Twisted Broken Strings (South of Forever, Book 0)

Chapter 2

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Jett Costa splashed cold water over her face. She stood in the airport bathroom, the only person in the room—for the moment. Swallowing hard, she stared at her puffy brown eyes and messy dark hair. There was no denying it. She looked like she had been crying.

Gritting her teeth, she reached into her handbag for her makeup bag. She needed to hurry if she was going to catch her flight. Her hands shook at the thought of missing it. With trembling fingers, she touched up her eyeliner and mascara. Then, taking a deep breath, she burst out of the bathroom.

Crowds of people moved through the airport. Her chest felt tight. She longed for open space. It had been ages since she had any real freedom, though. In the nearly ten years since she had started Perpetual Smile, the band had never stopped touring.

She was tired, but not as tired as she imagined Phillip Hilton was.

Her heart twisted at the thought of him. Tears burned her eyes again. She blinked them away. She didn't have time for more crying.

Hurrying through the airport, she headed toward her gate. She pulled her rolling carry-on suitcase behind her. Every so often, it skipped and snapped at her heels. She was glad that she had worn her thick leather boots. She had dressed carefully that morning, picking out one of Phillip's favorite shirts to wear over her leggings. Screw him for not letting her come visit him. She was going to see him at the hospital, whether he liked it or not. Their video chats weren't cutting it anymore, and she was terrified that she might never see him in person again.

Cancer was a bitch like that.

Buried deep in her thoughts, she almost didn't hear someone calling out her name. Her head snapped up as someone jogged toward her. Recognition flooded her senses. Gritting her teeth, she lifted an eyebrow at him, but kept moving. She didn't have time to stop.

He jogged alongside her on the walkway. "Dakota Jackson," he said, using his full name. He held out his hand. "Are you in a rush? Can I buy you a drink?

She wondered whether he was stupid. She was practically running through the airport. Of course she was in a rush. Everyone at the airport was. She leered at him. They neared the end of the walkway. She hopped off, her pace quickening from the momentum. He hurried to keep up with her. "I remember you," she said, moving over to the side to let other people pass. She didn't want to stop, but he obviously wasn't going to be shaken off so easily.

They stood in front of a bar and grill. Koty gestured to the bar. "What would you like?" The look on his face was hopeful, like a puppy waiting for playtime.

She snorted. Of all the things she had to deal with, she hadn't expected him to keep coming on to her. In fact, she had hoped that she would never see him again after Late Night with Maz. Though she was grateful for his tip about the coffee, she found it laughable that he wanted to try out for Perpetual Smile. It must be some kind of ruse. "Are you trying to hit on me?" She put her free hand on her hip.

He ran a hand through his hair. "I sent my demo to your people," he said. "Do you know if they've listened to it yet?"

She tipped her head back and laughed. It came out harsher than she meant it to, but she couldn't help it. Leveling her gaze at him again, she turned serious. "I know you Hollywood types. Maybe your A&R department head told you to shack up with another pop star, but let me tell you something, honey." Her lips curled into her most deadly sneer. "I am not a pop star, and I don't sleep with boy band members." She flicked her fingers, dismissing him.

Resisting the urge to look at the time, she took a step away from Koty. A small group had formed around them, though. She pressed her lips together. No one had recognized them—yet. For the moment, they simply appeared to be lovers in a quarrel.