Page 27 of Fame and Obsession

My laugh is dry. “How long did it take to make yourself believe that?”

“What the hell is your problem?” she demands, her smug smile fading.

“Cut the shit, Viv. Zane already told me you tried to hump his leg the minute I left the table.” I tug at her wrists, pulling her hands off me. “Too bad he shot you down. From the sounds that come through the wall, you’d have been thrilled.”

She jerks one arm free, swinging an opened palm that connects with my cheek. It stings, but I don’t flinch.

“Did you get it all out?” I ask with a blank stare.

“Fuck you, Julian!”

“At least you got my name right this time.”

She pushes against me, delivering a vicious slap across my chest. “I hate you!”

“Get in line!” I yell. Twisting around, I head for the door.

“Who is she?”

Pausing, I glance over my shoulder. “Who is who?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Julian. I was sitting right there. You needed a forklift to pick your jaw up.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

A wave of fury crests over her face. “Do you think we didn’t see you chase after her like a lovesick teenager?”

“You’re out of line.” Maneuvering around her, I walk to where my guitar case sits on a table by the door. Pausing at her word choice, I glance back. “Wait...we?”

Instead of answering, she repeats her demand. “I’ll ask again, who is she?”

“And I’ll tell you again, it’s none of your damn business.”

I can feel my control slipping as she moves in close behind me and runs a hand down my back. “There was a time you couldn’t get enough.”

Fuck this.

Shrugging her off, I slam my guitar case shut. “You were a great post-show energy burn, that’s all.”

“Maybe if you fucked half as good as you played, I wouldn’t have had to go somewhere else to get off.” She crosses her arms in front of her chest and glares at me.

I guess that’s supposed to make me jealous.

Nice try.

“That really hurt.” I laugh, which infuriates her even more. “Especially coming from someone who’s given away more pussy than the animal shelter.”

She rears back as if I’ve slapped her.

Let that one sink in for a minute, bitch.

I’m halfway out the door when I hear it.

“You don’t give a shit about anybody but yourself. It’s the reason Billy’s dead.”

My body becomes a sparked live wire. “What the fuck did you just say?”

“You heard me. What’s wrong, Julian? Couldn’t you handle the competition? Did Billy get a little too popular so you sent him off to his death?”

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