“What do you say we squash this rumor right now?” Trey asked the crowd. The reaction from the fans was overwhelming. Trey nodded, and he and O’Shea turned around and approached the platform where Chase sat at the drum kit. Jonas joined them as Chase climbed down, and all of the guitars came off. The noise from the crowd lulled slightly in curious anticipation, and then all four of the guys pulled their T-shirts over their heads. I was tempted to hold my hands over my ears to muffle the intense screaming coming from all around me. They walked forward together as a united front, their bare chests showcasing their matching Catalyst tattoos. I grinned, admiring my work. Even next to the other three tattoos, which were real, my airbrushed work was impeccable. They stood at the edge of the stage together, giving the fans a moment to scream to their satisfaction. Soon, the screaming gave way to a collective chanting of the band’s name.
Cat-a-lyst! Cat-a-lyst!
Seeing Trey stand under the spotlight on that stage, surrounded by his brothers, and reveling in the adoration pouring out from the fans, made tears of pride well up in my eyes. As for my promise to help Trey continue doing this very thing, it felt good knowing that even though I’d been responsible for so much heartache after immersing him in my world, I hadn’t taken this from him. I clapped and shouted as my husband effortlessly commanded the attention of thousands of people. This was Trey in his element.
This was Trey the rock star.
He thumped his chest with a balled fist, right on the spot where his airbrushed tattoo was. The small hassle of spraying it on for him every other night was nothing compared to this moment. Trey held the magazine up in the air. In one quick, decisive move he ripped it in half and tossed the pieces into the crowd, who adamantly shouted their approval.
Chase flexed his bicep, earning some high-pitched squeals, but even better was the reaction to Jonas pushing him back out of the way and striking his best body-builder pose. The four of them made their way up and down the front of the stage touching the eager, outstretched hands in the front row. When Trey reached my part of the crowd, he dropped down to one knee long enough to give me a quick kiss. The girls to my left, who had come in a few minutes late after the lights had gone down, apparently hadn’t realized who they were standing next to until that very moment. They looked completely floored as Trey grinned and mouthed, “Love you,” to me before moving on. I couldn’t wipe the perma-grin from my face and had to refrain from saying, Yeah, that’s my husband.
The guys turned to leave and the stage went dark, the house lights coming on. I knew that was my cue to get backstage. I waved my pass at the nearest bouncer and he moved the partition to let me out. I hurried backstage and found Trey and the guys already in the process of changing into their zombie clothes.
“Great show,” I said to Trey, stealing another kiss before he pulled his shredded jacket on. “I think you’ve definitely put that rumor to rest.”
“Thanks,” he said. “I hope you’re right.” Then he grinned and pulled me up against him with one hand, kissing me again. This one earned a high pitched whistle from Chase’s general direction. I kissed him back without hesitation, enjoying the rush of victory flowing through him. It didn’t even matter that we had an audience. I wanted to be near him; to feel his heart beat against my palm, his strong hands at my back. His electric blue eyes held me frozen when the kiss ended. Raw power was buzzing through him like a current, and I wondered at the awe of him as I held his gaze. This was a different side of him, one that I almost didn’t recognize, but even I had to admit that it felt right. I opened my mouth to say something about it, but the realization that we still had an audience stole my words. I blinked instead, which seemed to bring Trey back to the present, as well. We glanced around the room together, grounding ourselves in the reality of the scene going on around us. Jonas was putting his contacts in and O’Shea was already changed and lacing up his shoes in the makeup chair. I hurried to apply O’Shea’s zombie make up and sent him on his way. They each took their turn in front of me, and within ten minutes everyone had been transformed. The crowd was almost frantic in their shouting as they impatiently awaited the encore.
“Knock ‘em dead,” I said to Trey.
He gave me that million-dollar smile, which, even beneath zombie makeup, is pretty irresistible. “If you say so.”
