We’d only been dating three months. It wasn’t like a giant romance had been shattered on the floor of the Sweet Splits in Denver. But still. I’d enjoyed having someone to come home to after a long shift at the hospital, and it had been nice not to feel so alone in a town in which I hadn’t had a chance to meet many people yet. I’d made friends with a couple of people at work, and I’d had some friendly conversations with the couple who owned the local diner, but that was about it.
Gentry’s voice crooned from the jeep’s speakers as I drove through the dark night. The moon was bright and clear, and the roads weren’t bad. I’d stopped for a coffee to help keep me awake, but the anger had done a fair job of it on its own. As I drove, I let the familiar songs calm me the way they always did. The song “Diamond Kisses” played on repeat for a good twenty minutes as I drove west toward Silverthorne. I imagined being the woman in the glittering snow with the moonlight shining down and the flakes sparkling like diamonds as Gentry Kane leaned in to steal a kiss.
I sang at the top of my lungs, fighting for dominance over my ancient aftermarket speakers. We sang together about lost chances and everlasting love turning out to be a pipe dream. I wondered if the real man behind the voice truly felt that way or if, like in his song about new beginnings, he’d ever found real love.
By all accounts he was single. In fact, there was little to no information about Gentry Kane’s private life other than the fact he lived in a huge house in the Hollywood Hills, surrounded by wealth and ease. I was happy for him. He deserved the money and fame he’d worked so hard to build.
And he deserved someone special to share it with. Even though I didn’t have wealth or fame, I did, too. But it wasn’t in the cards for me yet. The situation with Brian was just confirmation that my life was a shitshow and I needed to focus on one thing at a time. Right now, it was my career and my finances.
Love could wait.
When I pulled the jeep into the gravel pad, I was both annoyed and relieved to see Brian’s car still there. I didn’t want to see him again, but at the same time, I knew we needed to make things final so I didn’t have to deal with it again after tonight.
“Hey,” he said as I came in the door. He was grinning from his spot on the couch, and I could see a movie playing on my laptop on the coffee table. “You’re back early.”
I ignored him and went straight to the bedroom to search for Dillie. Thankfully, she was curled up in a little ball under her favorite fuzzy blanket, just as I’d hoped. I peeled the blanket back just enough to run a hand over her warm fur and murmur how glad I was she was safe and sound.
And then I went back out to the living room.
“Fuck right off and get your shit out of here,” I began. He had the gall to look confused. “Your little friend from earlier sent me a helpful photo of the two of you enjoying the use of my kitchen.”
His face dropped. “That was something separate.”
“Separate from human decency? Separate from your promise of being disease-free and monogamous?”
“No. I had, like, a deal with him. He was going to fix my car for free.”
I blinked at him. “Classy.”
He stood and stretched before shrugging. “Kind of like me agreeing to fuck you for a place to crash, you know?”
My jaw dropped. I didn’t even know where to begin. “Get out.”
He laughed. “I’m just kidding. Don’t be mad. The furnace in my truck was gonna cost a couple grand. And did you see the guy? He’s hot as fuck. In fact, he asked me to see if you’d be up for—”
“Get. The fuck. Out.” I expected to feel burning hot anger, but I really just felt exhausted. The hours of driving, the adrenaline rush of worrying about Dillie, and the double shifts I’d been working in hopes of keeping ahead of my bills had taken their toll on me.
I was more annoyed by not having a nice warm body to snuggle against than losing Brian’s company. And maybe that was all I needed to know about that.
“Where the hell am I supposed to go? It’s two in the morning.”
“Maybe mister texty-dick will give you a place to crash. Otherwise, you have your truck and your parents only live an hour away. Good luck and godspeed.”
I waited while he gathered up his shit and grumbled his way out of the door, and then I bolted and chained the fucker before sliding an easy chair in front of it.