alpha, but
Raven refused to let that fearful and negative thinking dominate her mind.
It was only when she got a text from
Skylar that the smile faded from her face.
I
am so proud of you!! And I already
downloaded the song—I cant stop listening to
it. NUMBER ONE ON ITUNES ????!!!! I always knew you were the best. Miss you! XOXO Sky
Jake swam over to her. “What’s up?”
“Well, your song’s at number one
already. I know you don’t care…”
“Let me see that,” he said, taking her
cell phone and checking it. “I’ll
be damned,” he drawled. “We are at
number one. That’s insane.”
But when he turned to share the joy with
Raven, he saw the look on her face.
“Jake,” she said softly.
“No,” he replied instantly.
“It’s time for me to go back to Boston.”
He shook his head. “I need you here with me, Raven. I’m scheduled to get back into the
studio to work on the final songs for the album.”
“You’ll be fine. Rory’s coming back and he knows what you
need now. Besides, you can always
send me the rough cuts if I’m away.”
Jake stared at her, his eyes
wounded. “Why do you have to go now?”
“Because Skylar needs me there.”
For the first time, he seemed to
understand that it was really happening. “And you can’t even tell me how long you’re going for?”
“I think a week should do it,” she
said. “I want to tie up loose ends
with my family. They’ve been
homeless for too long and I want to help them sort things out.”
“Raven, I can help them. I’ll go down as soon as this studio work
is done and—“
She shook her head. “It’s not your responsibility,
though. It’s mine. They’re my family.”
Jake put his hand up to her cheek. “I know four million seems like a ton of
cash, babe, but it’ll go fast if you start buying everyone you know a brand new
house.”
She laughed. “And what about my cut from the single
sales, and the album sales when it comes out? I co-produced those songs. We both know that I’m going to have a
lot more than four million in my account soon.”
Jake fell silent.
Raven wrapped her arms around his
shoulders, clasping her hands on the back of his neck. Her body pressed into his and her eyes
stared deeply into his eyes.
“It’s just for a week so I can tie up
loose ends and be there for Sky. I
can’t just run away from everyone and everything in my life forever.”
“I know,” he said, and a ghost of a smile
formed on his lips. “I never thought
I’d say this to anyone in my life after everything I’ve been through.” He swallowed and his eyes filled. “But I love you and I need you, Raven. I can’t lose you now.”
“You’re not losing me. It’s just for a little while, and we’re
strong enough to handle some time apart.”
But as they got out of the pool and then,
later, as she lay awake in bed and heard the sound of Jake’s deep breathing,
Raven wondered if she’d just unintentionally pulled on the thread that would
unravel everything they’d created together.
***
She flew commercial back to Boston,
making sure to put on a cap and wear sunglasses for
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