by Jodie Larson
Looking to Myles again, I sing the chorus, thrusting each and every word in his direction. His little pissing match isn’t going to work anymore. He’s made it very clear that I’m not a part of his life anymore, regardless of his mouth occasionally assaulting mine. I chalk it up to bad habits. Nothing more.
When the song ends, everyone loses their minds. The room is cast in darkness again, leaving the statement I was making hanging in the air. I thank the crowd and walk off stage, my head held high. Kade’s the first to greet me when I pass by.
“That was amazing,” he says, squeezing me quickly.
“Thanks.”
“Yeah, I’ve never heard you sing like that before,” Pax adds.
I shrug. “When inspiration comes, you have to let it flow.” I drift to Myles, narrowing my eyes as I say it.
Brecken looks between us and shakes his head. “Some inspiration. You nailed it.”
Thanks to the heels, I don’t need to reach up on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. We’re practically eye level.
“Now that they’re all warmed up for you, knock ‘em dead,” I say, repeating what Don said to me earlier. You don’t diss the juju when it’s given to you.
I don’t say anything to Myles. Just a glare as I pass, making sure to sway my hips a little more than necessary. To my surprise, he wraps a hand around my arm, stopping me before I’m completely in the clear.
“You’re wrong, you know.”
What? “I’m hardly ever wrong.”
He huffs a breath out his nose and shakes his head. “This time you are.”
Is he serious? Before I get the chance to respond, he takes the stage with the rest of the guys.
I don’t have time to process what he meant by that. All I want to do is sit down and take off these heels…and these pants. The next time I have the bright idea of wearing leather, someone needs to intervene.
Adrienne comes up to me and wraps her arms around my shoulders. “Oh my God, you were amazing.”
“Hey,” I say, hugging her back. “I didn’t know you were here. When’d you get in?”
She pushes a chunk of hair out of her eyes and smiles. “About an hour ago. Came straight from the airport. I’m exhausted. Who knew flying would wear you down?”
I laugh and point to her belly. “I’m sure she has more to do with it than the actual flying.”
A sparkle glints in her eyes. “She?”
“Of course. Kade needs a little girl to spoil. I’m of the belief that every man needs at least one daughter. That way they can understand the pain they put all those other fathers through.”
She laughs and joins me at the stage entrance. So much for getting comfortable.
“How are you feeling?” I ask, leaning against the wall to take some of the pressure off my feet.
Adrienne rubs her belly and smiles. “Good. Most of the morning sickness has passed now, I think. As long as I eat something right away and keep snacking all day I feel pretty good.” She’s practically glowing as her hand keeps rubbing circles over her baby.
“When’s your next appointment?” It’s been a month since I’ve seen her so I’m eager to catch up on all things baby.
“Just had it, which is why I got the okay to fly. I’m under explicit instructions from my doctor to head to the nearest hospital if I should have any weird complications or pain.”
I furrow my brow. “Have you?”
The smile dips slightly from her face. “Once. I had some weird cramping and went to the doctor right away. After a bunch of tests, they figured it was normal. The baby’s heartbeat was regular and everything looked good on the ultrasound.”
I vaguely remember Kade being irritable a couple weeks ago, never really knowing why he was acting so strange. This makes sense now. He was worried about his wife and child, knowing there was nothing he could do from far away.
“This has to be hard for you guys, Kade being away and you not able to join him all the time. How do you do it?”
Adrienne perks back up. “Physically, it’s tough. I miss him all the time. But when we were dating, he’d go on the road and leave me behind, so I kind of knew what I was signing on to when we got married.” She shrugs. “We Skype a lot and talk every day. It’s not ideal, but enough to get us by.”
“Long distance relationships are hard, though. How do you know his feelings for you haven’t changed?”
Adrienne looks toward the stage, watching Kade do his thing. He’s positively electric, bringing the crowd into the show, including them anyway he can. This is his true talent and why their shows are the best. Everyone else plays for the crowd. These guys make the crowd feel as if they’re on stage with them.
She points to Kade then opens her palm as if she’s displaying him. “That’s how I know.” I listen to the words of the song and realize it’s theirs. Every concert he sings it. I guess I haven’t paid that much attention since I’m constantly coming down from my own high. Adrienne is up on stage with him each time he sings it. She’s never far away from him.
My heart warms and for a moment, I’m jealous. What they have is special, probably a once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. A long time ago, I thought I had that.
“You’re lucky to have each other.” Turning, I face her. “Keep hold of that love. You never know when it fades away.”
Adrienne puts her hand on my shoulder. “Myles and I don’t always get along.” I raise a brow. “Hey, it’s better than it was before. Anyway, that boy has changed over the last few weeks. He’s not as temperamental as usual. And I’ve seen the way he looks at you. It’s obvious he’s still hung up on you.”
Pregnancy has made her lose her mind. “You’re crazy. You haven’t seen the way he’s been acting toward me. He’s callous at times, ruthless, and petty.”
“I’ve heard differently. Do you know he talks about you after you go to sleep?”
“What?” That’s news to me. When I head back to my bed on the bus, I try to tune everything out, mainly because I don’t want to cry or be more miserable than I already am.
