I’m back in town for a night. Are you and Hana busy? I’m at The Waking Moon and the drinks are on me.
His response came a few minutes later. Your timing is impeccable. Just got off work. Hana says she could use a drink. We’ll be there in twenty.
I grinned and closed my phone. I double-checked the piece that Kacie and I were taking with us to the charity auction called Trey while I spent a few minutes rearranging the layout of the paintings on one wall downstairs.
“Hey,” he said when he answered. “I miss you.”
“I miss you, too.”
“It does my heart good just to hear you say that,” he said. Then I heard a bunch of exaggerated kissy-type noises in the background. Trey laughed and added, “The guys say hello.”
“Tell them I hope they’re getting their fill of male bonding in,” I said. “I want you all to myself when I get back.”
“I can’t wait,” he said.
“How was the show tonight?”
“Long and dull without you there,” he said.
“I highly doubt that,” I said with a laugh. “But you’re sweet for saying so.”
“How’s work coming along?”
“Meh. It’s work.”
“How’s Kacie?”
“She’s going a little nuts here without O’Shea,” I told him. “Maybe it’s good I’m keeping her so busy.”
“I think he feels the same way,” Trey added.
“Has he said anything?” I asked.
“He doesn’t have to. He knows I’m onto him. He’s just that obvious.”
“Well,” I said, biting my lip. “Don’t say anything to him, but I’m bringing Kacie with me when I fly back out tomorrow. She needs a few days off, and she’s definitely earned it. She wants to surprise him.”
“My lips are sealed,” he said.
But that just made me picture those perfect lips of his and miss him even more. I sensed Mark and Hana before they let themselves in the back door.
“I gotta go,” I told him. “Mark and Hana are here.”
“Tell them hi for me,” Trey added. “Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
“Trey says hi,” I told Mark and Hana as I put my phone in my pocket and accepted a hug from Hana.
“Quick trip, then?” Mark asked after we’d exchanged hellos.
“Yeah. I’m on a plane again tomorrow night.”
“I don’t know how you do it.” He shook his head, but he was grinning.
“That sounds exhausting,” Hana said, sympathetically.
“It’s not so bad,” I told her, shrugging. Then I followed Mark’s gaze over to the cardboard cutouts of Trey, Chase and Jonas. “Don’t ask,” I told him, laughing.
“I won’t,” he said, letting out a chuckle.
I invited them up to the loft and they sat down while I poured a bottle of blood-laced wine into plastic cups for us. “Don’t let the Solo cups fool you,” I said as I handed them each one. “It’s the good stuff.”
“Thanks,” Hana said. “We should toast.”
“To friends,” Mark said simply, raising his glass. It was short and sweet and genuine.
“To friends,” Hana echoed.
“I’ll drink to that,” I said, bumping each of their cups with my own. We all sipped the blood-laced wine and reveled in the initial taste of it. “What’s going on with you guys?” I asked after a moment. “How’s life at the hospital?”
“Busy,” Mark said.
“Nothing new about that,” Hana added. “It’s not their fault. Humans are just so ... fragile.”
“I know a little something about that,” I said, agreeing with her.
“How is Trey?” she asked, smiling at me.
“Not so fragile,” I said, grinning. “He’s good. Also busy. The band is filming a music video in Vegas a few days from now.”
“I’ve always wanted to go to Vegas,” Mark added. “Do you really think it’s like they make you believe on TV?”
“I’ll have to get back to you on that one,” I told him.
“We’ll go one day,” Hana said to him. “I’ve always been curious, too.”
“I wonder if there’s more for vampires to do in a place like Vegas? It is the city that never sleeps, after all,” Mark added.
“Could be,” I told him. “Or maybe having the humans up all night just puts a damper on things.”
He raised his eyebrows, contemplating my statement. “You’ll have to scope the place out and let us know.”
“Sure thing,” I said, grinning at him. “I’ll bring you back a brochure on the top vampire hot spots in Sin City.”
Hana laughed and smacked Mark on the knee, making him laugh, too. “I wish you didn’t have to leave so soon,” Hana said.
“Yeah. I may or may not have a small role in that music video I told you about. I guess I’d better show up for it.”
“That sounds exciting,” she said, leaning forward in her chair. “I can’t wait to see it.”
“If you’d told me a year ago you’d be staring in a music video I’d have laughed,” Mark said, swirling his drink in small circles.
“That makes two of us,” I said. “Change is inevitable.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Hana chirped, and we all took another sip from our cups.
“So, does that change include hiring Tytus to follow you around?” Mark asked.
I bit my lip and looked at him. I knew he was going to broach the subject sooner or later. Might as well get it over with.
“He’s not so bad,” I told him. Mark looked like he highly doubted that. “He came to me,” I explained. “He apologized.”
“And you believe him?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I was skeptical at first, too, but Trey told me that Tytus was the one who helped him get me out of Club Sanguine after I went through the banister. He told Trey to call you because he knew you were the best shot at saving me. He claims he never meant for things to go that far with Malena. Long story short, I believe him.”
Mark considered me and took another sip of his drink. “That’s good enough for me,” he said.
