It had been a major fuckup.
In the moment he'd seen Kay, Kyle completely forgot what he was supposed to be doing as every cell in his body fought to get to her. There was no doubt in his mind that it had been her, not a hallucination. After all, hallucinations didn't run.
And if he hadn't stumbled over wires and speakers and plummeted off the stage like a fucking sack of potatoes, he would've caught her, too. Because it became just too obvious why she'd bolted.
She'd seen the posters and he'd had no time to warn her or explain. Once he'd finally managed to get outside, fighting his way through masses of crazed fans, she was long gone. And he was left to pick up the pieces of a ruined concert. Honestly, being back into their hotel room was a blessing even if he ached to go out and look for Kay. He'd search the whole city if he had to. Because the moment he'd laid eyes on her again, it felt like someone had turned the light on inside his life again.
His heart was beating wildly, there was warmth inside him, and hope. So much hope that, in spite of everything and the mess he'd made, he'd at least found her. Saw her again, even for a moment. And he'd fix this. He'd somehow make it up to her. She was definitely worth it, just for the way in which she breathed life into him.
How? How had he been able to be without her for so long, function as if nothing had happened, as if his heart didn't bleed for her? But now, he had the chance to turn that around and do what he should've done in the first place. Run off with her and damn the rest of the world.
Whoa, there. Maybe not exactly damn the rest of the world, but be with her and be happy. They could make it work. Somehow.
Jessie came in, interrupting his pacing and his plans for a brighter future. The look on her face was a dead giveaway that it hadn't gone much better with Jimmy.
"What happened?" he asked.
"He said I don't owe him any explanation and that I should just leave him alone." Her voice was even. Broken. She walked over to the nearest armchair and curled up into it.
Kyle winced. He could see Jimmy's point, but if she didn't owe him anything, why not just listen. "And you didn't tell him?"
"Honestly, I saw no point. We're leaving here." She seemed to catch herself. "I'm leaving here. I'd be leaving him with something to use against me out of spite."
Damn right. Kyle wasn't going anywhere unless Kay was coming with him. Which most definitely didn't look plausible at the moment. But he'd find her and explain.
"Do you want me to have a talk with him?" Kyle asked. Because if there were any chances to throw a punch or two, he was game. Throwing them at someone who hurt Jessie was just an added bonus.
She just shook her head, her gaze glassy.
This sucked. He really wanted to go out and search, preferably with her. Would that be insensitive or did she need a distraction? The whole thing was messed up and sad, anyway. How had she become so attached to what was basically a stranger?
"I think I can finally write my broken heart songs," she whispered, as if guessing his thoughts.
"Jessie, no."
"Yes." She wiped a tear away. "I know it's stupid. So stupid. We didn't even do much. We... But he was there, you know. He knew who I was and he didn't want to use me in some way."
"Youch."
This drew a smile out of her. "You don't count. I basically kidnapped you. But him... He was just... Different, I guess. As lame as that sounds. He saw the worst part of me and took it in stride. He then saw the less worst part and seemed to like it. He was so honest."
That sounded great, though Kyle wasn't sure exactly which part of Jessie was even remotely bad. Jimmy was lucky he managed to catch her eye in the first place.
"You found Kay," she suddenly said.
"At least partially. Thank you. I guess you upheld your end of the deal." If only he'd been smarter and realized that there was a great chance Kay would see everything before they reached Texas, that she could be anywhere... But he'd never even considered Tucson to be a likely place.
"You need to get out there and explain."
"Agreed. Do you want to come?"
She hesitated and it spoke volumes, but in the end, she nodded and made to stand from her armchair. She almost toppled over as the door banged against the wall and Macy charged in, her eyes blazing with fury.
"You idiot!" she yelled. "You ruined everything!"
Yes, he was an idiot, but definitely not for the reason Macy had in mind. "Don't be overdramatic. We'll just reschedule the concert and it should be fine."
"Fine? Fine?" She pulled out her phone and stuck it under his nose. A video was already playing on loop, and even if the quality was grainy, he could tell what it was.
Him, freezing on stage, calling out Kay's name, then charging after her only to trip and fall over. It looked even more pathetic from that angle. He cringed and looked away.
"Oh, no! You're looking."
"I'm not sure how me totally embarrassing myself ruined everything."
"You don't?" Macy pulled the phone back and when she shoved it at him again, it showed a news article.
Love triangle in show business? Who is the mysterious Kay?
She scrolled and brought up another article, then another, and another.
Jessica Stefanie, cheated on?
The most beloved couple in showbusiness. How much of it is real and how much is faking it for the fans?
The real love of Kyle Grant's life?
Disappointed fans walk out of failed concert.
Kyle just stared. How had it all escalated so quickly? The concert hadn't even been over for two hours.
"Some of that is true," Jessie said, glancing over his shoulder. Macy turned to her like she was crazy, but Jessie only shrugged. "Kay is the real love of Kyle's life."
"Wha--?"
"We haven't exactly been honest with you, Macy. We're not together. The engagement is a sham agreed upon by our parents."
"But you..." Macy's eyes darted from her, to him, and then the bed behind him.
