When he should have been working, formulating the lyrics to a song, he found himself unable to focus on it. All he could think about was seeing Erin again, even though she was technically still here, standing behind him and massaging the tension out of his shoulders. Jay assumed that seeing her so often, whether it's him flying out to see her or her coming to see him, would help the ache that her absence often gave him. Time together seemed to never be enough. She always left him craving for more and more. Somehow, in some way, the last few months had transformed him from the man he used to be into the man he is today. He knew what was really important; his priorities had been majorly adjusted. Being with Erin had changed his outlook on mundane things in life; she had changed his perspective on large issues in life. She had altered his life in the most amazing way possible. And that scared him. It scared the shit out of him.

As her hands lightly stroked his shoulder blades, Jay takes advantage of the silent moment to reflect. For him to be such a successful, sociable and good looking guy, the fact that he bounced around from woman to woman, only spending hours with them to drink, experience a night on the town and have sex, while refusing to sleep overnight with his one night stands or even label them as anything more than a fling, showed just how deep rooted his commitment issues are that terrified him. He's broken hearts; he let down one night stands that assumed sharing a night would change him. It didn't.

Erin's hands slowly increased the pressure upon his stressed shoulders and it felt so good, good enough that he sighed in pleasure. He had an album to write, a tour to continue and a girlfriend to make time for; it didn't seem like there were enough hours in the day. His sponsors were hounding him, his brother was stressing him and for the first time in, honestly forever, he didn't want all the attention. His fingers press down and her hands continue to move in an upward motion. He should be relaxing, but his brain refused to grant him any peace of mind, any solace or comfort. It plagued his thoughts with memories of his past, of a time before he met Erin and if he were to be extremely honest, he missed it. The endless carousel of women circling his life, the regular adrenaline rush that burst through his veins every time he broke the law or went outside the norm and most especially the lack of expectations placed upon him by folks who only know who he is because of who he's dating.

He groans when he feels her hands knead the upper area of his back in a circular motion. It immediately starts to relieve the pain and tension in his muscles. It provided him a relief he honestly didn't know he needed. He shut his eyes, thinking of the last thought that crossed his mind, the one about a lack of expectations. He didn't want to please anyone. He didn't have to mold and conform in order to gain approval. His true fans liked him for all he is, but when he's with her, he's being pulled in two different directions. A part of him wants to change because she deserves it, she deserves someone who loves her, will support her and will never break her heart, but the other part of him, a smaller part than it was in the past enjoyed the vices of the world, he found pleasure in the things that would unfortunately disappoint her.

Jay knows himself; he knows just how difficult it is for him to hold down a relationship. Every day he wakes up and realizes that he's still dating Erin, is a day worth recognizing. It's a blessing in itself because in the past he has never had a relationship that lasted more than a week, more than a few days actually. It would start out with good intentions, but then the second he was with his band, on tour or away from the poor woman he tried to start a relationship with, he would get needy, he would be surrounded by the temptations of other women and he would break up with those women through text as he led the next to his hotel room. Sometimes, he hated himself for it. And sometimes, he didn't care enough to even express his emotions.

His head tilts down as Erin's fingers carded through his short brunette hair, rubbing small circles into his scalp, relieving him of a headache that had been overshadowed by the tension in his shoulders. Jay sighed at the feeling of relief and the feeling of his heart slowly constricting. He loves her; he didn't lie about that. He wouldn't have said it, he wouldn't have made himself vulnerable and set himself up for rejection if he didn't mean it. He loves her…so much, but he's also scared about what'll happen when she lands in D.C. and he's in Phoenix; he's scared it'll be a repeat of the past. He's scared that he'll break her heart, ruin her for other men and disappoint her. He doesn't want her to feel how he's feeling, to have the commitment issues he grapples with day in and day out to plague her. He wants to spare her of those.

Jay fears that he won't be able to remain faithful if he's away from her for too long. Maybe that's why her father hates his guts? Maybe he can see through it all? Voight has lived a long life; he probably knows men like Jay and knows what they're capable of doing. He wants to spare his daughter of the heartbreak that Jay's commitment issues will cause. He's not proud of it, but he embraces it. He knows who he is, he embraces the bad boy title and he doesn't claim to be better. Everybody sins, just in different ways.

