Page 44 of Save Your Breath

Getting to kiss the world’s biggest pop star…

As if I hadn’t alreadytriedto kiss him once before.

As if he hadn’t rejected me when I did.

Of course, I wasn’t a pop star then. I was just the awkward teenage girl who slept down the hall from him. Was it different now that I had some sort of status?

I knew it wasn’t, knew Aleks wasn’t like that even as the thought crossed my mind.

But for some reason, I wished he was.

I wished he actually wanted to kiss me, even if it was just to use me for whatever he wanted.

I must have been wearing all the stress and anxiety of the day on my face because when we made it to the bedroom I’d be staying in, Aleks frowned as he dropped my bag on one of the chairs.

It was the master suite, a stunning, too-large-for-one-person room with marble floors, a plush, king-size bed, a stylish sitting area, and doors that opened up to a balcony overlooking the beach.

“Hey,” he said, brows folding over his dark brown eyes. “You okay?”

“Oh, just peachy,” I answered flatly, slumping down onto the bed with my eyes on the blue water outside the windows.

Aleks was quiet for a long moment before he carefully sat next to me, leaving room between us.

“We don’t have to do this, you know.”

I chuffed a laugh. “Backing out on me already, Suter?”

“You know I never go back on my word. Haven’t I proved that with my angelic behavior lately?” He held up his nearly empty beer. “Haven’t had more than two a day since you threatened me from the safety of your bathtub.”

“You’ve managed not to get in a bar fight or have cuffs around your wrists for a whole two weeks,” I said. “Please don’t expect me to throw you a parade.”

“You could at least give me an ‘atta boy’.”

“Your head is already too big. I’m surprised you can carry it even with shoulders as muscular as yours.”

“You like my muscles, Strings?”

I rolled my eyes extra hard that time, enough that my eyelids fluttered as I let out an annoyed scoff that just made Aleks laugh.

“I’m not backing out of anything,” he said, nudging me. “Just wondering why you look like someone stole your guitar and started playing out of tune.”

“Well, I do have to kiss you,” I reminded him. “That’s enough to make any sane girl turn green.”

“Ouch. Guess I’m less appealing to you when you’re sober, eh?”

I smirked a little at the reference to our past, which somehow lightened the mood. He was right to laugh about it. As much as my stupid heart liked to overreact and latch onto that moment of rejection when I was seventeen, it didn’t have to be a big deal.

We were young. I was drunk and stupid. It wasn’t anything to hang onto.

But at the same time, it had been a very deep line drawn in the sand for me.

It had been the staunch realization that Aleks didn’t see me as more than a friend — and that he never would.

No, I wasn’t the girl who got a guy like Aleks. I was the girl who appealed to the slimy, controlling narcissists like Austin,apparently. I was the one whom golden boys wanted to tame and tote around on their arm like a trophy.

“I’m just a little tired,” I said. “We’ve been doing so much getting ready for the album release, and we still have so much to do for the tour… you know how that is. I’m sure you’ll be just as busy and tired when the season starts up again.” I rubbed my palms over my thighs. “It’ll be fine, though.I’llbe fine.”

Aleks narrowed his eyes a bit like he didn’t believe me, but before he could say anything more, Marci swung into the room.