The Comeback (BWWM Interracial Romance Book 7) Read Free

his change in seating to be closer to her.
    “I’m surprised to see you out,” Brenton said, his gaze flicking up and down over her.
    Amber shrugged. “Care-bear told me not to disappoint her, and you know I can’t let her down,” she replied.
    Brenton laughed. “She didn’t tell any of us you were on the guest list! How have you been?”
    Amber took another sip of her drink; she wondered if Brenton was asking because he really wanted to know, or if he was curious like so many of her former friends seemed to be—if she was losing her cool still, if she was going to accept her washout status. “I’ve been okay. Living with mom now. Living down the horrible humiliation of my boyfriend screwing around on me. Trying to keep off the front page news.” She smiled awkwardly.
    Brenton frowned, glancing around the table quickly to make sure that no one was paying particular attention to them. “I’m sorry, Am-bear,” he said, keeping his voice low—just loud enough for her to hear in the crowded bar. “I completely forgot about that.”
    Amber shrugged. “Yeah, well, you didn’t forget I existed, so at least you have that going for you.”
    Brenton grinned. “I couldn’t ever forget you existed.” He shook his head. “Even before you became a big star, I would never have been able to forget you.”
    Amber felt her cheeks burning with a blush. “Did you see… I don’t know if you’ve followed my career at all…”
    Brenton nodded.
    “Well, did you see the notes on my first album? I totally name-checked you.”
    Brenton’s bright eyes widened. “I didn’t even look! Okay, now you have to sign it for me. I kept the CD in the plastic and everything—I downloaded the album—legally, mind you—so I could listen to it wherever I went.”
    Amber laughed. “You did? Of course I’ll sign it for you, you big dummy.” She gave his shoulder a playful shove and Brenton pretended to nearly fall over, recovering at the last moment. He took the last swallow of his beer and checked his watch, grimacing.
    “Something wrong?” she asked.
    Brenton shook his head. “Nah, I just have to go home soon—my baby girl is waiting for me.”
    Amber remembered—all at once—that Brenton had a daughter. “Well, I’m glad you were able to come out,” she said, smiling; she stopped short of adding that she wished that he could stay.
    “I hate having to leave, especially since I don’t think we’ve talked in years.”
    Amber nodded. “I’ve got nothing but time these days, so you just let me know when you want to catch up.”
    Brenton held her gaze for a long moment. “Let’s grab lunch next week. I’ll bring my copy of your first album and you can sign it for me, and we can spend the whole time reconnecting.” Amber hesitated for a moment; Brenton was undeniably attractive. But all he wanted was to catch up. She shouldn’t read so much into things, she told herself firmly. “I’d love that. Now scoot on out of here and give your baby some love.” Brenton leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, turning to the rest of the assembled group and making his farewells. Amber watched him leave and tried not to feel too deflated as she turned her attention back to Cara and the people who had once known her so well. It was hard not to feel like she had really lost something in Brenton’s departure, but she told herself again and again that it was nothing, that she was just being silly. She’d see him again soon enough and maybe she’d actually expand her social life a little bit in the process.
     

Chapter Two
     
    Amber fidgeted a little bit as she stood outside of Treebeards, waiting for Brenton to arrive. He had called her earlier in the week, and she could hear the smile in his voice when he asked if she really wanted to meet up for lunch, or if she was too busy with her life to manage it. She had barely held herself back enough to not admit that as a performer whose spotlight was waning, the one thing she really