“Hi,” I squeak.
He gives me a barely there smirk before turning his eyes away from me and he doesn’t bring them back. For hours we sit speaking to everyone else but each other. He doesn’t try to touch me, not even a sly graze of his fingers or a lingering look. For all intents and purposes, I don’t exist right now.
My eyes burn with the rejection and no matter how many times I tell myself it’s okay, itisn’tokay, and my heart is breaking inside of my chest. I feel itcrumbling.
I watch him slide from the table with Bast, Dean following behind and I turn to Sloane who glares at Dean’s back. As if he can sense it, he turns and narrows his eyes at her.
Clearing my thoughts to hide the emotion clogging it, I say, “What the hell was that?”
“What?” She huffs, pulling out her cell to scroll while she sips on her cocktail.
“You and Dean? You’ve barely spoken to each other, but you’d think the two of you are at war!”
“I don’t like him,” She shrugs.
“Well, why not?”
“I just don’t,” She grumbles before she gasps, grabbing my arm hard enough her nails sink into my skin. “Sav.”
“What?” I frown, “What is it?”
“Adrien.” She spins the cell phone to me, “He’s dead.”
“What!?” I snatch the phone from her, reading the article as quickly as I possibly can.
Adrien Matthews, global superstar and award-winning musician, found dead at his coastal home today.
Adrien Matthews, aged 32, has been found dead today only weeks after his long-term friend and security guard went missing.
It is reported the star was found by his hired housekeeping service a little after six PM. Details about his death are still incoming but it is speculated that his death may have been caused by an accidental overdose after bottles of pills were found inside the home.
Adrien released his newest single three days ago which shot to number one in the charts in the USand UK overnight.
More details to follow as we learn more about Adrien’s tragic passing.
My heart is thumping inside my chest as I reread the article again. “Oh my god.”
“I can’t believe he’s dead,” Sloane accepts her cell back.
“Who’s dead?” Dean asks, placing a drink down on the table for me and Sloane while Killian and Bast do the rest of the table.
“Adrien Matthews,” She tells him. My eyes immediately flick to Killian as he slides back into the booth and though he doesn’t say a word, not a single one, I know.
He did this. He had a hand in this.
But I can’t even ask him because again, I lose his attention and I don’t get it back for the rest of the night.
Chapter Thirty-two
It’s a little after two a.m. and I’m alone. It’s pouring rain outside and hasn’t stopped since we left the club. I expected Killian to come here but he hasn’t, which only adds to the hurt brewing inside of me. He barely spoke two words to me tonight and as I stand in the studio, staring toward the mural he painted for me on the wall, my body tingles remembering what he did to me after he revealed the painting but now, it’s like it never happened.
That dirty feeling renews, making my skin crawl. I’m not a dirty little secret to be kept in the shadows, I deservebetterthan that. He isn’t alone in this; we can handle our friends and family together.
Grabbing the keys to my car and my coat, I rush out to the drive, shielding myself the best I can from thedownpour currently battering the city. I’m partially drenched by the time I’m climbing into the car and reversing onto the empty road.
The roads are silent and deserted at this time so getting to Killian’s takes no time at all. I pull up outside and park, the lights spilling out from the windows. Did he ever plan to come back tonight?
We’ve spent every night together, why would he not come back?
