Hat Trick (Fake Boyfriend 5)

“Why not?”

“I’m … I have …” Soren’s phone went off, and he dug it out of his pocket. With an apologetic look my way, he turned away from me as he answered. “Hey, babe.”

It was like a sucker punch to the nuts.

Soren glanced back at me and lowered his voice, but I still heard his exact words. “My friend’s little brother is in town, so we met up, but I’ll be going back to the hotel soon.”

Friend’s little brother. I’d heard enough. I turned on my heel and headed for the venue where Benji and Freya would still be.

“Jet, wait up.” Loud footsteps sounded behind me, and I told myself to keep walking, but I didn’t.

“What the fuck, Soren?”

“I’m sorry. Let me explain.”

I waited for him to continue. He didn’t.

Soren took his hat off and rubbed a hand through his thick hair.

“Great explanation.” I turned again.

“I’m all wrong for you.”

I froze and stared at him over my shoulder. “What?”

His hands gripped my shoulders and spun me to face him. “You’re … you’re amazing, Jet. You’re inspiring and lively and … young.”

He said young like it was the worst thing in the world to be.

“That’s your issue? The age thing? You’re thirty-one.” I knew because I’d Googled. Ten years between us. That was nothing. “That’s not old.”

“You’re at the point in your life where you should be doing young and dumb shit—”

“As long as it doesn’t include groupies and drugs,” I said dryly.

“That groupie only wanted one thing.”

“Duh. That’s the definition of groupie.”

“You deserve better.”

“Lord, here we go. More big brother shit? Really?”

Soren shook his head. “Sorry. Again, I shouldn’t have said that. It’s your life. I know how hard you’ve worked to be where you are. I have no right to butt in.”

I folded my arms. “No, you don’t.”

“For one night, I loved being a part of your world, and since then, I’ve watched you live your dream. Every performance, every song … you belong on that stage.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Caleb Sorensen, have you been following me on social media?”

He stepped closer. “Every. Fucking. Show. Every interview. Anything I can find online.”

Our chests pressed together, Soren breathed hard, and I had no clue which way was up anymore.

“But you have a boyfriend.”

“I’m at the point in my life where I’m talking mortgages and settling down. You’re partying and touring and living the rock star life. The life you deserve.”

He had a point. Boyfriend aside, if he was single and we hooked up tonight, that was all it could be again.

“Go back to your hat trick boyfriend, Caleb.”

Soren took hold of my hand. “No, wait, don’t leave it like this.”

“Like what?”

Soren needed to fuck off back to Jersey with his perfect boyfriend and mortgage.

“I want you to promise me something,” he said.

“What?”

“I want you to find someone who will love you for the guy I know. The one who fanboyed over his first fanboy. Or fanman in your words.”

I chuckled.

“That guy deserves someone as awesome as he is. So, go out and do stupid shit, but do it with someone special. Okay?”

Why? Why did he have to come tonight and fuck up my memory of him with logic?

“You’re perfect, Jet.”

Right. That was why he was rejecting me.

“Yeah. Perfect for someone else. Got it.”

Chapter Seven

Soren

My feet pound the path around our private Fijian island. Reliving that night in Tampa makes me want to run as fast as possible. Run away from the memory and from my stupidity.

I should’ve told him as soon as I saw him that night. Oh, by the way, I’m with Bryce. But no, I wanted to spend time with him. Plus, who says, “Hey, I haven’t seen you in a year, you know, since the last time we fucked, but I’m seeing someone now. I just wanted to get that out of the way.”

Still, I should’ve played that night differently. I shouldn’t have danced with him, and I shouldn’t have flirted. I definitely shouldn’t have acted like a jealous asshole with that guy at the bar. Maybe I should’ve walked away after his show and not seen him at all.

Because even though it’s been two years, he’s still mad at me.

Worse than that, when I asked him if he’d done what I’d asked of him, he’d said yes.

He fell in love.

That thought makes me push harder and tell my thirty-three-year-old knees to take the pain and just run.

I should be happy for him. He got to share his last couple of years with someone special, which is what I wanted for him. Only now I can’t remember why I wanted that when it makes something go wrong in my chest. I don’t like the thought of him with someone else even though it was never an option to be with me.

Hello, selfish asshole.

I was too wrapped up and determined to make it work with Bryce to see how anything with the young, vibrant musician could happen. And nothing has changed in that regard. Jet’s still young and vibrant, and we’re both still on the road for most of the year.