Two weeks ago
The two days come and go and I felt like I was in a haze for them. With Bobby's threat looming over my head I couldn't relax. Coming home to Salem was supposed to be relaxing, a moment of peace for me so I can morn my siblings. Of course that went out the window. The day after Bobby came into my home I spent with my siblings. I didn't want to leave their graves. An empty plot is left next to my sister. When I bought the plots for my brother and sister I purchased one for myself to lay with them when the time comes.
The second day I had dinner with Pat and Ed. Both men wanted to know who came over the day before because they heard the yelling from the open windows they have. I just deflected and changed the subject to how they were both doing. They took the hint and I was able to avoid the subject for the rest of the evening.
After our nightcap I went home and found Elijah sitting on my front steps. I sighed and stepped around him to get to my front door.
"Do you know how long I've been waiting out here Ash? I'm freezing my ass off." He said and I opened my front door. Elijah pushed his way through the door before I could shut it in his face.
"No and I don't care, what are you doing here Eli?" I asked and looked through the front window to make sure he was alone.
"Bobby flew back to LA already. He sent me to make sure you got on the flight." Eli answered.
"I'm not going back to Los Angeles Eli." I said and sat down on my couch.
"I know that Bobby isn't the best guy around but he told me that you want to give up your career. Do you know how big this deal is for you Ash? It will launch you into the stratosphere, you'll be bigger then Arianna Grande." Eli said and sat on the coffee table.
"At the cost of my own sanity." I said and felt a migraine coming on.
"I'm sure that you can negotiate your own terms to the label during the meeting but that can only happen if you get on the plane with me Ash." Eli said trying to reason with me.
"That's what Bobby told you didn't he?" I asked and crossed my arms over my chest.
"More or less" Eli said and sat back on the coffee table.
"Tell him he can shove that contract. I won't sign another with him as my manager." I said.
"I know Bobby has his moments when he gets angry a little too quickly but he is only trying to get you the best deal Ash." Eli said.
"You have no idea what kind of hell I'm in Eli. Please get out of my house." I said wanting to just crawl into my bed and cry myself to sleep.
"Why don't we go out tonight? I'm sure there is a night club around here." Eli said and pulled out his cell phone.
"Seriously get out of my house Eli." I said getting fed up with his presence.
"Hey don't be that way with me. We can just go hang out and let loose before we have to get on the plane." Eli said.
"You have a minute to get out of my house before I call the cops Eli and I'm not kidding. Tell Bobby I'm not coming back to LA." I said and got up from my couch to open the door for him.
Eli looked shocked as he pocketed his cell phone. He stood from the coffee table and walked towards me.
"I'm sorry if i overstepped. If you change your mind the flight leaves at 1am from Boston Logan." Eli said and walked out my front door. He turned around to say something else to me but I slammed the door in his face.
I could hear him walk away as I locked the door and closed my curtains before walking upstairs to my room. This won't be the last I see of them. It looks like even flying across the country won't be enough to keep Bobby away from me. Maybe next time I'll have to fly across the world.
The next day when I woke up I had three missed calls from Bobby. He didn't even bother leaving a voicemail because he knows I won't listen to them. Just as I was about to get out of bed my phone started to ring again with an unknown Los Angeles number. I was going to let it go to voicemail but thought better of it and answered the phone.
"Hello?" I said with a sigh.
"Good morning Ashlyn, this is Logan at the label how are you?" Logan asked.
"I could be better Logan, what can I help you with?" I asked wishing I never picked up the phone in the first place.
"Bobby was having trouble getting in contact with you about our meeting that is scheduled for later today. He thought I would have better luck. I just wanted to go over the details of our new contract offer before the meeting later today." Logan said.
"I hate to break it to you Logan but I will not be signing another contract with you. I'm not in California right now and I won't be returning any time soon. Please tell Bobby the same for me." I said and hung up the phone before I could hear the counter offer I knew was coming.
My day was peaceful. Bobby was back in LA and wasn't hovering over me and Eli got the message and hasn't texted or called. I thought about going back to my siblings graves but when I walked outside onto my back porch I decided against it because of the cold. Winter is making her presence known now.