Chapter 7
Aurora
THE FIRST TIME IT happened I had just gotten off the phone with Kacie. She had called me on her way to Miami to pitch some of my artwork to some big corporations for display in their lobbies and offices. We’d chatted for a few minutes, and I’d gotten off the phone just as Trey and the guys were filing into the lounge after soundcheck.
“Hey,” Trey said to me, pausing to give me a quick kiss as he headed to the table full of food.
I can’t believe I have to eat another freakin’ sandwich, he thought as he began selecting food for his plate. Chase was next to him, passionately piling turkey onto his sandwich. It took me a moment to realize that something was amiss, but I glanced at the clock on my phone to check the time. I blinked at it a few times, confused. It was only four o’clock, not nearly late enough for my mindreading mojo to have kicked in for the night. I glanced at Trey, who seemed perfectly content loading up Cheetos on his plate next to the sandwich he’d made. Convinced I must have imagined what I’d heard in his thoughts, I tried to forget all about it. I looked at the table hesitantly. I certainly didn’t feel like eating a sandwich. I must have been projecting my own feelings in a way that made me believe they were coming from Trey. He had just kissed me. The brief whirlwind at the touch of his lips had probably been just enough to throw me. Apparently I was off my game today. I picked up a plate anyway, for appearances sake, but opted for a few snacks rather than a full-blown meal. My cravings had nothing to do with chips, sandwiches or fresh fruit and veggies. Needing to feed was probably half my problem. Tonight would have been a good night to be staying at a hotel, but we weren’t so lucky. We were going to have our first full-moon ritual on our bus. Enjoying a little blood from our stash for the ritual would be better than nothing. It would be enough to satiate me until tomorrow. That was the soonest I could imagine getting away long enough to get some blood straight from the vein.
I sat down on the couch next to Trey, and we ate, fairly convincingly, I might add. O’Shea was on my other side, but he wasn’t doing much more than picking at his food.
“What’s up with you?” I asked him before I popped a Cheeto into my mouth and began crunching.
“Not super hungry,” he said. “I have this crazy headache.”
“Can I get you anything?” I asked, but then I realized I probably wasn’t much help, since I didn’t have any Tylenol or Ibuprofen on me.
“I can stomp on your toes,” Trey offered casually. “I bet you’d forget about your headache.”
I gestured to the floor in front of me and said, “Sit down.” O’Shea looked at me hesitantly. “Come on,” I said. “I won’t bite.” Trey bit back a laugh that O’Shea didn’t even remotely understand, but he did as I asked and sat down between my feet on the floor. “My brother Aden used to claim that I was a master at head rubs,” I told him. “I might be a little rusty, and you’re going to have to spike your hair again, but maybe it will help.” I said as I massaged O’Shea’s scalp.
O’Shea just shrugged. “It’s worth it,” he said. He was quiet for a moment, but then he said, “What was he like? Your brother?”
Trey looked at me to see my reaction, but I just smiled at him, reassuring him that I didn’t mind talking about Aden. “He was kind of quiet,” I said. “But he was super smart. He had a knack for photography, and he and I always had plans to open a gallery one day to fill with his pictures and my paintings. We went to concerts together all the time. He’d be a huge Catalyst fan if he were here.”
“I’m sure he is,” O’Shea said matter-of-factly. “Here, I mean.”
I smiled, appreciating the sentiment. I’d been so caught up re
membering Aden that I hadn’t recognized that a slight buzzing of power had started in the back of my skull. It happened every time the moon came out, but it was a little too early for that still. Maybe I was imagining it.... When had I fed last? I thought back. It had been the night before we’d left on tour. A week ago. I had to be imagining the power vibrating in my skull. I really needed fresh blood, and soon.
“Call me crazy, but I think it’s working already,” O’Shea added. I smiled triumphantly, and Trey grinned, shaking his head at me. Placebo effect, or not. Whatever made O’Shea feel better worked for me. “How’s Kacie doing?” O’Shea asked.
