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“Thank you.” She poked him in the shoulder—hard. “You’re great and this hurts. So you let me have my broken heart, goddammit. I have earned the right to feel this way.”
His shoulders sagged and a look of utter sadness crossed his face. “I don’t want to break your heart, Hollyn. It’s killing me to see you upset. I care about you so much.”
The catch in his voice made her chest ache. This wasn’t a brush-off. Jasper really was hurting over this decision. She reached out and took his hand. “I believe you. I know you’re not trying to hurt me. You just already have the love of your life—your career. I never had a shot in that competition. If you don’t take this opportunity, you’ll just resent me, and it’ll doom us anyway. Either way, we’ve reached the end of our story.”
“God, this sucks,” he said, exhaustion in his voice.
“Yep. A whole lot.” Tears started up again despite her attempts to hold them in.
“Come ’ere,” he said finally, pulling her against him. She went willingly, leaning against his chest, his arm around her shoulders. So this was it. She closed her eyes and listened to the rapid beat of his heart, inhaled his scent, tried to imprint it all on her memory.Once upon a time, I was in love…
“Maybe I won’t get the part,” he said softly.
She sniffed. “Shut up. You’re going to nail that audition. Kenzie wouldn’t have come all the way out here if she didn’t think she was bringing them a sure thing. You think she wants to come to her ex for anything? She needs you for this. That’s the only explanation.”
Jasper pressed his nose to her hair, a deep exhale making her hair flutter. “I hate this. Why would the universe bring us together just to bait and switch us when we’re getting started?”
She draped her arm over his waist, wishing she didn’t have to let him go. “Maybe because the universe knewIneededyou. Without you, I’d still be hiding in that office of mine, probably without my job. Even if it was only a couple of months of knowing each other, the time we had together has set my life on a different course—a better one. I don’t regret it, even though this is going to hurt like a sonofabitch when you leave.”
Jasper tightened his hold on her, pressing her against his chest. “You’ve helped me, too. This time with you has been…”
She wiggled, loosening his hold, and sat up to press her hand over his lips. “No speeches. Please. That will make it hurt worse.”
Jasper’s expression was drawn, but he nodded, and she lowered her hand. “Okay. No speeches.”
She searched his face, another thought popping into her head. Hers weren’t the only hopes that were about to be dashed. “Does the group know yet?”
He grimaced. “No. I don’t want them to know until it’s one hundred percent a done deal. Please don’t say anything.”
“But—”
“They’re going to hate me and that will distract them. I want them giving their all on Saturday night, and they’re only going to do that if they believe the stakes are real. They’re all talented. And really, they don’t need me to get the theater. If the investors see the show and want in, I’ll ask Monique to take over the role I was going to play in running the business if she wants it. They can have the theater without me.”
Hollyn frowned. “You’re an integral part of the show, Jas.”
“They can carry the show without me,” he said firmly. “I won’t deny them another opportunity. I will be there Saturday with you, supporting you and the group onstage, giving it everything I have, and we’re going to make it happen for them. I want my dream, but I’m not going to sabotage theirs in the process.”
Hollyn met his gaze, not feeling great about keeping that secret from the group. “Okay. But you promise you’re going to be there? I don’t want to have to explain why you’re not.”
He reached up as if he were going to touch her face but then he lowered his hand. “I swear. I’ll be there.”
She nodded and swallowed past the knot in her throat. “So I guess it’s time for our final practice session in our fake relationship, huh?”
“What do you mean?”
“The breakup.”
“Hollyn,” he said, pain in his voice.
“Am I supposed to throw things?” she asked, trying to smile. “Or call you names? Maybe slam some doors or slap your face?”
The corner of his mouth lifted in a sad smirk. “Would that make you feel better?”
She lifted her hand and gently swatted his face. “Didn’t work.”
“Maybe try something else.”
She stared at him, memorizing every little feature of his face. “Maybe I need the opposite.”