I smiled, glad that he’d accepted my explanation. “When are you guys going to come out and see Trey and I on the tour?” I asked, changing the subject.
“That sounds like fun,” Hana said. “Unfortunately I haven’t accrued much vacation time yet.” She looked at Mark then and said, “But you should totally go. You’ve been on the verge of burnout for weeks now, and I know you have vacation time just waiting to be used. You’re going to lose it at the end of the year if you don’t schedule it.” She turned to me and said, “He never takes vacation, but you already know that.”
Mark looked at me and I gazed back at him expectantly. “So, when are you coming?”
He glanced at Hana again and then said, “You know what? Maybe I will.”
“Good. It’s settled then,” I said. I finished off the rest of my drink and set the empty cup down on the table by the wall. “I’m sure I don’t need to remind you, but hanging out with Trey and I is never much of a vacation. Consider yourself warned.”
Chapter 30
Trey
WE HAD A JAM-PACKED day at the venue, with press coming in for interviews and Skype meetings with the director we’d chosen for the video for the new single. I’d asked Neon what the chances were of me getting away to get some fresh air (by which I actually meant blood), but he hadn’t given me much hope. Before soundcheck I realized I wasn’t going to make it through the show without feeding. It wasn’t hard to find a fan outside who was willing to let me sneak her into the building for a ‘backstage tour.’ I did my best to give a tour, but the minute I found an empty room, I pulled her inside and drank just enough of her blood to sustain me. I tried to make myself feel better by reminding myself that she probably wouldn’t develop an aversion to me or the band because of this, and that at least I’d managed a half-decent backstage tour for her, but really I was just telling myself what I ne
eded to hear in order to sleep that night. With Aurora gone, I went into survival mode, and feeding wasn’t optional. I was just leading the girl back down the hall to return her to the spot outside where I’d found her when O’Shea caught up to me in the hallway.
“We’re having a ping-pong match with Evan and the guys,” he said as he hollered at me from behind. I turned to face him, and he noticed the girl I was with for the first time. “Oh,” he said. “Who’s this?”
“This is, uh....” The judgmental look on his face had wiped her name from my memory as effectively as any mind-melding power could.
“Tara,” the girl said, offering her hand to him. “Good to meet you,” she added. “I’m a huge fan.”
“I was just showing her around,” I managed.
Tara nodded enthusiastically. “I’ve never been backstage before.”
O’Shea gazed at me, and I had the strangest sensation that he was seeing right through me. Damn that brotherly intuition of his.
“It was nice to meet you,” O’Shea finally said to her, managing a believable smile. “Enjoy the show tonight.” Then he eyed me. “You coming?”
I cleared my throat. “Yeah. I’ll be right there.”
He gazed at me a few seconds longer than was necessary and then turned on his heel in the direction of the lounge.
“My best friend is madly in love with him,” Tara said as I walked her out. “She’s never going to believe this.”
“Don’t believe it myself,” I muttered under my breath, wondering how I was going to face O’Shea and that accusing look in his eyes.
“Thanks again,” Tara said, completely unawares and no worse off than I’d found her.
“My pleasure,” I said, flashing her my half-smile. “I’ll see you from the stage soon.”
Tara waved, and I walked back in the building, closing the door behind me and leaning against it.
So far the guys had accepted my casual brush offs whenever they’d seen me alone with a fan, but apparently I hadn’t been as smooth about it all as I wanted to believe. O’Shea, at least, suspected that something was going on. I was going to have to deal with it, and soon.
I ran through the possible explanations I could give in my head as I walked toward the lounge, but felt no better prepared for it. I decided my best shot was to play stupid. I forced myself to open the door to the lounge and say, “O’Shea. Can I talk to you for a sec?” O’Shea reluctantly joined me in the hallway and I shut the door to give us some privacy. “Do you have something you want to say to me?” I asked, feeling defensive waves coming off of him.
“You’re the one that asked me to come out and talk,” he said, not hiding the annoyance in his voice.
I shoved my hands into my jeans pockets. “What’s going on with you?”
“Me?” He let out a humorless laugh. “I’m not the one who’s married and sneaking around backstage with random girls.”
“Not random girls,” I said. “Fans.”
“Like that makes it any better.”
“They’re fans, O’Shea,” I repeated. “I’m showing them around. Whatever you think is happening, you’re way off.” At least that much was true. “I love Aurora more than life. You know I do. I’d never do that to her. I admit, I go a little crazy when she leaves, but not in the way you’re thinking. I just need to keep myself busy, and giving the occasional backstage tour to a fan who is hanging around outside, just hoping to catch a glimpse of one of us, seems like a good idea. They deserve it. They’re the reason we’re here.”
I could see it in his eyes that I’d chosen the right direction to take this argument. He averted his gaze for a second, unwilling to look at me.
“I’m sorry, man,” he finally said. “I didn’t want to believe that about you, anyway.”
“Thank you,” I said, lowering my voice to meet his.
He looked at me then, and I saw an ocean of relief in his gaze. “I know you love her,” he said. “She’s my sister now. I love her, too, but I ... I should have known better than to-”
“Let’s just forget about it,” I said. “No harm, no foul.” I put my hand on his neck, squeezing. “If I remember right, I was just about to trash you at ping-pong.”
