Lie to Me (Rising Star Book 1)

by Lee Piper

  Reid crosses his arms. I remind myself now isn’t the time to ogle his muscles.

  “Shiloh?”

  Sighing, I start to move forward. Only Reid pulls me in against his rippling torso. Internally slapping myself across the face, I turn to my bleary-eyed friend.

  “Jasper lost his shit last night.” I gesture to the pile of wood in the corner. “You know how he gets.”

  “Yeah, you do,” Reid grits out. “But you were too busy searching for the bottom of a bottle to protect your friend.”

  “Protect?” Tobias is incredulous. “What are you talking about? Jasper would never hurt Shiloh.”

  Anger radiates from every pore of Reid’s body. My fingers trace his heated skin in a slow circle, hoping like hell it calms him down. “He was smashing the place up while his sister was in the room. Asshole’s lucky he left before I got here. No one’s putting my woman in a situation like that ever again. You hear me?”

  “Your woman?”

  Reid is silent, the tell-tale tic in his jaw the only evidence he’s seriously pissed.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” Tobias’s eyes flick between Reid and me.

  Silence. Tic.

  Tobias turns to me. “Shiloh?”

  “I’m so sorry, Tobias. You know I care about you, you’re my closest friend. But…” I take a deep breath, steeling myself. “I love him.”

  There.

  I’ve said it.

  Granted, I could have picked a better moment. One that isn’t bathed in the aftermath of my brother’s anger or in the midst of my best friend’s downward spiral. My timing is rubbish, there’s no doubt about it. But when it comes to Reid, I am lost, found, and everything in between.

  Tobias stumbles back as though struck. His shoulder thumps against the plasterboard, the wall the only reason he remains upright. “You love him?”

  Turning to Reid, I give him a soft smile. “Yeah, I do.”

  Reid’s hands are in my hair and his tongue is in my mouth before I can even finish the sentence. A deep rumble echoes through his chest as he shifts his frame until it’s flush with mine.

  Pulling away, I gasp, “Reid, no. Tobias—”

  “You love me?”

  There is something so vulnerable, so exposed in his expression, I’m powerless to do anything except cradle his face in my palms. “Yes, I do.”

  He closes his eyes, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows. Then opening his eyes again, he kisses me.

  Sweet Lord, does he kiss me.

  I melt, swoon, dig my nails into his skin.

  He teases, takes, tugs on my hair.

  The slam of a nearby door startles me, making me jump. Pulling back from Reid, I scan the room. “Where’s Tobias?”

  “Gone.” As gorgeous as he is with wet, swollen lips and disheveled hair, I can’t ignore what I did in front of my best friend.

  “Shit! What the fuck was I thinking? I’m such a bitch! Tobias must be hurting so bad right now.” Assuming it was the back door he exited through, I disentangle myself from Reid’s arms and stalk toward it then wrench it open. “I’ve gotta go after him.” Hair falls in my eyes as I shake my head. “What a fucking idiot.”

  “Hey,” Reid interrupts, his strong hands forcing me to face him. “That’s my woman you’re talking about.”

  “Well, your woman’s a fucking idiot.”

  He clasps my waist, pulling me closer. His touch is firm, possessive, powerful enough to short-circuit my brain. I bite my bottom lip.

  “She’s impulsive, sure. But she’s not a fucking idiot.” He tucks the wayward strand of hair behind one ear. “You need to eat.”

  “Eat? Are you kidding me? I just tore my best friend’s heart out and spat on it. I need to find him and apologize, not sit and stuff my face.”

  “Darlin’, you won’t be any good to anyone if you pass out from hunger. Besides, you’re the last person he’ll want to see right now.”

  I flinch.

  Reid cups my face, lowering his forehead until it rests against mine. “He’ll figure out this is the way it’s meant to be.”

  Uncertain, I vacillate in the middle of the kitchen.

  Reid threads his fingers through mine, leading me toward the table. “Sit your sweet ass down, eat your food, then go find him.”

  I hate that he makes sense. I hate that I take a seat, nibble the delicious breakfast, and forget Tobias every time I look at Reid.

  I can’t find Tobias.

