by Amber Garza
“I really enjoy watching you perform,” Forrest says, pulling me out of my reverie.
“Oh, thanks.” I smile, tearing off a chunk of sourdough bread and stuffing it into my mouth.
Lola gives me a funny look, but I just keep chewing while my thoughts keep drifting to Beckett. I try to picture him in this fancy steakhouse, and it makes me want to laugh. His jeans and tight t-shirts may not be the right attire. It makes me wonder where he’d take me on a date if we ever went out.
“When did you start playing?” Forrest asks, and again I work hard to keep focused on him.
“Oh, I’ve been playing since I was a kid.” I take the last bite of my bread and glance out the window at the dark sky. The guy seems nice enough, but I don’t feel like sharing my life story with him right now. In truth, I wish I’d never gone on this date in the first place. Going to a fancy restaurant is exactly the kind of boring thing Spencer and I did all the time. I’m in college now, I’m in a band, and I’m ready for some excitement. I think wistfully about my keyboard back home and the new song I wrote. I’d rather be playing somewhere than sitting here at a candlelit table with a white napkin draped over my lap.
“Hey, guys.” I lean forward, an idea formulating. “It’s open mic night at the coffee shop. Waddya say we head there after? I have a new song I could perform.”
Forrest’s eyes light up, reminding me of how I feel at the prospect of hearing Beckett sing. Maybe he’s looking for the same thing I am. “Sounds great,” he says. “I’d love to hear it.”
“Yeah, okay,” Ryker agrees, grabbing Lola’s hand. She just furrows her brows suspiciously at me. I squirm under the scrutiny of her gaze, wishing she couldn’t read me like a book.
When the waiter brings our food, Lola leans over and whispers harshly in my ear, “What’s going on with you?”
“Nothing.” I shrug.
“Forrest is a nice guy. Give him a chance.” She pins me with a glare.
“I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Everything okay?” Ryker raises his brows while staring in our direction.
Lola smiles and straightens up. “Yeah. Just girl talk, you know?”
“Glad we weren’t in on that.” Ryker laughs, glancing over at Forrest.
Reaching for my fork, I look around the table. A hard knot forms in my chest when I capture a glimpse of Lola giggling at something Ryker says. Why couldn’t that be Beckett and me? Why did I have to fall for a guy who’s never going to fall for me? Lifting my eyes to Forrest, I assess him. Would it really be so bad to just give him a chance? Maybe if I did it would help me get my mind off of Beckett. Noticing me staring, he flashes me a genuine smile. He’s so nice it makes my heart ache. I could do a lot worse. An image of Beckett’s muscular arms painted with his tattoo, his piercing eyes and crazy good voice fill my mind. I could also do a lot better.
14
Beckett
I barely step inside the coffee shop when I hear her voice. Instantly I recognize the clear, smooth tone, and I know it’s Star. For one second I contemplate heading out, but then I catch the haunting melody, and it causes me to freeze. This is not like her usual chipper stuff. This is different, and I have to hear more. I keep walking in, allowing the door to close behind me. Careful not to let her see me, I lean against the back wall.
She’s bent over the keyboard, her dark hair falling like a curtain over her face. Her slender arms move swiftly over the keys, and her lyrics wash over me.
You reeled me in like a fish on a hook
Then you threw me overboard without a single look
Now I’m sinking, I’m drowning
Alone in the water
You left me
To be pulled under
I listen with fascination. She finally did it. She reached deep down and pulled out something raw and emotional. I find myself wondering who the song is about. When she finishes, she gazes up. Her cheeks are flushed like they always are when she ends a song. Her lips are shimmery under the dim lights. As she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, I keep myself hidden behind a cluster of people. She stands, and my eyes drop to her bare legs. Damn, she wore a skirt again. After scurrying off stage, she sits down at a table with three other people. It’s then that I recognize Ryker and Lola, but I don’t know who the other guy is. When I see him lean over and whisper something to Star, my insides churn. Is she on a date with that guy? Not that I care, but the guy looks like a tool. He doesn’t look like someone Star would date in a million years.
Satisfied that she won’t see me, I make my way to the counter and order a latte. As soon as it’s ready, I feel someone nudge my shoulder. I turn around to see Star giving me a quizzical look.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” she asks.
“Same thing as you, I guess.”
She looks down at my empty hands. “You didn’t bring your guitar.”
“Wasn’t planning to play tonight. Just needed a little pick-me-up.” I hold up the white paper cup. “Got a long night of writing ahead of me.”
“You never cease to amaze me.” She smiles.
“Why?” I ask, curious.
“It’s just that I always thought rockers stayed up late drinking shots of tequila or beer or something while they wrote. Not coffee.”
My chest tightens at her words. “Sorry to destroy your image of the rockstar lifestyle, but I don’t drink, Star.”
She nods, clearly sensing my darkening mood. “That’s fine. I don’t either. But I guess that’s for different reasons. I’m not old enough.”
The corners of my lips curl upward at her nervous ramblings. “It’s fine, Star.” We move away from the counter together. “So, that song you played. Was it something new?”
Her cheeks redden. “Yeah, I wrote it the other night.”