He has to make sure a long period of time does not go by without him seeing her. He's scared of what may happen if it does. Maybe breaking things off with her would be better? It'll hurt in the beginning but it'll hurt even more if they continue this. Maybe he should have followed Rixton's lead? Maybe he should have listened? Maybe the commentators on their relationship were right? Maybe Rixton was right? Maybe he's not meant for a serious relationship, especially with her? Maybe they're too different? Maybe they're setting themselves up for failure? It's not going to end well. He's falling too hard and she's right behind him.

Halstead lifts his head as the pressure lightens before he rolls his shoulders, hinting for her to cease the massage. She does and takes a step back, "How are you feeling now?"

"Much better," the grin on his face is small as he rubs the back of his neck a bit bashfully.

She leaned forward and gave him a small, simple peck on his lips before walking away, "I'm going to head to the bathroom and then we can head out." He nods, sighing in relief at being granted a chance to collect himself –alone- before heading out with her.

As she leaves the bathroom, she receives another text from her mother, asking –basically pestering- her to tell Jay; they needed an RSVP from his band. Her mother is growing concerned that his band will be a no-show and they'll have an awkward period of a lack of entertainment for an allotted set of time. By the time Erin was seated in the backseat of the truck with Jay, she received another text, this time from her brother asking her to please respond to their mother's text because she keeps calling him and asking him whether or not he has spoken to her. Her mother, being the worried, neurotic person that she is not only reached out to Justin, but by the time they were parking, her voicemail notification pinged and it was from her father. She listened to it and with his most authoritative voice on, he told her to call her mother. And she honestly planned to; she had every intention of telling Jay the good news while they're walking along Hollywood Boulevard, but her mother is not giving her a chance.

By the time they're walking along the Hollywood stars, hand-in-hand, Atwater receives a call and gestures for her to check her phone. That's when she knew that the perfect moment will never come, not with her mother literally pestering everyone. Camille won't stop; she'll only advance on and make her way through all of Erin's guards before calling Jay and telling him herself. Now, was a better time than any and as they walked along the stars, holding hands and enjoying the summer breeze, she cleared her throat, "Jay."

And before he could respond, his phone rings, cutting off her attempt. He pouted and held up his finger, motioning for her to give him a second as he swiped to answer, "Hey."

Please, let it not be her mother. To Erin's knowledge, she didn't have Jay's number, but she wouldn't be surprised if she somehow got it. That woman could do anything.

"It's Will."

Jay held the phone up to his ear and continued walking alongside her. He used his free hand to plug his ear, blocking out the sound of chatter and city traffic around them. She watched him the entire time; her sunglasses shielding her eyes as they interpreted the transforming expression on his face. It went from flat, a look of indifference to one of confusion and then suddenly joy. He just received good news, which is great because it'll only expand his mood. His news plus her news will make for a good day and an even greater goodbye because they have a set date for when they'll see each other again.

As they continue walking along the Hollywood stars, she takes time to read the names, recognizing some and overlooking others. He continues talking to his brother, "That's great, yeah I have Erin right here with me," she looks up at the mention of her name and that's when she notices the collection of people scattered around them taking photos. Her guards close in, grouping around as their walking speed suddenly decrease. Nothing is wrong, but they're out in the open, in a huge city and at a famous tourist attraction. This place was too unpredictable and posed absolutely too many risks. If she didn't beg, her guards probably wouldn't have taken her. If she didn't threaten to sneak away, they definitely wouldn't have escorted her.

Jay gently pulls her to a stop just as he hangs up and pockets his cell. The grin on his face looks painful. It's so far and wide and it looks so good on him. She lifts her sunglasses up to give herself a better view of him, a clearer image of his thrilled expression. With her guards surrounding them, she knows this moment is unable to be captured on camera. No one is able to see them huddled together, no can see her hands gripping the bottom of his shirt and tugging him closer to her. She's impatient. She wants, no, actually needs to know the cause of the smile on his face.

This day was finally starting to turn around. He had woken up in a bad mood and he tried to hide it from her, but she saw through it all. He took her up on her offer of a back rub and a shoulder massage and it only worked to relieve him of the tension, but whatever plagued him still haunted him. She felt his arms circle her waist and he lifted her into the air in excitement before smashing his lips against hers in a sloppy kiss, "Erin!" Now he's beaming and she really wants to know.

"What happened?" She giggles, "What did he say? What's the good news? What's going on? Don't leave me wondering for too long, babe."