He grinned and threw the lounge door open. “You’re on.”
After soundcheck, Neon let us know that there was quite a crowd that had gathered outside the back of the venue. The guys and I decided to head out there and do a little unofficial meet and greet to sign autographs and take some pictures. I hoped it might make O’Shea feel better to hang out with the fans right alongside me after our misunderstanding earlier. Turns out I was right. Any awkwardness between us had all but melted away in the last few hours, but signing my name next to his on copies of the record dissolved any remaining traces of weirdness.
“This is just the first of three shows my friends and I are seeing this tour” one fan said as I sighed her T-shirt. “Do you know when Aurora is going to do another sketching contest?”
“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “She’s been back home for a couple of days catching up on work at her studio, but she’s flying back in tonight. In fact, her plane will have landed by now. Maybe she’ll do one for tomorrow’s show. Keep an eye out for a tweet for our band account, and you won’t miss it.”
“I will,” she answered resolutely. Then a fan asked me to sign my name in permanent marker behind her shoulder.
“Okay,” I said, pretending it wasn’t an odd request.
“She’s getting our signatures tattooed on after the show,” Chase explained as he passed the marker to me.
“Are you serious?” I asked, staring open-mouthed at her.
“Completely,” she said, grinning and turning around so I could start signing. I signed next to Chase and Jonas’s names and then passed the marker to O’Shea, still disbelieving.
“Are you sure you won’t regret this?” I said, grinning despite myself. “Your future husband might.”
“If he’s not a Catalyst fan, we won’t make it that far,” she insisted, making me laugh.
“Tweet us a pic when you get it done,” O’Shea added. “I’ve got to see it.”
“Consider it done,” she promised as O’Shea signed his name.
I shook my head, and Chase just shrugged at me. “That’s what you call dedication,” he added.
“Breaking hearts like always,” said a voice to my left. I recognized that voice. My head snapped up in surprise as chills cascaded down my spine, and I don’t mean the good kind. Even as I met her gaze, I didn’t want to admit to myself that she was really standing here in front of me. I couldn’t imagine what she wanted from me. My face must have told her as much.
“What’s the matter?” Nikki said, arching an eyebrow at me. I could see the look of shock on the faces of some of the fans who had also recognized her, and were apparently just as surprised to see her as I was. “You’re not excited to see me?”
Man, she had some nerve. “What are you doing here?” I asked, dropping any pretense of friendliness.
“I came to see you.” She pouted, feigning insult.
“Great,” I said without emotion. “Enjoy the show.” I turned to walk away, but she called out to me again.
“I didn’t come for the show. Aren’t you going to invite me back so we can catch up?”
“Catch up?” I said, turning on my heel again to face her. “I don’t think so. I don’t have anything to say to you,” I countered, plastering a smile on my face so no one would see how I was really feeling.
“So don’t.” She took a step toward me, touching my jacket collar. “I’ll do all the talking.”
I removed her hand from my jacket and took a step backward. “Look,” I said, lowering my voice. “I don’t know what you’re playing at, but I’m not buying it.”
“That’s too bad,” she said as I turned again to go. “I have news for you. I’m pretty sure even your wife will want to hear this.”
I paused and turned around slowly.
She had my attention now, and she knew it. Nikki smiled, and I wondered how I could have ever wanted to be the reason behind that smile. I had been a stupid kid back then. I’d come out on the other side of the heartbreak a man, but only because of Aurora.
Chapter 31
Aurora
TYTUS WAS WAITING FOR Kacie and I at the airport. Unfortunately, so were the paparazzi. I was glad I had my sunglasses on as I made my way toward Tytus. I couldn’t help but notice how leery the photogs were of Tytus. I couldn’t blame them. Trey had known exactly what he was doing when he’d sent Tytus to escort us to the venue. I introduced him to Kacie, who was so excited about seeing O’Shea again that she didn’t even question why a giant was picking us up.
“Hey,” I said to Tytus as he took our luggage for us. “Your Fan Club?” I asked as I gestured with a nod in the direction of the cameras.
“Who else’s?” he said without missing a beat.
“You want to sign an autograph and get it over with?” I teased. He chuckled, and gestured for me to lead the way down the corridor that led to the parking lot. The paparazzi were feeling braver now that we were moving because they edged up right beside us and called out to me.
“Hey Aurora,” one man said. “I’m with TMZ. Can you tell us what it’s like being a newlywed on the road with Trey and the band?” He held his microphone out, but didn’t get right in my face, which I appreciated.
“It’s great,” I said, hoping that an answer or two might satisfy him. “The tour has been amazing so far.”
Kacie looked at me with mild amusement while we walked, and I could see her biting back a smile.
“You guys are on fire right now,” the man added. “How are you handling the fame?”
“Trey’s the famous one,” I countered.
“Do you miss Florida?” he asked.
“I just left Florida,” I said. “I miss Trey.” The truth in my answer resonated through me. I couldn’t wait to see him again. Tytus, Kacie and I reached the doorway just then, and I waved at the cameras.
“Thanks for talking with us,” the man said. “Tell Trey hi.”
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