I plastered on a goofy grin so he wouldn’t notice how pissed I was with Addie. “What are you doing here?” I asked him, opening the water he’d brought me.
“I came to see you, of course. It feels like forever since I saw you last, and hearing your voice on the phone just doesn’t do much justice.” I was captured in his arms as he hugged me tightly, and if I wasn’t mistaken, I heard and felt him sniff my hair. “Will you spend the rest of the evening with me?” The smile that graced his face was amazing, but Trevelin’s undying lips popped into my mind.
“Actually, Trevelin is supposed to be here soon, and I think he wanted to talk to me.” The last part wasn’t true, but he didn’t have to know that.
Ryker frowned, but it was recovered quickly by another smile. “They won’t be here until later tonight. A group of chicks went crazy in their meet-and-greet last night. Bitches started fighting over who was next in line—something like that. Anyways, a bunch of them fell on the table the guys were at. Jace’s leg got pinned under it, and after security was able to get the girls under control they took Jace to the hospital. Heard it broke his ankle or some shit like that.”
“Oh my god, are they all okay?” I raced out of the sound booth as quick as I could and headed for my bag to find my phone. That’s why he didn’t answer last night when I had called him.
I pushed his name on my contact list and put the phone to my ear. It went straight to voicemail. “Trevelin, Ryker just told me what happened. Are you okay? Are the guys okay? Please call me back.” I put my phone in the pocket of my shorts so when he called back I could answer it quickly.
Bringing my head up, I looked at Ryker who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. His biceps were bulging and his defined chest muscles were very noticeable through his second-skin shirt. He was watching me patiently with a bemused expression.
“You done worrying?” he asked with a tight laugh. “They are all fine...other than Jace’s foot.” He uncrossed his arms and held a hand out to me. “If he cared about you half as much as you do him, then you two could be an epic love story.”
My cheeks became warm as I took his hand and said, “We’re just friends,” as plainly as I could possibly allow myself.
“I hope so,” he voiced honestly, walking out of the doors of R&R Records.
He opened the door to some red convertible and I got in. Trevelin wasn’t going to be here anytime soon, so what would it hurt if I passed the time with Ryker?
“Where are we going?” I questioned after he was settled behind the wheel, the L.A. sun caught him just right making him practically glow.
His eyes flashed with surprise and his lips curled with excitement. “You’ll see.”
While Ryker fought through the terrible traffic I decided to text Addie.
Me: You need to call Jace
Just as I sat the phone in my lap it went off.
Addie: Why? That would make me look desperate 0_o
Me: He broke his foot if you care at all
Her reply was instant.
Addie:OMG! I get to play doctor☺
Me: You are weird
She didn’t reply back – she didn’t have to. She knew she was.
Traffic finally cleared, and it wasn’t long until Ryker pulled the tiny sports car into a parking lot of a condominium which I noticed wasn’t far from where Addie and I were staying. I peered up at the huge building as I felt silver eyes watching me.
“This is the condo the label put us in. But don’t get the wrong idea. I have something planned on the beach.” I regarded him in disbelief as he pulled under a blue awning in front of the building.
A man rushed from inside and opened my door. “Good day, ma’am. Mr. Steele.”
“Hey, Gorge,” Ryker acknowledged. The man he called Gorge helped me from the car like I was a helpless old lady.
Rounding the car, Ryker took my hand and weaved it in his. One second my ears were filled with the sound of the zooming from cars flying down the street with the light whoosh of waves coming from behind the condominium, then the next I hear our names being called and the familiar click-click-click of cameras going off. Swarms of pesky mosquitoes, also known as paparazzi, were buzzing our way.
“Izzy, is it true you and Trevelin are in a relationship?”
“How long have you known the infamous Knight Raiders?”
“What is the situation between you and Ryker Steele?”
“Are you and Trevelin engaged?”
“Are you cheating on Trevelin?”
“Do you know about the other women he is sleeping with?”
