1 Chapter 1
1
The outside air smacked Sean in the face. After the heat of the lights, the sudden chill stunned him. He glanced over his shoulder to see if they were giving chase.
No one followed.
He leaned over, resting his palms on his knees and taking deep breaths. The cool air burned his lungs. His outfit—a sleek set of gray chinos, a tight shirt, and vest—wasn’t made for the late February weather. He’d freeze in another few minutes.
He didn’t care.
He stepped out of the shade of the building, walking farther into the cold.
I’m so fucking tired.
He knew he looked the part of a spoiled child throwing a tantrum, but if he hadn’t gotten out of there, he would have slugged Landon. To those around, who hadn’t heard the comment, Sean fit the stereotype of a celebrity not getting their way and storming off.
As expected, his phone rang. Macie. His manager. He paid her to tell him what to do, but right now he didn’t feel like listening to her. She’d calm him down and make him finish the shoot. He hit the silence button on the side, cutting off the piercing ringtone.
I wish I was back home.
His fingers itched for Molly, his favorite acoustic guitar. The tour was in April, approaching soon. Heonly used her for performances, so it’d been awhile since he held her. Tally would have to suffice whenhe got back to his apartment.
That prick. Why did Landon have to go and mention Carl? Jesus Christ. Does the man have no tact?
The tabloids were still full of the scandal. Every time Sean saw a newspaper article, or a quick blurb on the television, his stomach tied in knots. He felt such a fool—hoodwinked again.
Why were all the men in his life assholes? Why couldn’t he meet someone decent? It couldn’t be that hard to find a good man in this huge fucking city.
His phone rang again.
“Yes?” he asked, lifting the device to his ear.
“Sean, get your ass back to the shoot.”
He nearly snorted. Good ol’ Macie. He could count on her in his moments of emotional insecurity.
“I want a break.”
“You’re not a preschooler who needs nap time. We are on a tight schedule, in case you didn’t know. We have a meeting scheduled at six. This has got to be wrapped up now.”
“No. I need a break.”
“God, you’re such a child.”
“Macie, did you even hear what he said?”
“Yeah I did. And you’re a big boy who can handle the taunts without flying off the handle.”
He sighed. She was right. Like always.
“No,” he repeated. “We’ll have to reschedule. And next time, make sure Landon’s not there.”
“Sean—”
He hung up. And as he slipped the phone back into his pocket, his eyes caught sight of Carl. An image of Carl, but still enough to make Sean grind his teeth. He’d never be able to get over this.
He watched the TV in the small newspaper stand on the corner. The anchor smiled sweetly at Carl, who so recently had been the object of Sean’s affections.
“So you have a new romance already?” she asked the bastard.
He smiled, pure and innocent. “Already? Sean and I have been split up for two months. That’s adequate time to move on.”
“And the rumors that you cheated on Sean with your new beau, Travis Ross?”
“Completely false, of course. Sean and I were pretty much over last year. We sort of just kept togetherthrough Christmas.”
“No hard feelings, then?”
He laughed. “Oh no, we’re still good friends.”
Lies. Such lies. And so believable, why even doubt?
Sean had thought Carl loved him. He’d been so wrong.
If that were the worst of his string of lovers, he’d consider himself lucky. Except, Carl and his roaming ass was probably the mildest.
Cohen had stolen Sean’s credit card. Mark took naked photos of Sean then sold them to the media. Evan had crashed Sean’s car and ran from the scene.
In short, Sean was doomed to be alone and miserable.
Yeah, right.
The problem was he never learned his lesson. He’d fall head over heels for the next pair of brown eyes.
Sean rubbed his arms. It was probably time to head back to the shoot. Jake had the car.
Or I can grab a cab.
He spied one across the street, parked outside a restaurant. Getting a ride home would be easier than walking all the way back.
The light turned green and Sean slowly crossed the ice-covered street. As cautious as he was, he still managed to fall to his hands and knees. The damn shoes weren’t made for this weather. His pristine clothes soaked up the damp and dirt of the asphalt.
