Page 124 of Save Your Breath

That attempt was obliterated when my phone buzzed in my hand, and I looked down to find my ex-boyfriend’s name staring back at me.

Okay, so it wasn’t his name. It readKING OF FRAGILE EGOS, actually, but even the nickname I’d given him one sad, drunken night didn’t make me feel better.

Because either way, my ex was calling me.

I debated not answering, but curiosity outweighed anxiety, and I tapped the green phone button to answer his call before I could overthink it.

“Hello?”

“She lives!” Austin answered with a chuckle, and even after all this time, I could see his smile. It made my stomach hurt. “I take it you rode out the storm okay?”

“Uh… yeah,” I answered, unable to hide my confusion. James arched a brow where he sat across from me, and I mouthedAustinwhile pointing to the phone, which made his other brow tic up. “The storm swung more north than they expected.”

“Well, that’s good. I mean, not for the panhandle, I suppose, but I’m glad you’re safe.”

My lips flattened.

This motherfucker.

“Austin, why are you calling me?”

“I just wanted to check in on you, make sure you’re okay. I bet you’re excited about the big show tomorrow night. I’m happy to hear you didn’t have to cancel. There were rumors floating around after news about the hurricane broke.”

Yeah, right. I knew this bastard. He was probablyprayingfor me to cancel.

“Uh-huh,” I said flatly. “Well, I’m fine, so… see ya.”

“Wait, wait,” he said on a laugh. “I… I miss you, love. It’s good to hear your voice. Tell me how you are.”

I knew I really had moved on because where him sayingI miss youto me even nine months ago would have made me weak, it now just made me cringe.

“Cut the shit. What do you want?”

“So hostile.”

“If that’s what you want to call it, then let’s be clear that you made it that way.”

“By giving you space after our breakup like you asked me to?”

“Don’t play innocent. We both know what your buddy Garrett the Ferret has been doing, and your convenientno commentapproach isn’t doing me any favors. But you already know that.”

“I’m just keeping our private life private.”

I barked out a laugh. “Okay. Bye, Austin.”

“How’s your fiancé?”

I paused where I was about to hang up on him, but didn’t say a word.

“Aleks Suter,” he said, clicking his tongue. “Can’t say I saw that one coming. Although maybe I should have, if the little video timelines your fans have made about how you two were already together when we still were are to be believed.”

My fight-or-flight instinct kicked in, and I knew better than to say a word.

He was goading me.

“That part of the rumor mill had me curious, I admit,” he said. “So, I started doing a little digging. I asked around about Aleks, about you two.” He paused, waiting for me to bite, but I refused. “What’s interesting is that, unknown to the public… there seems to be adifferentrumor going around. One that insinuates that you two lovebirds aren’t actually engaged. Some even say you’re not datingat all.”

My insides felt like goop, sliding out of me and onto the floorboards of the car racing us across town.