"Why do you always assume the worst?" Kyle asked. "We kept up the show because we needed it, but now..."
Macy sunk her hands into her short hair. "You two are killing me."
"We're sorry," Jessie said.
She chewed on her lower lip, her eyes darting from one to the other. After a few rounds of staring, she seemed to come to terms with the truth. "What the fuck am I supposed to do now?"
"Let us fix it," he said. "And then we can see how the tour will go."
She glared at them for a few more moments, but ultimately sighed. "Do I even have a choice?"
"Well, you could always dump us here and be on your way," he suggested.
"Too bad I can't sing for shit," she muttered. "You two stay here. I'll figure out how to handle this shitstorm you've started." And she slammed the door in her wake.
Kyle looked to Jessie. "You know I can't actually stay here, right?"
"Of course not," Jessie agreed. "Let's go look for Kay."
🌓
Jimmy found Kay sitting on the bottom step in front of her house. Even if she'd been back for over half an hour, she couldn't go in.
She didn't want to see her mother's face, hear her asking about Donnie who was probably still taking a nap behind the dumpster, or face reality. She wanted to stay in limbo for just a little bit longer, to remember his eyes, the sound of his voce. The shock on his face when he realized it was her. Jimmy was, however, welcomed inside her limbo, a part of her plan.
"It all went to shit back there," he said calmly. "It was kind of funny, really."
"I bet it was," she mumbled. When she turned to him, he didn't look upset, just sad. "I'm sorry. I fucked up."
"That's okay. I understand. Maybe it was for the best."
"No, I totally ruined the plan. This was not how he was supposed to see me." She plunged her face into her hands. She'd probably looked so pathetic, drinking him in and then running away like a twelve-year-old. He should've seen her strong and confident and totally in love with Jimmy.
"I'm not sure it was completely ruined." He hummed for a moment. "Jessie came to me after the concert. Well... Poor excuse for a concert."
She raised her face. "And?"
"I told her to leave me alone. And she did."
Kay winced. The fact that she didn't fight for it proved it. Jimmy had been nothing but a fun fling, but now that the truth was out, Jessie was obviously choosing Kyle. Which was strangely ironic. She felt even worse for bolting like that.
"They need to pay."
Jimmy just nodded in agreement, his gaze fixed on the street. "And you know what? I think we still can. I know the hotel they're staying at. We could just go there and execute the plan. They're bound to come down for dinner or something. Maybe a press conference?"
It wasn't one hundred percent certain, but the mere possibility was enough for Kay. She really wanted to erase the embarrassing experience she'd just gone through, and what better way to do that than to flawlessly execute their plan? So she stood and she and Jimmy got inside her car. She let him drive, not caring if he even had a license. Well, he obviously did, but the thought of handing over her mother's car with such ease was still weird. Half of her wished he'd bash it into something. Preferably Donnie.
She zoned out as he drove, her mind drawing up the courage to do what needed to be done. Then, she could finally consider this chapter of her life closed and start a new one. Because, ironically enough, Kyle himself had given her the strength to do it.
"We're here."
She jerked to attention and noticed that they'd indeed stopped close to one of the fanciest hotels in town. Of course. Where else would pop royalty reside? Good thing there weren't any banners around or she might have puked.
The two of them entered the lobby. Once they did, Kay's heart started thumping rapidly. As if sensing her nervousness, Jimmy took her hand. She squeezed it back, happy for the support. There were a lot of people milling about, but there was no sign of their targets.
In agreement, they headed further in, towards the elevators.
"Excuse me." A bell boy posted himself in front of them.
"We're part of Jessica Stefani's staff," Jimmy said at once.
The guy blinked, obviosuly thrown off by the certainty in Jimmy's voice. To drive the point home, Jimmy waved his ID card.
"Oh. Yes, of course. She is in her room."
Jimmy just gave him a nod and they continued walking. Once they reached the elevator area, Kay's knees were shaking. What were they supposed to do now? Just hanging out around there felt so awkward. Maybe they should go to the hotel bar for drinks. She had some money on her, and anything felt better than just standing there.
But, like a given, the elevator doors opened and two very familiar people stepped out. Like in a dream, she took Jimmy's hand and pulled him towards her. As if guessing her intentions, he threw a glance over his shoulders. Determination seemed to fill him as he took in their targets. Then, he twisted to the side, pulling her along, making sure they were both visible.
Kay's legs were shaking again as she forced herself not to turn back, not to look at Kyle. Because is she did, she was sure her body would betray her, that it would switch targets and launch at him, kiss him instead. As if guessing this, Jimmy slipped his arm around her, pulled her against him.
She raised her face and saw the intensity in his eyes, a burning desire for revenge. They were doing this. So when he leaned down, she met him halfway.
It felt so different this time when he was actually kissing her, not just letting her have her way. For a moment, she was so shocked she almost pulled back. But he increased the pressure on her back and she fell into it.
As much as she hated it, they were doing this.
It was finally payback time.
🌗🌗🌗
And there you have it. Our people are all finally in the same place. With an vengeance plan executed.
Stick around for the delicious aftermath.
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