BooksBarbecue
Back Sweet Surrender Save as PDF
Chapters (73)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
  3. PRAISE FOR K. BROMBERG
  4. ALSO WRITTEN BY K. BROMBERG
  5. CHAPTER ONE
  6. CHAPTER TWO
  7. CHAPTER THREE
  8. CHAPTER FOUR
  9. CHAPTER FIVE
  10. CHAPTER SIX
  11. CHAPTER SEVEN
  12. CHAPTER EIGHT
  13. CHAPTER NINE
  14. CHAPTER TEN
  15. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  16. CHAPTER TWELVE
  17. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  18. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  19. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  20. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  21. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  22. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  23. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  44. CHAPTER FORTY
  45. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
  53. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
  54. CHAPTER FIFTY
  55. CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
  56. CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
  57. CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
  58. CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
  59. CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
  60. CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
  61. CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
  62. CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
  63. CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
  64. CHAPTER SIXTY
  65. CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
  66. CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
  67. CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
  68. CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
  69. CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
  70. CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
  71. EPILOGUE
  72. EPILOGUE TWO
  73. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I know, in that split second, that this song, and the way he’s decided to acknowledge me now, is his way of telling me what he can’t say out loud.

There is nothing more to us than a contract and some convenient sex.

He’s choosing this—them, the tour, the life—and he’s leaving me behind. That’s what was supposed to happen all along though. I shouldn’t be shocked by it. I shouldn’t have hoped differently. But his touch told me otherwise. His love language of taking care of me showed the contrary.

And now I’m standing here in an arena feeling so very small, so very unwelcome when all I want to do is understand the why behind it.

But that’s for another place. Another time. The texts telling me where he’s going and when he’ll be home have stopped. The dinners in the kitchen where we’d laugh until we cried or moaned in bliss have ended. It’s just . . . over.

The beat slows, his sticks striking softer now, more deliberate. His eyes don’t leave mine, even as Hawkin’s voice fills the room with soul-stirring lyrics that rip a person open, that tell a story of heartbreak before it’s even fully happened.

I swallow past the lump in my throat, past the pain that rises so quickly I don’t know how to contain it.

I wanted to believe we were something more.

But watching him now, feeling the weight of that look, I realize—

I may have already lost him.

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

Hendrix

Nothing has been the same since I told him I loved him.

Since Vince and then Nathaniel came to see me.

Since the rehearsal when his eyes owned mine and his heart took a leap back.

It’s like we’re both tiptoeing around each other, but my heart is on the line while he never gave his to begin with.

At least this is almost over. This charade.

And yet, here I am following Jase as he sneaks out of his own house, clearly avoiding me as he goes.

I can handle the heat the impending divorce will hit me with. What I won’t put up with is not having answers. I won’t tolerate him avoiding me completely rather than explaining why I saw love in his eyes—felt it in his touch—and then it turned off like the flip of a switch.

It’s confounding. Confusing.

And maybe that’s why I follow him.

I’ll force him to talk to me one way or another because I deserve more than this cold shoulder. I deserve better from him.