“See, I told you that you didn’t need my help to become a better songwriter.”
She lowers her gaze and bites her lip. “I guess not.”
“It definitely wasn’t like your others,” I say.
“No, it wasn’t.” She glances up at me, and I think she might say more. But then her gaze flits over to her table and she sighs. “I better get back to my date.”
“Your date, huh?” I peer over at him. “You’re seriously going out with that guy?”
“What?” Star places her hand on her hip. “He’s nice. He’s a friend of Ryker’s.”
That’s when it hits me. “Ah, yes. I thought he looked familiar. He has some kind of nature name.”
“Forrest.”
“That’s right.” I fight back a chuckle. “Forrest.”
Star gently smacks me in the shoulder. “Stop.”
“What?”
“I can tell you’re trying not to laugh at his name.”
“Do you blame me?”
“Yes. Believe me, with a name like Star, I’ve been teased endlessly. Therefore, I never make fun of other people’s names.”
“Fair enough.” I grin. “Well, then go back to your date with the cluster of trees and have fun.”
“Nice.” She rolls her eyes at me. “Good-bye Beckett.”
“See ya, Star.” I watch her as she makes her way back to her table. When Forrest turns to her with a grin, I have the strange urge to punch him in the face. What is it with this girl? How does she have the ability to bring out this side of me?
“So, who’s the girl?” A familiar voice growls behind me.
My shoulders tighten and my insides churn. It takes all my willpower not to completely lose it. Gritting my teeth, I turn around. He looks exactly the same as the last time I saw him. His greasy hair hangs down to his ears, his dark eyes are ringed with circles, and his tall frame is lanky.
“What are you doing here, Dante? Wouldn’t you be more comfortable in a bar? Or at a dealer’s house?” I spit the words out.
Dante throws his arms up in mock surrender. “Just here for open mic night, man.”
I glance down at his guitar with disgust. “You playing? Well, I
guess I should thank you for the warning then. I’m outta here.”
Dante’s gaze roams over to where Star is seated. “That the new girl in your band? She looks a little familiar, like I’ve seen her before or something.”
I know what he’s saying, and it causes my blood to boil. I ball my hands into fists at my side. “You better stay the hell away from her.”
Clucking his tongue, he leans toward me. “Or what, Beckett?”
I breathe in through my nose, keeping my lips together and think of Quinn. Letting him get under my skin is not a smart move. The last time I did that it ended badly for me. Without a word, I shove past him.
“You might want to stay,” Dante calls from over my shoulder. “I have a feeling things are going to get interesting.”
His words shiver over my skin, and I stop in my tracks. I curse myself for showing up here tonight. It would’ve been better if Dante hadn’t seen me with Star. I know my feelings for her are pretty complicated, and even though Dante’s a complete loser he has an uncanny ability to read people. And I know he’d do just about anything to goad me. With a frustrated groan, I turn back around and try to locate a seat. As much as I don’t want to watch Dante perform, I know I have to stay for Star’s sake. Forrest may be her date, but when it comes to Dante I’m the only one who can protect her.
15
Star
“Oh, no,” Ryker says under his breath as a tall, lanky guy walks up onto the stage.
“What?” Lola asks, her fingers lighting on his arm.
“Nothing. I’m sure everything will be fine,” Ryker answers, but he’s fidgeting and appears more nervous than I’ve ever seen him. “At least Beckett isn’t here.”
This causes alarm bells to ring in my head. “Beckett is here.”
“What?” Ryker’s eyebrows shoot up, just as the guy on stage starts playing his guitar.
“Yeah.” I glance behind us and find Beckett sitting at a table near the back window. “See, he’s right there.”
“Oh, man.” Ryker groans, running a hand over his face.
“Why? What’s going on?” I ask, my throat tight. Before Ryker can answer, the guy on stage jumps to the ground in front of me with his guitar in hand. He leans toward me, singing seductively in my face. His voice is nothing compared to Beckett’s, but it’s not bad either. It has kind of a nice raspy quality.
“Beckett’s going to lose it,” Ryker says, and my body tenses at his words.
What is going on?
I scoot my chair back a little and glance over at Forrest. He’s furrowing his brows, and I can tell he’s as confused as I am. But this only seems to fuel this strange singer more. He bends over me still singing. It’s clear that he’s totally flirting with me, and I hear a few girls giggling and squealing. I know that sound. It’s the same one Beckett’s fan club makes when they wait for him after the shows. Clearly this guy has a fan club as well, only I can’t tell why. He’s not nearly as good looking as Beckett. Then again, I guess if you’re into that whole grunge look he wouldn’t be so bad. He reaches forward and sweeps his finger over my cheek. I suck in a startled breath.
“Dante, what the hell?” Beckett’s voice crashes over me.
I freeze.
Ryker jumps up. “Beckett, man, calm down.”
“Stay out of this, Ryker.” Beckett shoves Dante back. “I told you to stay away from her, Dante.”
“And I told you things would get interesting.” Dante grins. “And now things just got interesting.”
“This isn’t a joke, Dante.”
“You know what you’re problem is, Beckett? You take everything too seriously. You need to lighten up a little.”
