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“Eric, coether,” she said, stepping in front of hiet around her She batted her eyelashes at hi across a rooht that a bit of her attitude would bring hih her now It was a façade she put on

to get to guys like hi up the er and passion to make her feel less hollow and alone than she did when she was on her own And chasing the next rising star she thought she’d need to advance her own career

“We’ve been through a lot together, but that doesn’tYou made your choice And now that Uncharted’s tour has been cancelled you’re back here witha tour”

She at least had the good sense to look embarrassed when he pointed that out “Yeah, you don’t think I knew about that? Caden sent ht and then who should appear, but you”

“I only slept with hi serious with him It just happened”

“I’et back here as soon as you heard about my tour”

“It doesn’t have to be this way, Eric”

“It does You can leave now I don’t need you anyh I have to say you’ve certainly inspired a hell of a lot of songs forthe notepad from his back pocket

“So, you do still care?”

“Didn’t I tell you how it goes when I write? I write it down to free myself of the chains of whatever emotion had e, heartbreak, and sadness when you first cheated on ” He stared at her, free froe he’d carried about their break up She stared back,open, unable to utter a word They were done, he strode to the dressing roo for the tour bus

“You can’t mean that,” she whispered, tears in her eyes

“Don’t worry Tal, you’ll land on your feet An opportunist like you always does,” he said, closing the door on her and the past he’d been wrapped up in for way too long By the ti else were long gone He called her phone at least twenty ti started to close in on him She’d left After he told her how much that would hurt him, she packed up and left without another word to him

He picked up his guitar and notepad Running his fingers over the cold strings, he slid his hand up and down the fretboard, plucking out randohts of Keira clouded over his rabbed his pen and wrote down the lyrics as they tu for another person who’d left him behind

Scra up the stairs of the bus, Keira made it all the way inside before she co true when it came to Eric She’d known he hadn’t left Talia behind, that she still had a hold on hiuard when it came to him and all the havoc he would be able to wreak in her heart It had happened so quickly, she hadn’t had ti the balls to tell her Why would anyone want to be with you? You’re aher sketches outside of a stadium, who did you think he’d choose?

Putting her hands over her ears, she pushed her way into the bedrooed her throat and the suffocating pressure was back on her chest Barely able to take a breath, she let it all out Sobbing uncontrollably, Keira squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stop the tears that continued to flow