Beats of the Heart - Chapter 38: Chapter 38

Shawn had heard the entire conversation from outside the studio. He didn't mean to eavesdrop, but at the same time, he couldn't pull himself away. There was too much within that dialogue to deconstruct at the moment.  All he wanted to do was be beside Miles.
Miles' eyes were closed when he entered, but Danny noticed him immediately. Danny silently decided to leave so Shawn could be alone with Miles.
A simple touch was all it took for Miles to open his eyes and realize who was with him.
"Shawn?" His voice was cautious.
Shawn leaned in and kissed him. "One day, you'll stop believing everyone will leave you."
Miles gave a wry chuckle. "Perhaps one day... how much did you hear?"
Shawn watched him carefully and caressed his cheek. "I'm sorry. I heard all of it. I knew I should have left, but I couldn't."
Miles' eyes were downcast, and he shook his head. "Do... do you have any questions?"
"Many," Shawn said with a smile. "Because I want to learn all about you. But right now, the only thing I want to ask is if you meant it?"
"Meant what?"
Shawn placed a finger under his chin and forced him to look up. "Do you love me?"
Miles felt his cheeks burn. He wanted to close his eyes but was unable to look away. "Isn't it obvious?" He tried to avoid admitting it.
"What if I need to hear it? Perhaps I have the same insecurities as you do. Maybe you will wake up one day and realize I'm too old or too focused on my business."
"What? Never!" Miles was shocked by the thought.
"Or perhaps you'll find some musician to sweep you off your feet."
"How could someone compete with you?" Miles was taken aback. "You said you heard everything just now, right?"
"I did."
"Then you know how much you mean to me. You know what would happen if you left. You know that I..." his words trailed off, and he sighed. "Damn you... you know that I love you."
Shawn's smile was something new—bright and unabashed. He grabbed Miles' hand and placed it on his chest. "Do you feel my heart?"
Miles concentrated on the rapid staccato rhythm against his touch. He closed his eyes to listen to the new beat.
"I love you too," Shawn whispered. "I don't know when I fell for you. Perhaps it was when I saw you sitting at the Lunar. Maybe it was our first kiss. Or it was when I shook your hand for the first time at The Apple—because that was when I could finally touch you again. All I know is that it happened, and I will never question it."
He kept Miles' hand on his chest as he continued. "For a while, I thought you were a dream, and I half-convinced myself I had been chasing a figment of my imagination... Maybe you are. Maybe you were a vivid hallucination, and my longing had conjured you into reality. But now that you're here, I will never let you go. You're music, and passion, and magic, Miles Mendez, and I love you."
Miles grabbed Shawn's shirt and pulled him into a fevered kiss. The tenderness of their words was long forgotten.
Miles pulled back slightly, nearly out of breath. Shawn caressed his checks, letting his hands roam to the back of his neck. Miles rested his forehead against Shawn's, relishing in this moment.
However, Shawn's cell phone ringing made reality hit Miles again. His shoulders slumped and he sighed. "I have to make a decision."
"It doesn't have to be now."
"If I was simply your artist—not your lover or the owner of Dirge—what would you recommend I do?" Miles asked, knowing the answer.
"Your greatest weapon at this point is your truth. And I have the right people to wield it and make it successful," Shawn said, his hands cupping Miles' cheeks. "Do I hate exposing so much of your life? Absolutely. I despise knowing Brian is hurting you like this. But I guarantee you, the motherfucker will pay dearly for this."
Miles gave him a resigned smile. "Alright. We'll do it your way."
Shawn was surprised by his concession. "Really?"
"I'm terrified, but I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt me," Miles said.
Shawn wrapped him in his arms and held him tightly. "Never. I couldn't bear it."
Shawn pulled away to look him over and ensure he was alright. Miles was still concerned, but his eyes flicked to his music equipment.
"Give me a second," Miles said with a renewed look.
He got up and went to his computer. He switched to a different system and hooked up his drum pads. He closed his eyes with a smile forming on his lips. His fingers tapped the pads in a quick rhythm.
He hummed in delight as he felt Shawn's arms wrap around his waist. He leaned back into his chest as he continued his beat while checking the stems on his computer.
When he stopped tapping, Shawn kissed the shell of his ear. "What are you doing?"
"Creating a new song," Miles said with a laugh. "Every time I start a new song, I claim it's my favorite... but this one will stand out above all the others."
"And why's that?"
Miles played the beat he had just made. "This was your heartbeat just moments ago. This is what you sounded like when you told me you love me."
Shawn was quiet as Miles played back the beats. "It's sounds like I'm frightened."
"It's beautiful," Miles whispered.
"I think you're biased," Shawn said with a light chuckle.
Miles shook his head. "Not this time. It sounds like possibilities... like our future."
Shawn rested his head in the crook of Miles' neck. "Our future? I like the sound of that."
