Platinum (All That Glitters #3)(29)

“I know you must miss me.”

Trihn breathed out heavily. “You know, I really don’t.”

Neal’s nostrils flared at her dismissal. “You’re probably dying for sex.”

“Yeah, I am,” she admitted.

He smirked and leaned toward her.

She grabbed the notebook from him. “But just not from you.”

Trihn yanked open the door to his room and dashed down the hall. She didn’t care that Neal was drunk and high. The way he’d acted was completely uncalled for. Had he always been like this, and I’d just ignored it?

She pushed her way through the crowd in the living room and out the door. Once she was back out in the clean air, she took shuddering deep breaths.

Neal might have broken up with her, but he had just given her the keys to move on. She had thought that seeing him would cause all the old emotions to flood back in her. She’d worried that she really would miss him since he had been out of her life.

But she didn’t.

It had just reinforced the fact that she was better off without him. She felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

And she knew exactly what she needed to do.




“Hello?” Damon said uneasily into the phone.

“Hey. This is Trihn.”

“Yeah, I know. What’s up? Everything okay?”

“Are you working tonight?” she asked.

“Nah. Tonight is my day off. Why?”

“Can we meet up somewhere?” She took a deep breath and waited for his response. She knew that he had said he would change her mind, but she hoped she hadn’t ruined it by ignoring him the past couple of weeks.

“Uh, yeah.” She could hear him shuffling around in the background. “Did you want to meet at Posse?”

“Not really. Just somewhere we can talk.”

“The radio station on campus?” he suggested. “I still have a key, and no one should be there right now.”

She was glad he hadn’t suggested his place. She didn’t trust herself not to jump him if a bed were nearby, and she wanted to get everything out in the open before going down that route again. She owed him that much.

“Sure. Sounds good. Meet you there in twenty. Is that good with you?”

“Yeah. Yeah, that works.”

“Cool.”

“And, Trihn?” he said before she could say anything else. “It’s really great to hear from you—unexpected but still really good.”

She smiled bright and nodded even though he couldn’t see her. “I’m glad. See you in a few.”

Trihn hung up and started her drive back toward campus. Her sketchbook was sitting pretty in the passenger seat, reminding her that she was making the right decision. Her heart was torn—not on Damon. She liked Damon even though she had been ignoring that. It was just torn over whether getting into a relationship would be a good idea. Anything that had the potential to trample her heart made her wary.

As Trihn neared the campus radio station, a message came in from Bryna.

Where are you?

“Shit,” she murmured. She pulled into the radio station parking lot and replied.

Have to cancel. Got into it with Neal, and now, I’m meeting Damon. Sorry!

Yay! Go off and have a scandalously sexy Brit bang fest, and tell me all the juicy details later!

Trihn laughed and shook her head. Leave it to Bryna.

Only a minute after she’d arrived, his car parked next to hers. They both stepped out and he smiled when he saw her.

“Hey.” He walked around her car and pulled her into an embrace.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Hey yourself.”

When he released her, he nodded his head toward the door, and they walked to the building together. He used his phone to illuminate the door and then produced a well-worn key from his pocket. The lock turned easily. Twisting the door handle, Damon let her enter the dark space first.

“Wow. It’s a little creepy in here,” she whispered.

“Yeah, sorry,” he said. “Give me a minute.” He fiddled with a box and then flipped on a series of switches. The hallway lit up before them. “Here we go. This way.”

Trihn followed him into the studio. It was a relatively small room, all things considered. A bunch of computer monitors sat before a keyboard and a pretty impressive-looking soundboard. A speaker hung suspended from the ceiling. A few seats for interviews with musicians were placed in front of the soundboard. Trihn had heard local artists come on campus radio to try to gain exposure with the college crowd.

Damon sank into the seat behind the soundboard and habitually fiddled with a few of the controls.

Trihn walked around to his side. She leaned against the desk. “I’m sorry,” she finally said.

His eyes shot to her. “For what?”

“I haven’t been myself the last couple of weeks, and that was the girl you got to know. My breakup really messed me up. Then, you had to see me when I found out about my sister’s wedding.” Trihn choked up when she mentioned the wedding. That part still burned with a fiery passion. “Her fiancé is an *, and I was shocked when I found out the other night. Basically, you and I have gotten off to the wrong start.”

“I kind of liked our start.”