Before I can even register what’s happening, Beckett’s fist slams into Dante’s face. Dante flies backward, blood spurting from his nose. Ryker grunts. Lola gasps. I stand there stunned. What just happened?
“Hey, break it up!” The manager of the coffee place lumbers over. “You two need to get out of here right now!”
Beckett throws his arms up, palms exposed. “Fine with me.” He stalks off, rage still evident in his face.
I glance down at Dante who is scrambling off the floor. “Man, he damaged my guitar!” He yells in a nasally tone while blood continues to leak down his face. He looks at me. “You better tell your boyfriend to watch his back.”
As he stomps off, Forrest gives me a questioning glance. “Is there something going on with you and Beckett?”
“No.” At least I don’t think so.
“What the hell?” Lola runs a hand through her hair, looking confused.
I sigh, my gaze reaching for the door. “I need to go talk to Beckett.”
“No, that’s not a good idea.” Lola rushes to my side.
“Lola’s right,” Ryker says. “He needs time to cool off.”
I shake my head. “No, I need to talk to him now.” I glance sheepishly at Forrest, quite certain he’s never going out with me again. “I’m sorry.”
“Star.” Lola grabs my arm, but I shake it off.
“I have to do this, Lola.” Without letting her protest further, I race outside. The dark night air swallows me, and I look to my right and then my left, squinting. I don’t see him. He’s probably long gone by now.
“Hey,” a voice calls out, and I recognize it immediately. No one else in the world has that same rich, raspy tone.
I walk in the direction of the voice and see Beckett standing in the shadows. “You’re still here,” I say, stating the obvious.
“I just wanted to make sure Dante didn’t cause any more trouble.” He leans his back against the wall, and tucks his hands into the pocket of his jeans.
“What was that all about? Why were you fighting about me?” I hold my breath awaiting his answer. When he went after Dante it seemed that he was jealous and staking his claim on me. It almost scares me how much I want it to be true.
“We weren’t fighting about you, Star.”
“Oh.” My stomach sinks. “Then what were you fighting about?”
“Dante is the lead singer of Cold Fever.”
Anger courses through me. I should’ve known this was just some stupid band thing. “So, this is all just about a band rivalry.”
“No, it’s more than that.” Beckett pauses, sighs. “Years ago, Dante stole away the only girl who ever meant anything to me.”
I feel like I might puke. “That’s why you hit him. For this other girl?”
“Yes.”
“I see.”
His eyes lock with mine. “No, Star, it isn’t what you’re thinking.”
“It’s fine.” I move away from him. “I need to get back inside.”
“Wait, Star.” His arm juts out and his fingers circle my wrist. When I turn around, his face is serious like he’s going to share something with me. But then just as quickly his features transform back into a teasing look. He offers me a lopsided smile and a wink. “Be careful. I hear the forest can be a dangerous place, especially at night.”
“Real cute, Beckett.” I glower at him.
“Hey, where’s that pretty smile?”
I pull my arm back. “Goodnight, Beckett.”
“Night, Star.”
As I walk back into the coffee shop, I fight back tears. Why do I always make such a fool of myself when it comes to Beckett? When am I going to realize that he’s never going to see me as anything more than another member of his band?
Lola spots me and races in my direction. “What happened? You look like you just lost your best friend.”
I force a laugh and try to appear happier than I feel. “That’s impossible. You’re right here, silly.”
Lola squeezes my arm. She knows me better than anyone. I know that she can tell I’m just putting up a good front, but she’s still going to help me. “Yes, I am. And I’m never going anywhere.”
“Thanks, Lola.”
“Now let’s get back to our dates.” She guides me forward.
Ryker looks at me wit
h concern when I sit down. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, fine,” I lie.
“Who knew there could be so much excitement in a coffee shop, huh?” Lola laughs in an attempt to lighten the mood.
“Right?” I join in. “I’m just glad I got my song in before all the chaos.”
“And you were amazing.” Forrest says, dropping his hand on my thigh.
I fight the urge to shake his hand off. He’s a nice, good looking guy. I should want him to touch me. Only I know that I don’t. The only guy I want is Beckett. But he obviously doesn’t want me, so I need to move on.
“Thanks,” I say. Deciding to play along, I place my hand over his.
Lola gives me an encouraging smile from across the table, and I know I’ve appeased everyone. We make small talk for a little while, and then I work up the courage to ask the question that has been nagging at me ever since my conversation outside with Beckett.
“Hey, Ryker, so what’s the story with Dante and Beckett?”
His face pales. “Uh, they just have a lot of history, I guess.”
Okay, so I’ll have to try another tactic. “What about? Like did they both go after the same girl or something?”
Ryker laughs at this. “Beckett would never fight someone over a girl. In fact, in all the time we’ve been friends, Beckett has never been serious about any girl.”
I wonder why Ryker is lying to me. Beckett said that Dante stole the only girl he ever cared about. Since Ryker and Beckett have been friends for so long, surely Ryker knows what happened. Why all the secrecy?
“Really?” I counter. “I thought Beckett had a lot of girlfriends.”
“Nah, not girlfriends. He hooks up with a lot of girls. A new one every night, in fact.”