“Oops,” he said in a cute high-pitched voice. “I did the thing again. Sorry. Okay, someone canceled. I have a hole that needs to be filled.” We both snickered. “Will you shoot a promo for me? Pretty please, with all the ball-shaped cherries on top. I’ll love you forever.”
“You’d love me forever, anyway,” I point out.
“True, but I’d extra love you.”
“Is that Prince I hear grumbling in the background?” I asked, still smiling.
“Sure is,” he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. He loved to push his boyfriend’s buttons.
“Fine,” I gave in, dragging the word out.
“Thank you!”
“Can I ask who backed out?” I felt like I was pressing my luck. I didn’t really care, I was just curious who I’d be replacing.
When the silence stretched out an uncomfortable amount, my stomach flopped, and I had an idea of who it was.
“It washim, wasn’t it?” I asked, even knowing the answer, and was met with more silence. Ugh, it was like no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get away from the demon ghost of my ex, haunting me—no, tormenting me—even though the asshole was still alive. “Fucking really?”
Bitterness ran through me. I couldn’t hate Jayden and his boyfriend. I knew it was business, and you couldn’t always run a business on friendship and favors. I got it. But that wasn’t to say that I didn’t feel the sting of it.
“Come on. Do it. It’ll really show him,” Jayden said.
“Show him what?” I rolled my eyes. “That I’m sloppy seconds. Yeah, that will really get him.”
Oh, I hated the feeling that was coursing through me. I didn’t like to be bitter. I didn’t like to be angry or jealous or any of that. But those feelings kept creeping in, no matter how hard I did my best to internally swat them away. I couldn’t shake the nasty sides that were coming out, and that was likely the reason this breakup was hitting me so hard.
I realized it all stemmed from being hurt. Still, knowing the root of it only made me aware… it didn’t magically give me a cure to fix it.
“Show him that your face looks better on our website than his.” The light tinkle in his voice had me busting out in a fit of laughter.
One thing I loved about Jayden was that he always knew how to help me turn my frown upside down. Though those moments were rare.
And that was how Mr. Sexy Biker Man found me when he came back into the room. With a huge smile on my face and lightness in my tone.
We locked eyes. I felt the crackle in the air. His brow furrowed as he dropped his gaze to my wide smile, which was mostly teeth.
You know what, maybe Jayden was right. Or maybe I just didn’t even need to care about showing up my stupid face ex.
Maybe… the whole caring about showing my ex that I’m fine shouldn’t even matter, and I needed to do with just for me alone.
“I’ll do it,” I told Jayden.
CHAPTER SIX
Killjoy
This was a damn disaster.
All day long, my mind had been on the one thing it shouldn’t have been on.
Danny.
My little, uninvited house guest.
Last night, I gave him no choice other than to watch a movie of my choosing. Turned out, he was one of those people who thought plot holes were something that needed to be discussed. He was so animated about it, too. Waving his arms, talking passionately, but never once sounding like he hated it. How the fuck did someone do that? He wasn’t thrilled to be tearing down someone’s art, but more like excited to think up all the possibilities of what could have come.
And I hated it. Every damn perky minute of it.
