Page 69 of The Publicity Stunt

"His father yelled at us. Ripped us a new one," Brett says. "That was kind of scary, actually."

Bri didn't know Kace had been benched because of the scandal. But knowing he doesn't want to be friends with Brett anymore sounds like he may actually care about her. Assuming any of this is actually true.

"What is it you want from me?" Bri asks. "I legitimately have nothing left to give anyone."

"Talk to him. Listen to him, and he'll tell you the same things we told you," Brett says. "He's miserable, Bri. Completely defeated."

Her heart wants to believe them so badly, but it all sounds so farfetched. "Anything else you need to get off your chests?"

"Yeah," Rudy says. "I'm so sorry. It was stupid of me to not think about how my words would also affect you. Everything you've ever said to me or to Sasha was valid and much nicer than we deserve. I would do whatever I could to take it back, I really would. I never intended to hurt you, but I know that doesn't take anything away. I just need you to know I didn't seek out to do that."

"He's just really stupid," Brett says.

"I appreciate your apology. The tour takes a lot out of me, and I really need to take a shower and head to sleep."

"Will you call him? Or at least think about calling him?" Brett asks and gets back down on his knees. "Please, Bri, I'm on my knees again. I'm begging."

Looking at the ground, she shakes her head. "I don't think there's any way to come back from this. Part of me wants to believe you because I don't remember being happier than I was when I was with Kace. And his family was so warm and welcoming. The rational part of me, the pragmatic part I've had to learn to utilize after so many terrible situations, tells me this is just what happens when I trust people. There's a reason I don't let people in and can't trust anyone. It's the perfect example to remind me of this fact that he'd so easily made me forget."

"Bri-"

"Goodbye."

Turning, Bri hurries to her dressing room and looks around for Tessa. She doesn't see either her best friend or her head of security. Probably for the best, as she hurries into the bathroom and turns on the shower. Climbing in, she doesn't wait for the hot water, and she doesn't bother to change out of her last outfit before sinking to the floor and sobbing.

"Why won't this pain just go away? I just want it to go away," she cries and lets the water wash over her.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Kace

Video of Bri performing her newest single and breaking down at one of her concerts in Cincinnati plays on repeat on Kace's phone. It already has over twenty million views, and it's hit the top ten on the charts. He can't help but wonder how many of those twenty million views are from him alone.

Bri's fans still scream at him every chance they get, and he doesn't even argue. He deserves everything they think of him, and he can't refute much. Not that anyone would believe him if he told them he actually does love her.

Rudy goes out of his way to be accommodating, but Kace still wants nothing to do with the man off the ice. On the ice, he doesn't even look at him, only the puck. The fact he thought he could become friends with him again makes him angry. He should have broken his jaw, so Rudy couldn't continue to try and talk to him.

Kace shows up at the stadium in Moose Jaw early, which has become his new normal. If he comes early, he misses the reporters and mobs of people wanting his head on a stick. Because of this, Rudy has also come to the stadium early in an attempt to talk to Kace.

When he gets to the locker room, he finds Sasha waiting for him. She rarely came to the games in Canada, let alone showed up early enough to see him. It's also February in one of the colder parts of the continent. She never would come this time of year. Never.

"What are you doing here?" Kace asks.

"I was hoping to talk to you," Sasha says.

He looks at her and shakes his head. Her strawberry blonde hair sits in tendrils like he always said he liked, but she never wore, and she wears tight jeans with a well-fitted black jacket. Peeking out from the collar is the unmistakable orange of their jersey, and she even wears light orange eye shadow. She really went all out.

"No, thanks."

"Please, Kace?" she asks, her arm on his to stop him as he tries to walk past her and into the locker room. "We were together for almost two years."

Turning, he laughs. "And the last six months, you were fucking someone I thought was a friend. I don't think our time together has the leverage you think it does."

Her body stiffens, and her eyes cast to the ground. The same eyes he used to love, but the sky blue looks nothing like the sapphire shade of Bri's.

"I know."

"Are you here to apologize? Because I don't need that. And I don't want that."

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