Page 56 of Blue Moon

Her voice raised. “Are you’re kidding me right now. It’s super legit. Kelli said—”

“Fuck Kelli. Sol, how fucking naïve are you? It’s legit because you have a contract? You fucking told me yourself about that one guy who was trying to sext you. He had a contract, too. I’m not telling you that you can’t work. I offered to go with you. But this guy even put in the contract ‘no significant others allowed.’ That’s shady. The answer is no. You’re not going.”

She glared at me. “You can’t tell me where I can and can’t go.”

I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down. I needed to try another approach. She was so sweet and trusting. She always looked for the good in people, and I knew better than most that some people would do nothing but take advantage of someone like Sol. “Babe, are you serious right now? Do you know how sketchy this sounds? Some guy, who you’ve never met, wants you to fly alone to Miami to take pictures. You’re actually entertaining this right now? He could be a sex trafficker.”

“Christ, Sawyer, he’s not a sex trafficker. Or a rapist. I mean, he has a ton of followers on Instagram.”

I laughed. “Like that means anything. You know better than anyone that Instagram is all fake.”

Her nostrils flared. Dammit—that had been the exactly wrong thing to say to her.

“Fuck you, Sawyer. I’ve worked my ass off to get organic followers. I know you don’t respect what I do, but you could at least pretend.”

“See, that’s the difference between you and me, Sol. I don’t pretend. I’m real. And my feelings toward you are one-hundred-percent real. I’m crazy about you. I just want to protect you.”

“Wow. You’re so fucking paranoid. Not everyone is out to have sex with me, and I don’t need protecting. You just think the worst of everyone in my world. This is a legitimate job.”

“Then call him right now and say that you feel more comfortable if your boyfriend comes with you. I’m not trying to interfere with your work. You won’t even know I’m there. But I don’t want you alone with this man. If you don’t want me tagging along, that’s fine, too. I trust you. But then I’m hiring you security.”

She looked at me, and her hands shook. “I’m going, Sawyer. Alone. And honestly, I think we made a mistake here. You’ll never accept what I do. I don’t want to be with someone who tells me what I can and can’t do. Who thinks my job and my life are jokes. I don’t think this can work out.”

My vision blurred. This couldn’t be happening to me. No. Not now. Not when I’d fallen for her. Not when I . . .

“You’re breaking up with me because I’m worried about your safety? And I don’t think your job and life are jokes. But unlike everyone else in your life, I’m going to be honest with you and not blow smoke up your ass. Despite having over a million followers, you’re so alone. You told me when we met that you don’t have any close friends. You post about avocado toast, vanilla lattes, and sunsets, but you’re so much more than that. You’re smart; you’re compassionate. You could be making a real difference in people’s lives like you have in mine.”

Her bottom lip quaked. “We haven’t even known each other for more than two weeks, and you’re telling me what to do. I don’t like it.”

I held her arms and forced her to look at me. “I just want you to be safe. All I’m asking is to go with you or for you to get security. Is that too much to ask?”

“That’s not how these things are done.”

I shook my head. “Sol, you live in la-la land with your unicorn lattes and mermaid bowls. There are some really evil people out there. I’m not saying he is, but you need to be safe.”

“I’ll be safe. But Sawyer, I’m going.”

And with that, she stormed into the bedroom to pack. I downed my beer as my world closed in on me.

After twenty minutes, she emerged. “I’m going to stay in a hotel tonight. Maybe we can talk when I get back.”

“If you come back.”

She rolled her eyes. “Look, I hear what you are trying to say, and I appreciate your concern, but I can take care of myself. We can install an app on our phones to track each other. That way you’ll know where I am.”

“Is that what you think of me, Sol? That I’m some possessive boyfriend who needs to know where you are at all times? That’s not it, at all. I just want you to be safe.”

“I understand. But we can sync it, just in case.”

I pushed my rage down and reluctantly agreed. I was so fucking pissed right now, I couldn’t see straight.

Her Uber came to take her away. “Bye, Sawyer. I’ll fly back here on Sunday. Then we can talk.”

“Bye, Sol.” She didn’t even kiss me goodbye. Once she shut the door, I grabbed my beer bottle and threw it against the wall. The shards of glass shattered just like my heart. Would I ever see her again? Or would she be just another person in my life who left me?