“She’s good,” I said. “She’s staying busy. I’m sure that helps.”
“Helps?” he asked.
Boys are so clueless. “She misses you,” I explained. “Staying busy helps to keep her mind off the fact that you’re halfway across the country, performing for thousands of girls every night.”
“Kacie’s cool,” O’Shea said. “She’s not the jealous type.”
“You’re right,” I agreed. “But that doesn’t mean she’s not the ‘I miss you, and I just hope you don’t forget about me while you’re away’ type.”
“I guess you’re right,” he conceded. “I should probably give her a call before we go on stage.”
“You definitely should,” I agreed. “If she doesn’t answer, it’s because she’s trying to convince some big shot CEO that he should have my art for sale in his building. Leave her a message, at least.”
He furrowed his brow in thought. If she’s busy maybe I should just-
“No,” I said, before I realized he hadn’t spoken those words out loud. I’d heard his thoughts loud and clear, or at least it seemed that way. I shook my head to clear it. I didn’t need mindreading to know what was about to come out of his mouth next. I’d been spending too much time with these guys. “Don’t text her. Call. For real.”
O’Shea nodded slowly. “Right....”
“How’s your head feeling now?” I asked, wanting to change the subject. I paused to let him assess the pain.
“I think your brother was right,” he said slowly, turning his head to the left, and then right. “My headache is gone.”
“Good,” I said, relieved. “Can’t have you skipping out on any of those crazy jumps you like to do off the monitors tonight.”
He got to his feet and scratched his head. “Seriously. I feel a lot better. Thanks.”
“You can thank me by making that call now,” I said, grinning at him.
“Consider it done.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and left the lounge. I watched the door close behind him and glanced at Trey, half expecting him to ask for an explanation, but he didn’t seem to have been paying much attention.
“He’s whipped,” Trey said, leaning back and putting his arm around me.
“Reminds me of someone else I know,” Chase said from across the room where he was leaning against the Foosball table.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Trey said, but he leaned in toward me, and I met him halfway, kissing him right on the lips for an exaggerated moment.
“Ugh,” Chase said.
“You guys are going to give me a cavity,” Jonas added. He’d been busy on his iPad, and I hadn’t even realized he was listening to our conversation.
“I hope it’s not contagious,” Chase said. “You know, the whole relationship thing.”
“I wouldn’t worry,” Trey told him. “I’m sure you’re immune.”
Chase smiled confidently, but then his smile faltered, and he glared at Trey like he wasn’t sure if he’d just been praised or insulted.
My mind wandered then, trying to process what had just happened with O’Shea. Had I really read his thoughts? I mean, I’d definitely known what he was thinking. His reaction to my response had confirmed that, but had I actually heard his thoughts, or had I just spent enough time with him to predict his next move? Calling on the moon’s power during the daylight hours made absolutely no sense at all, so I wrote it off as intuition and tried not to think too hard about it. A knock on the door drew my attention, and Jonas called “Come in.” The door opened and the guys from Crosstalk came in the room.
“Anyone up for a little Foosball tournament?” Evan asked.
Chase’s hand shot straight up in the air, and he squirmed like he was afraid he was going to be picked last or something.
“I’m game,” Trey said, waving the guys inside. “O’Shea will be back just as soon as he’s done being a good boyfriend.”
“O’Shea has a girlfriend?” Evan asked.
“She’s back in Florida,” Trey explained. “He’s just giving her a call.”
“I’m sure you can get started without him,” I said. “You’re going to have to play in shifts, anyway.”
“I’m finishing a Fan Club update,” Jonas announced. “I’ll team up with O’Shea when he gets back.”
“Guess it’s you and me, buddy,” Trey said as he got to his feet and clapped Chase on the back. Chase grinned like somebody had just told him he could open his Christmas presents early.
I sat back and watched as Trey and Chase played a game against two of the Crosstalk guys. I snapped a few pictures of them on my phone, laughing while they threw halfhearted insults back and forth across the table at each other.
