“Why?” he asked, his eyes narrowed.
“No reason. Haven’t you ever met someone you didn’t like?” Or really liked but didn’t want to?
“I have but that person has never been January, for me or anyone else for that matter. What’s wrong with you, Tom? January is literally the best girl I’ve met in my life and I’ve met a lot of girls in this business.” He took a deep breath. “Seriously, January MacLochlainn is a freaking saint.”
The guilt started weighing hard on my chest then. I was taking my pissed off nature out on a beautiful, innocent, amazing girl for no other reason than I didn’t want to find her beautiful, innocent or amazing. I wanted my hate back. I stood up and squeezed Casey’s shoulder.
“I’ll apologize to her. I’m sincerely sorry for the shit I just pulled.”
“Good,” he said, calming down. “God, Tom, I always knew you were a bit of an ass, but I’ve never seen you do something so low.”
“I know, dude. I’m ashamed. I’ll go apologize right now.”
I walked January’s direction. She saw me coming and stood taller, not wanting me to see I’d affected her. She subtly wiped the tears from underneath her eyes, but it didn’t help, they were still red, sending me down another shame spiral. I could do this. The old Tom could have done this with amazing ease.
“January,” I said softly.
“Yes?” she asked coldly.
“Can I talk to you outside for a moment?”
“No.”
“Please?” I begged her pathetically.
She sighed deeply. “I guess,” she said, letting me lead her outside.
When we reached the sidewalk, I led her a little farther down away from the noise of the club, stopping right underneath a street light. The light bathed her head like a crown. A saint, Casey had said. “I’m so sorry,” I said genuinely. “I didn’t mean any of the shit I said.”
“It’s okay,” she said a bit more warmly than her earlier tone, but she still refused to meet my eyes.
“No, it’s not,” I said, lifting her chin softly so her eyes would meet mine. “You’re right, I’m an asshole. I’ve been one for more than a year and I never realized just how bad I’d gotten until I’d met you. You bring out this insane side of me for some reason, and although I’m still trying to decipher what that is exactly, I do want you to know I didn’t mean a single word I said in there.”
She was quiet for a moment, mulling over my apology. “You admit you kissed me back?” she asked, a small grin tugging at the side of her mouth.
I hated to admit it, but I knew I couldn’t lie anymore. She’d know. “Yes, January. I kissed you back.”
“I knew it,” she said, a gleam in her eye. She abruptly turned from me and walked back to the club, abandoning me to the newly discovered harsh light of the street lamp.
“She played me,” I said under my breath, shaking my head at the ground. I smiled the widest, shit-eating grin. “She played me.” Probably wrong about that innocent part.
Chapter Three
Betrayed by Bones
Thomas
A week later and I had yet remove extra space to see January since the party, which was just fine with me because the little wench had played me like a fiddle. As I was packing for Europe the next day, I heard my cell vibrate on top of my dresser. I scanned the caller ID and saw it was Jason.
“Yo,” I said, tucking the phone between my chin and shoulder and continued to pack.
“Need you to come down to the label right now.”
“Dude, are you kidding me?” I asked, grabbing the phone again. “I’m not exactly prepared for this trip.”
“Just get down here,” he said succinctly before hanging up.
I pressed end and leaned against the heavy wooden dresser, studying the phone, not sure why Jason needed me but feeling on edge at how short he’d been.