Page 104 of Making the Save

Because it seemed like she’d turned it all off. Not just the sex. That I understood. She needed to protect herself. But it was everything else. The affection, the silliness, the sweetness. All of it was somehow muted. There were times I wanted to grab her and force her to act normal. The way she had before.

Before she heard me say she would be the last woman on the planet I would marry.

Fuck.

“Exactly as I imagined it,” Francine announced.

I turned to see Sydney walking out from behind the screen.

I couldn’t call it a dress. It was too magical for that. It floated around her body like a white cobweb that gave hints and peeks of skin. The fabric glittered around her waist and the hem grazed the top of her perfect thighs. She turned and I saw the way the back was shaped, above her shoulders, into points.

It looked like wings.

“You’re a fairy,” I said.

“Fairy Bride,” Francine corrected me. “It came to me in a vision and I knew only Sydney Malloy could wear it.”

Syd examined herself in one of the tall mirrors propped up against the brick wall. “It’s perfect. Absolutely, perfect. Thank you, Francine. You’ll bring it to the house and dress me on the day of the awards?”

“Of course. I can’t have you messing up my creation with red lipstick or some shit like that. You’ll listen to me in all things,”she said, pointing a finger at Syd. Then she turned on me. “And you better make Armani look good.”

“I think I can do that.”

When we got backto the house there was a car in the driveway.

“It’s Tyler,” Syd said. “I kind of thought after that last failed interview he was done with me. He hasn’t called or texted at all.”

“You still pay him?”

“I do.”

“Good, then you go in there and fire him.”

“It’s not that simple,” she said, twisting her fingers together. Something I’d noticed she’d stopped doing up at the cabin.

This life of hers stressed her out. Or maybe it was just Mean Tyler.

“It is. You’re writing an amazing album that is going to light the world on fire. You don’t need this guy’s reputation bullshit. Your excellent music is your reputation. All the rest of it, who the fuck cares? Let your music do the talking. You’re Sydney Fucking Malloy and you have something to say and people want to hear you.”

She looked at me, her fingers untangling. Her eyes glowing.

There she was. My cabin girl. My tiny fairy.

“I think,” I swallowed. “I think you’re amazing.”

I watched my opinion give her strength. Straighten her spine. She believed me. She knew the version of her I saw was the person she really was. If nothing else, I’d given her that.

“Let’s see what Tyler’s upset about,” she said and got out of the Rover.

“Or let’s go fire Tyler,” I muttered as I got out after her.

Inside, Tyler was all smiles, unlike the last time when he’d been all four letter words. “Hello honeymooners!”

His teeth were blinding and his spray tan had veered into orange territory. Honestly, there was nothing likeable about this guy.

Tyler pulled Syd down on the couch next to him and even managed to have a fake smile for me too.

“Well done you two! Everybody’s just gagging about you both.”