“How do you feel about all the other women?”
“Are you and Ryker having a love child?”
The questions were thrown out so fast that they clogged my head with antagonizing confusion. The questions continued to fly as Ryker sheltered me under his large, inked arm, escorting me into his building.
These people had to be kidding. A love child? Really?
Then my brain decided to think about the other women they mentioned. Shut up, Izzy, it’s their job to start rumors.
“I’m so sorry, Izzy. They pop up like fucking jackals.” Ryker looked worried, brushing my hair behind my ear.
“It’s okay. It’s not your fault they follow us around. Just part of the business, right?”
“Yeah,” he scoffed with a tilted smile. “They won’t be allowed on the beach. It’s private. For residents only.”
“Sounds wonderful.”
The guy, Gorge, showed us down a long hallway, guiding us through a set of double doors at the end that led out to the beach. After almost falling several times in the deep sand, Ryker scooped me up into his arms and carried me the rest of the way to a white cabana, lit by twinkling lights. The sun was starting to set in front of us, and there was an assortment of candles placed in the sand around the cabana. It was beautiful and reminded me of my and Trevelin’s moment on a rooftop while creating a music video. I was shocked speechless. The only thing I could manage was to stare gapingly at the thoughtful, romantic setup Ryker had put together.
“You were so beautiful the day I saw you on the beach in the cabana in Tampa that I wanted to witness it all over again. Do you like it?” He was looking down at me, searching my face for insight, and all I could manage was to nod my head yes. “Good, I was a little worried.”
I was placed in a chair inside the cabana that had been decorated with a beautiful table, candle chandelier and a bucket holding a bottle of wine. The ambiance of it all was staggering.
Ryker sat in his seat across from me as Gorge laid a napkin in my lap. “Would you like a glass of wine, miss?” he asked politely.
“Huh? Yes, please.”
In what I was sure everyone one would call a perfect romantic fixture in time, I was confronted with an enormity of mixed emotions. Yes, it was undoubtedly sweet, and yes, Ryker was a very good looking guy and I liked him a lot, but I didn’t feel as if it was right.
Ryker liked me, that I could guess. However, I didn’t know the extent of that like and had no idea that he would try and romance me.
Looking over the menu at the unspoken, darkish handsome man, I found it funny that this masculine man would try and swoon me with bottles of wine, candles and a sunset alongside crashing waves.
“What is all this, Ryker? Are you trying to impress me with your romantic side?” I placed the menu down and focused solely on the slivery gray eyes across the table.
Ryker tilted his head, his lips tipping into a smile most would need to fan themselves over. “Is it not working?”
“It’s just...I don’t know...what’s the purpose for this?” Waving my hands at the white cabana and the elegant touches, I was hit with the reason why, but I was unable to bring myself to acknowledge it. I needed to hear it from him. Actually, I didn’t want to hear him say it. He wasn’t the one I wanted to hear it come from.
“I wanted to do this tomorrow, on Valentine’s Day, but we have
a huge rehearsal at the Staples Center.” My stomach started fluttering as my breathing picked up. Ryker scratched the back of his neck. I was glad to see he came across just as clammy as I did. “So I decided to do it tonight instead. I thought it would be later on tonight, like after we ate, but here it goes.” He cleared his throat. “You’re perfect for me, Izzy, in every single way. I can’t go another day without you knowing how I feel. I want to lay all the rumors to rest and make you Ryker Steele’s official girl. I love everything about you and I want us to be together. Those blue eyes of yours have haunted me for weeks, and I know it’s because you’re the one for me.”
I was sweating profusely. In a really gross way.
Why did he have to say this? If it were Trevelin I would be jumping across the table into his arms, tackling him to the sand below us.
But he wasn’t.
As much as I liked Ryker, I just couldn’t give him that part of me. It belonged to someone else entirely and always would.
