Dylan breaks their deal the day after he leaves her. It isn’t intentional, just a moment of weakness. But he didn’t expect he’d regret everything he didn’t tell her. He didn’t anticipate how raw their parting would leave him. His chest physically hurts from missing her. Sometimes it hurts to breathe, which is so unlike him.

Dylan Westfield, miserable over a woman. That wasn’t part of his plan.

Usually it’s the other way around. He leaves women heartbroken. Except for one, a girl from high school he’d fallen in love with, they never truly love him back. They love the idea of being with him, Jack Westfield’s son, which only reinforces his theory. Love belongs on-screen. It’s a complicated mess in real life, especially within the music industry. He has zero interest in a relationship. Doesn’t plan to marry. And wouldn’t know the first thing about being a good husband. He had shitty role models.

Dylan slides his phone from his front pocket and settles into the back seat of the hired Land Rover with the blacked-out windows his cousin Chase booked to pick him up from Heathrow and transport him to the heart of London. Dylan has just enough time to check into the hotel, shower, and meet up with Chase at the Old Blue Last. The Broke Millennials are playing tonight and Chase has had his eye on them. He wants Dylan’s sign-off before he sits down with the band’s manager to discuss signing them to the label they launched a few years back, Westfield Records. It’s the reason he’s flown to London and why he and Chase will be following the music festival circuit. To study trends and scout talent. The Broke Millennials are one of many acts on their radar.

Before he registers what he’s doing, Dylan opens the App Store and downloads Facebook. He stares at the screen, finger hovering over the blue square icon, and watches the loading spinner circle until it disappears, alerting him that the app has fully loaded.

He’s never created a social media profile. Until this second, he’s avoided social media altogether. Because of who he is and what he does, the less about him on the internet, the better. He doesn’t want psychos stalking his profiles. He doesn’t want to give Jack’s followers, a fan base in mourning, access to any part of his personal life, and that includes messaging him through some random app. But Facebook may be the only way he can see her.

Dylan taps the icon and creates a profile under the name D. West. He doesn’t add any personal information when prompted other than the basic requirements, and he doesn’t friend anyone. But he does search for her. Joy Evers. From San Bernardino, California. Lives in New York, New York. Relationship status: engaged.

He clenches his teeth.