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That’s all she’d ever been to him.
Exhaustion sank into her bones, the heavy weight of disappointment in her stomach. Disappointment in him, but more than that, disappointment in herself. For losing her control over this tour. For her body’s reaction to his proximity, even now, even knowing she couldn’t trust him. For wishing things had worked out differently for them. For still wanting him, despite it all, even all these years later.
Her nose stung with impending tears, and that was perhaps the most disappointing of all—that she was still crying over this man years after he’d made it quite clear they had no future together.
“Go to bed, Beckett. I’ll clean up this mess in the morning.”
His mouth turned down in a frown as he studied her. “I wasn’t trying to make things harder for you.”
“I know. You weren’t thinking about me at all.”
He blinked, his lips parting in surprise. “Kat—”
“This is my life,” she hissed, blinking back tears. “I promised the label there wouldn’t be any scandals, and then you go and… do that.”
“Kissing you is scandalous?”
“You know what I mean.”
“I don’t.”
“No bad press. That was the deal I made. God, I was so close! One more month and then I’d finally—” She cut herself off, pressing her lips together.
“What?” he asked, moving towards her. She took a step back, holding up her hands to keep him at bay. He exhaled a frustrated breath and dragged his hand through his hair. “Not all headlines are bad.”
She couldn’t do this. Not now. Not with his kiss still fresh on her lips. She pushed past him and held open the door, waiting for him to leave. “Good night, Beckett.”
He exhaled harshly through his nose and made to leave, but paused when they stood toe to toe, his broad shoulders and tall frame towering over her. With one hand, he reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear, his thumb skating over her earring in a slow, intentional slide.
Her breath caught in her chest. She should have known he’d remember the earrings. He might have been careless with her heart, but he wasn’t the type to forget.
Foolish of her to have worn them, to have thought that after all this time they could just be a piece of jewelry. That she could wear them without conjuring the specter of all they’d been to each other.
He lifted his eyes to hers as he traced the diamond and pearl stud a second time, holding her gaze captive. Then he dropped his hand and left without saying goodbye, his uneven gait loud in the deserted hallway.
“Katerina Penelope Luna!”
Kat groaned at the shouted greeting coming through her cell phone. How did Jo have so much energy all the time? Didn’t she know it was—Kat opened one eye and glared at the neon red numbers on the alarm clock by her bed—only seven in the morning?
“My middle name isn’t Penelope,” she said, closing her eyes again.
“If the rumors are to be believed, your last name won’t be Luna for long either.”
Kat’s eyes flew open, her stomach roiling as the previous night came back to her. She’d almost convinced herself it was a dream. Almost. “Shit.”
Jo laughed, but it wasn’t her voice that spoke next. “Do anything interesting last night that you’d like to share with the class?” Derek asked.
Kat threw an arm over her face, as though hiding could somehow help her avoid this conversation with her boss and his wife—who happened to be Midnight Storm’s social media manager. “I can explain.”
“What’s there to explain?” Jo asked. “According to pretty much everyone with a social media account, you and Beckett are engaged. A fact you announced from the front steps of a pro football player’s house party at two in the morning during what appears to be a very public display of affection. Allegedly.”
Where should she even begin? With getting stuck with three of the five members of the band, surrounded by paparazzi, no way out without making a headline? With Jackson sneaking out and getting so drunk that they needed to go rescue him in the first place?
No matter which way she sliced it, she’d let Derek down. She was supposed to be taking care of the band, making sure this tour stayed on track, keeping the guys in line. Somehow, in one night, she’d jeopardized the reputation of three of the band members and put herself at the center of a tabloid scandal.
“I take it you and Beckett aren’t actually engaged,” Derek said.
“No, we’re not engaged.”
