Breaking Stars (The Celebrity 2)

“I mean it, Paige. I want you to leave. You’ve been here long enough. Go back where the people actually miss you and care that you’re gone.”

She gasped as if I’d slapped her, and the sound nearly caused my knees to buckle. I was too good at being a dick, too well versed in being mean to her.

“I don’t believe you,” she whispered. “I know you feel what I feel.” Her eyes pleaded with me as she lifted a trembling hand to her heart.

“I don’t feel anything.” The words practically burned my tongue as I spit them out, my lies choking me from within.

“I know that’s not true.” She sucked in a gulp of air, and I wanted so badly to be her oxygen. “But I’ll go,” she added with a nod, then pushed back her shoulders with determination.

I watched as she hesitated before turning away from me and walking toward her car. Colin grabbed Paige’s things from her, his hand brushing against hers, and placed them in the trunk. My blood boiled as I witnessed the simple gesture. He ushered her to the driver’s door and opened it for her.

She slid into the front seat of her BMW and started the engine. Colin tried to get into the passenger side, but fumbled with the door. I wanted to cheer Paige on when I realized she’d locked it and refused to let him in. That was my girl.

My girl. And I was letting her go. Hell, making her go was more accurate.

She’s not my anything. Not anymore. Only an idiot would think she ever was.

Paige turned to me one last time, her eyes locking with mine before she dropped a pair of black sunglasses over them. The car’s tires spun as she pulled out and headed down the drive.

I followed behind, Buster tagging along with me, until she got to the main road and turned down it. When the taillights of her BMW faded out of view, I fell to my knees, the gravel from the road piercing the denim in my already ripped jeans.

How long does a man have to stay on his knees until a woman knows—innately knows—that he’s on them waiting for her?

Probably forever. And I deserved nothing less.

So I stood there like an asshole and watched her go, doing nothing. I never tried to stop her, begged her to stay, asked for more time, or anything. Instead I pushed her out the door and forced her to leave.

I’m a coward.

Right now I should be chasing her car, begging her to never go anywhere without me.

Maybe she’ll turn around?

Maybe she’ll come back?

I smacked the side of my head, pissed off at myself for being such a dick to her. My defense mechanism kicked into the gear the minute I saw Colin here. He was lucky I didn’t beat that smug grin right off his face. Instead I handed her over to him like she was a prize at the fair that he didn’t deserve to win. But I gave her up anyway.

Take her. You can have her. I don’t want her anymore.

Only an idiot would do something as stupid as that.

Only a fool watches the girl he cares about drive away and does nothing about it.

Only me.

I must have kneeled in the road for hours. At least, it seemed like hours. Staring at the empty gravel road, watching the dust from her car settle after she was long gone, I wished I could take back every single harsh word I’d spoken and bring her back to me. But it was too late for that. She was gone.

After sucking in one last long breath, I turned away from the deserted road and noticed Buster waiting for me, his head resting on his paws. “C’mere boy,” I whispered and he whined, sidling up to my side with his tail between his legs.

Slowly we walked together toward my mom’s house, just my dog and me, heads low, no tail wagging in sight.

“She’s gone?” Mama’s strained voice sliced through me as the screen door closed at my back.

I nodded, feeling responsible for both of our losses—again—as Mama turned away without another word and walked down the hall. The door to her room closed softly, and I moped to the back barn to wallow in solitude.

Buster didn’t follow me there. Even my own dog didn’t want to be around me after what I’d done, and he was right.

I didn’t want to be around me either.