Chapter 92

Jack

I hurried through the apartment, trying to locate the bill for the largest portion of the renovations on the island. It didn't seem to be where I'd left it, and I knew it had to be paid.

"Come on, Jack. We've got to go," Kai's voice came from outside the apartment.

Sighing, I grabbed my jacket and followed him out of the building.

"Feels like so much keeps going wrong lately," I said as we rode the elevator down to the waiting cars.

"We'll have a good patch again. Just give it time," he replied.

I wanted to believe him, but I had an interview to do with the band. We were singing the song I'd written about Juno's characters live for only the third time, and I wasn't sure I was ready for it, especially since Juno herself would be there.

It had been a month since I'd last seen her, and I knew she'd done an interview with Kai a few days earlier. He hadn't said much about her, and I hadn't asked. I didn't want to know how she was. I just wanted to survive the next few hours.

Part of me was still angry at her, and I was definitely angry at the insurance companies. It was all a big mess, and I'd been financially screwed over. I almost hadn't bothered to renovate the island house and make it nice again, but I knew I still needed the place to retreat to.

I'd just have to take another movie deal and hope it was good enough. Even they hadn't brought in as much as they once did.

The car journey was tense, and I found myself thinking of Juno despite not wanting to. How was she? Was she enjoying all the royalties she was getting from the song?

I had no idea, but it wouldn't make it any easier to see her either way. Yet part of me wanted to see her, wanted to know she was doing okay. Wanted to make sure her ex hadn't done anything else to her, and she'd healed.

And I wanted to know if she still cared, even just a fraction.

I wasn't over her. Not even a little.

For an entire month, I hadn't been able to sleep because of dreaming about her. Food didn't taste right, and there was an almost constant dull ache in my chest. The world was muted. And every performance of the song almost put me on the verge of tears.

It was horrible, and I was about to have to go through it all again.

The studio loomed large ahead of us as we got out of the car, Kai and Liam both having traveled with me. We were quickly ushered inside, and instantly, I felt myself looking around for Juno.

Thankfully, she either wasn't here yet or had already been whisked deeper into the building. For now, I could focus on getting ready. We had a sound check to do first and some other technical stuff, making sure we were ready to play.

I lost myself in getting ready, grateful until it came time to rehearse the song. Every inch of me wanted to walk back out of the building, but I carried on instead, singing the lyrics and trying not to think about anything but the words and what note I was playing.

It helped if I closed my eyes and focused on the music, singing words I could remember without trouble. By the time we'd played through the song a few times, the tech and sound team declared us done.

Turning, I saw Juno standing off to one side of the set, hurriedly wiping tears from her face and trying to back up.

"Juno. There you are, darling," Kai declared as he spotted her.

Immediately, she dropped her hands from her face, and I looked away so she wouldn't realize I'd spotted her emotions. By the time I dared look up again, she was giving Kai a hug before acknowledging Liam. I had no choice but to look like I hated her if I didn't walk over.

Seeming to understand it was awkward, she only gave me a smile and waited to see what I did. I couldn't move from the spot, but we were rescued by an assistant asking us all to go through makeup and get off the set so they could start bringing in the audience.

Relieved, I let myself be led away, but a rock had appeared in my stomach, and I couldn't get it to go away.

Makeup seemed to pass in a blur of voices as I lost mine. No words would come out, and I had to listen to Kai and Liam as they talked to Juno about the other interviews we'd all been doing and how well the song was going down with the fans.

It only made me feel worse, anger filling me that she was getting all the royalties I should have. And I'd let her. What had I been thinking?

Juno glanced my way a few times, but I refused to look at her directly. I'd appear friendly enough on air, but I just couldn't do anything else right now.

I was the first to finish in makeup, followed by Kai, and we were taken to a small waiting room with snacks and drinks before being called on stage.

Kai sat beside me and gave me a hard look as if he was trying to decide what to say to me and read me at the same time.

"What?" I asked, although I already suspected I knew what the problem was.

"I know you're hurting, Jack, but this isn't like you. You're giving her the silent treatment, and she still cares about you."

"She walked out on me, and she's the one who is getting everything out of our relationship afterward."

Kai lifted his hands defensively, my anger having come out in every word I'd uttered. I exhaled, trying to force myself to relax. It wasn't Kai's fault.

"There's no doubt that Juno isn't perfect, and I'm sure she deserves some of your anger, but she's not a gold digger."

"Isn't she?" I asked. Before Kai could reply, Liam and Juno entered the room, also done in makeup.

Immediately, our eyes met, and the same desire and warmth for her I'd had every day we'd been together rushed over me. I still wanted her, but I had to make sure I wasn't weak.

She smiled at me but sat down on the opposite end of the sofa, giving me space and putting the rest of the band between us.

It felt strange, knowing everything I did about her and seeing her emotional reaction. Anger warred with pity and desire inside me and made it hard to focus.

Taking a deep breath and looking away from her, I hoped Kai would come to the rescue and start some kind of conversation. Just a little longer, and this interview would be over, and we could all go our separate ways. With any luck, I would never have to see Juno again, and the band could move on to the next song.

Thankfully, Kai picked up on the awkwardness and made some quips about the snacks, which had everyone laughing, and the tension started to clear. Gratitude for my band swept through me. We could get through this.