The Concept |r. blaney|

seventeen: chasin' you

Cadence had her hair weaved into two tight braids, her toned legs crossed as she laid on a blanket beside her pool as the scorching Arizonian summer rays beat down on her perspiration sun kissed skin. Her phone was on speaker as those who helped run her (and formerly Gus') website spoke enthusiastically after receiving her first draft of her next big topic.

On her opposite side was her laptop, half closed and screen timed out as she leaned back on her arms. Julia, who had been wrapped up in redecorating her and her boyfriends new house, sat under the shaded area with a scrapbook, assorted colors and shapes of papers, and a stack of magazines. 

Her mind was elsewhere while on the call. As you can imagine, after her last encounter with Ryan and his ex-girlfriend splitting them apart, she was a little... estranged. Embarrassed, even. She hadn't opened any of his texts or responded to any of his calls.

Instead, she worked.

"I've got to be honest with you, Cadence, ever since your debacle with that racing guy, I think that this is what'll kickstart everything." She recognized her lead manager's voice, bringing her back to reality. Her eyes drifted to the phone, lips pressed in a thin line as she thought about the debacle her manager didn't even know about. 

"Yes, totally reboot the business." Another voice chimed in excitedly. She wondered if they caught her sigh on the other end.

"I was thinking getting a new title and new designs," People continued rambling. Apparently they hadn't caught it.

"This is it." 

At least her team enjoyed her article and were done with discussing how they all wanted to drop her behind closed doors because she stopped producing work post Gus' accident.  She didn't take it personally, of course, and instead embraced it. Proving people wrong was the best form of victory known to man. 

"You've gotta tease it, Ms. LeRoy."

"You can." She told him, eyes fluttering shut. "I'm on social media break."

"That's awesome. Do that until the release date! We've got the advertisements."

And so, that was what happened.

She ended the call, groaning dramatically as she put her phone on "do not disturb," before lying down on the blanket. With her blue eyes shut, she rested her palms over her exposed stomach and listened to nothing but the shuffle of her best friends shuffling papers and turning pages.

While she laid and over thought every moment she and Ryan had spent together, her team accessed her social media and uploaded a photo of her and Ryan hugging that the photographers got after his Talladega win. Below the photo, the caption read "Hey everyone! Happy to announce 'Limitless' is receiving a full revamp. Now that our most skilled, entertaining, and highest requested journalist is back in business, we're pleased to share with you to be on alert for the new release. With limitless love, the Limitless team xx"

Ryan stared at the photo from his home in North Carolina, elbows braced on a small circular table within his living room, knee bouncing as he mindlessly brushed his index finger over his growing beard. Bitterness, maybe. Or shame. His heart constricted and he dropped his phone on the table, both hands running through his hair. Sturgill, who was tracking mud throughout the house after sneaking back inside rushed to Ryan's side. 

"If she's working and happy, I should be too, right?" He asked his dog, petting the top of his head as his eyes nonchalantly following the line of muddy footprints. "I cannot make a habit of talking to you about this stuff." He grumbled and got to his feet. He grabbed his ball cap and put it on before whistling as he pushed the back door open.