  He’s not at the beach, his house, Rising Star. Nowhere.

  “Fuck.” Pacing our tiny rehearsal studio, my eyes flit to his drum kit. The drum kit he isn’t sitting behind with four hours to go until we’re live.

  I’m gonna be sick.

  Jasper stalks into the room smelling like cheap perfume and sex. I’ve never been so glad to see him mid walk of shame in my life.

  He levels me with a glare. “Thought you’d be here. Now, I don’t agree with what you did last night and when all this shit is over, we’re gonna have a long fucking talk about family loyalty, but for the sake of the competition, I’m gonna let it slide—” He must notice my stricken expression. “What is it?”

  “I’ve lost Tobias.”

  “What are you talking about? How can you lose Tobias? He’s a grown-ass man.”

  Wringing my hands, I glance away. “I, ah, said something hurtful. He didn’t take it well.” I wipe sweaty hands down the front of my jeans. “He stormed out the house earlier, and now he won’t answer my calls or texts. I’ve searched all morning and have no freaking idea where he is.” My eyes flit to my brother. “I’m really starting to worry.”

  He swears under his breath. Retrieving his phone from his pocket, he dials Tobias. And waits. And waits.

  Nothing.

  He hangs up, the whites of his knuckles obvious when he points the cell in my direction. “What the hell did you do?”

  Squaring my shoulders, I prepare for the onslaught. “I told him I’m in love with Reid.”

  “You what? Are you crazy? The guy’s dealing with enough shit already! He doesn’t need you dropping the mother of all fucking bombshells on the day of the finals.” Turning, he kicks the mic stand, sending it crashing to the floor. “Fuck!”

  There’s a timid knock at the door.

  “Go away!” Jasper yells.

  It opens regardless. With more balls than I’d ever give her credit for, Vivienne’s PA creeps inside.

  “What the hell do you want?”

  “Jasper,” I warn.

  He glowers at me. “Don’t you fucking dare. I am this close to losing my shit because of you.”

  Ignoring my brother, I smile at the terrified woman trembling in front of us. At least, I try to. There’s every chance it’s a painful grimace. “What’s up?”

  “You’re, um, late for your interviews.”

  “Interviews? What interviews?”

  “The interviews Vivienne set up with Rock Magazine, Rolling Stone, and Vibe.” Her eyes dart between Jasper, me, and the door. “I sent you an email with an updated schedule for today. Didn’t you get it?”

  Pulling out my phone, I search through my inbox. Shit. She’s right. With my mind fixed solely on this clusterfuck, I didn’t even think to check it.

  I scan the message as a knot the size of Jasper’s ego lodges in the back of my throat. “Do we have to go to all three interviews?”

  “Y-yes, it’s in your contractual agreement.” Her voice wobbles as she recounts, “Article twenty-five, paragraph seventeen.”

  “Is there any chance we can reschedule until after the show?”

  She shakes her head, her tortoiseshell glasses slipping down her nose. “No, sorry. They have rights to the pre-performance exclusive that will go live online before your song.” Without making eye contact, she murmurs, “Article thirty-one, paragraph five.”

  I stare at the illuminated screen as panic unfurls in my belly. We’re fucked. Like, seriously fucked. Even if Jasper and I somehow manage to
find Tobias, we’ll be lucky to get twenty minutes to rehearse before Stephanie attacks me with a gallon of primer and a curling iron. There’s no way we’ll have enough time to get this song ready.

  Jasper must come to the same realization because all the blood drains from his face.

  “What are we gonna do?” I mouth.

  He doesn’t respond. He just stands there shell-shocked.

  “Shall I tell Vivienne you’re ready?” The PA clutches her iPad close to her chest. As far as shields go, she could have done better.

  Jasper blinks, clears his throat, and nods. “We’re ready.”

  The pit of my stomach drops somewhere past my ankles. “Jasper,” I hiss.

  But he turns his back, waving me away.

  It’s going to take a miracle to get us out of this mess.

  We follow Vivienne’s PA through the myriad of hallways until we arrive at the conference room. The interviews take forever. In another lifetime, Jasper and I would’ve had smiles a mile wide from chatting with journalists from our favorite music magazines. I mean, finally getting recognized by the best in the business? It’s a dream opportunity. But we’re too distracted. In fact, I’m lucky to utter anything larger than monosyllabic responses.