And without waiting another moment, he tells her, "My band got the gig."

It doesn't click for her right away, "Got what gig?"

"You know," his eyes are wide and filled with absolute delight, "in D.C. for Independence Day! Do you remember me mentioning that I would die for that performance? And now I got it! I got it because my band is just that good, Er! We're up there, Erin! And this is going to be great press! And really good for record sales! I can't believe it! I got the gig! My band got the gig! I earned that, baby!"

"Congratulations, babe," she leaned forward and sealed it with a kiss, one that he ended just a few seconds too soon in her opinion.

Jay's hands remained on her hips and he took in the bright smile on her face. She was happy for him but she wasn't surprised. He could read her like an opened book. His head tilted in speculation that was quickly confirmed by her smile widening, "You knew."

"I knew what?" She was playing dumb.

"You knew my band got the gig."

"Yeah," she admitted, hand coming up to settle on the side of his face, "I wanted to be the one to tell you. I really did. I was actually going to tell you right before Will called."

He turned his face towards her hand and pecked her palm, "This is great. This is awesome. This is amazing! We finally have an actual date for when we'll see each other again. But, how did you find out?"

"My mother kept me in the loop throughout the entire process," she started to explain and chose to further elaborate the second confusion swept through his features, "I reached out to her after you first shared with me your wish to be in the Fourth of July day celebration performance and she spoke with her assistant and they got to work and made it happen. Oh," she drops her hand from his face the second she remembers, "make sure you RSVP for it too. As soon as possible or the First Lady will not be pleased. She's been hounding me about that for far too long."

"Wait…" his hands drop from her hips, "I'm confused."

"About what?"

His brows furrow, "I thought…"

"What did you think?" Now she's confused too. He isn't saying anything.

"I thought my band was invited because our songs are rising on the charts worldwide, because of our appeal and our fan base. I thought we got the gig based solely on our talent and our talent alone."

Erin waves that comment off, smirking as she moved closer towards him, circling her arms around his hips, "You're talented of course, and very, very appealing, but there's a waiting list for that babe. Did you really think you could just call for a spot a few weeks before the actual show? That's not how the process works, babe. I know how much this means to you. A lot of celebrities express interest and are placed on the waiting list. You would have definitely performed there one year, but we just kind of pushed you up on the list so you could perform this year."

"No," he tore her arms from around his waist, "damn it Erin, you used your title and position to get my band that spot. You shouldn't have done that," she opened her mouth to interrupt but he didn't allow her, "No, Erin, you should have at least ran it by me first. It's humiliating. It's nepotism. We didn't earn it. And now I have to tell my band. Shit," he pinched the bridge of his nose, "Only the biggest names are even placed on the list and allowed the chance to perform. We might not even be good enough for it. We're only guaranteed a performance because the lead singer of the band is fucking the president's daughter!"

She reaches out for him, "Jay, that's…"

And he pushes her arm away, "No. Erin, you're mixing business with pleasure. You're my girlfriend, not my manager, not a sponsor, not my bandmates or even a member of my staff; you're my girlfriend, just that. You have nothing to do with my band. You make no decisions and you have no say in the matter. You're invading into my career. This is my livelihood. Once the lineup for the night is announced, everyone will know just why my band is on that list."

"How would they know that?"

Jay brought his hands up and wrapped them around her shoulders, holding tight, "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two together. Rumors have been going around about who will be performing and my band's name was not on that list. I start dating you and three months later, I surpassed all the people on the list. I'm getting paid to perform in front of the First Family and half of the country on a day that celebrates our independence. People will know."

"Even if I didn't get involved, people would assume that anyway."

"If you didn't get involved, we wouldn't be having this conversation because I wouldn't have been invited to perform. You basically told me that. I know it and you know that too."

"Jay…"

"How did I not put it all together after Will called? It was obvious! My timing to perform; it's the perfect time! We're the band to perform right before the fireworks go off," he released her shoulders out of fear that he was holding her too tight.

"I had nothing to do with that part."

"You did."

"I didn't."

"You did, Erin."

"I didn't tell them to do that."

"You didn't have to, Erin."

"Jay…" she reaches for him again and it literally pains her when he steps back.

"Maybe it was a mistake mentioning it to you," she shakes her head at his words, at his realization, but he continues anyway, "Maybe it was a mistake bringing you here. Maybe this was all wrong."

"Jay…"

"I'll see you later, Erin."

