Page 26 of Holiday Hookup

“I’m not doing it, Frankie. I know you went to the label and I’ll talk to them, but right now you need to let me have some time to think.”

“I gave you time to think. The label agrees with me. If you’re not here in three days, you’ll be sued for breach of contract.”

Before the words even sink into my brain, he hangs up and I’m left standing in the hallway wondering what the hell I’m going to do. I have three days to figure out what the hell I’m going to tell Nel, and right now I’m coming up blank.

Chapter 19

“What is up with you?” I ask, coming back into the room after putting Jaxon to bed.

Dane is sitting on my couch, looking at his phone like he’s been doing for the past two days. Ever since Christmas Day, he’s been distant, agitated, and edgy, and I can’t take it anymore.

“What?” he mumbles, his eyes still on his phone as I head into the kitchen to grab myself a glass of water. When I walk into the living room, his eyes finally meet mine as I sit next to him.

“Dane, I know something’s bothering you. I can see it every time you look at me and honestly, I can hear it every time you get annoyed with Jaxon. What happened on Christmas?”

We’re silent for a few seconds before he takes a deep breath and puts his head in his hands.

“Nothing’s wrong!” he yells as my eyes dart to the hallway, hoping that didn’t wake Jaxon. When I don’t hear anything, I breathe a sigh of relief.

“Okay, fine. You want to play that game?” I mutter, getting up off the couch and walking toward the door. When my hand lands on the door handle, I turn back toward him. “I know you’re struggling with something right now, but until you can be honest with me, you are no longer welcome in this apartment.” I open the door, motioning for him to leave but hoping he doesn’t. Yet when he stands, picking up his phone off the coffee table, and starts walking toward me, my heart breaks a little. His face is ashen, and I know he wants to tell me but is too scared.

“Nel…”

I shake my head. “Call me when you decide to be honest with me.” I shut the door, and when I hear his door slam across the hall, I lean back against the wood, sinking to the floor. How can a relationship change so much in just a few days? How can he walk away when all I’m asking him to do is trust me?

After drying the last of my tears, I get up off the floor and head into the living room, cleaning up the glasses and snacks that Dane accumulated over the last few hours. When I sit back down on the couch, I lean back and stare at the ceiling, trying to figure out how I seem to pick men that are more concerned with their own lives, and ignore those around them.

I don’t know how long I sit there, but when I hear the soft knock on the door, I take a deep breath, knowing exactly who’s on the other side.

I say nothing as I open the door, fighting the urge to hug him when those sad, scared eyes meet mine.

“I don’t want to lose you, or Jaxon.”

I continue to say nothing.

“I know I’m screwing this up, but I’m ready to talk.”

I step aside and let him in. When we both settle on the couch, he takes a deep breath.

“I have to go back to LA tomorrow.” His voice is jumbled, so I sit there until his eyes meet mine once more.

“Sorry, for a second there I thought you said you were leaving for LA tomorrow…” That can’t be right… but from the guilty look in his eyes, I know it’s true. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I’m trying not to get angry. I’m trying to keep my voice down so that Jaxon doesn’t wake up to a fight he doesn’t need to see.

“I didn’t know what to say…”

My eyes must express the utter bullshit he’s spewing because he recovers quickly.

“I never wanted that life to touch you or Jaxon. It’s toxic, and I know when I go back there, I’ll be sucked back in and I don’t want to lose you, not when we just started.”

“Dane. This isn’t how relationships work, and if that’s what you want us to be going forward, you need to talk to me. I left one man because he never wanted to work things out, and I have no issue doing it again, but I’d like to know now before things get too serious.”

His eyes divert to his fingers that are laced together over his knees. “Okay, here’s the truth…”

My head dips slightly as he begins to tell me everything… and the more he confesses, the more my heart breaks.

“So now you know everything. I have to go back because if I don’t, the record company will sue me for breach of contract, and it will be a fucking mess.”

We’re silent for a minute as I process everything he said.

---