Page 99 of Hard Rock Muse

30

My fingers went numb. Icy tendrils crystallized around my heart, freezing the blood in my veins.

I’d thought it had been bad enough that one time Keith had called my phone. Seeing him in person was a thousand times worse.

Looking at him now, with those callous eyes and harsh smirk, I wondered how I’d ever thought he had my best interests at heart.

“I really thought you knew better than this,” Keith said. “When I told you that you’d never work in the music industry again, I meant it.”

My throat muscles convulsed as I tried to speak, but nothing came out.

“And yet here you are,” he continued waving his hand in the air, as if to indicate the entire situation, “working with Cherry Lips. I knew you weren’t very smart, but I didn’t think you were this dim-witted.”

“What do you want?” I tried to snap at him, but the words came out in a shaky whisper.

“I want you gone, of course,” he said easily. “No one crosses me and gets away with it, least of all you.”

I moved away from the coffee machine and backed up a few steps to the opposite wall. I wanted to put as much space between me and Keith as I could. He liked to get up close, right in people’s face, loved to invade their personal space and make them uncomfortable. It was a familiar power play of his.

“Why won’t you just leave me alone?” I said tightly.

His eyes narrowed.

“You mean like you left me?” he said. “I loved you, Ever. I loved you when no one else would. And you walked out on me.”

I firmed my lips. I wasn’t going to let him get away with thinking he’d been the wronged party.

“You didn’t love me,” I told him. “You never loved me. You were just an abusive asshole. Of course I left you. I can’t believe it took me so long to figure out exactly what kind of person you are.”

Keith stalked toward me, making me back up until I was nearly against the wall. He put one hand against the wall beside my head, trapping me. Anxiety coursing through me.

This was what I’d been trying to avoid, but he’d been too quick. Like a snake, a viper, uncoiling and springing itself on its prey without warning.

His amber gaze bored into mine as he loomed over me.

“You walked out on a million-dollar contract,” he hissed. “You left me high and dry. Do you know how much money I put into your solo debut? How many hours in the studio, how much money in marketing, using all my connections, pulling all those strings. And you thought you could get away with justwalking away?”

“I didn’t walk away from the contract,” I spat out. “I walked away from you.”

Keith’s eyes flashed dangerously. Fear spiked through me. I clenched my fists into a ball and tried to press myself flat against the wall, as if I could get away from him.

The fury in his eyes receded. He inhaled slowly, easing up. He straightened his tie. He flicked a piece of loose hair from his forehead, slicking it back again, making sure every strand was perfectly in place. Keith always made sure he looked well put together.

“That’s right,” he said smoothly. “You did leave me.” He gave me a derisive look. “And now you’re back with that queer Julian Woods.”

I slapped Keith’s cheek with a resounding smack, knocking his head to the side. My palm stung and rage pumped through my chest as I breathed heavily.

“Don’t you fucking talk about Julian,” I seethed.

Keith’s jaw twitched. He turned back to face me, a cruel smirk on his face.

“Hit too close to home?” Keith mocked. “I always did wonder what was between him and that pipsqueak drummer of his.”

I growled. “Get the fuck out of my face before I hit you again.”

“I’m surprised you’re still putting up with Julian’s shit,” Keith continued, ignoring me. “He still that same aloof, stuck-up brat? I don’t know what you saw in him.”

“Julian is ten times the man you will ever be,” I said. “He actually cares about me.”