“What’s he doing here?” Daisy mutters under her breath.
I slide off the barstool, crossing the space between us. My spine feels stiff, my mouth set.
“I…didn’t know you’d be here,” he says.
He’s telling the truth—I can hear it.
“I removed your songs,” he adds quickly.
“I saw.”
He nods, giving me a sheepish, apologetic smile.
I don’t smile back.
But I don’t yell either, even though I’ve imagined doing exactly that.
Instead, something unexpected flickers through me—pity. He looks lost, stripped of his swagger.
“They were great songs, though. You were getting lots of views.”
He isn’t going to apologise, I realise.
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Brandon—quiet, unreadable, a steady force at my back. Jack keeps casting him furtive, nervous glances, like he’s waiting for Brandon to step in, or judge him, or hit him again.
I know he won’t. Neither of us wants a scene.
So I move things along.
“I’m here playing a gig,” I say simply.
“Yeah, I…”—he rubs the back of his neck—“heard. Cheers for that.”
Behind the counter, Daisy scoops ice noisily with more force than necessary. “What are you doing here, Jack?”
“Came to beg for my old job back.”
His smile is almost convincing. Almost as charming as I remember it.
“I fired you for a reason,” she snaps.
“Yeah, I know. I deserve it. I was a… twat.”
He glances back at me. “Look, Lil, I know I went about things the wrong way. But we really could make something together. Maybe not now, but…” He gestures to the stage. “Even if it’s just here at the café. Whatever you want, you know?”
A prickle runs through me—not anger, but clarity. Something about the way he’s standing here, dishevelled and hopeful and suddenly very small, clicks into place.
Daisy beats me to it.
“Let me guess,” she says, folding her arms. “Hilary didn’t want you back either?”
Jack’s tenses. “It wasn’t—” He cuts himself off, scrubbing a hand through his hair. “Dustin found out.”
The café goes very still, every patron listening.
Jack hangs his head defeatedly, his mumbles still carrying. “He knew I didn’t play like that. Not the way those videos made it look. He got suspicious, did some digging.” His gaze flicks briefly to me again. Ashamed. “Rebecca Navarro told him everything. And then he told Hilary.”
I hear Brandon’s sharp intake of breath.