She reached out again and he slipped through her fingers, "Wait. Don't go. Please."

"I need a minute to think. I need to be away from you right now," he walks through her guards and leaves her standing in the middle of Hollywood Boulevard on the verge of tears.

Erin looks up to see her guards still surrounding her, making sure no one can see through the gap and spot the tracks of tears flowing down her cheeks. She feels Roman remove her sunglasses from off her hand and place them onto her face to cover her eyes, "That's better," he smiled when her shades shield her eyes, "You can cry as much as you want in the car, but remember we're in public right now."

She knows he hates saying that, he knows he truly doesn't want her to suppress her emotions, but he's her guard and her friend and he knows how this'll look when the vultures become aware of it. He's just sparing her from hearing the rumor mill circle in on why she's crying and why her boyfriend is currently walking away, hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Erin," Dawson places his hand upon her shoulder, "do you still want to sightsee or do you want to head back to the hotel? We don't need to leave for the airport for another two hours."

She wiped the tears off her chin and answered, "I want to go back to the hotel. I…I want to get away from here where all these people can see me."

-x-

Since he stormed off, leaving her standing on the Hollywood star of a famous actor that died years before her birth, she swallowed her pride, straightened her shoulders, avoided the pitying look of her guards watching her, turned around and walked in the direction towards the truck her guards rented. Erin made her way back to the hotel suite and a part of her was disappointed to see he wasn't there. She half expected him to have come here. The door was held open by the press of her palm and she felt the shadowing figures of the men behind her, paid and assigned to watch and protect her. Physically, that is. No one could protect her heart, not even she can.

"I want to be alone," she says before shutting the door behind her. And when she glances through the peephole, she finds her guards positioned around the entryway.

Her burning eyes were flooded with tears.

She needed to talk to him, especially before she left. She didn't want to leave things the way they are; she didn't want to walk away from him upset, she didn't want to walk away from him angry and she especially didn't want to walk away from him at all. And her guards were going to make sure she was at the airport in two hours, whether it be her coming willingly or being lifted and carried away.

Erin had passed most of her time packing her suitcase, only bothering Roman briefly to zip up her luggage as she sits upon it. He departs right after; he doesn't even wait for her to walk him out because she's still upset and he knows her enough to know that she would rather be alone.

It was starting to get later, much later. She would need to leave in the next hour or she would miss her flight. She was flying commercial and she doubted the plane would delay its take off even for her of all people. Erin pulled her suitcase up and rolled it near the door. She needed to talk to him, she needed to talk this out, see why it upset him so much. Erin disappeared into the in-suite bathroom and checked her reflection; she was traveling today and she refused to wear anything that wasn't comfortable. So what she looked a little frumpy? She was just going to the airport and by the time she landed, she would be heading home and climbing into bed.

She really needed to talk to him.

And so she walked out of the bathroom, her phone out and in her hand, ready to call Jay when she saw there was no need for it. Erin came to a sudden stop, "Jay?"

He turned to look at her; his face unrecognizable. The horde of emotions churning around in those eyes of his, sent a flash of panic through her whole body. Was this the end? It couldn't be.

"Why would you do that?" His words are calm at first; they completely contradict his stance.

"I just…I just really like you, okay? I thought I was doing something nice," she rushes over to him, approaching him only to stop and stand feet away, "My intention was not to overstep or to hurt you. That was the last thing I wanted to do."

"It was you who told me a person can still be guilty even if they had no intention of committing the act," his words were filled with a hint of malice, –it frustrated her.

"That was in a court of law, Jay," she exclaimed desperately, "I was telling you about a trial I sat in on when I was an intern! The man left his kid in the car and the kid died! He had no intention of killing her. He said he didn't intend to be in the store that long, but the kid still died and he was still guilty. Those are two different things! That doesn't apply to this. You're comparing apples to oranges!"

"But, what about-"

She cuts him off; they're getting off track, "Jay, please don't argue with me on this! This isn't about criminal intent. I didn't commit a crime."

"I know that, I wasn't saying you did. I'm just saying that whether you intended to hurt me or not doesn't mean anything."

Her hand ran down her face as she emitted a sigh, "I'm sorry. I just wanted to do something nice for you. I know what this means to you!"