Adrienne nods. “He’s constantly talking about you. Not always positive, more in a venting sort of way, but you know what that means? He’s like the elementary school boy who pulls your hair to get your attention. It means he likes you.”
“He can’t…doesn’t. Won’t. That ship has sailed.”
I risk a glance at Myles and see him staring at me instead of the crowd like he usually does. What he does next takes me by surprise. He smiles at me. A full-on, heartfelt smile. I practically stumble backward by the force of it. Is he being mean or is he sincere?
“Sometimes that ship comes back,” she says.
Just as quickly as it happened, Myles turns and works the crowd again, flashing his panty-melting smile to the screaming girls in the front row.
There’s no way Adrienne is right. She can’t be. He’s a dick, being cruel and punishing with his jabs and hovering over me. It’s not normal. I can’t even look at another crewmember without him interjecting. Never mind the fact that Barry hasn’t said one word to me since we first talked last week. Did Myles do something to him? Instead of the smiles and “hey, how’s it going” I used to get, now it’s a tight nod and quick steps to take him away. There’s no other explanation. Myles has marked his territory. Again.
There’s no other reason for it. If he’s marked me, then that means…
I need to test this theory out. But how?
“Since Kade’s decided to stay an extra night here, what do you think about going clubbing tomorrow night? He says it’s been too long on the road without a stop and needs to relax a little.” Adrienne says, pulling me out of my head.
With a quick look at Myles again, I nod. “Yeah, I could definitely blow off some steam.”
She claps her hands and bounces on her heels. “Great! I’ve done some research and there’s a bar not too far from the hotel that I think you’ll appreciate.” A sly grin crosses her face. I’m not sure if I should be excited or s
cared. Maybe both. “Tomorrow we’re having a girl day. Then the fun happens.”
Now I’m officially scared.
Why did I let them talk me into this? The woman looking back at me isn’t someone I recognize. Who is this person wearing a dress that’s hugging every available curve and at least three inches too short? Is there anything even covering my ass? Damn Quinn and her slutty closet. And damn Adrienne for bringing it with her. When we left Kansas City weeks ago, I never even thought to pack club clothes. I assumed we’d be on the bus or doing a concert. Downtime never crossed my mind. And tonight, that’s exactly what we have: an entire night of nothing to do but go out and relax.
Relax? What in the hell is that? Oh, I know, it’s that thing people do when they’re not trying to actively avoid their hot-as-sin ex as he behaves like a complete and utter jackass.
Well, no more. With this dress, and a massive amount of alcohol, Myles Donovan will be a memory once and for all. Picking up the shot glass, I toss back the clear liquid, the vodka burning a path to my stomach. One down, many more to go.
Snap! is supposed to be one of the top rated clubs in the city. And since Adrienne felt normal for the first time in weeks, she wanted to go out and celebrate the tour’s success with us. She’s grown on me in the short time I’ve known her, almost like she’s been one of our group from the beginning. I have to admit, it’s nice to have another female around who can joke with the guys and give as much shit as they do.
Neon lights bounce off every blackened wall, coloring the air as they swirl around. A large projection screen is the focal point in the two-story open space, showcasing the corresponding video to the songs. A small stage sits in front of it, lined with people grinding against the metal railing and each other. Bodies occupy every available inch of dance floor, packed together like sardines. I’ve never seen a place like this before. Then again, I didn’t get out much during most of my twenties. I’ve missed so much. Not anymore. I’m taking back what should be mine, starting with my happiness tonight.
“Great music,” Adrienne yells over the pounding bass line surrounding us from every angle. Ugh, “Tubthumper” by Chumbawumba. I hated that song when it first came out and I still hate it now. Luckily, the song changes once we reach the bar.
The blasting of the horns catches my attention, making the blood run a little faster through my veins.
“Oh, my God. This is my jam!” Throwing my hands in the air, I start swaying my body to the beat. “Let Me Clear My Throat” was my all-time favorite song to dance to when I was a kid. Mainly because of the beat. And it annoyed my parents.
Adrienne detaches herself from Kade’s arm, but not before leaving him with a scorching kiss. I look away because watching them make out isn’t something I want to witness. All it does is remind me of how lonely I am and how a certain someone used to do that to me.
The music pulses loudly, vibrating the floor with each beat. This is exactly what I needed. Good music to whisk away my cares and let me feel normal for once. Too much has happened, and tonight I want them to all go away as if they never happened.
Bodies continue to pack onto the floor, elbows flying, but no one is complaining. Instead, they all dance closer. It has to be a hundred degrees in here, easy. A bead of sweat threatens to trickle down my hairline so I grab my hair and pull it up into a ponytail, dancing with my hand on my head to hold everything together. Sure, it looks funny, but who cares.
The song switches again and Adrienne pulls me back to Kade at the bar, with Pax and Breck sitting on the other side of him.
Pax smiles and gives me a once-over. “Wow, Tay. You sure clean up well.” The spotlights dance in his eyes and I can’t tell if he’s being serious or if he’s implying something more.
