Page 79 of Before We Break Again
Santos: Mom called me again.
Halsey: Everything okay?
Santos: Nope.She’s threatening to divorce my father if he doesn’t change—and goes to therapy.
Halsey: Wow, that’s ...that’s not what I expected.
Santos: Yep, either he learns to accept me and that everyone around him deserves to be treated like a person, or he’s out of her life.
Halsey: Good for her, and you of course.
Santos: It puzzles me why she didn’t do it before.
Halsey: Probably because she didn’t think it was affecting you.It wasn’t until you talked some sense into her that she did it.
Santos: You’re right.
Halsey: Hey, the concert is over.We’re heading to the hotel.
Santos: Are you two going to call me?I want to watch.
Halsey: You watch me sleep every night, it’ll be exactly the same.
Santos: Oh you two won’t be getting any sleep.He has too much energy to burn.He’s going to need lots of sex—and I want to watch.
Halsey: Nope, see you tomorrow, Santos.Dream of me.
Santos: At least send me a video.
Halsey: Nope.Sex videos are a bad idea and more so when it involves a famous person.
Santos: You’re too vanilla, baby.
Halsey: I want you to say the same, with a straight face, the next time you’re eating my pussy while Dustin is fucking you.
Santos: My mouth will be too busy.Have fun tonight.
ChapterForty-One
Halsey
You knowwhat the problem is with dating a famous musician?It’s not just the paparazzi or the fans constantly swarming him—it’s the moment when people recognize him in public.Cameras start flashing, phones are raised, and suddenly, every move becomes a spectacle.And when they catch him kissing someone?Oh, that’s when things really get messy.
Whispers turn into loud questions, each more invasive than the last.
Who is she?
Where did he meet her?
Are they together?
The questions spiral, gaining strength like a storm gathering speed.Photos flood social media, comments multiply in real time, and speculation turns into trending topics.What was supposed to be a private moment shared between us becomes fodder for the world.And then, when that same famous musician doesn’t just show up with his girlfriend but also his boyfriend?
Well ...things spiral into a full-on media circus.A publicity nightmare.
It’s not that we care if people know about us—we honestly don’t care about being out in the open.But the real mess, the big bomb that detonates across news outlets, is the realization that Dustin Haverbrook, beloved indie rock star, isn’t just dating me, his girlfriend.No.He’s also dating the assistant captain of the Portland Orcas, Santos Calderón-Bélanger.
And if that wasn’t enough to make every tabloid salivate, well, the headlines do their best to twist the story, make it juicy.