I was able to make myself lunch and dinner and avoided my phone for most of the day. I purposely left it upstairs in my room so I wouldn't have to deal with it until I was ready for bed. My day was spent on the couch watching the food network and playing around on my piano. Thinking about it now I don't even think I have anything worth saving in my apartment in Los Angeles. The only thing I wanted was my guitars and music equipment but I can pay a moving company to go in and ship them all to me.
The next day I woke up to a pounding on my door. I reach over to my phone and found I had so many missed calls from Bobby and Eli they were the only things on my lock screen. Quickly I got up from my bed and threw on some clothes before rushing down the stairs. I grabbed the baseball bat from behind the door and peaked through the peep hole to find Bobby standing on my doorstep with another man holding a brief case.
"Who's there?" I asked wanting to know who the other guy is.
"It's Bobby and Logan Ashlyn can you let us in?" Bobby said in a calm voice.
I put the bat down and ran a hand through my hair before unlocking the front door to let them inside. The last thing I need right now it for my neighbors to call TMZ. Bobby and Logan walked over to my kitchen table and sat down. Logan put his briefcase on the tabletop and opened it up to pull out some paper work. As I sat down at the table Logan push the packet in front of me.
"What's this?" I asked looking at the cover page.
"This is your contract. You hung up the phone before I had a chance to go over the terms. Bobby thought that you might like to go over it in person." Logan explained before pulling out his own copy of it.
"You flew across the country to explain a contract I'm never going to sign?" I asked looking at the two men.
"We are hoping that once we go over the terms you would reconsider signing. I'm just asking for a chance to hear me out. If you don't want to sign afterwards I will tell the label that you are moving on." Logan said.
I know that Bobby must want to explode after hearing that statement. If I walk away so does his big fish and he will lose his gravy train. Bobby knows he has to get me to sign this.
"Fine" I answered. I would give Logan his time because he flew across the country for me.
Logan took his time and went through the major points of the contract. Just like Bobby said the deal is for $400 million dollars for 5 years and four albums. I would do a world tour after each album and promos all around the globe with TV appearances as well. As Logan kept going on and on I started to tune him out.
My focus was pulled to movement over his shoulder and I saw my sister Ashley standing next to my brother Asher. They both gave me a smile and shook their heads no. They even know I shouldn't sign this deal. Logan was done explaining I looked at the cover of my contract.
"Can I review this on my own get back to you tomorrow?" I asked wanting them both out of my house.
"Sure thing either way give me a call tomorrow with your decision." Logan said and wrote his phone number on the top of the contract. I just shook his hand and showed him and Bobby to the door.
Once they were gone I returned to the kitchen table and looked at the thick packet of paper. Both Ashley and Asher were looking at me funny.
"You should really sage this place, there is too much negative energy here because of those two." Ashley said and sat in chair Bobby was just sitting in.
"Seriously I don't even know why you are going to look at that contract. You know you can't sign it." Asher said and stayed standing.
"I know but it is a lot of money." I said and flipped through the pages.
"When you signed your last contract with Bobby you got screwed over with all the subclauses. For fuck sake Ashlyn you are stuck in the closet and have face legal consequences because of you flings with woman. Bobby is a sneaky gold digger who has his claws stuck in you. This is your chance to be free Ash, you need to take it." Asher pleaded standing behind Ashley.
He did have a point. I flipped through the contract Logan presented me with and the same clause is still in here. All of the same clauses regarding my sexuality are still here and the penalties are harsher then before if I breach the contract.
"I'll call them tomorrow after I've made them sweat it out some more." I said and flipped the contract over.
"That's my girl" Asher said and smiled.
"I'm serious about the sage Ashlyn, go buy some and sage the house. Better yet, see if Pat and Ed have some. You should stay over there for a few days just so you aren't here if Bobby comes back." Ashley said and put her hand over mine. I watched her hand go through mine and I sighed.
I heard a police siren scream past my house and I watched as the car drove by. When I looked in front of me Ashley and Asher were gone and I'm alone again. Following their advice I walked next door and knocked on the door. Ed answered and ushered me inside. Pat is out to lunch with a few of his old Army buddies so Ed and I had lunch together.
After our lunch I ended up watching food network with Ed until Pat came home later. When he saw me he got excited and made me stay over for dinner since he missed lunch. Later after dinner we settled back onto the couch with a bottle of red wine and a chopped marathon. It was no surprise that I woke up the next morning on their couch with a blanket thrown over me.