THE RULES OF FAME

Chapter 11 - Vacation

Peyton Bell

I saw the press release and felt loads better. I didn't want to have anything to do with a woman like Shanty. She was not my Nessa and will never be. Am I obsessed with her? Maybe, but I know what love is, and I love her, never stopped loving her, and I don't think I ever will.

She went away, and I am now old enough to recognize that our time was not then, but maybe now it is. It has to be because I have her ingrained in every cell of my body, and I only got to kiss her, nothing more intimate than her lips on mine, while she gave me her heart, and I took it with the promise of protecting it with everything I was.

Yes, I failed her then. I was so focused on getting the company up, on proving I was worthy of the shot life was giving me. Trying not to take for granted every opportunity that I neglected, what was the most important thing in my life — her. I closed my eyes and bounced off my chair. I have worked hard for the future. I promised her we would have.

We were both not mature enough to deal with what life threw at us. I was not mature enough to know balance, and she moved on to chase her dreams. Could we have done things differently? Yes, but her pain and my pride got in the way… and now, I am stuck in this f*****g limbo where I see an article here and there about how successful she has become throughout Europe. She is not starring in her first major rom-com, and I can't wait to see her shining on the silver screen.

I smiled, the first sincere smile I have shown in months… she is the only one who can put that one across my face.

“Yo!” Eddie walked into my office without knocking. We didn't care, and I didn't mind, except in moments like this one, where I paused from my day-to-day and stopped and thought of her.

I took a deep breath, “What's up?” I sighed, feeling tired. The Shanty situation drove me to the edge.

“We need to talk,” he said, and I sighed. The f**k! No good conversation begins with those f*****g words.

“Alright?” I sighed, and he sat across from my desk.

“I think I have been too hard on you. You are the best music producer around, and we have been working hard…” he said, and I chuckled. Yes, we have pushed ourselves to the limit but that has granted several awards over the years, and this year we are up to beat the record of most nominated producers with a whopping 20 nominations in one year.

“Yeah, are you breaking up with me? Because I am in for the long run… Eddie,” I joked, and he laughed.

“We are family, Peyton…” he said, and I nodded.

“First and foremost,” I said, and he sighed.

“I guess what I wanted to say was I am sorry, Pey.” Eddie paused, “I have been tirelessly finding new gigs, making you show up, pushing the studio to be the best big thing that I forgot about you,” he said, and I looked at him, wondering how we ended up with this awkward conversation in the first place. Yes, he has pushed me, but I have done it because I also needed to prove to myself and the world that I was not my father, that I was capable of making it, of succeeding… breaking the pattern. I wanted to show Vanessa I was capable of making a good, hardworking, driven man out of myself.

“You didn't put a gun to my head, so no worries,” I said, and he nodded.

“Yes, and I think it is time for us to move the studio to a different horizon,” he said, and I took another deep breath. Nothing good comes out of these lunatic ideas that Eddie conjures out of thin air.

“Come on! The artists want to travel here to record with me. Why should we move the studio somewhere else?” I looked at him, and he chuckled.

“And they will travel wherever you are, right?” he said, and I nodded.

“I can hold the New York office, and you can hold the European branch… maybe settle in London?” he said, and I gasped. He was f*****g trying to get me close to Vanessa.

“Thanks, but no…” I stood up, and he looked at me.

“Don't you want to see her?” he asked, and I looked at him and laughed.

“Oh, I am going to… but I'm not flipping my entire life, at least not yet,” I said, and he raised his eyebrows.

“She has a career that is taking off. Settling in London when she might be moving back to America is a stupid move,” I said, and he nodded. “But, I am wrapping the B-Boys album, and I am taking a month off.” I stood up, and he looked at me as if I had grown a second head. I never take time off.

“What?” he squinted his eyebrows.

“I trust you can handle the pre-production of Hail and Fire,” I said, and he nodded.

“Sure…”

“Good, then I'll be back for recording sessions in a month,” I said, and he took a deep breath. I was sure he was not expecting this, but I knew what I was doing.

“Where are you going? You are not going to disappear and go wild again, right?” he said tentatively.

“No, I have learned my lesson,” I said,

“I am going to find her,” I said, and he smirked.

“Damn! You are one of those romantic fools who can't get over your high school sweetheart,” he joked, and I laughed.

“In all fairness, she was in high school; I was not,” I smirked, a special light glowing out of my eyes. I knew that it might take her by surprise, and that was exactly what I wanted: to shock her, to tell her I was back, and that I would not go away.

“And, do you know if she is in fact in London?” he said, typing on his phone, and I shrugged.

“London is a start,” I said, with a carefree attitude,

“Man… you might want to check this out,” Eddie placed his phone on top of my desk.

"🔥 NEW ON-SET ROMANCE? TATE PORTER AND VANESSA LOUVIER TURN UP THE HEAT IN LONDON’S COUNTRYSIDE 🔥

By Mia Langford, Celebrity Now! Magazine

Move over, Hollywood power couples — there might be a new one in town! Sparks are reportedly flying between Tate Porter, the notoriously private leading man known for his no-nonsense, professional attitude, and Vanessa Louvier, the rising star taking the film world by storm…"

The article showed pictures, Vanessa looked gorgeous, and the fucker Porter smiled at her as if she was the only woman in the f*****g world. No, did I lose her? Did she move on?

“I am leaving tonight, wrap up the B-boys yourself… I need to be in London tomorrow morning.” I stood up and walked away, leaving Eddie with his mouth open.

I took my phone and called Amanda, “Hey, how are you, Pey?” she said in her calm voice. My sister went through hell and back, and Thomas, her husband, saved her in every way a person could be saved. Now she lives this amazing life full of love, laughter, and little feet stumbling around creating havoc.

“I called you to tell you, I am leaving for a while,” I said, and she gasped.

“So sudden, does mom know?” she asked,

“No, I am calling you, aren't I?” I said, and she sighed.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“Vacation,” I said, and she sighed.

“You saw the article… Pey, it was something inevitable. You just let her go… she moved on,” she said, and I chuckled dryly.

“Let's see about that…” I said and finished the call.

I am not ready to give up on us… Now more than ever, I am coming back, and this time, I will never let her go.