  By the time the last interview winds down, Tobias still hasn’t returned any of my fifty-six missed calls. He’s ignoring Jasper too. We don’t have a clue where he is, and if one of us can’t get away from Rising Star and find him soon, the shit is going to hit the fan.

  We traipse back to the rehearsal room.

  As we round yet another non-descript corner, my brother breaks the loaded silence. “You remember the riff for the new song, don’t you?”

  “Of course. It’s awesome.”

  “Good.” He doesn’t say anything else. And it’s his silence that worries me.

  “Jasper?” Tugging the sleeve of his shirt, I force him to face me. “What is it?”

  He opens his mouth to respond, only Stephanie chooses that exact moment to pop her head out from behind her door.

  “Shiloh, just the woman I wanted to see.” She gestures inside. “It’s your turn.” Pointing at Jasper, she warns, “And don’t go far, you’re next.” Her eyes skim his disheveled appearance. “And by the looks of it, you’re going to need a while.”

  He barely suppresses a groan.

  I feel you, brother.

  Pulling me into a one-arm hug, Jasper whispers, “I’m gonna go find Willow, see if she knows anything.”

  “Good idea.” Squeezing him tightly, I murmur, “Let me know how it goes.”

  He nods before striding away.

  How it takes over two hours to apply makeup, style hair, and put on some clothes, I’ll never know. And what’s more, I step out of wardrobe looking worse than when I walked in. If latex and leather had a secret love child, I would be it. With skyscraper heels, black leather pants, and a bustier corset that squeaks when I move, I am the physical embodiment of glam rock meets porn star.

  Thankfully, I’m not in the mood to care.

  Since it was taking so long to get me ready, Stephanie ordered her assistant to collect Jasper. We’re surrounded by a flurry of activity, so it’s impossible to speak. However, once finished, we head to the rehearsal studio as fast as my heels will allow me.

  “Well?” I ask, my frantic steps echoing through the hallway.

  “Wil hasn’t seen or heard from him, but she’s looking into it. Their band is on after us, so she has more time to dig around.”

  My strides falter. “What are we going to do?”

  Jasper’s expression is determined. “We’re gonna get an acoustic guitar.”

  I stop. “What?”

  But he doesn’t slow down. Ducking inside the studio, he returns moments later with my ancient Martin. “Come on.”

  We make our way to the stage.

  The stage manager bounds up to us, his eyes frantic. “There you are. Your instruments are already set up, sound check is done, and I need you waiting in the wings for your cue.” He narrows his eyes. “You’re on in five.”

  Holy shit.

  Only now noticing what Jasper is holding, he cocks his head to one side. “What are you doing with that?”

  Jasper steps forward and whispers something in his ear.

  The stage manager’s eyebrows almost ricochet off his head. “You sure?” He takes the guitar, refusing to break eye contact with my brother. “You know what this means, don’t you?”

  Jasper nods. “Yeah, I’m sure.”

  With a shake of his head, he hurries away.

  “What the hell—”

  “Let’s go.” My brother grabs my hand, leading me to the wings.

  When we reach the darkened area, I’m about to lose my goddamn mind. Wrenching my hand from his, I ignore the heavy tunes emanating from the support band and whisper-shout, “Jasper Dean Stirling, what the fuck is going on?”

  Once again, he opens his mouth to speak. Once again, he is interrupted. Only this time by Willow. She rushes over to us, her gaze wild, with Drake and Reid close behind. She considers us for a moment. Then, as though making up her mind, she shoves her phone in Jasper’s face.

  He looks at the screen and blanches.

  They have a frenzied conversation, none of which I hear on account of the crowd going crazy for the support band.

  Reid walks over to me, his face a mask.

  “Reid, what is it? Where’s Tobias? Is he okay?” I grasp his T-shirt, not giving two shits if it wrinkles. “For fuck’s sake, tell me!”

  The support band gives their final farewell and walk off stage.

