by Faith Starr
To my surprise, Kate walked outside carrying a few bags. She caught sight of me, set the bags down, and approached my car. I got out and greeted her.
“What’re you doing here?” She sounded angry yet also somewhat hopeful.
“I came to see how Drew’s doing.” My voice disgusted me. It sounded pathetic and desperate.
“Drew’s not here.” She nodded to the bags sitting on the asphalt next to her car. “I just swung by to get some of her stuff.”
“Where is she?” I shoved my hand into my empty pocket.
“I know she would have my head if she knew I told you this, but she’s been staying at my place since she got out of the hospital. Things between her and my parents got heated, and she asked if she could stay with me and Joe for a while. I’m on my lunch break, so I told her I’d drop by and pick up more of her things.”
“I see. I have to talk to her. Please, Kate.”
A fine line appeared between her brows. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea. She’s in a bad place emotionally. You totally screwed her, and as her big sister, I can’t let you do it again. It’s not fair to her.”
“That’s why I’m here. I fucked up royally. Let me make things right. I’m leaving in two days, and I can’t go with friction between me and Drew.”
“Which is all the more reason to leave her alone. You’ll go to my place, make your apologies, build up her hopes, and then leave town for who knows how long. You’ve got to let her move on.”
“I can’t. I’m in love with her.”
“So you’ve said.”
“No. These past few days without her made me realize how empty my life is without her. I’m begging you. I don’t do the begging thing. Please let me see her. I can’t get in touch with her because her number’s been changed. You’re my only hope right now.”
She sighed heavily and grunted. “You’re putting me in a bad position, Logan.” She paused as if debating whether to agree or not. “Fine.” She slipped a key off her key ring and handed it to me. “This is the key to my apartment. You can let yourself in. I know if you knock, she won’t open the door for you. Please leave my key on the kitchen counter, and whatever you do, don’t fuck things up this time. I’m warning you. If you think that stalker girl caused harm, you haven’t seen anything. I can be a real bitch when I want to be, one of my finer qualities. Now give me your phone number, and I’ll text you the address.”
The text with her address popped up on my cell a few seconds later.
She pointed a finger at me. “Listen here. She loves you. I know she’s going to try to push you away, but don’t let her. Don’t give up.”
“I won’t. And thanks.” I gave her a peck on the cheek.
“Yeah, yeah. Go on.”
I took Drew’s clothing, figuring I might as well bring it with me, and left for Kate’s apartment.
42
Drew
The advance from the label was nice, but not enough to pay my bills unless the song became an overnight sensation. Therefore, I searched for jobs on the Internet. Moving back in with my parents was a definite no. My mother thought I kidded when I gave my notice to hire someone else at the clinic.
After my orthopedist appointment, I sat with both of my parents and had a heart-to-heart. I informed them about Logan, because I had no reason to keep it from them. They’d find out sooner or later, especially since I cried nonstop. I could only use the stalker card for so long.
I told them I would stay with Kate temporarily until I found a place of my own. Kate agreed wholeheartedly, thinking I’d made the right decision to get out of their house. And if I had to take fewer classes because of my work schedule, so be it. I wasn’t in a rush, especially since the classes I took got me nowhere in my career. Writing was all I wanted to do, and as long as I could incorporate it into my life, I didn’t care what path lay ahead of me.
Camilla contacted me to say the label loved my second song as much as the first. I felt hopeful, and with my backbone fully intact, I had the confidence to move forward and leave my past behind me.
The front door unlocked, and I jumped, my lungs working at full capacity. Every unexpected noise startled me since the incident.
Oh yeah, Kate’s bringing more of my clothes.
It must have been her lunch hour.
“Kate?” I went to the door. My jaw fell open when Logan entered rather than my sister. I didn’t know whether to punch him or hug him. At the moment the urge to punch him felt stronger.
“Logan? What’re you doing here? And more importantly, how did you get a key to Kate’s place?” I didn’t budge. I didn’t want him to think he’d be staying.
He stood frozen, which made me feel self-conscious. I glanced down at myself. Nope, nothing had changed, the same old me with a few bruises and a cast on my arm.
“Hello?” I said it obnoxiously because he still hadn’t answered me.
He dropped some bags in the foyer. My clothes? How did he get them? What the hell was wrong with him? He looked out of it. He’d better not be on something. But I knew Logan well enough to know he didn’t do drugs. Besides, his eyes were clear, not hazy or red. They were sad, but clear.
“I’m so sorry, Drew.”
Sorry didn’t cut it this time around. He could take a hike for all I cared.
Fine, I did care, but still, I’d cried my eyes out for the last several days and hadn’t heard from him once. And now he showed up at my sister’s apartment with a simple apology and bags of my clothes? Sorry, buddy, but actions spoke louder than words. His action of leaving me at the hospital in my shocked and physically harmed state said enough. And Kate would be getting an earful as soon as Logan left regarding the clothing she was supposed to bring me.