Realizing I hadn’t said anything to his hanging confession, I wiped at the beads of sweat that had accumulated on my forehead. I hadn’t a single clue as what to say. “Ryker...I...I have to go.” I leapt like an antelope from the chair and stumbled out of the cabana, heading straight for the Knight Raiders condo as if a hungry lion were after me.
I could hear Ryker continuously shout my name but I didn’t stop. My flip flops were hindering me from escaping fast enough, so I kicked them from my feet, leaving them alone in the sand.
The lights of the large condominium came into sight and while running straight to it, a moth entranced by the light, my mind was in a frenzy trying to keep up. It was childish for me to just run away from Ryker and not be an adult and tell him how I felt. But it was too much to take in all at once. I needed to escape.
I never meant to lead him on, and I never expected for him to ever want me more than a friend. A lot like with Trevelin, although roles reversed. I was just a close friend that Trevelin cared for and had slept with. I should’ve known when I had sex with him there was no going back. That I would become hooked on him…enthralled to him.
I reached the front of the building and stopped, needing to catch my breath. Leaning up against the glass wall to the side of the entrance, I absorbed the coolness and allowed my lungs to catch up with the rest of my body.
“Dammit, Izzy! What the hell?” Ryker gasped, out of breath, bending at the waist and placing his hands on his thighs trying to get a lungful of air. “What are you? A fucking marathon runner or something?” he choked out.
I should have kept running. I should have gone to the stairs and climbed all twenty-three floors to get to the condo. “I needed to get away,” I offered as fair reasoning.
“Get away from what? I tried to make it special. Memorable. Did I do something wrong?” He held his hands out. A slice of uncertainty and heartache crushed his handsomely dark featured face.
No, he did everything perfect. I did something...I fell in love with Trevelin Knight.
Shaking my head, my face creased with pain that I couldn’t get to go away for the fact that I was about to break a heart that didn’t deserve it. I looked up from my bare feet to see his sad eyes flash to the side toward the parking lot. “No, Ryker, it was perfect. I just don’t—”
I wasn’t given another second to reveal my emotions crawling and eating away at my insides. My face was quickly captured by his strong hands as his lips collided with mine. For a brief second I didn’t know what was going on and I pushed against his hard body trying to free myself, but it was my heart that started beating me to death when I heard the devastating voice come from beside me.
“What the fuck? Country?”
Chapter Eighteen
Trevelin
Getting to L.A. was taking forever. It seemed like everything was moving in slow motion. I assumed it only felt that way because I was so eager to see Country. I even bought her a present in the jewelry store at the airport that would go perfectly with the gift I’d gotten her for Valentine’s Day. I’d never bought jewelry for anyone before, other than her mother’s Christmas gift and for myself.
I had no idea that a tiny bracelet that was barely big enough to fit around one of my fingers could cost so damn much. The necklace wasn’t far behind in price. I didn’t care how much either of them cost though, they reminded me of her and would look perfect on her silky, porcelain skin.
Nothing was too expensive when it came to her, and I wanted to prove that to her. I wanted to spoil her more than her dad already had, but most of all I wanted to ensure that I got the luxury of spending all my time with her. I needed things cleared up between us. No more ‘we’re good friends’. I needed to know where she stood and what she wanted between us.
“Damn it, Reed!” Bryson scorned. “Close your fuckin’ blowhole!
“Man, those damn burritos tore my shit up,” Reed grumbled, grabbing at his stomach. Unfortunately for me, I was the bastard who got lucky enough to be seated next to him. We’d all had to smell his ass since he found it necessary to devour twelve burritos before our plane ride.
A loud rumble ripped explosively through the air.
“REED!” Jace shouted in my ear from behind me.
“Sorry, bro.” Reed laughed so hard the noise resembled that of a crying baby. Or he could be. His ass might be in pain; the noises it kept making sure sounded painful.
“You’re going to be sorry when I kick your ass.”
“You might not want to go there.” Reed chuckled, trying to contain himself. “Plus, how do you plan on kicking anything with a broken foot, dumb fuck?” Reed seemed currently happy about his brother’s unpleasant predicament.