“Um, thanks?” He laughs it off and flags the bartender down, ordering three shots of Patron. He tries handing one to me and I push it away. “Nope. No tequila for this girl.”
“Come on. It’s just one shot. What’s the worst that can happen?” Pax says, giving me his puppy dog eyes.
Asshole. He knows I can’t resist those. Never could.
I grab the shot from his hand, hoping enough of it would slosh over the side so it wouldn’t be so full. No such luck. The guys raise their glasses in the air, but I hesitate.
“Where’s the salt and lime?”
Brecken barks out a laugh before digging through the bartender’s fruit tray and stealing the saltshaker next to it. “Aw, you need training wheels?”
Narrowing my eyes at him, I lick my hand and dash the salt over it. “Yes, I do.” He just laughs and hoists his glass in the air again.
“To the gang getting back together,” he chants.
A round of here-here’s follows before their empty shot glasses slam against the counter. My semi-full glass still sits in my hand as I stare at it, afraid to even put it to my lips.
Kade laughs while pulling Adrienne into his lap. “It’s not going to taste any better if you let it warm up.”
Okay, it’s now or never. Blowing out a breath, I lick the salt from my hand and down the shot as fast as I can. The bitter taste lingers in my mouth and I quickly bite into the lime to chase it away. That has to be the absolute worst tasting alcohol in the world.
A round of coughs follow and the asses just laugh. “How can you guys drink that shit straight?”
Breck waves the bartender down and orders another round of the same thing. “You’ll get used to it. After the first one, it’s not so bad.”
That’s not necessarily true. The second one was still as bad as the first. But number three started to taste a little better than the others. By shot four, I didn’t need the lime and salt anymore. Fucking Brecken. Fucking Pax. Fucking Kade. Damn them for always being right.
Sugar Ray’s “Fly” comes on and Breck drags me out onto the dance floor. Kade and Adrienne follow while Pax stays at the bar. Said he doesn’t feel like dancing, but I think he just wants to hit on the cute little brunette sitting next to him.
“This is my jam,” I whisper-yell into Breck’s ear.
He gives me a huge smile and shakes his head. “You’ve said that for every song that’s come on since we got here.”
“Well, it’s true. They’re all my jam.” My tongue is heavy, like a bunch of weights are trying to keep it down and I’m pretty sure my teeth are numb. I don’t care. In this moment, I’m just Tatum.
We join Pax, Kade, and Adrienne, who’ve moved to a table off to the side.
“We grabbed this as soon as it opened up. Looks like they’re a rarity around here,” Kade says, pulling his wife onto his lap again. Brecken sits me down next to him, but keeps his arm around my back for support. It feels like the floor is moving. Is it moving?
The swirling lights distract me, but not for long enough. Someone catches my attention as he walks over to us.
Fucking. Hell.
Myles casually strides over with some new bimbo attached to his hip. Jesus, is she twelve? Petite with dark brown hair and the fullest lips money can buy. If it weren’t for the five-inch stilettos, I doubt she’d even come up to his shoulder. She’s cute, if you like the overly done sort of look. And I’m not entirely sure you can justify what she’s wearing as clothes. Pretty sure it’s underwear with a towel around her waist.
Breck turns his head and takes a protective stance to my right, acting as my shield against evil.
“This is Andrea,” Myles says, even though no one asked who he brought.
The bimbo gives us a capped-tooth smile and extends her pristinely manicured hand. Bracelets dangle from her wrist, jingling as she shakes Breck’s hand first. I imagine the same noise is inside her head. I choke back a laugh.
When she wraps her fingers around my hand, I focus my blurry gaze on her nail polish. Whore red is how my mom used to refer to this color. It’s a perfect match to her lipstick, making her overly plump lips pout just a tad more. She screams groupie. And tramp. And homewrecker. Even though there’s no home to wreck.
Right?
Damn alcohol is clouding my judgment. I’m still pissed, though for the life of me I can’t remember why.
Fuck you, Patron.
“Baby, let’s dance,” Andrea whines into Myles’ ear, loud enough for us to hear. It doesn’t help that she gives me a cat-like smile, acting like she ate the canary before I had the chance to even pounce. Well, good. She can have him.
“Anything you want, darlin’. It’s your night.” His strong hands wrap easily around her waist as he guides her to the dance floor and starts a slow, seductive grind. She lifts the hair off her shoulders and turns around to rub her backside against his front.
The last tequila shot turns in my stomach, threatening to come out at any minute. Breck’s still looking at me, trying to get my attention to him rather than the disgusting display before us.
“Tay? You okay? You’re looking a little green.” He brings a hand to my forehead, but I slap it away. I don’t need to be coddled. What I need is more alcohol, even though it may put me over the edge.
“I’m fine,” I say. At least I hope that’s what I said. Even to my drunken ears it was debatable. “I juss need a drink.”
Myles has ruined my good mood, tanking whatever hopes I had for the night by showing up with her. Not that it would have mattered. If he had shown up with anyone it would have been bad. So I’ll do what I do best – avoid the situation.
Brecken’s smile slowly fades from his face. “I think you need some water.”