“I hope you feel better with that off your chest. But your apology isn’t accepted. Now would you please mind leaving? And give me my sister’s key. I don’t know what you said to her to make her give it to you, but I’ll deal with that later.” I put my hand out. He didn’t place the key in it. I clenched my jaw in frustration. Why wouldn’t he listen to me? “The key.” I shook my palm to reiterate my request.
“I’ll give it to you after you hear me out.”
“I don’t owe you a damn thing. You got your message across quite effectively the other night.”
“No, I didn’t.” His gaze darted back and forth between me and the floor. All the color had drained from his face.
A small part of me wanted to hold him in my arms and tell him everything would be okay, but the bigger part said where the fuck was he when I’d needed someone to hold me and tell me everything would be okay?
“You had your chance. It has since passed.”
He sighed heavily. “Please. Give me five minutes. If you still want me to leave after, I’ll walk out and never bother you again.”
Grrr! Stubborn man! I padded to the sofa but changed my mind at the last second and sat on a chair instead. I didn’t want him too close to me. Whether I wanted to admit it or not, he still affected me.
I checked the time on the cable box. “Your five minutes starts now.”
He sat on the couch, his butt half on, half off, and leaned forward. He stared at the coffee table between us.
“I fucked up again. I shouldn’t have left you alone in the hospital. Whether you want to believe me or not, it killed me inside to walk out that door. I thought about all the pain I had caused you and what your parents had said to me about me screwing up your life. So much shit had gone down, and I took their words to heart. Your parents love you and want what’s best for you. I do too, which is why I didn’t think it was fair for you to have to suffer the consequences of my celebrity status. I wanted to protect you more than anything but my efforts were futile. To see you lying in that hospital bed ripped my heart into pieces. I blame myself for all of it, because if I had done a better job of keeping you safe, none of this would’ve happened. And if I can’t keep you safe, someone I love with all my heart, what can I offer you?
”
Trying to hold back my tears didn’t work. The tsunami came with a flood to follow. He continued to stare at the table in front of him.
“I’ve spent the last three days holed up in my place, playing music until my fingers bled. That had always been a source of comfort for me, my go-to to help me collect my thoughts and get centered, but the more I played, the worse I felt. That’s never happened to me before, and I realized why. It’s because something was missing, and that something was you.”
He finally made eye contact with me and saw my tears. I sensed his struggle to want to come and comfort me, but he refrained.
“Logan.” I closed my eyes to gather my thoughts. “I can’t do the back-and-forth thing anymore. One minute you tell me you love me and want to be with me, that we’ll make it work when you’re on the road. Then the next minute you tell me you’re no good for me and leave. I can’t live with your indecisiveness. My heart can only take so much, and you’ve truly done a number on it.”
He stood and walked toward me. I leaned back defensively, watching him, not knowing what action he’d take. To my surprise, he got on his knees and rested his head on my lap. Instinctively, my hand went to his hair, stroking it, without my brain’s permission.
Is he crying?
“Logan?” I asked in a soft tone.
He looked up at me, tears filling his eyes. If at all possible, the million shredded pieces of my heart fell apart even more.
“Please give me another chance. I need you in my life. I want you in my life. You belong in my life.”
“I hear you, but you’re leaving town in a few days. I just don’t see how it can work.” My tears continued to trail down my cheeks, and I sniffled. The pain in my head came back with a vengeance. It had actually started to feel better too.
“It’ll work because I want you to join us on tour.”
What?
“Joey’s girlfriend, Teva, travels with us. She helps Dani with meet and greets and other backstage stuff. As an aside, Dani and Trevor are together. I’m not sure if I told you that, but it’s neither here nor there. The bottom line is I want you to be with me. You can bring your guitar with you. You’ll have plenty of time to work on your music. And if it’s money you’re worried about, I have enough for both of us to live very comfortably. If you don’t feel comfortable with that arrangement, I’ll have Camilla put you on payroll, and you can work with Teva and Dani…”
He rambled on and on. With my good arm I managed to hoist him up enough so I could see into his eyes. “Are you serious about this?”
“As serious as a heart attack. I love you, Drew. You are my one and only. You always have been, and you always will be. Please say you’ll at least consider joining me and the guys on tour.” His eyes had such desperation in them.
“I don’t have to think about it. My mind’s already made up.”
He swallowed hard, blinking rapidly.
“I’d love to join you on tour. I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Really.”
“God, I love you so much, baby.” He suffocated me in his arms, being ever so careful of my ribs.
“And I love you so much.”
43
Logan
Packing for the road felt good. I couldn’t wait to feel the energy from the crowd again and be with the guys, my brothers. I had them over for dinner along with Teva and Dani because I wanted Drew to reconnect with Dani and meet Teva prior to being locked up on a bus with them.
Dani lovingly embraced Drew, and the two of them spoke as if it had only been days since they’d last seen each other.
Teva, inevitably a doll baby, accepted Drew with open arms.
Drew’s parents weren’t too keen on the idea of her getting on a tour bus and traveling the country with me and the guys. I hoped with time they would change their mind about me. I loved Drew with all my heart and knew no other man would ever love her as much as I did.
