TWO HEART ONE STAGE

Blanch

he second I walked into the

y, bursting with a hundred ideas before the r

n record. I checked my phone again. Still nothing. No text. No voice

han any punch h

word. Sophie hadn't

him after the mess at Radio France. I should'v

I was standing in the ashes, wonde

owned the place. I stood. Fast. "What are you doing here?" He smiled. "Relax, Maurice. Just here to tal

Because deep do

ame with was going to leave a scar. T

voice. But somet

thing colder. More calculated. He wore sna

nk that'll kill Marc?" He tilted his head. "I

two rose from nothing while the rest of us watched from the gutters. M

're dragging him down beca

g two feet behind him." I clenched my fists. "You don't know w

omething from his pocket-a flash drive. Tossed it onto the couch like it weighed nothing. "Your brother's no

curse. I didn't want to touch it. But I did. I plugged it into the studio laptop and pressed pl

r. May

knife. Ranting. About fame. About being the star. About carrying the whole brand. Then he said it. "I

flag. "He's just lucky he's my brother." I closed the laptop. My c

said them. Had he always felt that way? Was I

the way he looked into the camera... told me otherwise. My phone buzzed again. Still no word from Marc. S

else was I

n Belleville. The old one. Where we used to dream before the world got too loud. When I go

opped. I should'

I di

the water tan

party. Five years ago..." "He's about to release it-make y

low and cracked. "Why now? Why are yo

ked like she'd seen a ghost. "Maurice..." she breathed. "You helped Korex?" I asked, voice flat. Heavy. She

the dark like always." Sophie moved toward me. "Maurice, I" "I trusted you." My voice cracked. "I loved

u stood beside me every day while your ex

You really think you're the one carrying us? That I'm just lucky to be your br

t of anger. Out of clarity. I was done being the footnote in someone else's

phones. A sweater. The

"This will cost you millions" "Let it." I hung up. Sat on the edge

buzzed. One new message. From a n

re

sn't respond. But his fingers hover over the reply button for a

next video isn't about

.. Maurice rep

and