"Me too," Miles sighed. He turned his attention to the stairs as he could hear voices upstairs. They seemed to be debating on something.
Shawn noticed the same thing. "Everyone was worried about you."
"I suppose it's time to face it all," he said with a tight smile.
He grabbed Shawn's hand and pulled him upstairs, where everyone was waiting for him. They fell silent when he emerged but then rushed into questions and curses about Brian.
Miles held up a hand. "Stop. We have a lot to discuss. Let's look at contracts first and then move onto a game plan for this shit show Brian started."
They grumbled in agreement and then clamored to the kitchen. They sat at the table with their contracts in hand.
Miles reached over the table and grabbed the two contracts left for him. He placed Requiem's on top and read through it.
There was a blank space before the DJ's name, Requiem, that required his legal name. He took the pen from the table, wrote his name, and signed Requiem's contract.
Scott was shocked into silence as he looked down at the contract in front of Miles. "Oh, Miles, that one is for Requiem."
"I know," Miles answered and promptly signed the contract for Dirge.
Scott faltered. "But... that would mean... you are... holy shit."
Miles handed the contracts back to Scott. "I know."
He then bowled over and started to laugh loudly. "My god. Oh my god. How many people showed you their worst sides to get to Requiem?"
Miles smiled a little. "A lot."
"I bet Brian will shit himself when he finds out," Phase said with a laugh, but it fell quickly. "Unless Trickshot told him."
"According to Trickshot, he didn't say anything about Requiem. I think that secret is safe for now." Miles explained.
"That gives me little comfort," Phase groaned.
Miles waved his hand, dismissing the worry. "I wasn't planning on keeping it a secret when we signed with Aura."
Scott perked up. "Really? Are you planning a big reveal?"
"I don't think it will be a big deal," Miles shrugged. "But it would be nice to perform without thinking about being two different people."
"You may brush off Requiem, but your fanbase is much bigger than you think. You have countless followers, fan pages, articles, and conspiracy theories about Requiem's true identity." Scott explained passionately.
Miles became contemplative, and his brow creased with worry. "But before I can do anything, I must clean up these rumors about me."
The others turned their attention to Miles and Shawn. Miles felt the pressure of their expectations, so he turned to Shawn for comfort.
"We reveal the truth," Miles said quietly.
Shawn caressed his cheek. "Are you sure you're okay with that?"
"I'm not thrilled about it," he said with a tight smile. "But this will give us the best results."
"The goal is to take back control. Steer the media in the direction we want," Shawn explained.
Danny was looking at his phone, trying to address the notifications coming in. "You're definitely not alone in this, Miles. It seems like everyone wants to back you up: several artists we have worked with, Eve, even Jay."
"That's good. They can help us when we launch our counterattack," Shawn said, his hand not leaving Miles' cheek. "I also have a couple of friends who will make this painless. One from Vogue who will be willing to do a complete spread about you—a profile and positive article that will tear apart these claims. The other person I want to get involved with is a good friend of mine. I trust him inexplicably—Felix Mason."
The name made Miles perk up. Felix was a well-known host. He also tended to do live streams, gaining an abundance of followers.
"Felix Mason?" Phase asked, his voice breaking in excitement. "As in the Felix Mason who introduced Alex Lee to the world? The Felix Mason who exposed Eclipse's Remy?"
Shawn chuckled. "The very one. He had a good eye for talent and won't bullshit you. He may ask some hard questions, but his intentions are genuine."
Miles nodded. "I've seen plenty of his interviews."
"You have?" Shawn asked with a raised eyebrow.
"He's interviewed you at least five or six times." Miles blushed from his omission. "I think I should be able to handle what he dishes out."
Shawn watched for any sign of hesitation. When he didn't see it, he nodded. "I'm going to make some phone calls then."
He left Miles with a quick kiss on the forehead and started dialing a few contacts. Miles watched him for a moment, entranced by the CEO persona that suddenly appeared. Miles settled in to talk to his DJs. They wanted to set up their own plan to tear down Brian, but Miles didn't let them linger on it. He didn't need to worry about Brian anymore because he had Shawn in his corner.
Everyone finally left when it had gotten late into the evening. As usual, Shawn had stayed behind. While Miles was showering, Shawn was still making phone calls and setting appointments to mitigate the rumors. Miles could already see the results of Shawn's interference. Many negative articles had disappeared, while more reputable media outlets openly questioned the legitimacy of the rumors.
Miles was once a faceless man, but now his image was rising to the surface. A popular picture of him was circulating, which captured him mid-laugh in a cream sweater. It made him seem softer and showed an innocence he never knew he had. When he asked about the picture, Shawn begrudgingly admitted he took the candid shot when they were at his parents' house.
Small things like these made Miles wonder why he worried about Shawn in the first place. Shawn cared for him beyond anything he had dreamed about. And Miles kept uncovering layers of Shawn's affection.