It had never really surprised me how well Trey and the Catalyst guys all got along, but adding another band to the mix and having things still feel so natural was still a bit shocking. The guys had known what they were doing when they’d asked Crosstalk to come out on tour. They were a perfect fit in so many ways. Catalyst fans were really warming up to their set, and I enjoyed hearing the screams get louder and louder each night they took the stage. Their first single had just started getting airplay this week, and Trey and the guys had been warning them that their lives were about to change for the crazier, if not the better. O’Shea came back twenty minutes later, and I hoped that meant he’d actually caught Kacie between appointments. The Foosball tournament continued for over an hour, and Neon was knocking on the door before long, warning Crosstalk that they were going to be taking the stage in twenty.
“Better go get warmed up,” Evan said as they headed for the door.
“You may have won the battle,” O’Shea said dramatically, gesturing at the Foosball table. “But the war is far from over.”
“You want more of this?” Evan said. “If it’s a rematch you want, you’re on.”
Chapter 8
Trey
WHEN I LEFT THE stage that night I hurried to the shower room and cleaned up. Aurora was waiting on the bus for me, just like I’d anticipated, but tonight was anything but ordinary. She was sitting on one of the leather sofas in the dark, surrounded by an assortment of flameless candles that were flaunting the shadows they cast on the blinds. She got to her feet as I approached, wrapping her arms around my neck.
“You were incredible tonight, as always,” she said.
“Thank you,” I said, resting my hands on her hips. “I saw you sneak off before the end of the set, but I wasn’t expecting the candles.”
“I was hoping it would sort of – I don’t know – set the mood,” she said, biting her bottom lip as she glanced around. “I always kind of imagined we’d be with Antonio and Mark for your first ritual. That would have been ... more official, I guess. But here we are on a bus, and you’re stuck with just me. I’m trying to make it work. What do you think?”
“Oh, I think you set the mood, all right.” I bent down and kissed her, pulling her close. I felt her relax against me, her hand falling into place to rest on my chest. She returned the kiss eagerly, probably feeding off the flourish of my nervous excitement. There was nothing better than coming off the stage, high on a performance, and having Aurora waiting for me. As far as I was concerned, this was the perfect ending to an amazing night. Life didn’t get much better than this. Then a knock sounded on the bus door, and I groaned in displeasure and s
traightened, calling out, “Yeah?” The door opened slowly and Jerry, the driver, stepped inside, raising his eyebrows at the scene. That was when Aurora reached up with her thumb to wipe some of her lip gloss from my mouth.
“Hey, at least I knocked,” Jerry said. Aurora leaned into me, my T-shirt muffling her giggle.
I grinned and sighed, nodding at him. “Hey, Jerry.”
“We’re heading out,” he said. “Don’t mind me. I’ll just be up here in the driver’s seat minding my own business.”
I looked down at Aurora, who was still trying not to laugh. “You’re no help,” I said to her as I reached over with one hand and turned on the bus’s sound system, which was loud enough to drown out everything on this end.
“I’m sorry,” she mouthed when she regained her composure.
I smiled at her. “Liar,” I mouthed back. She grinned and grabbed the nearest flameless candle, putting it in my hands. She gathered a few more and led the way to the back of the bus where she sat them around wherever they would fit. The bus’s engine started up, sending small, but distinct vibrations along the bottoms of my feet through my shoes.
“Better?” she asked as I sat down on the couch.
“I was fine before,” I teased her, gesturing to the front of the bus. “Just be glad it wasn’t one of the guys coming in. One look at these candles, and we’d never hear the end of it.”
“You mean you’d never hear the end of it,” she corrected.
“It’s bad enough they refer to our bus as the honeymoon-mobile,” I added as the bus began moving. “So, now what?”
“Now we wait,” she said. “There’s still five minutes to midnight, which is actually a good thing. There’s not exactly a great view of the moon from here, though. Have you decided what ability you’re going to choose?”
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