Page 70 of Between Now & Heartbreak

Suddenly he breaks our kiss, and pulls his hand away from me with a curse. and presses his forehead to mine. I keep my eyes closed while I try to catch my breath and still my thundering heart.

“I’m leaving Beth. It’s time for me to go back home.”

21

HELLO HEARTBREAK, MY OLD FRIEND

CARTER

“You knewI wasn’t here for good,” I say when she stiffens.

She pulls out of my hold and scoots down the bench from me.

“Of course. This just feels…sudden.”

“I need to meet with my agent. He’s not taking my calls after what I did last time I saw him. So, I want to go try and do it face to face.”

“I thought you didn’t want to sign that deal.”

“Well, I don’t know that I wantthatdeal. But I want something. I’ve unlocked something and I want to pursue it.”

I’ve always been inspired in the company of other artists, but nothing has been like the inspiration I’ve found in the intimacy of collaboration.

This was the thing my father and I argued about incessantly.

He wanted me to be a star.

I wanted to be part of a group. But, in the end, I did what he encouraged and I have loved my time as a classical pianist.

Being with her has brought that desire rushing in. And my dad wouldn’t resent me anything that made me happy.

“So, are you going to tell me more?” Beth prods me, she’s smiling but it doesn’t reach her eyes. Her lips are bruised from my kiss and the dampness from her clings to my fingers. She wants me.

“I’m sorry I dropped that bomb on you. I just didn’t want to go any further until I told you. Now that I have, we need to talk about what’s next.”

Her chest rises sharply and I lean back in, wanting to taste the exhale of the breath she just pulled in.

The loud, metallic burst of sound from my phone cuts through my attempt at seduction like a hot surgical knife and just like that, the spell is broken.

I move away to reach for it and the relief in her eyes fucking stings.

I silence my phone and curse under my breath when I see who it was.

“Something wrong?” She asks casually, like we weren’t inches from kissing again a few seconds ago.

“No, it’s this…girl. She’s coming to town and Nadia gave her my number. Now, she won’t stop calling.” I say.

She stiffens and stands up. “Oh, I see.” The accusation in her voice and the hurt in her expression prick and burst my little bubble.

I slide down the seat so I have a full view of her.

“You see,what?”

“Nothing?” She blinks and moves away from me, crossing her arms defensively.

I step away from her and try to compose myself. It takes about five seconds for me to give up that effort. I’m so over this shit.

“You don’t get to be pissed at me for that.”

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