Kylee shrugged, letting the idea linger in the air between them. “I mean… she asked me to go. Everything’s covered. But I haven’t decided. I’d have to figure out the kids, make sure everything’s squared away.”
Jake took a long sip of water, nodding. “Well, you just went, do you think you have to go to the same concert again?”
“I guess not,” Kylee said quietly, eyes lingering on the steam rising from the pot on the stove.
But inside, her mind was racing. She wasn’t sure if this was a mistake waiting to happen or the moment her life finally shifted. Either way she decided she was going.
First thing in the morning she stared at Kelly’s name on the screen for a moment, then hit Call.
“HELLO?” Kelly answered breathlessly, like she’d been waiting all night.
Kylee exhaled. “I’m going.”
There was a brief silence just enough time for Kylee to wonder if Kelly had heard her before a high-pitched scream burst through the phone.
“SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Kelly shrieked. “OH MY GOD!”
Kylee laughed, the sound bubbling out of her like relief and adrenaline mixed in one.
“This is happening,” Kelly said, breathless. “You are going to L.A. You are going to fuck Rio. And you, my sweet, hot mama, you are going to live.”
Kylee laughed “Dang Kelly chill!”
For the first time in days, she let herself feel it.
The thrill. The danger. The possibility. She was really going.
After she hung up the phone with Kelly, the silence of the house crept back in like a fog. Kylee sat there for a moment, phone still in hand, staring at nothing.
Her smile faded slowly as guilt began to sneak in just like it always did.
What am I doing?
She stood up and wandered into the kitchen, absentmindedly pouring herself a cup of coffee as her thoughts spun. Her stomach twisted as she thought about Jake. Not the Jake who laughed with their kids, but the Jake who had handed her concert tickets like a bribe. Jake who had cheated on her with Rachel, his whore who had set up that trip to New Orleans in the first place.
The realization hit her like a cruel joke. Jake’s assistant helped plan that trip… and now Rio’s assistant is planning this one. What are the odds? Was she about to walk into the same setup, just with a different man? The irony wasn’t lost on her. She rubbed her temple and leaned against the counter, whispering to herself, “This can’t be real life.”
She knew she should feel worse about it, what she was doing, what she was about to do but she couldn’t stop replaying the way Rio's voice sounded over the phone. The way her pulse had quickened when he said he’d been thinking about her. The way her body had come alive just at the mention of seeing him again.
Jake had broken her heart… and in doing so, he had unlocked something in her.
Something reckless.
Something wild.
Something that didn’t want to feel guilty anymore.
Chapter 6
Where the Air Tastes Like Fire.
The morning Kylee left for LA felt like a scene from someone else’s life. She’d barely slept, adrenaline buzzing through her as she threw on her comfiest black leggings and a hoodie, trying to play it cool like this wasn’t the most insane thing she’d ever agreed to.
Jake didn’t ask many questions. He just gave her a distracted kiss on the cheek and said, “Have fun.”
When Kylee pulled up to the small private airfield outside the main airport, her stomach dropped. She stepped out of the car and stood frozen, staring at the sleek, matte-black private jet parked on the tarmac like it had been pulled from a movie. It had to be a mistake. This wasn’t for her.
Before she could even wrap her head around it, a man in a black suit approached, smiled, and said, “Idaho? We’re ready for you.”
