your horses, I'm coming!" she called as she hauled herself out of the luxurious clutches of the couch to waddle over. She opened the door, her mouth already open to give whoever it was a lecture on impatience but no sound emerged as she recognised the tall form standing in the doorway.
JJ.
Her heart lurched, clenching painfully as she looked at him. She hadn't seen him since the wedding reception and 96
Rockstar
by Mina Carter
even now that image of him reappeared in her mind from the small box she'd locked it in, tall and handsome in his wedding suit. As soon as that one got in, the rest, a hundred images of him in different states of undress ... or smiling as he woke, assaulted her with painful clarity. Memory was a bitch when you wanted to forget.
"Hello Zette, how are you?"
She just looked at him. How was she? How did he think she was? She'd just been on stage, pouring her heart out about heartbreak and faithless lovers and the man who'd planned their divorce before he'd even married her was asking her how she was?
"When are you filing the papers?" she asked bluntly, in no mood to mess about with the kind of games JJ played. She was too tired, too heart-sore for that.
"If you've brought them now, I'll sign them and you can postdate them. I don't care what you want to tell the courts.
Mind you, I'm sure you've already got that all worked out. So, where are they?" She arched an eyebrow at him, crossing her arms over her full breasts. Pregnancy had only made her already generous figure curvier.
"I've not got the papers, I'm not filing them." He stood in the door and, if Zette didn't know better, he looked hesitant, as though he was unsure of his welcome. It was the first time she'd ever seen him show anything approaching a weakness.
Her eyes narrowed, what game was he playing now?
"You're not? Why?"
He cleared his throat, looking down at the floor for a moment, as though he was having trouble with what to say.
97
Rockstar
by Mina Carter
He looked up, his hazel eyes unguarded and open. Zette caught her breath at the sorrow there.
"Because I don't want to," he said simply. "Can I come in?"
The last was as near to a plea as Zette had heard him make. Warily she nodded, stepping back from the door to allow his tall figure to pass her as she shut the door.
Once she had though, she wished she hadn't. The dressing room wasn't the smallest she'd ever had. Hell, she'd had apartments smaller than this. But somehow he seemed to take up all the room, dominate the space as though he owned it. It was that innate self confidence of his, she decided, wishing she could steal a little for herself and appear something other than over-heated, exhausted and heavily pregnant. Frazzled, that would be one way to describe it.
"Okay, you're in. Now what do you want?" she demanded, not caring that she was harsh. If he thought he could just turn up and expect her to welcome him with open arms, he had another thing coming.
He winced at her tone, raking a hand through his hair. A nervous gesture she realised, noting the dark shadows under his eyes and the lines of strain around his mouth. He looked like a man who had been kicked in the guts after losing a week's sleep.
He laughed, a short sound that had nothing to do with amusement.
"I don't know where to start. So I'll just come out with it."
He turned to her, his expression contrite. "Zette, I'm so sorry.
I shouldn't have done what I did. I guess..." he trailed off, shaking his head a little. "I don't have excuses for what I did.
98
Rockstar
by Mina Carter
There aren't any excuses for what I did, the way I treated you."
Zette just stood there, not quite believing the words, what she was hearing. Hope began to blossom in her chest, her heart aching as she relaxed the stranglehold she'd had on it these last few months. Long months. But he still hadn't said what she needed to hear. He'd said sorry and for a man like JJ, with the way he'd treated her, she still wasn't sure
JJ.
Her heart lurched, clenching painfully as she looked at him. She hadn't seen him since the wedding reception and 96
Rockstar
by Mina Carter
even now that image of him reappeared in her mind from the small box she'd locked it in, tall and handsome in his wedding suit. As soon as that one got in, the rest, a hundred images of him in different states of undress ... or smiling as he woke, assaulted her with painful clarity. Memory was a bitch when you wanted to forget.
"Hello Zette, how are you?"
She just looked at him. How was she? How did he think she was? She'd just been on stage, pouring her heart out about heartbreak and faithless lovers and the man who'd planned their divorce before he'd even married her was asking her how she was?
"When are you filing the papers?" she asked bluntly, in no mood to mess about with the kind of games JJ played. She was too tired, too heart-sore for that.
"If you've brought them now, I'll sign them and you can postdate them. I don't care what you want to tell the courts.
Mind you, I'm sure you've already got that all worked out. So, where are they?" She arched an eyebrow at him, crossing her arms over her full breasts. Pregnancy had only made her already generous figure curvier.
"I've not got the papers, I'm not filing them." He stood in the door and, if Zette didn't know better, he looked hesitant, as though he was unsure of his welcome. It was the first time she'd ever seen him show anything approaching a weakness.
Her eyes narrowed, what game was he playing now?
"You're not? Why?"
He cleared his throat, looking down at the floor for a moment, as though he was having trouble with what to say.
97
Rockstar
by Mina Carter
He looked up, his hazel eyes unguarded and open. Zette caught her breath at the sorrow there.
"Because I don't want to," he said simply. "Can I come in?"
The last was as near to a plea as Zette had heard him make. Warily she nodded, stepping back from the door to allow his tall figure to pass her as she shut the door.
Once she had though, she wished she hadn't. The dressing room wasn't the smallest she'd ever had. Hell, she'd had apartments smaller than this. But somehow he seemed to take up all the room, dominate the space as though he owned it. It was that innate self confidence of his, she decided, wishing she could steal a little for herself and appear something other than over-heated, exhausted and heavily pregnant. Frazzled, that would be one way to describe it.
"Okay, you're in. Now what do you want?" she demanded, not caring that she was harsh. If he thought he could just turn up and expect her to welcome him with open arms, he had another thing coming.
He winced at her tone, raking a hand through his hair. A nervous gesture she realised, noting the dark shadows under his eyes and the lines of strain around his mouth. He looked like a man who had been kicked in the guts after losing a week's sleep.
He laughed, a short sound that had nothing to do with amusement.
"I don't know where to start. So I'll just come out with it."
He turned to her, his expression contrite. "Zette, I'm so sorry.
I shouldn't have done what I did. I guess..." he trailed off, shaking his head a little. "I don't have excuses for what I did.
98
Rockstar
by Mina Carter
There aren't any excuses for what I did, the way I treated you."
Zette just stood there, not quite believing the words, what she was hearing. Hope began to blossom in her chest, her heart aching as she relaxed the stranglehold she'd had on it these last few months. Long months. But he still hadn't said what she needed to hear. He'd said sorry and for a man like JJ, with the way he'd treated her, she still wasn't sure
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