Page 41 of Bitter Beats

I place my trust in Maverick and something deep inside of me settles. Accepts. Embraces him back.

FOURTEEN

MAV

“It’s cool. It’s fine,”I tell Allegra as I cradle the phone between my shoulder and ear. I run my fingers through my hair, styling it in front of the bathroom mirror. “We’re friends.”

Allegra’s melodic laughter comes through the line. “I don’t know any man who’s been able to spend time with Kenny and think of her as just a friend.”

I scowl.

“Or you, for that matter,” A continues. “You guys have that in common!” She whoops, like Mckenna and I sharing common ground is cause for celebration.

Right now, it is.

“How long are you in town for?” I ask, changing the direction of this conversation.

“Through the weekend. Derek will send a group text about dinner at The Ivy.”

“Not Carter’s?” I wonder.

Allegra snorts. “Too many shitty memories for him.”

“Right,” I agree, recalling our graphic designer, Claire, and the colossal dinner bill Derek stuck her with the summer they hooked up. Then, there was the time he fucked one of ouropening act member’s daughters in the bathroom. And the fight he caused in the kitchen…

Remembering Reign’s shitty behavior makes me feel better about my current debacle, and I grin at my reflection. My hair turned out great too. It’s shaved shorter on the sides and back, clipped longer on top, and currently has this blue hue going through it. Not a mohawk or a fauxhawk, but some kind of fade I can work with.

“Anyway, with you and Kenny together, the band going out for a bite will help kick off dating rumors. Between your dinner tonight, and our group one this week, everyone will think you’re for real. Bringing Kenny into the fold, introducing her to your friends… It matters, Mav.”

I snort, shaking my head. “Or they’ll think, ‘Fuck, Mav is really trying hard to make people forget last weekend, when he fucked the senator’s wife in the back seat of his car.’”

Allegra laughs again. “No one is forgetting that easily. Angela Hayes is getting dragged through the mud. She’s on every news station and all political coverage mentions her.”

“I heard they’ve started couples therapy.”

“And counseling with their pastor,” Allegra adds, snorting. “The blowback for you guys hasn’t been as bad as I expected.”

I grip my phone tighter. “Seriously? The press called me ‘the ultimate fuckboy.’”

“Yeah, but that’s kind of true, right?” She giggles, the sound light and airy. She’s happy, and the realization makes me smile. A is like my kid sister, and the fact that she’s one of Mckenna’s best friends used to irk me. Now, well, it’s one more thing Mckenna and I have in common.

If all else fails, we’ll just talk about Allegra and how awesome she is on our date tonight.

“Not anymore,” I counter. “Now, I’m dating Mckenna Byrne.”

“Hell yeah you are! You got this, Mav,” Allegra assures me. “Kenny is the best, and if she says she’ll help you, well, my girl is nothing if not loyal. She’ll see this through. Whip your ass into perfect boyfriend material.”

“Whatever you say, A,” I appease her since…no one is whipping my ass into anything. Unless that’s a more literal meaning and?—

“I gotta go. See you later. Have fun tonight!”

“‘Kay,” I say noncommittally.

Another chuckle. “Be good to her, Mav. She’s… It hasn’t been easy for Mckenna.”

“Yeah,” I agree, my voice quieter. One-hundred-sixty-thousand dollars in debt.

Forgotten.

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