Page 167 of Shy Girls Can't Date Rockstars
A lump balls in my throat and it’s getting increasingly harder not to let the tears fall. “Thank you for taking me in.”
A gentle smile curves across her lips. “I’m actually glad I did now.”
I smirk at the absurdity of the statement. “I’m not just a burden anymore?”
Miranda walks over to me. Her hand lifts as if to touch my chin, but doesn’t quite make it. “Gifted people aren’t burdens. But you’re more than that. You’re my family, and I want you to be safe.”
“I have a chance to leave if you want me gone,” I say, regretting every syllable. “I can go to college. You won’t need to be my guardian anymore.”
Her head tilts, taking me in. “You look like you hated saying every word of that.”
A tear finally falls, knowing my aunt understands me. “I did. I don’t want to be on my own if I don’t have to. But I will if we can’t live together.”
Miranda steps back, taking a beat. “I’ve been unwelcoming,” she begins. “This much is true. But we can try. After the showcase, Sky Chaos will have a clearer direction for their future.”
“That won’t stop you working with them, and I don’t want to stop you. I didn’t stop my parents from working. I just don’t want you to promise things will be different after the showcase, because we both know it won’t be.”
Miranda smirks. “You’re clever, even without the books.” She snaps her fingers, moving past me and through the doorway. “Oh, that reminds me.”
I turn around and step into the hallway just as Miranda unlocks her office door. She moves inside, and after a few seconds, she’s back in the hallway.
“Here.” My SD card is in her palm. “Janet from the KEG marketing team returned it to me. She just asked that you not monetize any of the shots they’ve already used for the band.”
I look at the small black rectangle, and then at her. “I can’t use any of my own shots?”
“We’ve licensed them to Kensington Entertainment Group.”
“Licensed.” The word snags in my throat. “We?”
“Yes, of course,” Miranda says simply. “What is so difficult to understand?”
“It’s my work.” I snatch the SD card from her. “Not that I was planning to monetize anything, but shouldn’t I get the choice? Shouldn’t that be mine to make?”
Miranda gives me a perplexed look. “What on earth are you talking about?”
“Look, I get that the usual photographer was sick, but I don’t appreciate being used like some tool you can just…”
“Alice.” Miranda lifts one hand, the bewilderment still plain to see. “You are getting paid for your work.”
I pause. “What?”
“Yes.” She watches my face with careful wariness, expecting another outburst. “You were working under my business name at The Factory. KEG has paid for the photos they used, and I’ll pay you as an employee of Miranda Knox Management.”
I lower back onto my heels, and the air goes out of me slowly. “I... am?”
M_Knox_Mgnt. The social handle that’s been mocking me for days. It’s my employer’s handle? It was actually giving me credit by association?
Miranda lifts her hands questioningly. “What did you think?”
I can’t look at her directly. “Clearly not that.”
“I’ll write you a check,” Miranda says with a muted snigger. “Janet’s email has the file numbers for the shots they used. I’ll get you a copy.”
“Oh, umm, okay.” I stare at the little rectangle in my hand. “Thanks.”
“You know, you’re exceptionally talented,” Miranda says in a somewhat airy tone. “I have three shots still open on my laptop. I was thinking of framing them. Would you be okay with that?”
There’s a flutter in my chest. “You want prints of my work?”
