Page 49 of Her Billion Dollar Groom

20 minutes later, I’m sitting on the sofa again with a spoon and a pint of cookie dough ice cream. But as I browse through movies, none of them seem right. All of them remind me of him.

I’ve finally settled on something when I get a text. Without thinking, I open my phone to look.

It’s from Jason.

My heart pounding in my mouth, I read it.

Those film awards next week. We should go. I’ll send a car to pick you up.

It’s so dry and emotionless, nothing like the Jason I was getting to know. Nothing like the Jason I thought I knew. Imagining him saying the words brings tears to my eyes.

Why does he have to be so cold?

I know none of this is working out like either of us wanted it to, but he doesn’t have to be cruel. He could ask nicely.

I get the sense that he’s probably trying to protect my dignity or whatever, but I don’t need him to protect me. I don’t need him at all.

I type out an angry response and hesitate before I press send. Do I really want to burn this bridge completely? Isn’t there too much riding on us pretending to be civil to let my emotions get the better of me?

I take a deep breath and delete all my angry words. Instead, I write simply,Sounds good. Let me know what time.

I’m hoping that it sounds dry enough that he’s not sitting there reading anything into it. He reads the message and doesn’t reply.

I try not to think about what that means.

I know that our agreement was one year and then a casual breakup, but nothing about this is feeling casual anymore. I’m starting to wonder if it ever could have worked out that way. I should never have kissed him that night. That was when it all went wrong. If we could have kept our distance, kept it professional, we wouldn’t be in this sorry mess.

But we are, so I’m going to have to find a way to keep going, and the TV is doing nothing to help with that. I finish the movie and my pint of ice cream, and I scramble to my spare room.

I need to pick up my guitar. Music is the only way I can make sense of my life. It’s always been like that.

This time when the sad lyrics about a broken heart come, they flow with ease. This time the sound couldn’t be more genuine. All the words are true.

I send the song to my producer, and it gets a thumbs up. At least I’ve done one thing right today. I might not be getting anything but money out of this deal, after all, but at least my album will sound good. And that’s all that’s ever mattered to me, isn’t it? My work.

Work.

It’s all that has ever mattered to him.

How stupid to have thought that I could change that.

CHAPTER 27

JASON

It’s been weeks since I went into the office. I skipped my last few scheduled trips. When I can get everything I need to done at home, I don’t see the point in going in. I don’t want to talk to anyone right now.

I don’t want them to ask about Eliza. I’m not good enough at lying to make up some falsehood about what we were doing over the weekend or how well her new album is coming on.

I know that everyone will be asking their usual nosy questions. That’s why I have to stay away.

But last night, Chris texted me and told me that I had to come in today, no excuses, because we have representatives from a whole bunch of companies in and they all want to speak with me. I didn’t want to say yes, but what choice did I have?

I sighed and told him that I would be there.

Even getting dressed reminds me of her. I put on the shirt she picked out for me, the shoes, the tie. I look at myself in the mirror and see how tall I’m standing, how professional I look. I think about her.

Everything I do makes me think about her, and every time I think about her, I have to try so hard to resist texting or calling.

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