"Do you though?" His question takes her by surprise; his head tilting as he prepares to continue speaking, "because if you did then you would have known not to do something like this! Something so stupid, something that I would obviously hate. I'm a proud man, Erin, and you know this, at least I thought you did! But for someone so smart, you sure do make a lot of dumb decisions," that was a knife in the heart because he used the plural form of decisions; she knew he wasn't just talking about this particular incident, "You would have known that the one thing that was completely off limits to you was my career! I've given you access to everything, but the one thing that's off limits, you just had to touch! You've never had to make a name for yourself, Erin! You've never struggled to get where you are! You've never made promises that you couldn't keep! You've never started something and put blood, sweat and tears into it to make it something big! You've never had to earn anything! Everything was handed to you! My band, that's all I have, and I don't appreciate you going behind my back to try and get us gigs! I'm not one of your charity cases. I don't need your help, especially when it comes to my career!" He's seething, turning red in the face and it honestly scares the both of them…but he loves her.

That's why he's so angry. He's this upset because he loves her, because he's invested and he cares. If he didn't love her, he wouldn't feel as shitty as he does right now for yelling at her, he wouldn't be hurt that she basically had no faith in his band and had to call up mommy to seal her boyfriend and his band a chance of a lifetime.

He sighs, inhaling and exhaling a long breath before his shoulders slumped in defeat, "You know what? Just forget it, you'll never understand."

There were tears stinging her eyes.

"Understand what?"

"That you can't just throw your name, your position and your money around to get the things you want! It doesn't make everything better! It doesn't fix things. And no matter how hard you try to connect with the less fortunate, you can't! You will never be able to connect. You grew up rich. You grew up in a family that sheltered you from the harsh realities of the world. I worked for everything I earned. Mommy and Daddy didn't pave the way for me. My parents' names do not mean a thing.I deserve to be where I am."

And that was a little harsh. He knew it, but the words had already been said and he couldn't take it back no matter how much his heart was screaming for him to do it. He ignored it. He was angry; that was the one emotion he didn't mind showing. And he wanted her to feel like him. Misery loves company as they say.

She took another step closer and became only a breath away from him, "I'm sorry, Jay! What did you expect me to do? I thought I was doing something nice! I wanted to surprise you with something I thought you would love. I thought you would be happy. I thought...I thought we were a team, Jay," she affirmed, struggling to keep her tears at bay; it wasn't working, "But I guess not, I guess I'm just a spoiled, out of touch, rich girl who cannot possibly understand the pitfalls of life. We've had different obstacles but that doesn't mean you've had more than me. You've had to earn your name; I've had to, actually I'm still trying to earn a name for myself. Everywhere I go, I'm Hank Voight's daughter, the president's daughter; I'm never just Erin. People approach me to ask questions about you, my father or a policy that he's passed or thinking about passing. Paparazzi take pictures of me because of who I'm dating," she nods towards him, "or because my father's the president. Yeah, being the daughter of Hank Voight has been easy financially and publicly speaking, but I will not let you use that to undermine everything I've worked for in my life! I've overcome a lot, Jay! I worked my ass off in school while hiding my grief! I work in a male-dominated profession where men talk at me instead of to me, where some think I was hired because of who my father is or because since I am moderately attractive that I slept my way to my current position, where if I say no to any question from a male co-worker then I'm suddenly a bitch or unapproachable or where I used to feel like I had to constantly prove myself to people who were in positions lower than mine! I've overcome things you still don't know about yet. Things my parents don't even know. Things only a small margin of people know about. Things I've gone to therapy for. Yeah, my life might seem easy but that's how social media works right, it only shows you the good unless someone uncovers and broadcasts the bad."

And he felt like an asshole for putting her through this. She technically did nothing wrong. She didn't deserve his wrath, but he couldn't help himself. He couldn't control how it all made him feel. He felt like he was destined to be alone, to drift through countless women and keep his heart locked away and out of touch. He loves her; he told her so yesterday yet that only seems to cause more problems. He's too into this relationship. They're moving too fast. Maybe Rixton was right? He couldn't stop his mind from going there. Maybe Rixton was right.

Finally, he voices it. With his head hung low, he closed in the distance between them, his shoes brushing against hers, "Maybe we were never meant to work out. Maybe we are from different worlds. Maybe Kenny was right; maybe we're too different, maybe we have nothing in common, maybe we won't last and this is all just a phase. Maybe this is all just a mistake. And maybe Rixton was right about you..."

