I didn’t give a fuck.
And that was the point.
Chapter 13
Hadley
I woke up to the sound of a door closing. Soft. Careful. The kind of quiet that's meant to be secret. I was already half-awake, hormones or nerves or both kept me from sleeping more than three hours at a stretch, so I sat up fast, heart kicking. The bedroom was dark except for the thin strip of hallway light under the door. Eli was still out cold beside me, mouth open, one arm flung over his train blanket.
I slipped out of bed. Bare feet on carpet. Padded to the door and cracked it.
Sydney.
She was stepping out of Cal's room, hair mussed, lipstick gone, wearing one of his black band tees that hit mid-thigh. She paused when she saw me. Smiled. Slow. Smug. Like she'd been waiting for an audience.
Kei came out right behind her. Hood up. Face guilty. He froze when he saw me standing there in my oversized sleep shirt and shorts, hair a mess, eyes wide.
Sydney's smile widened. She didn't say anything. Just gave a little wave, like we were all in on the same joke, and walked past me toward the living room. Hips swaying. Bare legs flashing. She disappeared around the corner.
Kei looked at me. Sad. Sorry. He took one step forward.
I shook my head hard.
My vision blurred. Hot. Fast.
I turned. Shut the bedroom door. Locked it. Leaned against it. Chest heaving.
I didn't cry yet. Not out here.
I walked to the bathroom. Closed that door too. Locked it. Sat on the floor. Back to the tub. Knees up. And then the tears came. Quiet. Choking. Stupid hormones. Stupid everything. He'd kissed me yesterday. Put his hand on my stomach. Said he wanted to be present. And then he fucked her. The same night. The same fucking night.
I pressed my palms to my eyes. Hard. Until spots danced.
It hurt more than it should have. I had no right to feel betrayed. We weren't real. We weren't anything. But the kiss had felt real. For one stupid second. And now it felt like a slap.
I stayed there until the crying stopped. Until my face felt swollen and my throat raw. Then I washed my face. Brushed my teeth. Changed into real clothes. Went out to make Eli breakfast like nothing happened.
Later that afternoon Zariah came over. She brought takeout, pad thai and spring rolls, and we sat at the little dining table while Eli colored at the coffee table with the markers she'd brought.
She was mid-story about some new dancer at the club who kept stealing tips when the suite door opened.
Cal walked in.
He looked like he hadn't slept. Hair wrecked. Same clothes from yesterday. Eyes bloodshot. He didn't look at me at first. Justwent straight to the fridge. Grabbed a water. Drank half in one go.
Zariah went quiet.
I waited.
He finally turned. Looked at me. Jaw tight.
"We're leaving Vegas this weekend," he said. Flat. No hello. No nothing. "Tour's wrapping in LA. Final shows. Then break."
I set my fork down. "Okay."
"You're coming with me."
My stomach dropped. "What?"
