His temper flared. He might have squeezed her hand a little hard. “That’s not her name, Daph.”
Her eyes grew unfocused for a moment. “Right.” She grimaced. “I don’t even remember her real name. Just that she’s fat and nice and pretty, and I kind of hate her guts for having you at the moment.”
“I love her,” Cade said simply. “She’s everything I’ve ever wanted, and she’s a wonderful person.”
“You love her,” Daphne said, choking on tears. “She’s fat and nobody and I’m famous and thin and no one loves me.”
He was not going to feel sorry for her. Daphne fed off of pity. “Kylie’s not thin. So what? I don’t care. She’s incredibly sexy and I love her figure. I love how lush she is and how much she adores life. Mostly, I love how giving and wonderful she is. I love how when I’m with her, she’s the most important person in the world to me, and I’m the most important to her. That’s what love is, Daphne. It’s not lashing out and then hoping they’ll stick around despite your behavior. It’s trying to be the best person you can to make the other person happy.”
She twisted her hands. “So are you two going to get married?”
He lifted his hand and showed her his wedding band. He had never taken it off. “Kinda already did.”
Huge tears rolled down Daphne’s cheeks. “I really have no one left, then.”
You don’t, he wanted to say. But he chose to be kind instead. “Go to rehab, Daphne. Get clean. Not for your label, not for your fans, not for your sisters. Not for me. For you. I’ll help you, if you want. I’ll pay for aides that will stay by your side at all times.”
“And they’ll just cave to the label,” she said gloomily.
“Not if they work for me,” Cade said in a firm voice. He reached out and took her small hand again. “But I’m not going to set people up for failure. You have to want this for yourself. And you have to treat these people like humans. No cute names. No going behind their backs. Because I’m going to ask them to report to me every week and if they say you’re being cruel or ugly, I’ll pull the plug and leave you without support, too.”
Her lower lip trembled. “Why are you being so mean, Cade?”
“Because being nice and patient gets nowhere with you, Daphne.” His smile was apologetic but firm. “And I really don’t want to give a speech at your funeral.”
She looked at the paper on her lap, and then took a deep breath. “Okay. Okay. I can do this.”
“It’s going to be hard,” Cade warned.
The look she gave him was scathing. “As if everything else in my life is easy? If you think that, Cade, maybe you don’t know me at all.”
He couldn’t disagree with that. “I guess I’ll see myself out, then. Like I said, my offer stands. I’ll give you all the help you need.” Cade inclined his head at the door. “Carmela’s out there waiting to see you.”
Daphne’s brows drew together. “Who?”
“Your assistant? You called her Snoopy?”
Her expression softened. “She waited out there for me? Really?”
“Imagine that. Someone cares about you.” He gave her a smile.
“Huh.” She ran her fingers through her messy hair and gave him a tremulous smile back. “Well, send her in.”
—
Back at the hotel, the tour employees had been instructed to contact label management to receive their final payment and to arrange for a flight home. The news of Daphne’s overdose was just now breaking, and employees were meeting with management in a conference room downstairs before being handed non-disclosure agreements to sign before receiving their last check.
Kylie emerged from her hotel room and ran into Ginger in the hall, and Ginger filled her in. “Just thought I’d let you know,” Ginger said grumpily. “Since you don’t have a phone and all.”
Kylie gave her a hesitant smile. “Thanks, Ginger.”
“It’s Carol,” Ginger said, and she scowled at Kylie. “And don’t fucking thank me because I’m a decent human being and you’re not. Because of you, I have to find a new fucking job. So thanks a lot for that. Thanks for driving Daphne insane by stealing her man.” She shook her head and wheeled her suitcase down the hall, muttering to herself. “Should’ve spoke up when I had the damn chance.”
Ouch. Shocked, Kylie watched the older woman leave. In a way, she supposed things were her fault. Indirectly, right? Sure, she had dated Cade, but they were quiet about things. It wasn’t her fault that Daphne had hit her in the head with a pot and then decided to take a bunch of pills once she heard Cade say that he didn’t want her.
But as she headed downstairs, she saw a few other tour employees in the lobby, and they all avoided eye contact with her. One shot her the bird before turning away.
Okay, so maybe everyone did blame her.
Uneasy, Kylie headed down to the conference room. Several employees were waiting by the door, and Kylie recognized two backup singers and a guy from lighting. They all gave her dirty looks. She ignored them, but it was difficult. She could deal with a few irritated people—poor Cade was having to deal with Daphne and her family.
By the time it was Kylie’s turn to go into the conference room, she was getting tired of hearing the whispering and seeing the furtive glances in her direction. She’d pretty much heard a mumbled whore here and there. She ignored it, because what else could she do? For all they knew, Kylie had stolen Daphne’s man. They didn’t know Cade and his side of the story, only Daphne’s. And Daph’s was fueled by coke. Or meth. Or oxy. Or whatever she was on this week.