And to both of their surprise, Erin's hand flew across his face. Hard. The impact of it sent a sting across his entire cheek. She was angry now, practically fuming in the sitting room of the hotel suite. He brought up the one person she knew didn't like her, the one person who probably came close to hating her guts. He mentioned the one person she didn't like, the one person who had a lot to say about her both to his and her face. That pissed her off the most.

"If you're going to take advice from that guy then it's possible we won't work out after all," she said through gritted teeth, her face flushed with anger, "Fuck you, Jay."

"Erin," he reaches out for her hand but she yanks her arm away, "I'm only saying that we're from two different worlds. Rixton isn't the first to think it and he won't be the last," he's afraid of commitment, always has and by the looks of it, he always will, yet he continues to try and ease the blow, "To be honest, you deserve better. Majority of America, including your dad would agree with that and you know it."

"Shut up," she takes another step back and pinches the bridge of her nose; she's thinking. What is all of this about? It couldn't just be because she thought she was doing something nice for him. It had to be more than that. One day he's declaring his love for her and the next he's saying what he can to get her to leave. She releases a frustrated grunt and kicks the side of the arm chair.

Her anger surprises him; his eyes widen as a result. And they only continue to rise as she continues to speak, "I'm tired of people telling me what I deserve, what's right for me, what I need, what I should and shouldn't do. No one gets to make those choices for me. No one. Only me. Got it?" the second he nods his head, she continues, "If you don't want to be with me, own up to it and say you don't. That's your choice. That's your only choice in this right now. Okay, Jay, now do you want to be with me?" He does.

"This isn't an argument about whether or not I want to be with you." He does, but he's just so angry at her for what she did.

If he wasn't so pissed off, he would have thought it was cute. But he knows that finding her cute when she's upset will only anger her even more. So, he keeps that thought at bay.

"The next word that should come out of your mouth is either yes or no. Those are your options and I need for you to pick one. Do you want me?"

She has asked many questions in her life. She has asked an endless amount of questions due to her career but for some reason this question was the hardest and awaiting its answer was the most difficult because she honestly didn't know what she would do or how she would feel if he answered in the negative. He was the first guy she fell in love with; that didn't happen on a daily basis and if he rejected her, her heart wouldn't be able to take it.

"I've never wanted someone so badly in my life," he honestly admitted.

"Then act like it, fight for it, don't give up on us so easily! We're new to this, if I do something wrong, tell me otherwise I won't know. I'm not a fucking mind reader, Jay!" Her resolve is slowly crumbling, the emotion creeping into her voice and filling her words with substance, "I know you're upset about me working to get you that gig, and I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry, I know you probably feel betrayed but I also know that this isn't just about that. What else is wrong?"

And it isn't. The signs have all been there. He doesn't like labels. He doesn't need her doing favors for him and sweeping in to save the day and help out his band. He doesn't like to admit his emotions. And when he does finally admit them, the vulnerability he inevitably feels makes him start to regret it. He has commitment issues, deeply rooted in his core. He wants to be with her desperately; he loves her –that wasn't a lie. But, he knew this wasn't going to be easy. They were falling for each other, hard and fast and at the rate they were going, he was afraid of how it'll turn out. He wasn't meant to fall in love; he's a true at heart bad boy and he's damn proud of it, so when something comes and threatens that, he closes himself off and gets on the defensive.

"Nothing," his hardened face lied with such ease.

Yet, she saw through it all, "I'm your girlfriend. You can tell me. You can talk to me about these things babe, that's what I'm here for."

"I said nothing is wrong," he lied once again.

And she was over it, stepping away, turning her back to him and walking towards the door. She couldn't stand here all day and go through this repetitive conversation; she had a flight to catch.

Erin lifted the handle of her suitcase and grabbed it. Without turning around to face him, she muttered, "When you remember you have a girlfriend who you claim to love, call me. When you're ready to hear me out, call me. When you're ready to tell me the truth, when you're ready to stop lying to me, call me. Not a second before any of that, got it?" It was a rhetorical question. She didn't wait around for an answer because with that, she turned and left out of his hotel room before he could stop her.

Jay swallowed; his Adam's apple protruding in his dry throat. His hand brushed across his red, stinging cheek, while Jay also knew he was an ass before, it was this moment where he realized just how much of a colossal asshole he is, a jerk among the highest of jerks and a man who just had possibly lost the best thing that has ever and will ever happen to him.