Echo

Chapter 2: Broken

“How could you, Lea?! After all this time, how could you throw it all away and not even show up?” Dianna demanded, causing Lea to hold the phone away from her ear. “God, I really needed you… you, the one person who could understand exactly what I was going through but you just… disappeared and didn’t even bother to call” she fumed as Lea tried to make sense of her friend’s words. 

“Dianna, what in the hell are you talking about?” Lea questioned when she was finally able to get a word in. 

“Don’t play dumb with me. Just admit that you didn’t have the decency to show up because of your latest drama with Cory” Dianna all but screeched though there was something different about this rant than the usual one. Lea could swear Dianna was almost hysterical and quickly grew worried as her friend continued to ramble on about some sin she believed Lea committed. 

“Dianna, slow down” Lea intervened. “Now tell me, what happened. What didn’t I show up for?” she asked though no amount of bracing could have prepared her for the answer she received. 

“Miss Michele, right on time” the receptionist greeted the moment the elevator beeped and the doors opened. Politely, she held her hand out to receive Lea's jacket and led her down a long corridor lined with awards and platinum records. “Mr. Monteith and Ms. Swier are already waiting inside” she added and pointed to a door marked ‘Conference.’ 

Lea realized the room must have been sound proofed when she pushed it open and found Cory and Mia, standing on opposing sides of the table, locked in a heated discussion. 

He looked so much like he had the last time they saw one another, she thought. His hair was still short, his body still toned and muscled but his chin was now speckled with a five o’clock shadow. He looked healthier too, more like the Cory Monteith she first met on tour, rather than the Cory Monteith she pushed out of her life three years before. 

Lost in her thoughts, it was only the sound of their ongoing argument that brought Lea out of her musings. “I don’t give a fuck if Ron has confidence in you. I think you’re a hack who’s only going to play with Lea a little more until she breaks completely” Mia hissed and all but clawed at him. While it wasn’t a scene Lea hadn’t witnessed before it was unexpected, especially since she believed Mia wouldn’t be attending her meeting. 

“I see the two of you are getting along famously” Lea said when Cory opened his mouth to retort. Instantly, his eyes snapped towards her, holding her gaze for a fraction of a moment before he returned his angry stare to Mia. 

“I was just making sure the addict could control at least one addiction” Mia shot at Cory and smirked when his jaw clenched angrily. 

“Out” Lea ordered and stepped away from the door. “We have a lot of writing to do” she added and watched Mia smirk transform into a scowl at the mention of song writing. While her manager had more than enough ammunition to keep hitting Cory with cheap shots, Mia couldn’t insult her way into the meeting when legally, she had no right to stay. 

“Fine… just remember what I said… both of you” Mia replied and flounced out of the room like the Queen of Sheba. 

“Nice to see some things never change… Mia is still a bitch that makes Satan look like the archangel he once was” Cory said once he and Lea were alone. 

His voice almost sounded foreign to Lea as the rich sound washed over her. It had been so long since she’d heard his smooth tones that it took a moment to realize what he said and another moment after that to laugh out loud. “Yeah… I guess you can always count on Mia to piss you off” she agreed because she didn’t know what else to say.