Free His Distraction (Assured Distraction Book 2) by Thia Finn Page B

Krissy, to know she was alright and was going to be fine while he was gone. He couldn’t believe they would be separated for three months with things up in the air like this.

 
    The jet taxied down the runway of Austin-Bergstrom International with Assured Distraction strapped in for the flight where the band would deplane in London well before lunch. The morning passed smoothly for everyone except Ryan. He called Krissy to see if she was going to come down and see them off but she refused. She was already at the office and said she didn’t want to come. He wore the disappointment all over his face, and the band couldn’t help but notice.
    Once they boarded the plane, he called her again to say goodbye and again his call went to voicemail. He couldn’t believe she could be so cold-hearted to him. He loved her and hated they were parting with their relationship in turmoil, so he made one last attempt to reach her by text.
    Ryan: I only wanted to say goodbye. You didn’t have to ignore me.
    Krissy: Too busy to talk. Some of us have to work, remember?
    Ryan: Kitten, please call me before we take off. I need to hear your voice.
    Krissy: No, Ryan. It’s not a good idea. Go to Europe with your boys. Have the best time ever. Forget about me. You’re good at it.
    Ryan: Please, Krissy?
    Krissy: Look Ryan. You made your choice and it wasn’t us. I told you I’m done. Move on. I am.
    He couldn’t believe what he was reading. Was she breaking up with him via text with him trapped on a plane about to fly over the Atlantic Ocean? She said they were over, but he hadn’t believed her. She was pretty clear about it this time. As much as he hated to do it, he followed her directions. He was sick, but it had nothing to do with the alcohol binge from the night before. He fumbled around until he found the hallmark blue paper bag, just in case. Never in his life had he felt this disheartened. He felt like he’d had his heart and lungs virtually cut out. All that kept going through his mind was: I don’t have any idea how to be without her.
    Their time together over this past year meant so much to him, and he’d thought she felt the same. But now it seemed like their time together had meant nothing to her. Not knowing whether he was truly ready to give up on them was something he needed to give a lot of thought.
    As soon as the seatbelt signs went off, he ordered a drink and told the attendant to keep them coming. The rest of the band watched him until he fell asleep in his seat cruising somewhere near forty-thousand feet over the Eastern seaboard.
     

     
    Hayden woke up early on Tuesday morning wanting to enjoy some quiet time on the patio. The city was great, but he missed the peaceful early mornings of his home in East Texas. He wondered if life in Austin this was something he was willing to do for the long-term. Music was everything to him right now but did he love it enough to do it every single day? It was a long road to getting discovered. He was willing to give it a shot, but he didn’t know if this was all he thought it would be at this point.
    He drove to the studio, his favorite guitar in tow, with the intentions of rehearsing with one of the label’s staff songwriters and producers. Their plan was to record some tracks for a demo and Hayden was excited about the possibilities. When he walked in the front doors, Krissy sat at the front desk. He had no desire to talk to her, but if she was going to be working at the studio every day, he knew he had to try to be civil.
    “Mornin’, Krissy.”
    She looked up from behind the counter and smiled at him. “Good morning, Hayden. I didn’t know I would see you in here.”
    “Yeah, I had to do some stuff for Cash, and then he took me to meet some people after lunch, so I never made it back here yesterday.” He was shocked at how happy she appeared to be. Weren’t girls usually an emotional wreck after a breakup? Maybe she was a good actress. Ryan was a wreck when he