I wrapped up the conversation and headed out. The band was coming offstage at the same time, and Corey and I walked straight into each other.
He spotted me, and his expression shifted into something almost defiant.
"It's just a gig, and you show up to spy on me? Caroline, can you give me some space for once?"
Space. The word hit a nerve. In my past life, he'd begged me on his knees to set him free. The memory left a bitter taste.
"I was here meeting a client. Trust me, nobody wants to watch you make out with your drummer."
He went rigid, eyes wide.
"What... what did you just say?"
I looked straight at him, then at Letitia beside him, barely concealing her satisfaction. Every word landed clean and deliberate.
"I said I have zero interest in watching you date someone else."
Corey's chest heaved. The color drained from his face, then flooded back.
Something snapped in him, and he doubled down, righteous as ever.
"Yeah. Letitia gets me. She knows what I need."
"But you, Caroline? All you've ever done is nickel-and-dime everything down to the last dollar. Do you understand what our band stands for? Do you have any idea what I'm chasing? No. You don't know the first thing about it."