“I think I might just help him with the process,” Big Mac voiced deeply from the driver seat.
“We pay you to protect us,” Reed mused humorously.
“At the moment my lungs need protection from your ass gas.” All of us laughed at Big Mac’s remark as he turned the vehicle into our condo parking lot. He parked and swiveled in the seat to look back at us. “Now get your stank out of the fuckin’ truck.”
“See ya, man.” I chuckled at him, getting out of the SUV with Zeppelin in my arms. I was so anxious to get to the twenty-third floor to see Country that I could hardly contain my excitement. She was all I’d been thinking about, and I could’ve kicked Jace’s ass for letting the out control fans get too close to him, landing us in the hospital for hours while he got his foot checked out, which caused us to get to L.A. later than scheduled.
My heart heaved hearing her voicemail she’d left. Hearing her say Ryker’s name through the speaker had me close to destroying another phone. After that I couldn’t get to her fast enough. Or that was what I thought until I rounded a vehicle blocking my view from the entrance to the building. Every mandatory organ started convulsing in my chest.
No! No, no, no. This can’t be happening.
“What the fuck? Country?” It blared from my chest with such force I thought my heart was going to come out with it.
She wasn’t mine. I knew this. But fuck if I didn’t consider her to be. I had planned to make her just that tonight as I made love to her over and over again, all night long.
Instead of sissy-ass flutters at the thought, bile rose into my throat from seeing Country locked mouth to mouth with Ryker fucking Steele.
She managed to push him away and looked to be struggling to catch her breath. How long had they been making out in front of my goddamn building?
“Trevelin?” I didn’t mistake the surprise in the way she said my name, just like I didn’t miss the satisfaction all over Ryker’s face.
I was unknowing as to who was beside me, but whoever the hell it was now held Zeppelin as I lunged toward the fucker who had my desired girl pinned to the wall with his tongue shoved down her throat. Without second guessing it, I punched him so hard in the face that I felt it reverberate down to my feet.
That may be because he fell to the ground right in front of me fro
m the force. Anger was coursing rampantly through my veins. I almost collapsed on top of him to continue the beat down of his fucking life, but the terrified look I found on Izzy’s face when I glanced at her prevented me from doing more harm. Her small hand flung over her mouth and a lone tear streamed down her face.
I didn’t stop over her fearful expression that was breaking my heart; I stopped because she just broke mine, and I suddenly realized this fucked up situation wasn’t even worth my damn time.
“Fuck this shit!” I threw my hands up at them both then stormed passed Bryson who was holding Zeppelin, and I would have laughed at the thumbs up Reed saluted me with if not for the emptiness that dominated my insides.
Big Mac was still at the SUV, unloading our bags. As I walked behind him, I barked, “Put it back in or leave the shit. I need to get outta here.” He didn’t ask any questions, he only grunted and stuffed the few bags back into the vehicle. My anger was out of control, and I whaled hard against the headrest of the seat when I got in, hoping it would relieve some of the intense frustration that was threatening to destroy me little by little.
I thought I had her. I thought I was fixing to be able to make her mine. That fucking plan had just been shot all to hell. I felt the vehicle wobble to Big Mac’s oversized body getting inside, then the sound of the engine start. Devoid of all happiness that had once possessed my entirety, I pulled out my cigarette pack, stuck one between my lips and lit it up. Deeply inhaling the smoke, I held it in my lungs until they burned with fire.
I blew it out slowly and within minutes we were on the Boulevard heading nowhere.
“Where ya needin’ to get to all of a sudden?” Big Mac finally asked, not knowing where he needed to take me.
“Somewhere I can get fucking shit faced with a bunch of hot pussy.” I took another long pull from my cig.
“You sure about that? You got a big show in a few days.” I passed him a hooded glare. I didn’t need him being Mr. Daddy-do-little right now. I needed him to shut up and fucking drive.
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