Page 12 of Where the Little Birds Are (Little Bird Duet 2)

He blasts, “For fucks sake. I told him that it was too late for him because you were with Zach. Are you happy now?”

My lips part as I suck in a sharp breath and hold it. I try making excuses, like I misheard him somehow. Yet, I know better. I heard him just fine, and a new form of hurt plows into me.

Nostrils flaring, I grip the phone until my fingers hurt. “How could you do th

at to me? You knew how much I loved him! You said—”

“I was looking out for you!”

“You’re such a fucking asshole!” I yell, standing up and tossing the box of posters off the desk until they scatter across my office floor. “I cannot believe you’d do something so selfish. Just because you got hurt by Aimee doesn’t mean everyone else’s relationship is doomed!”

“That’s not fair.”

A dry laugh bursts from my lips. “What isn’t fair is you deciding what’s best for me. Do you know that we could have had a chance if you didn’t meddle? You probably don’t even care that you screwed everything up, do you?”

“No, okay? I don’t feel bad.”

I throw my free hand up. “I don’t even want to talk to you right now. You have no idea what you did.”

“What I did? I helped—”

“I’m pregnant, Gavin.”

Complete silence.

Sniffing back big, fat ugly tears, I force myself to add, “You’re no different than him, you know. Why do you guys think it’s okay to make choices for other people? I’ve always had a right to decide what’s best for me, and you took that away until I crumbled. Big brothers aren’t supposed to do that.”

“Kinley…” He sounds as broken as I am.

“I don’t want to talk to you anymore.”

“Kinley, stop. Are you really—”

I hang up on him.

He calls again.

We repeat that twice more before I do what I’ve only ever done with Corbin. I block his number and look down at the silver eyes staring back at me from the ground.

I kneel and pick up one of the fallen posters, noticing the damage inflicted from throwing the box down. It’s almost symbolic that there’s a wrinkle splitting Corbin and Olivia. My thumb caresses the blemish as I rest on my knees, staring at the posters everywhere.

My phone buzzes beside me, causing me to glance down at the news alert. I know I shouldn’t look, but I do. When I see Lena Dasani’s name in bold lettering, I let the poster fall from the others.

Lena Dasani speaks out amidst rumors of husband’s infidelity.

I tell myself not to click it.

My thumb doesn’t listen.

“My husband and I have been married for years and we don’t plan on letting these silly rumors ruin the love we have for each other. I wish Kinley Thomas all the best, but even she knows that there’s nothing between them regardless of the time they spent together doing the movie.”

Teeth grinding, I power off my phone.

Was Corbin lying this whole time?

Chapter Five

Corbin / Present

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