Camilla officially took Drew on as a client, managing her career, and our entertainment lawyer did the same. I knew in my gut Drew’s songs would take off. Camilla also informed me and the guys that the producer loved the song Joey and Dani penned for his movie project and wanted us to record it. I couldn’t stop smiling. To think, one of our songs would close out a movie. What a fucking head rush.
Drew relished every place we visited, saying she had never been anywhere and wanted to see the world. Every chance we got, she wanted to sightsee, even if just to eat at a hometown restaurant. Her excitement was contagious. It became somewhat of a game between all of us. We would research different places we wanted to visit prior to arriving at our next destination. Drew brought a ton of creative and positive energy with her, and both the girls and guys alike loved having her around, especially me.
A few weeks into the tour, we had two shows booked in the same town. I surprised Drew by reserving us a hotel room. After the first show, I had Tyler, who now worked with the band round-the-clock along with Chris, drive us to the hotel.
“Where are we going?” She snuggled in my arms in the backseat of the Escalade.
“You’ll see when we get there.”
“How about a hint?”
“Nope.” I wouldn’t give her an inch.
Tyler pulled up to the valet. He informed the attendants we wouldn’t be requiring their services. He left us alone in the car to go inside and check us in. I snagged a baseball cap out of my backpack and covered my head. I couldn’t chance a mob scene taking place in the lobby. Our popularity seemed to have doubled over the last few weeks, and day by day we became more recognized, which was why the label had agreed to hire more security. They didn’t want another Liz Piper disaster taking place if they could prevent one.
“Are we staying here?” Drew checked out the grand hotel from inside the SUV.
“We sure are.”
She bounced up and down in her seat. It thrilled me to see her so happy. I had always held back financially, but now with Drew in the picture, I spared no expense. I wanted to make her dream come true and show her the world. And I would, city by city, state by state, country by country, until the two of us saw it all.
“All set.” Tyler assisted me and Drew out of the car.
He led us through the lobby. An attendant had an elevator waiting and didn’t allow any other passengers to ride inside with us. Tyler would be staying in the adjacent room, so I’d have to consciously try to keep my moans down to a minimum, not an easy task when buried inside Drew.
She and I entered our suite.
“Holy shit.” She dropped her purse on the floor. I dropped my backpack next to me and took in the scene along with her: marble floors, plush leather sofas, a plasma television mounted on the wall, and granite countertops in the small kitchen. “Was all this truly necessary?”
“Are you happy?”
“Ecstatic!”
“Then yes, it was truly necessary.”
She jumped into my arms. I stepped back a few feet because I almost lost my balance.
Since I already had her in my arms, I took her into the bedroom. I considered it to be the best place to start a tour in a hotel room, at least in my experience it had been.
The bedroom had the same amount of luxury going on as the rest of the place—plush carpet, stately mahogany wood furniture, large television mounted on the wall, definitely first class.
I placed her on the bed.
She scanned the room. “It’s so beautiful.”
“As are you.”
She smiled, pink spread across her cheeks. I loved that I could still do that to her.
“So, Ms. Sanders, did you enjoy the show?”
“I did, especially the hot guitarist.” She raised a brow and licked her lips.
“You’re in luck then, because I’m extremely selective with the women I choose to bring into my bed.”
“Really? And what is it that catches your eye?”
“That’
s a simple question for me to answer. First of all, I prefer women with small feet, like yours.” I slipped off her canvas sneakers and tossed them aside.
“I’m glad I passed that test. What else?”
“I prefer my women to be naked, so these jeans have to go.” I lifted her up and unsnapped her denims.
“I wouldn’t want you to think ill of me.” She spoke with faux innocence.
“Could have fooled me. Here you came on to me after a show, and you’re worried about whether I’ll respect you in the morning?”
She pressed her lips together. “If I can recall correctly, I believe you”—she pointed at me— “came on to me.” She pointed at herself.
“Does it matter? I have you here in my bedroom, don’t I?”
“You’re just full of yourself, aren’t you?”
“I’d prefer to fill you, babe.”
“Wow, and crude too.”
“I can be pretty cocky. Speaking of which,” I pointed to the bulge in my jeans, “care to help me out?”
“I’d love to.”
She unfastened my denims. I assisted to expedite the process.
“As I was saying, I prefer women who have soft legs. Take your gams, for example. Gorgeous.” I glided my hands up her freshly shaven skin, like silk.
I kissed her ankles, her knees, her inner thighs. She squirmed under my touch.
“This here is one of my favorite parts.” I snuck my finger underneath her panties and swiped it between her folds. Her liquid heat fired me up to no end.
“Yeah?” She was already breathless. She raised her pelvis so I could get the barely-there underwear off.
“Yes, ma’am.” I inhaled deeply, her scent intoxicating me. “I have to say I’ve never smelled anything so tempting and inviting in all my life.” I peered up at her to find her cheeks a deeper shade of red.
“Add blunt to your charming personality.”
I grinned, leaning forward and tasting her. I closed my eyes. Every time I ate her out, the experience got better. I couldn’t understand it but went with it.