Music of the Heart (Runaway Train #1)(56)
Author: Katie Ashley

“What are you doing here?” I demanded.

A funny look flickered across her face. “I’m here for you of course. Don’t I always come along to the shows to take care of my man’s needs?” Her eyes trailed down my half na**d frame. “Damn, you’re looking good enough to eat this morning.”

When she started to kiss me, I jerked back. “Look, Bree, I’m sorry, but there’s nothing between you and me anymore.”

The color slowly drained from her face as she trembled. “You’re with someone else, aren’t you?”

“Yes, but—”

Her eyes narrowed. “It’s that little goody two-shoes whose name you called out when we were screwing, isn’t it?”

I ran my hands through my wet hair. “Yeah, it is. So you really need to go.”

Bree’s tough-as-nails veneer faded a little as she reached out for me. “Please don’t do this, Jake. We’ve been together a long, long time.”

“We’ve been ha**ng s*x a long time, but there was nothing else between us.”

“That’s not true!” she countered.

“Yes, it is.”

Before I could stop her, she threw herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck and clinging to my body. And because the universe loved to f**k with me, it was at that precise moment that the suite door across the hall opened, and Abby and Lily stepped out.

At the sight of me entangled in Bree’s arms, Abby’s eyes bulged in shock while her hand flew to her mouth. “Wait, no, this isn’t what it looks like!” I argued.

Instead of letting me go, Bree curved herself tighter against me. Abby gave a slight shake of her head before starting down the hallway.

“Abby!” I cried. Trying to control my anger, I pried Bree off of me. “Get out of here right now before I have you thrown out!” I spat.

“Please don’t do this Jake!”

I sprinted after Abby. I finally caught up with her at the elevators. “Angel, please listen to me. There was nothing happening with Bree. I swear on my life and my mother’s life.”

Abby shook her head so fast I feared she might get whiplash. “I can’t do this anymore, Jake. I can’t keep being yanked back and forth by your emotional immaturity. One minute you’re bailing on me and making me feel used and dirty and then the next I find your ex-flame all over you. It’s too much.”

“But this morning is not what you think! Bree came to see me, and when I told her things were over between us, she lunged at me.” At the disbelief that still hung in Abby’s eyes, I growled in frustration. “Would you think about what you really saw for a minute? Bree was desperately clinging to me, not the other way around. I wasn’t even touching her.”

The elevator doors dinged open, and she hopped on. “Please, Angel. You read my texts. You know how f**king sorry I am.”

Tears shimmered in her blue eyes. “Yeah, well, sometimes sorry just isn’t enough.”

“Don’t do this!” I pleaded.

She held my gaze until the doors closed. “Fuck!” I cried smacking my palm on the elevator door. A man passing by me tried to hide his amusement at my precarious situation. After all I was out in the hallway in only a towel.

When I stalked back down to my room, Bree was gone. Once I slammed the door, I grabbed my phone. I knew I had to call the other woman I loved for advice. She answered on the second ring. “Mama…”

“Jacob, what’s wrong?”

“I’m in love, but I’ve f**ked it all up.”

She didn’t even bother chiding me about my language. “Oh honey, tell me what happened.” I then filled her in on every possible detail. “If you love Abby like you claim to, then you have to keep fighting for her. You can’t give up.”

“What can I do to make her talk to me?”

“You need to do something sweet for her to prove how much you care.”

“But what?”

Mama chuckled. “Honey, I can’t tell you that. You have to figure that out for yourself. It has to be from your heart—not mine.”

“Thanks a lot,” I grumbled.

“All I can tell you to do is fight for her. Don’t give up until you’ve convinced her to talk to you.”

“Okay, I’ll do it.”

“Good luck, sweetie.”

“Thanks.”

Once I hung up with Mama, I paced around the room, trying to think of some grand gestures. Finally I called a local florist and spent a small fortune on every rose they had in the store. Even though it was mortifying as hell, I rattled on for several minutes about what to write on the card. The guys were texting me about breakfast, so I reluctantly threw on some clothes. I headed downstairs to the hotel dining room where they were waiting on me. When I flopped into my chair, AJ glanced around the table. “Where’s Abby?”

Brayden chuckled before winking at Lily. “Don’t tell me she needs a day to recuperate from watching our little monsters?”

After shifting Melody on her hip, Lily shot me a disgusted look. “No, everything went fine with the kids.”

Braydon’s brow creased. “Then where is she?”

“Why don’t you ask Mr. Asshole over there?” Lily snapped.

“Mommy said a bad word!” Jude exclaimed from his perch on Rhys’s lap.

“Um, why don’t you and I go throw some more pennies in that fountain, huh?” Rhys suggested. As he brushed past me, Rhys whispered, “But I better get the whole damn story when I get back!”

Once Jude was out of earshot, every pair of eyes at the table burned into me. “Okay, so I f**ked up pretty bad.”

Brayden’s brows furrowed in worry. “Maybe you should start from the beginning.”

I jerked my hand through my hair and drew in a ragged breath. “Look, last night, Abby and I got a little carried away.”

A strangled noise came from the back of Brayden’s throat. “Please tell me my son didn’t see you guys doing anything?”

“God no! We were done by the time he woke up from his nightmare and came looking for Abby.”

Brayden pinched the bridge above his nose. “Would you please explain exactly what happened?”

I squirmed in my seat. “After Abby put the kids to bed, we fooled around a little. When we were done, Jude woke up and wanted Abby. I was embarrassed by him almost catching us, so I bailed. And then I didn’t text her to check on her.”