Page 25 of Save Your Breath

“Itwon’t,” I said again, grabbing her arm in a gentle squeeze. “Now, can you hush? Your client needs a beauty nap.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re always beautiful, but yes, I’ll let you sleep. Wake you when we’re starting descent?”

I nodded, and with a kiss on my cheek, Isabella left me in the row alone as she went to join where my manager, Rina, and my booking agent, Glo, were no doubt going over every step of the evening.

I waited until she was deep in conversation, and then I pulled up my phone, reading the last texts from Aleks.

Aleks:Made it to NYC. Your security team is insane. They act like you’re a world-famous pop star or something.

Me:Wonder what gave them that idea.

Aleks:Surely not your dance skills.

Me:Better than your golf skills, judging by that video your teammate posted.

Aleks:Scrolling through my social media looking for ex-girlfriends already?

Me:I’d come up empty-handed if that was my goal, wouldn’t I? Unless one night of drunken sex counts as a relationship to you.

Aleks:Drunken sex is fun. You should try it.

Aleks:I volunteer as teacher if you find yourself curious.

Me:Tempting, but I’d hate for you to pull a muscle trying to keep up.

Aleks:Coach wouldn’t be happy with me then, would he?

I’d smiled, setting my phone down then, but he followed up with another text.

Aleks:In all seriousness… are you ready for this?

It had taken me a long time to write back to that, wondering if he could sense my anxiety from across the country.

Me:I think so. Are you?

Aleks:Been dreaming about making that punk reporter cry. I’d much rather kick him right in the teeth, but I’ll play by your rules, I suppose.

I’d chuckled at that, tucking my phone away.

But a few minutes later, it’d vibrated again.

Aleks:I’ve got your back, Strings. Always.

My heart squeezed as I stared at that text again now. I stared at it a long moment before thumbing up to look at older conversations. I made it all the way to when he’d texted me the night news broke about mine and Austin’s breakup last summer before I clicked the screen off and sighed.

Then, I sank farther into my seat, pulled my hood back up, and dreamed about the boy I used to know.

• • •

When we touched down in New York, I felt like a haggard beast.

I had thankfully scrubbed away the drool on my chin, but I knew my face was puffy and my hair was a mess from hiding it under my hood all that time. I found myself counting the blessings of my incredible hair and makeup artists who would no doubt have me looking like a million bucks by showtime as my team and I filed off the jet.

And then I stopped dead in my tracks at the sight of Aleks waiting at the bottom step on the tarmac.

Everyone said hello to him as they passed, Isabella muttering something under her breath that made him chuckle before she was patting his chest and making her way toward the row of black cars waiting for us.

But I just stood frozen, my feet unwilling to move, heart paused in my chest as I took him in.