Page 85 of The Temptation of Truth

I sigh and shrug, then give Sav the most honest answer I can without spilling everything.

“I think she’s still figuring out what she wants in life, and that can be hard.”

Sav hums again and nods. We sit in the quiet for a few moments, and I see the second she decides to change the subject. She arches a brow and looks back at me.

“Have you heard from Kat the Cunt?”

I roll my eyes. “It doesn’t matter. It’s over.”

“Yeah, well, it’s been over a few times before, but that didn’t stop her from sending you gifts and late-nightI miss youtexts and nudes and showing up unannounced, et cetera, et cetera.”

I flare my eyes. Sav’s not wrong. That was always Kat’s MO, and this time it’s been more of the same.

I think back to the text she sent last night. A mirror selfie wearing a sheer white negligee that I bought her two years ago in France. I didn’t even let my eyes focus on the photo before I deleted it. In a few days, a piece of jewelry or a bouquet of flowers will likely show up at the hotel for me. It’s the same tired playbook. In the past, those things worked. They filled me with just enough hope, made me feeljustloved enough that I’d fall back into her.

Not this time.

“Doesn’t matter what she’s done or is doing, Sav. It’s over for me.”

“I know.”

My brows rise. “You know?”

“You’re different this time.” Sav smirks. “So if Kat keeps bothering you, I know a place that will let us ship her elephant shit anonymously. You know, to help her get the message.”

I huff a laugh. “I’ll let you know.”

I stand from my drums and turn to follow Sav offstage, but my attention falls to Hammond standing in the wings. I know for a fact he’s talked to Aurora. I’ve seen it. Right now, though, he’s alone.

“Hey, I’ll catch you at the lodge. I have to talk to Ham.”

Sav nods. “Sure. I need to meet with Caveat anyway. Label CEO duties and such.”

We part ways once we hit the hall, her toward the dressing room and me straight to Hammond. When I step up to him, he’s frowning and typing furiously on his phone.

“Everything okay?” I ask casually, and he harrumphs.

“I’m about to get a bank manager fired.”

I quirk a brow. “Yeah? What for?”

Hammond sighs, but he doesn’t look up from his phone.

“I set up a new account for Aurora yesterday, had a card overnighted for her, but now she’s been flagged for fraud because these fucking idiots didn’t consider that if I had the card shipped to fucking Australia, then it would be used in Australia despite the California billing address.”

I can’t help but grin. Hammond cussing is a rare occurrence. I almost feel bad for the bank manager. Then my brain latches onto the core of what he said, and I pounce on it.

“Why’d you have to set up a new account for Aurora?”

He finally looks up from his phone and hits me with narrowed, suspicious eyes. No doubt he’s realized he gave me more information than he’d intended while in the throes of angry emailing.

“What do you want, Rossi?”

I shrug. “Just wanted to ask where Aurora is.”

“She’s your roommate.”

“Our schedules haven’t aligned for the last couple of days. I haven’t had a chance to talk to her since the girls’ night, and I wanted to check in.”