Hadley

“Hey, babe. What are you doing out here?” Nick asked, elbowing me in the side.

The party was so loud, I’d went outside to catch a break and then realized I’d missed a call from Blake. Tears streamed down my cheeks, but they were happy tears.

“I needed some fresh air.” Which was true, but I also wanted to listen to Blake’s message. It was exactly what I needed to hear.

“Why are you crying then? Is there something you want to talk about?”

For the past week, I’d ignored Blake’s calls, even though I really wanted to answer them. I was afraid he was going to let me go and by not talking to him, I didn’t have to hear it. But now I knew he was coming for me, and that meant I had to end the ruse with Nick—breaking his heart in the process.

Taking a deep breath, I turned to him and took his hand. “Nick, you know I care about you, right?”

Sighing, he set his beer down. “You’re breaking up with me, aren’t you? I knew this was coming.”

“Technically, we weren’t really going out.”

“What happened? Ever since you came back, you’ve been different. You barely let me touch you.”

I nodded. “I know and I’m sorry. I didn’t want to tell you on the phone and it’s been killing me not to tell you since I’ve been back. I just hadn’t figured everything out yet, and the last thing I wanted to do was hurt you.”

He waved me on. “Spit it out, so we can get this over with.”

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and let it out slowly. “I met someone.”

His eyes widened. “Met someone? Who? You’ve been in protective custody!” When I didn’t answer, he let go of my hand. “Holy fuck, you have to be kidding me. You fell for your bodyguard?”

“He’s actually an undercover cop. And I didn’t want to fall for him, it just happened.”

Jaw tense, he shot to his feet. “And does he care about you?”

I sighed. “He loves me, Nick. He’s coming for me. Look, I don’t want to lose you over this. You’re my friend, my best friend.” Shaking his head, he stormed off through the gardens and disappeared into the darkness. “Nick, wait!”

“What’s with all the yellin’?” Tristan asked. He’d walked up to me, followed by Kip and Dawson.

I pointed to where Nick disappeared. “He’s pissed at me. Will you guys make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid? I know how he gets when he drinks.”

Kip laughed. “What did you do, break up with him?” He lifted the beer to his lips and stopped when I glared at him. “Fucking shit, did you?”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s a long story, but yes. I don’t want him out there, drinking alone. You guys tend to get stupid when you’re drunk and angry.”

“Maybe these assholes,” Tristan replied. “I’m playing it sober tonight. Don’t worry though, we’ll take care of him.”

“Thanks, guys. And thank you for helping me move into my apartment. There was no way I could stay at my house after what happened.”

Kip and Dawson sandwiched me in a hug. “You’re welcome,” they said, before letting me go.

Tristan pulled me in next and blew out a sigh. “Do you need a ride?”

“No, I’ll be fine. If you hadn’t noticed, there’s a giant mammoth of a man watching us from a few yards away. He used to be a fighter in Ireland.”

Tristan glanced over my shoulder and chuckled. “I see. Guess your dad wants to make sure you’re protected. Looks like a solid choice.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to be followed around for the rest of my life.”

“You’ll get used to it. Sometimes it’s for the best.”

He hugged me again and Kip whistled. “Come on dude, let’s go.”

All three guys waved and disappeared into the darkness. My heart hurt for Nick, but I couldn’t play pretend with him forever. Hopefully, he would understand.

“Miss Rivers, is it true you ended things with Nick Myers last night? Our sources say you cheated on him. What do you say about that?”

Connor pushed his way through the crowd and growled, “I say you get out of her face, now.” His Irish accent was thick and I doubted any of the reporters could tell what he said, but they moved out of his way. It was either that or get trampled. My dad had made sure to pick a bodyguard I wouldn’t be interested in.

Mission accomplished.

“Almost through,” Connor grunted.

The second I got off the plane in New York, it had been constant badgering about my failed relationship with Nick. Felicity wasn’t happy and I could see her fuming every time someone shouted another question at me.

Luckily, the light at the end of the tunnel was near and we were able to get in a car and drive away. “Holy shit, I didn’t think it would be that bad,” I said.

Felicity snorted. “What did you expect? You and Nick were one of the hottest couples in Hollywood. Now every single female in town is going to be after him. I hope you’re ready for that.”

“I truly just want him happy. If that means he has to sleep with a hundred women, so be it. I’m not holding him back anymore. I’ll always be grateful for what he did for me.”

Leaning her head against the seat, she closed her eyes. “He was just so upset when I talked to him last night. It breaks my heart, Hadley.”

“Mine too, but I couldn’t pretend forever. I don’t love him, and I realize that now. Falling in love with Blake has opened my eyes. Nick will be happier in the end. You’ll see.”

“I sure hope so. When did Blake say he was coming to see you?”

Shrugging, I looked down at my phone. “I don’t know. He just said he was coming.” But I didn’t know if Blake knew how to find me, since I’d given back my untraceable cell. Every time I called him, it went straight to voicemail. I hadn’t actually talked to him since I left Wyoming.

The concert at Madison Square Garden was in a couple of hours, and Connor was driving us there for warm ups. I was nervous to get on stage. It’d only been a day since I’d told Nick about Blake, and the media couldn’t wait to slap a big, red A on my chest.

Hadley

“Thank you, everyone!” I shouted, waving at the crowd. It felt good to be on stage again. The adrenaline flowed through my veins and I soaked it all in. I blew a kiss to the fans and rushed off stage.

“Hot damn, you were on fire,” Felicity exclaimed, handing me a towel and a bottle of water.

Laughing, I wiped the sweat off my brow. “Thanks. I forgot how much fun it was to perform.”

“You definitely haven’t lost your touch. In fact, I think you’ve gotten better, bolder even.”

“Has Blake called?”

She passed me my phone. “No, but he texted and said he was getting on a plane for New York. He’ll be in late tonight. I replied and gave him the name of the hotel you’re staying at.”

Squealing, I jumped up and down. “I can’t wait for you to meet him.”

She gave me a sad smile as she stared at something over my shoulder. “There’s someone who wants to see you.” She squeezed my arm and I froze. I knew who was there, and I didn’t know if I was ready to see him so soon. “I’ll give you two some privacy. Because once you walk out those doors over there,” she said, pointing to the exit, “you’re going to be bombarded with reporters. They know he’s back here.”

As soon as she walked off, I could feel him come up behind me.

“You did great tonight.”

My chest tightened, but I held back the tears as I turned to face him. “Were you here the whole time?”

He ran a hand through his midnight colored hair and smiled. I could tell it was forced. “I didn’t want to miss your first time back. I knew you’d be nervous as hell.”