  Rather than answer my questions, Reid pulls me in close, his chin resting on the top of my head. I take a moment to draw strength from him. To breathe in his silence and exhale the shitstorm that has been building for the past twenty-four hours.

  When I’m slightly calmer, I pull back, nibbling my bottom lip. “What’s going on?”

  But he’s not listening. Instead, he’s in the middle of a silent conversation with Jasper. Jasper nods at the acoustic guitar already waiting center stage. Reid tips his head in response. All this cloak-and-dagger bullshit is really braising my beef.

  A hush falls over the stadium as Vivienne steps up to the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen…”

  But when Reid turns to me, everything fades. There is no sound, no confusion, nothing except his soul connecting with mine. When he touches me, I startle.

  Unlike his knuckles, which gently skim the side of my face, his voice is firm. “You’re singing solo tonight.”

  His words take a moment to sink in. But when they do, I jerk my face away. “The fuck?” Panicked, I try to wriggle out of his embrace, only he won’t let go. “You’re out of your goddamn mind if you think I’m going out there by myself.”

  My gaze lands on my brother. I see resignation, defeat, and so much sadness in his features that I want to cry. Dejectedly, he shrugs.

  “This can’t be happening.” I can’t breathe.

  Strong hands cup my face, wiping the tears as they fall. “Jasper’s not playing. Whatever you have planned will sound like shit with only two electric guitars and vocals. You know it will. The only way this is gonna work is if you sing acoustic.”

  My head spins. “Oh my God, you’re serious.” Inhalation is impossible. I can’t see. There’s every chance I’m going to die while dressed like a nineties reject. “I don’t have any lyrics!”

  Vivienne leaves the stage. The stage manager clicks his fingers at me, gesturing for me to go on.

  My knees tremble.

  The crowd is growing restless. They’re chanting my band’s name. The noise grows louder, more deafening with each passing second.

  “I can’t do this.” Desperately, I search for the nearest exit. It’s blocked by Drake. The asshole. “Goddamnit.”

  “You can do this.”

  “I can’t! I fucking can’t!”

  Reid forces my gaze back to him. “Darlin’, the words are
inside you. They’ve always been there. It’s time to voice them.” He is so confident, so trusting of my ability, I almost believe him. Firm lips crush mine. “I love you.”

  Time stops.

  Clocks pause.

  People halt mid-step.

  The world warps, shifts, then realigns.

  “Y-you love me?”

  He kisses me again, his touch soft, lingering. “Yes.” Straightening, he turns me until I’m facing the stage. “Now, go. You’ve got this.” With a gentle nudge, he pushes me forward.

  But rather than do as he says, I gesture frantically to the stage manager until he looks my way. Holding up one finger, I give him the universal sign for wait a damn minute.

  Frazzled, he throws up his hands.

  It’s difficult to hear the audience on account of the blood rushing through my ears, but they’re there. An impenetrable wall of white noise. Spinning on my heel, I stride in the opposite direction. Toward my brother, my only family.

  Taking a deep breath, I throw up a quick prayer for strength and ignore his unspoken question. “Hey.”

  Jasper grips my shoulder. “Sis, what the fuck are you doing? Get on stage already!”

  My heart thumps, my breath catches, my stomach crawls up my throat, but I push it back. Determined.

  It’s time for the truth.

  “I’ve got a confession to make.” My voice is steadier than I expected. Taking comfort in that, I disregard his manic stare and continue. “I’ve kept a secret from you. More than one if I’m being honest. And boy, did hiding the truth come back to bite me.”

  “Sis, we’ll book in a time for me to lose my shit over whatever the hell you’ve done later. Right now you’ve got to turn the fuck around and get your ass on stage.”

  Willow places a placating hand on his arm. “Listen to what she has to say.”

  I give her a grateful smile. Jasper links his hands behind his neck, exasperated.

  It takes me a moment to collect my thoughts. “I’ll start with the first secret.” My tongue darts out to wet suddenly dry lips. “Have you heard of enochlophobia?”

  He blinks.

  “It’s a fear of crowds, usually because people fear that they or others close by will be crushed to death.” Bracing myself, I continue. “Because I’m the most proud, stubborn woman this side of the equator, I hid my fear from you. From Tobias.”