Page 108 of Heartbreaker

Not that I blame her.

I was—am—an asshole.

But I can’t apologize to her if she won’t talk to me.

I’ve been all the fuck over L.A. and haven’t been able to track her down.

She’s not in Nashville—that was one fucking expensive plane ride—and she’s not even in Tahoe.

I know she’s safe.

Maddie told me that much.

But the rest of it?

Like where she is, what she’s doing, if she’s okay—and how can she possibly be okay?

Maddie all but told me to fuck right off when I asked.

Same as Kate.

I stop by that jacket, lifting it from the railing and bringing it to my nose, inhaling deeply. I already know it still smells like her because I’ve been huffing it like an addict trying to get the last grain of coke off a mirror.

Flowers and vanilla and a hint of something that is unique to Jade hits my senses.

But when I inhale again, I know I have to put an end to my patheticness. I can’t keep avoiding the living room because we made a breakthrough there on the chorus of “Nobody’s Business”—one of the soulful ballads that’s supposed to go on her new album.

It’s good enough to be a single.

Not as good as “Midnight Snow,” though.

I don’t go into the living room—I can’t, even though I know I’m a pussy because of it. Instead, I start for my office, but stop a step in, grinding my teeth together so tightly that a bolt of pain shoots through my jaw.

“Dammit.” I growl, tossing the jacket back onto the banister, knowing that it won’t be long before I’m standing in this exact spot again, huffing at her jacket like a creep.

I can’t go into my office either.

Not when the memory of bending her over my desk and fucking her from behind until she came apart on my dick is burned into my mind.

Frankie!

I’ll go and playConnect Fourwith my niece until my eyes ache, teach her something new on her guitar. She’s ready for something harder.

“Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater only has three chords.

She can totally pull that off…and it’ll take an extra-long lesson with me focusing on something that isn’t Jade and my complete and total fuck-up.

Right.

Good plan.

So much better than standing here at the bottom of the stairs, thinking about how Jade smiled up at me as I carried her to bed, her eyes half-mast and sleepy, her expression full of…love.

That I stomped on.

“Enough,” I grit, spinning on my heel and heading for the garage. I snag my keys from the hook mounted by the door and get in my car.

But it’s not until I’m almost at Briar’s place that I remember what day it is.

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