Page 43 of Cocky Bastard

He chuckled again. “You’re a sweet boy, kitten. But whatever you say, I can still be sorry this happened to you.”

“Thanks,” I said. “It’s weird. I’m upset but I’m more angry? Like, this just feels like another round of bullshit with the record label. I know this is all part of working in the industry but fuck, when am I going to be allowed to live my life on my terms?”

“Why do you think I left?” Austin’s voice was laced with sorrow. “I was never going to be the man they wanted me tobe, so I made my choice. And I’ve never regretted it, except for maybe now.”

“No, please don’t. I love that you’re happy and that you love what you do. I need you to keep doing that.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I never want you to change yourself for me. If you do, you won’t be the irritating bastard I fell for.” There were more words sitting on my tongue, but I didn’t know how to say them. Not over the phone.

If I was going to tell Austin I loved him, it was going to be in person where I could kiss him senseless afterwards.

Because I did love him.

More than anything.

And I’d loved him for longer than I could probably remember. I’d just never accepted it until recently when I dared to take the next step and let him into my life.

“I…” But what I wanted to add was cut off by the sharp ringing of the doorbell. I frowned. Very few people had my address and the street my house was on had a security guard post at either end, which was where all my packages were delivered to. “Hang on,” I said. “There’s someone at the door.”

“You expecting anyone?”

“No…” I put my tea and biscuits on the coffee table and walked slowly towards the front door, leaving Austin on the line just in case. I peered at the security feed next to the door and did a double take, rubbing my eyes with one hand to make sure they weren’t lying to me. “Babe, I’m gonna call you back.”

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah… just got a visitor.”

I hung up and unlocked the door, pulling it open to reveal the handsome, smartly dressed figure on my doorstep. His black hair was pushed back by a large pair of sunglasses and he was holding his phone to his ear, halfway through a conversation.His tone was as irritated as his expression, and I was surprised the neighbours weren’t leaning out of their windows to listen. “No, I don’t give a fuck who they are… No, I don’t care if they’re busy. I shouldn’t be having to deal with this shit! They need to call me. Right now… I’m sorry, that’s not acceptable. Don’t you know who I am? Thank you. I’ll be waiting.”

Henry Lu smiled charmingly at me as he shoved his phone into the pocket of his designer jeans. “Hello, darling, I heard you might need some help.”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Kane

Havingan angry Henry Lu turning up on my doorstep had not been on my bingo card for the day. Or even the year.

I stepped back and gestured vaguely towards the inside of my house. “Do you want to come in?” I still wasn’t quite sure why he was here, but I wasn’t about to send him away or have that discussion on my front doorstep.

“That would be lovely, thank you,” Henry said, stepping inside and toeing off his shoes—which were the sort of loafers that looked simple but cost a couple of grand a pair. “How’re you doing? Honestly, this whole situation is a fucking mess.”

“Oh… I’m fine,” I said. “Still processing to be honest. I only heard from Miles about half an hour ago.”

“It’s bollocks, obviously,” Henry said with a raised eyebrow and an unimpressed smile. We were still stood just inside my front door and I suddenly realised how awkward it felt. It wasn’t like I’d never had guests, but there was a difference between my friends turning up and Henry. I didn’t want him to feel weird, though, like I was gawking at him or fanboying over him—eventhough he was a huge inspiration to me and I’d seen all of his work, and the idea of him being here, in my house, was mind-boggling.

When I’d accepted the role, I’d known we’d be working closely together, but I’d never really processed that it would mean us spending a lot of time together.

Not that it mattered anymore since I didn’t have the part.

The realisation sank its claws a little further into my chest, drawing more blood and sending pain lancing through me.

“Do you want a drink?” I asked, rubbing my chest to relieve my imagined wound. “I’d just made a cup of tea but I’ve got some coffee. Or, er, well, a bunch of stuff really.”

Henry smiled softly at me. “Coffee would be lovely, thank you. And then after that, maybe we can have a glass of wine? I think we might need one.”

“That’s an understatement.” I chuckled and gestured at him to follow me towards the kitchen, ducking into the living room to retrieve my tea and the pack of biscuits. I offered him some while I began to make some coffee, which had been a recent acquisition because Austin drank it and I wanted him to feel at home here. I’d ordered him a coffee machine too, but I was still waiting for it to arrive.

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