Page 20 of Of Heartbreak and Harmony
“Those idiots got me fired from my job at the motel, so excuse me if I don’t share in your mourning.”
Over two weeks of being followed and photographed was a miserable experience. Longest eighteen days of my life, and that’ssaying something. It almost makes me grateful that my band didn’t work out.Almost.
Quinton picks up the candy bar I threw at him and unwraps it, then takes a bite.
“Yeah, that sucks,” he says while chewing. “But now you get to see me more often.”
He grins with his teeth covered in chocolate and I blink at him, unamused.
“Yes. Because doing twice the work while you sleep off your hangover and pore over tabloids is so enjoyable for me.”
“I know, right?” Quinton sighs and shakes his head, reverting to his current favorite topic. “If only they hadn’t realized how boring you are. It could have been my big break. I just need a less blurry picture. Maybe an interview?—”
I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and ignore him. At least he’s awake now.
Once I’m finished with the candy bars, I go to the back to grab things to restock the empties. I’m not in there two minutes when Quinton comes barreling through the door with his eyebrows raised comically high behind his sunglasses.
“Callie. You need to come out here.”
The way he says it,almost like a whispered hiss, has my suspicions spiking, and I narrow my eyes at him. If he’s fucking with me...
“Why?”
“There is someone here to see you.” Again with the whispering, but this time he’s spaced out each word with an unnatural pause, his eyebrows rising even higher than I thought possible. “Come out now.”
“I swear to god, Quin, if this is another one of your stunts...”
I push past him and march out into the store, and then immediately skid to a halt. Pretty sure my eyebrows get higher than Quinton’s did, and my jaw drops open before I can stop it. Torren smirks at me, though, and I snap it shut, bringing my eyebrows to slants.
“Hey. I don’t know if you remember me,” he starts, his voice making the skin on my neck prickle. “We met at the pier a couple of weeks ago.”
“If that’s what you want to call your hulking bodyguard almost killing me.”
He shrugs, a weak gesture in place of an apology. “He thought you were a crazy fan.”
I resist the urge to roll my eyes, then glance over his shoulder at the front door. There’s a big, black, conspicuous SUV parked at the curb, and the aforementioned hulking bodyguard is standing by the door. Good lord.
“Can I help you? I’d like to get it over with quickly before anyone sees you here.”
His brow furrows slightly, and he tilts his head to the side in a move so familiar, my own head spins. Motion sickness by déjà vu. Having those green eyes on me, assessing me like I’m something amusing. Like I’m something to be toyed with...
I have to look away before I snap.
When he finally speaks, his voice is soothing and sincere, but it has the opposite effect I think he wanted. I want to punch him.
“I’m sorry for the media circus you must have experienced after the pier. I know it can be a lot if you’re not used to it.”
I huff a sarcastic laugh.
“Yeah, you can say that. I’d like to avoid another one so I don’t get fired from this job as well.”
“You got fired?”
“Yep. So can you get to the point please?”
“When does your shift end?”
“IN AN HOUR!” Quinton shouts, cutting me off before I can tell Torren that it’s none of his business. When I shoot Quin a glare, he’s brazenly lying over the check-out counter so he can eavesdrop. I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose.
