“I…” Looking as though she was about to cry, she sat down on the edge of the opposite bed. “We have a few days before the next show, and I thought it’d be good to go home until then. My flight leaves in a few hours, and…”

“Baby…” Looking down at my chest, I could’ve sworn I felt something sharp getting shoved through it.

“I’m not leaving you, Phil. It’s not what you’re thinking. I just need to get my shit together. I don’t want to spend the next few days in the same state as that woman. I think it’ll be nice to have some peace and quiet, and I’ll be good to go by Wednesday, okay?”

“No!”

Sad striking green eyes lifted to meet mine. “It wasn’t an easy decision, babe. But this way, I won’t have to fight with you about sleeping arrangements or be molested—”

“Molested?” Talk about a slap in the face.

“You are molesting me. You’re trying to wear me down, so I’ll change my mind and give in to what you want. You like to say I’m a stubborn shit, but what about you? It wasn’t like I asked the impossible of you. All I asked of you was for you to hear Devon out. But you won’t. So, I’m going home to let my head and heart relax for a few days.”

Now, I wanted to cry. Kenna was right. I had been trying to wear her down to the point where she couldn’t deny me anymore. This woman was my heart and life force. All she needed was for me to speak with the man.

“Why were you with him last night?” I asked.

“I wasn’t. I came down to have a drink with you and Jason, and he was standing there, watching Brigid dry-hump you in the booth.”

I closed my eyes. “Is that why you’re leavin’? ’Cause I didn’t ask for that.”

“I know you didn’t. You were exceptionally cruel to her for it.”

“Was I?”

“Mmhmm.”

“Are you mad ’cause I was mean to her?”

“No. She made a complete ass of herself. Devon was there to take her for a fun night out, and she was more interested in getting in your pants. I think he’s had it with her. He’s spent all this money to bring her over, and she’s just…going after you.”

Hearing her tell it like it was had me feeling bad for the guy. I certainly wouldn’t be putting up with that shit, and I wondered why he had been. Devon was way better looking than I was. He was stupid talented, and he was fuckin’ loaded, too. It made no sense why Brigid had been all over me like white on rice.

Kenna’s phone chimed, and she checked her text message. “My taxi’s here.”

“Shit, Kenna, don’t go. I’ll fuckin’ fix all of this right now, okay? I’ll go find Devon and fuckin’ talk to his ass.”

“I want to go,” she whispered, sniffing back tears. “Right now, I just want to go home. It’ll only be for a few days. I just…I don’t do well with this sort of shit. I can’t be around her without wanting to cry. I just want to stop crying.”

I knew she’d had it rough when she was younger even though I didn’t see how anyone could make fun of her for her looks. She had me and some other serious contenders in the heavy-metal biz drooling over her ass. Devon wouldn’t hesitate to not only fuck her brains out, but also nail her down and claim her for himself, if he could.

I’d fuckin’ kill him if he tried, and he fuckin’ knew it.

Standing up, Kenna grabbed her bag. Shoving her favorite cabby hat on her head, she slipped on her flip-flops. “I’ll call you when I get there.”

“Please, Kenna…” I whispered. “Let me make this right.”

She smiled, and my heart broke.

“You will.” Coming up to me, she pressed the softest, most soul-shattering kiss to my lips.

Numbed in my head and aching to my core, I watched my Baby Girl walk out.

Kenna

Shit…what have I done?

Essentially, I had told Phil he wasn’t worth fighting for. That my poor battered feelings were more important than sticking by his side.

At the time, it had made sense to me to go home. Leave the fucking state Brigid was in, leave her snarky, nasty ass behind, and there she would stay.

Except…what had I sacrificed to escape?

As the plane ascended from Miami International Airport, these thoughts persisted on torturing me throughout the flight.

When I was able to turn on my phone, I called Phil, desperate to tell him that I loved him. He was right. My place in this world was by his side. However, my calls went straight to voice mail.

The cab ride home was agonizing.

I had left Miami to escape Brigid, but I’d ended up bringing her and the destruction she had produced with me. By leaving, she had won, and I was filled with shame for it.

Paying the taxi driver, I didn’t make it to the front door before I was calling Alys.

“Hey, Sweet Pea! Did you make it home all right?”

“Yeah, just got here,” I replied.

Thumping loud music and voices blared in the background. X and Connor were laughing.

“What’s going on?”

“We’re out having food and fun, which you should be here for!”

Sadly, I was in full agreement. “I’ve been trying to get in touch with Phil. Is he with you guys?”

“No, I haven’t seen him all day.”

“Oh. Okay,” I said, slipping the key into the lock and opening the front door.

“If I do, I’ll let him know you’ve been trying to reach him, okay?”

“Okay.”

“I love you, Sweet Pea. Just do what you gotta do, and we’ll see you soon. It’ll all work out. I promise.”

“I love you, too, Muffin,” I choked out. I hung up before bursting into hysterical sobs.

Home. Who am I kidding?

There was no home without Phil. Even on a tour bus or in a hotel room, I was home because I had been with him. I had lived in this house for the last fourteen years, and now, I felt lost and alone, undeserving of the love Phil had given me. I went to twirl my engagement ring, and a chill sank into my chest as I remembered, for what seemed like the hundredth time, that I’d surrendered it. That ring had become a part of me, and I felt naked without it.

With a sigh of regret, I headed up to my room. Showered and dressed in raggedy sweatpants and a holey tank top, I found my emergency stash of weed and rolled a fat blunt. Popping in the NOLA’S JUNK Live at Budokan! DVD, I settled in for a long, lonely night.

Sleeping for eleven hours straight, my bladder was so full that I had to cross my legs and scurry into the bathroom before I exploded. Afterward, I was fully awake, and I descended into misery once more. Making my way over to my bed, I sat and reached for my phone.

I had three missed calls and three text messages, all from Phil. He never left a voice mail—it wasn’t his style—but his texts assured me that he loved me still, that he missed me, and for me to call him when I woke up.

My hands shook as I pushed the speed dial for his number.

“Hey, Baby Girl,” he answered after the first ring.

“Hey, babe.” Why is my brain drawing a blank now? Last night, I’d known all the things I needed to say to him, but now, I couldn’t fucking think to save my life. “I, uh…I got back okay.”

“How was your flight?”

“All right,” I said, my voice trembling. Fucking A, man! I’d left because I was so sick of crying, and here I was, fucking crying again.

“Kenna Baby, don’t,” he said softly. “It’s all right. I promise. I ain’t mad at you. You gotta know that.”

“I th-thought I wa-was co-coming home!” I stuttered, gasping for air just to be able to talk. I was a fucking wreck. “Bu-but I wasn’t! I-I have no ho-home if you’re not here!” I wailed. I proceeded to make an utter ass of myself as I snorted and honked. “I never should have left! I-I ju-just gave up! I let her wi-win!” I sounded like a fucking lunatic.