Page 42 of Stuck with a Billionaire Rockstar

My lyrics book is sitting on my bed. I lift it up to scan the most recent words I’ve written, then throw it down because I might change my mind about going out.

I need to let things go.

I grab a pair of black jeans from the walk-in closet, then opt for a simple white t-shirt with a leather jacket to go over it and snatch a pair of white Converse from the floor. The Cartier watch I took off before leaving for St. Croix is still resting, where I left it on my dresser, and I pick it up slowly to clip it back around my wrist. It looks brighter than it did before, so someone must’ve come in here while I was gone and cleaned it up for me.

The rose tattoo on my neck is clearly visible, but the rest of them are hiding because it seems women love a man with tattoos, and I don’t want to be bombarded tonight. It’s bad enough I’ve already got plans to meet up with Misty. I use some of my curling products and swipe them through my hair, making sure the curls stand out, then give myself a once-over before heading out of my room.

Evan is no longer sitting on the couch, but Ryker is, and he’s smiling knowingly at his phone like the horny shithead that he is. That man has no pause button, and it’s only gotten worse in the last year. Ryker looks up at me and shoves his phone into his back pocket. “You ready to head out?”

“Are we not waiting on Evan?”

He shakes his head. “He said he’ll meet us there, still needs to shower and shit.”

“I’m good to go.”

Her name tastes like acid on my tongue, but I ignore the feeling and follow Ryker out of the house. Here goes the first step of getting Julia out of my damn head.

***

It doesn’t surprise me when Misty approaches our table a couple of hours into the night, a knowing smile on her face as she looks me up and down, and I shiver uncomfortably under her stare. “Brent Dominic, fancy running into you here.”

I grunt in response, my fingers tightening around my bottle of beer as I stare straight ahead into the crowd. Even though I’m barely sparing her a glance, Misty still chooses to perch herself onto the edge of the stool next to me and lean into my personal space. She runs her fingers along my arm and I flinch away from the touch, hating how cold it makes me feel because it’s not Julia’s, then aim a glare at her. “Not happening, Misty.”

Misty giggles as if my response is funny, and she playfully smacks my arm. “Oh, Brent, you’ve been playing hard to get for too long. I saw you with her, but I bet she wouldn’t be as good as me in bed.”

“Could you please find someone else to flirt with? I’ve already told you I’m not interested more than once, and at this point, it’s a little pathetic.” She gasps in shock at my words, and I narrow my eyes. “Also, don’t bring her up again, or I’ll make your life hell.”

She rolls her eyes and jumps off the chair, flipping her dyed hair over her shoulder dramatically. “Whatever.” Her nose scrunches, and she shakes her head. “You aren’t my type anyway.”

I’m not her type, yet she never stops trying to get in my bed. I’ll never understand women. Mack approaches the table, half-empty beer in his hand, and arches a brow at me but doesn’t say anything. I’m surprised he’s still here because, normally, he’d be gone by now. Granted, I’m not sure anyone in their right mind can say no when Ryker asks something of you, and Ryker asked Mack to stay until Midnight.

I shrug in response to his stare, then take a sip of my beer as a loud Ryker stumbles onto the table with a bright grin. He makes a comment to Mack, but I don’t hear anything as I continue looking around the large crowd with a frown. The only thing I can think about is how Julia would hate to be somewhere like this. She wouldn’t want the attention on her and would become self-conscious, even though she doesn’t have to be.

Julia is bright and sweet, with a wild side hidden under all that innocence. With Julia, I never knew what I was going to get.

I should be fighting for Julia, exactly as my sister suggested I do, but the first moment that things go south, I’m more than ready to throw in the towel. Ryker eyes me curiously as I lift from my place at the table, my beer bottle still sitting on the flat surface in front of me, and I shake my head. “I can’t do this right now, man. I’m heading back home.” I look at Mack and nudge my head toward Ryker. “You okay to get him home?”

Mack groans but knows someone needs to be responsible for the wild one tonight. “Yeah, I’ll get him there.”

Misty nearly falls on her ass when I stumble away from her, a frown on my face, and she gasps before narrowing her eyes on me. “What the hell, Brent?”

I say my goodbyes and head straight for the exit that’s calling my name.

I have a girl to win back, and getting in bed with another isn’t going to help with that.

23

Julia

“What number is this now?” Mallory asks dryly.

I frown at her tone and shake my head. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you. I’m only trying to get myself out there, and they’ve been going fairly well.” I’m not going to answer her question, and that’s mainly because I’ve no clue how many dates I’ve been on since I walked away from Brent.

It’s been months and, even though they’ve gone without a hitch, I haven’t been able to find someone who I’m willing to go on a second date with. I can’t count how many times I’ve come home, only to call Mallory and complain about why I can’t see the guy again. Just last week I couldn’t stand the shape of my date’s nose, so I refused to schedule another one with him. In my head, I was thinking about how it didn’t have that same adorable dip in it that Brent’s has and it made the entire date feel wrong.

I’ve done nothing but compare every guy I go out with to the man I can’t stop searching for on social media. They’ve got a show coming up a few hours away from Miami and I’m itching to buy tickets, but can’t bring myself to make the purchase. I’ve got another week before classes start back up, so I’m using that as my excuse for why I can’t go to the concert – I’ve got too much to worry about with setting things up for the school year to spend my time at a concert.

“Why do you keep going if you’re never going to be one-hundred percent okay with them?”

---