Six months ago, he was lonely, overworked, and musically starved. He came home to an empty place that echoed with each step. Four months ago, he took in Danny and brought a little life into his house. Shortly after, Shawn had entered his world again, and now he couldn't imagine his home without him.
Miles stepped out of the shower and dried himself off. He entered the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his hips and admired Shawn sitting on the bed with his dress shirt unbuttoned and rumpled slacks. His hair was disheveled from the countless times he had run his hands through it. Despite the state of his dress, he wore a confident expression as he wrapped up the last call of the day.
"Thanks, Pete," he said. "He probably thinks in the clear after the shit he pulled today, so he won't have much of a plan to curb this."
He turned toward Miles and grinned. "Give it a few days," he continued. "We'll sync back up before we release everything... Have a good night."
He hung up the phone and motioned for Miles to come closer. When Miles approached, he pulled him between his legs and dragged his lips up Miles' chest with a hum of pleasure.
"I want to take advantage of you right now," Miles groaned. "But it's been such a long fucking day."
Shawn's laugh brushed against Miles' skin. "I agree. And tomorrow is a big day for you."
Miles slumped against Shawn. "How the hell did you schedule interviews for me tomorrow?"
"I have some good friends, and many people owe me favors," Shawn said as he pulled Miles down to lie beside him.
"You think I'll do okay? I won't fuck it up even more?"
"I think you'll blow them all way, baby." Shawn rubbed his back. "You're going to show them how amazing you are."
They fell into a comfortable silence, and Miles nuzzled against Shawn, feeling comfort from his embrace.
Finally, his curiosity won out. Shawn's earlier conversation didn't seem to be related to the rumors. "What was the phone call about just now?"
"Just a couple of gifts I plan on giving the media about Brian?"
Miles smiled. "The embezzlement wasn't enough?"
"Embezzlement was only the starting point," Shawn huffed.
Miles wanted to be shocked, but Brian was seedy. "Seriously? How has he kept out of trouble for so long?"
"He was smart about covering up his unsavory actions." An unfamiliar smirk pulled at Shawn's lips. "It took some digging, but he's become unhinged, which made him careless. It's helped us uncover several concerning things that will pull him under. I expected to take him down within six months, but he shortened that timeframe significantly."
"Really?"
"Just wait a little, and you will see what I do to people who try to harm you." Shawn ran his fingers through Miles' hair. "He will face the appropriate ramifications, I promise."
Miles closed his eyes and relished the possessive touch. "I'll look forward to it."
"I also think I know the reasoning why Will pushed you to Brian."
Miles opened his eyes curiously. "Why's that?"
"Brian probably offered them a buyout."
"Why would they need a buyout?"
Shawn let out a low laugh. "Because someone is buying all of their business' shares."
"Are they no longer the majority shareholder?"
Shawn shook his head. "A few days ago, they own less than 30% of the shares."
"How? Will owned at least 10% while Larry held on to a solid 51%."
Shawn shrugged half-heartedly. "Larry listened to some faulty rumors and made some unfortunate investments. He had to sell some shares to cover the loss. Will, on the other hand, has a love for gambling. A couple of bad bets, and he lost more than he owned."
Miles grinned. "Faulty rumors and bad bets? How did you manage that?"
"Remember how I said a lot of people owed me favors? I placed them where they needed to be and trusted the Andersons to fall for it." Shawn chuckled as he explained it. It was a much easier task than taking down Eclipse. Brian was cunning, but the Andersons were naively greedy to a fault.
"Goddamn. You own their business now?"
Shawn nodded. "Officially, yes. I plan to announce it after the New Year. Some debt is coming with the business, but I plan on making the Andersons pay for it. Unfortunately for them, the debt is roughly equivalent to 26% of the shares."
"You're completely wiping them out?"
"They will survive on some of the funds I plan on divvying up for them. However, it will not be the lap luxury they are accustomed to."
"As much as I enjoy that," Miles started. "Why aren't you taking everything?"
"I felt that it's crueler this way. Take too much, and they can file for bankruptcy to find some relief. But this way, they are treading water. They must get rid of the houses, cars, and designer clothes. They will learn how to struggle and live the life they had always judged."
Shawn looked concerned when Miles didn't say anything. "Is this okay?"
Miles sighed. "Yeah. More than okay."
Shawn took his hand and pulled it to his lips. "I'm setting up a trust for Danny as well. He'll inherit most of what I took in a few years."
Miles jolted. "What? Are you serious?"
"It's technically his company. And if he doesn't want to run it, I can help him set up appropriate support, and he can just collect income as a shareholder."
Miles fell back onto the bed, and he laughed. "How are you so perfect?"
"I'm hardly perfect," Shawn mumbled.
"You're perfect for me."