Page 52 of Crave

“Yes.”

“I’ll be here. I never want to lose you from my life, Landon. No matter what happens.” A small smile played on his lips. “If the world sees what I see, you’ll come back a star.”

Then he disappeared down the block, leaving me with a bittersweet sadness and a strange ringing worry that lodged into my heart.

Josie. Who was Josie? And would it really matter what the story was?

I was strong enough to listen to Adam’s past mistakes and move on. History couldn’t hurt us now. Only our current choices.

I spent the next few hours getting ready to leave tomorrow. It was my last night with Adam and my stomach twisted with dread. I know I should be more excited to get on set and see what the opportunity of reality tv brought, but my interest wasn’t there for the actual job. It was like I was more focused on the opportunities it brought after the show wrapped. I had no desire to play a role and look like an idiot for the audience, but I also knew I’d chosen this and I needed to get on board.

I kept checking the video and the viewers kept growing. I also noticedDumpedwas getting some play as people found out I was going to be on the show. I wondered if the producers would change my storyline now that my relationship with Adam was out there. So far, I hadn’t heard anything from my agent so maybe they didn’t know about it yet?

Daisy ended up calling and we spoke for a while. She apologized and said she’d miss me while I was gone; that she’d acted emotionally. Relief flowed through me when we officially made up and ended the call in tears, saying we’d miss each other.

By the time Adam arrived, I was emotionally exhausted but felt as if everything had been wrapped up. I was free to go after one last goodbye.

“Hey.” His shoulders filled the doorway. He smelled of smoke and coffee, wearing ripped cutoffs, sneakers with no socks, and a worn concert t-shirt. His hair was damp from a shower. Those dark eyes studied me with a piercing intimacythat brought goose bumps and a sexual awareness I couldn’t fight. “How did your convo with Gabby go?”

“Good.” I shut the door behind him and filled him in. “I just got off the phone with Daisy. She also apologized and we’re good now.”

He pulled me in for a hug and I snuggled against his hard chest. “I’m glad. You didn’t need to leave with that guilt hanging on you. You’re packed and ready?”

“Yeah.” I hesitated. “Max came by.”

His entire body stiffened but he didn’t stop gently stroking my hair. “Want to tell me about it?”

“Of course. Basically, it was a big warning about not getting involved with you. That you were a cheater like him. That you’d break my heart. Etcetera, etcetera. Yada, yada, yada.”

He let out a long sigh. “Last ditch attempt, huh? I figured. Did he say anything that made you nervous about us? Because for the next few hours, I’m going to fuck you into oblivion and there will be no more words.”

My knees literally sagged and he let out a sexy low laugh. Already, my body was lit on fire, and his palm traced the line of my spine, stopping at the curve of my ass. Slowly, he squeezed.

I fought through the arousal, knowing I had to ask. The name would be imprinted in my memory and it wasn’t fair to either of us for me to pretend otherwise. “He did mention something. Or, someone. Told me to ask you about a woman and demand the truth.”

“I’ll always tell you the truth, princess. But there’s really been no one in my life so I’m not sure who he’s talking about.”

“Her name is Josie. Max told me to ask you about Josie.”

It happened so fast, I wasn’t prepared. In seconds, he released me and stepped back. His face morphed into a stranger, ravaged with pain and rage as he stared back at me. Eyes fierceand coal black glimmered with raw emotion that took my breath and had me retreating, suddenly afraid of what I saw there.

“Adam?” Did I whimper or whisper? I wasn’t sure. My feet were rooted to the floor as I waited. “Who’s Josie?”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Adam

Listen to I Guess I’m in Love

by Clinton Kane

Istared in shock as the name I’d buried deep suddenly sprung forward with all its taunting, painful memories. It took me a few seconds to register Landon’s growing horror, probably afraid she’d unearthed a terrible secret Max was giddy to share in order to get her to doubt me.

The breath stuttered in my lungs. I spit out a vicious curse, as my trembling hand pushed through my hair. I needed to get my shit in order to explain, but either way, Max had once again proven we were never friends. I’d confessed my shameful story while I was stumbling drunk, and we’d shared a rare moment of vulnerability. Of course, looking back, I now realized his secret gave away nothing real—he’d confessed he once tried to seduce one of his high school teachers but it had blown up when she rejected his advances and called his parents in to cover her ass. Guess he still thought about her as the one who got away.

Big fucking deal.

I’d told him about Josie, and now I’d pay just for having to re-live the memory in front of the woman I loved.

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