Page 1 of Where the Little Birds Are (Little Bird Duet 2)

Playlist

“Something Borrowed” – Lewis Capaldi

“Bad Liar” – Imagine Dragons

“Change Your Mind” – Nashville Cast

“Call Out My Name” – The Weeknd

“Two Ghosts” – Harry Styles

“What About Us” – P!nk

“Every Little Thing” – Carly Pearce

“Need You Now” – Lady Antebellum

Blurb

Corbin Callum rumored to be involved with bestselling author on set of his latest movie

Corbin Callum, 28, reportedly has affair with bestselling author Kinley Thomas, 26, on the set of the film Through Shattered Glass.

Callum and Thomas were seen together on multiple occasions off set of the movie based on Thomas’s novel. Pictures taken of Callum sneaking in and out of the Five Seasons hotel where Thomas stayed sparked more rumors following the images of the two out together earlier in the month.

One source working at the hotel tells Entertainment Daily that Callum would “wear an oversized hoodie and sunglasses and take the employee’s only entrance at the back of the hotel to visit Thomas in her room after dark.”

Another source claims that Hollywood’s Most Desired Man would wait in the lobby for Thomas to come downstairs and “cut the calls from his wife short as soon as Thomas would appear.”

Hotel photos reveal a disguised Callum walking the halls trying to remain inconspicuous, not leaving Thomas’s room until hours later.

No comments have been made from either party.

Chapter One

Kinley / Present

There’s a tingling awareness of the hardened skin beneath my oversized sweater. The baggy material on my lean figure is premature, but the anxiety of the wrong eyes seeing too much keeps me sweating under the scratchy cotton.

Tugging.

Gripping.

Squirming.

Nobody is looking, yet they see too much.

Pushing the plastic cart to check out, I do everything in my power not to turn my head a fraction to the left. It’s a worthless feat. The colorful covers and bold print are there for the world to see, preying on helpless customers stuck in line with nothing else to do.

His face.

His hands.

Those eyes.

Mine are plastered on the way he holds Lena Dasani’s hand as they walk toward the photographers on a crowded street. His shades are hooked on the collar of his pristine white tee, not covering his silver eyes like they were when he was with me. There’s no hat. No disguise. Why would there be? When he’s with his wife, he doesn’t have to hide.

Swallowing the rising nausea, I take a deep breath and force my eyes to look at any other magazine. Cooking. Lifestyle. Fashion. But Corbin Callum is on every fucking one like I’m the butt of the universe’s pathetic joke.

“Isn’t he sexy?” a voice says from behind me, causing my gaze to lift to a blonde girl no older than sixteen.

I blink. “Uh…”

The blonde rambles despite my lack of conversational interest. “Anyone would be blind not to admit how beautiful the man is. It’s unfair.”

That catches my interest. “Unfair?”

She scoffs in exasperation. “That men like him exist. It seems unreal to me. Have you seen pictures of him shirtless?”

My stomach twists. Can she see my skin gloss with dotted sweat? The back of my mind replays the moments shared with the very man she’s gushing over. Unreal is right. Fingertips tingling over the memories of them trailing over sculpted abs and mountains of muscle confirms everything she assumes.

And once more, I hate myself.

Tugging on the hem of my sweater for the millionth time, I give her my best nonchalant shrug like I’m indifferent to the man who plagues my mind. “He’s okay, I guess.”

One of the girl’s blonde brows arch like she doesn’t believe me. Shifting from one foot to another, I shoot her a small smile. It’s all I can offer under the scrutiny of my own conscience. I know what I’ve done. Corbin knows what he’s done. But the world doesn’t know the intimate details despite the article published almost two months ago.

I shut the world out after getting back, keeping silent hoping the worst would pass. Missed calls, texts, emails all pile up from people who claim they care. But my chest struggles to differentiate those who are telling the truth or not, so I stop looking at them.

The girl’s eyes narrow, and the slightest tilt of the head has anxiety blasting warning signs that I should just leave. “Do I know you from somewhere?”

My black leggings, oversized sweater, and messy brown hair pulled back helps me blend in. I don’t look out of the ordinary and do my best not to draw unwanted attention to myself. People in Lake Roe don’t recognize me very often. It’s a large enough town not to be noticed, giving me privacy that I’ve had no choice but to keep.

I push my cart forward once the line moves, turning slightly. “Sorry, I don’t think so.”

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