Page 43 of Stuck with a Billionaire Rockstar

“I need to move on,” I say softly, hating the way the words sound coming from my mouth. The last thing I want to do is move on, but I can’t get Brent’s words out of my head and I feel as though I don’t have much of a choice.

He doesn’t want me and never did.

Mallory gives me a sad smile and shrugs. “I think you should tone the dating down a bit. I’m proud of how far you’ve come since we went to St. Croix, but you need to take some time for yourself.”

“I know.” I take a deep breath. “I’m worried. I don’t know how to do that.”

Mallory chuckles. “You did plenty before, Jules.”

I sigh. “Yeah, but spending a lot of my time with Brent showed me that being with someone is fun, and there’s a lot of happiness that I don’t get by being alone.”

“Or,” Mallory says, a satisfied smile taking over her face. “Maybe you just need the man in question by your side. Why haven’t you tried calling him?”

“So he can reject me for a second time?” I shake my head. “No, thank you.”

She watches as I run a hand over my dress and says, “Well, as much as I’d love to sit here and chat, I’ve got plans tonight.” I watch as she walks out of the bedroom, then turn back to my reflection in the mirror and study myself.

If Brent were here and he could see me in this dress, what would he say? I close my eyes and imagine him pushing through my bedroom door like he'd do if we were a real couple before staring at me with heat in his bright eyes. He’d tell me how beautiful I look, then slowly walk over to me and press a kiss behind my ear. I’d lean back against him and rest my head over his heart, listening to the steady beat of it with a smile on my face.

The moment is shattered when I blink, and everything comes back into focus, the ghost of Brent disappearing right before my eyes. He’s nothing but a memory now.

As if everything happened only yesterday, tears sting and I take deep breaths to push them back. This has been a constant occurrence ever since St. Croix. Just when I think I’ve got my sadness under control, it comes back in full force, and I have to start over to get the emotions under control. I’m about to pick my clutch up and head out when Mallory comes storming back into the room with a red face.

“Put the damn purse down,” she mutters, then flops onto the edge of my bed. “I’m done watching you do this to yourself. I miss my best friend’s bright smile, and there’s only one way to bring it back.” I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion when she reaches into her bag and pulls out tickets for something. “We have plans in a couple of days, and I’ve got a feeling you’ll want to skip your date after you see where we are going.”

“Where?”

Mallory smiles knowingly and shrugs. “Just the best seats in the house for Brent’s concert.”

I groan loudly and throw my head back, then look at her with a frown. “What makes you think I want to go to that?”

She lifts from my bed and walks over to my computer, shaking the mouse so that it comes alive, and angles it toward me so I can see the last screen I was on. My spine straightens, and I look at the ground, embarrassed that she knows what I’ve been doing late at night. Her hand rests on my arm gently and she sighs. “You aren’t over it, Jules, even though you’re trying your damnedest. So, let’s do something about it.”

“What are we going to do?”

She shrugs. “Think of it as a way to get over everything. Let him go once and for all.”

“And you think that will work?”

Something in her eyes tells me no, but she nods with a small smile anyway. “I really do. So, what do you say, babe?” She gives me a hopeful smile, and I roll my eyes while my lips tip at the corners. Then, I let my clutch fall onto the floor. Ahh! I can’t wait.”

I can because seeing Brent is going to bring that love I’ve been trying to push back right back to the surface and I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to let it go again.

***

Mallory whistles loudly when I walk into the living room, and she trails her gaze down my body. Since this is supposed to be a night where I let go of all things Brent, I figured dressing the part would be best. I went to the store, got a red lace cropped tank to pair with a pair of black leather shorts that barely cover my ass, and finished it off with five-inch stilettos that make my legs look magnificent.

I’d normally keep my hair down and curled to frame my heart-shaped face, but went with a straightener this time and pulled it into a high ponytail. My makeup is more than I’d wear any other time, with red lipstick and smokey eyes. I’m the complete package tonight, and I want Brent to see who he lost out on.

That’s what this is.

I’m not going to take him back, no matter what he does when he notices me in the crowd.

That’s what I have to keep telling myself, and no matter how many times I repeat it, there’s no ounce of trust in the words.

“Damn, girl,” Mallory says and fans her face. “He’s not gonna know what hit him. You ready for this?”

I take a deep breath and nod, then shake my head. “Uh, no?”

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