Behind the Lens (Boys of Fallout Book 2)

by Cassandra Giovanni

  I shake my head. “I don’t like malls, and I swear to God if any of you ask if I’m a chick again, I’ll flip you all on your backs so fast your heads spin.”

  “You could always just prove you’re a chick,” Kie says, smirking at me as he leans against the wall, his lips pursing at me as his eyes race over my frame.

  “Whoa!” James stands, putting his hands up. “Enough with the shit, Kie. Nat needs to feel comfortable on this bus. I’ll make you rent a hotel room.”

  Kie purses his lips. The bus comes to a stop, and he opens the door as James turns to me with his eyes wide and face red.

  “Don’t worry about it, James. Believe me, I’ve toured with worse than Kie,” I reply as I open my drawer and pull out my workout clothes. There’s no way I’m going to be able to sleep when I want to kick Kie’s ass.

  Aiden hops off his bunk. “Who’ve you toured with? Undertow?”

  The blood drains from my face as my jaw goes slack and my body numbs. My eyes fall to my hands as I try to keep my breathing even. I tell myself it’s just a coincidence that Aiden’s mentioning Jace’s band. They’re known for Jace’s bad behavior, and that’s the only reason it’s coming up.

  “Nat’s toured with too many bands to count. I’m sure at least one of them had a douche like Kie in it,” Brent says, filling the awkward silence. I keep my head down but can feel Brent watching me.

  “You guys are definitely not the norm,” I reply, shooting him a smile.

  Brent tucks his cell phone and earbuds into his front pocket. “It’d be great if you came with us.”

  I bite the inside of my lip as I stare between my workout clothes in my hands and his cocked head, lopsided grin and brown eyes begging me to join them. I inhale, grabbing my camera and Brent steps forward, putting his hand over mine. Warmth moves from the area where our skin contacts and spreads across my chest and face.

  I’m not pale anymore. I’m pretty sure all the blood has rushed back into my face.

  “Off the clock,” Brent says, and his hand stays over mine as I blink hard.

  I glance over at James.

  “Off the clock,” James agrees before jumping out of the bus and leaving Brent and me alone.

  Brent moves his hand, and I put both of mine in the front pockets of my hooded sweatshirt as I follow him off the bus.

  “I’m going to have to learn to say no to you guys,” I say as we fall into step with each other.

  “I figured we could continue our conversation about guitars,” Brent replies.

  I glance up at him, my face burning yet again. “Honestly, I’m not that good with guitars. I just kind of fell in love with Jacksons and LTDs.”

  “You have good taste,” he replies, his lips pushing out as he nods. “You don’t have to know that much about guitars. I think it has a lot to do with the person playing it.”

  “I’d love to see you play some time,” I reply, and my mouth goes dry as I look at him. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you play in any videos of the band.”

  Brent twists the watch on his wrist, not answering me until we reach the doors to the mall. He looks down at his feet as he licks his lips, but his eyes come slowly up to mine when I don’t walk through the door. I raise my eyebrows at him, and he shrugs.

  “That’s because I don’t play on stage,” he finally replies.

  “And why is that?” I ask.

  He taps his free hand against the cell phone in his pocket as he looks anywhere but at me. “I just never have.”

  “Do you want to?” I ask as I head through the door and he follows.

  “I don’t know,” he replies. “I’m good at screaming.”

  “But you love playing guitar?”

  He nods. “How is it you get me?”

  I purse my lips, raising my eyebrows in an imitation of Kie. “I’m just that good.”

  “So,” Brent says, clearing his throat. “Undertow?”

  I chew on the inside of my lip as I keep my eyes straight ahead. “What about them?”

  “You toured with them?”

  I nod but don’t offer anything else.

  “Why didn’t you say anything when I mentioned Monster’s Epitaph?”

  The skin behind my ear itches and I pull my loose ponytail out, making sure the tattoo is covered. “You didn’t ask if I toured with them. You just mentioned one of their songs. They have a lot of songs.”

  But only that one was mine– is mine.

  “You ever wonder why the song is called that? I mean, the lyrics don’t match it,” Brent asks as we head up to where there’s a huge line waiting for the band. We stop and stare at it.

  “It’s a monster who wrote it,” I reply, my voice quiet and I clench my jaw as a chill rushes over me.

  “Jace Smith?” Brent asks, and his voice is amused. I don’t know what his expression is because I’m staring at the line, my vision blurry. “I’d have to agree with that one, but that’s between you and me.”

  My head jerks and I can’t avoid looking at him. My voice sounds strangled as I ask, “You know him?”

  They know him.

  Holy shit. Did the band know?

  Brent tilts back on his heels. “Not really. But he’s not hard to judge from afar.”

  I scoff, and Brent finally looks over at me. I cough to cover it up.

  “You mind if I go walk around?” I ask.

  Brent shakes his head. “You want my earbuds?”

  I look down at my cell phone, my fingers itching to put on something to rattle around my brains, so I’m not thinking anymore. “That’d be great, if you don’t mind.”

  Brent pulls out the earbuds. “One requirement– you need to put your number in my phone, and when I get bored shitless, you come back and save me.”

  I laugh as he hands me his phone and I quickly type in my number.

  “So what do I have ten minutes?” I ask as I hand it back to him.

  He winks at me before heading towards the line.

  Chapter 15

  While Rich from Saints and Sinners is a total toolbox, I have to admit his stage presence is magnetic. The crowd is drawn into him, and I enjoy capturing it on camera. His music is more about partying and getting crazy, like Chaos Coma, and it shows in the way the fans react to them. When Fade Burn comes on stage, it’s a different story. There’s a deeper connection, and I’m able to catch the crowd’s emotional response to the lyrics and Adam. Every word he sings or screams seems to come from his soul — they’re his story, and it shows in his eyes and expressions. Makeshift ends the set with their own unique personality. Makeshift’s album tells a story the guys have artfully crafted of a world at war. Each song moves the characters deeper into the storyline, and the crowd seems to love that as well. It’s a good balance, but by the end of the concert, I’m completely spent. Two plus hours and four bands later, I’m glad I don’t have to do this every night. It’s like a photography marathon, and I just want to go back to the bus, get a shower and go to bed, but I know that’s not going to happen. Brent warned me earlier that the guy’s girlfriends had all flown into Phoenix to catch the show and that the bus would basically be taken over for the night. I head backstage once the last song of Makeshift’s set is played and wonder why the hell I didn’t book a hotel room. I still can, but even that feels like it will take too much effort.

  Brent raises an eyebrow as I round the corner to where the guys have gathered.

  “You look exhausted,” he says, cocking his head at me.

  I take the towel he hands me and rub the sweat off the back of my neck. “Now I remember why I stopped doing festivals after I made a name for myself.”

  “Come on, festivals are fun,” Brent says as we fall into step with one another. It’s my turn to raise my eyebrows, and he laughs before nodding ahead to where each of the guys, except Kie, are hugging and kissing their significant others. “And now you get to meet the girlfriends.”

  He says the word girlfriends with an ominous tone.

&nb
sp; “Where’s Kie’s girlfriend?” I ask, watching as he sneaks away, looking over his back once before fading down the hall.

  “That’s a good question,” Brent replies, slipping his phone out of his pocket. “Looks like she’s running a few minutes late.”

  “Then where the hell is he going?” I ask as we follow the entourage out of the building to the tour bus.

  “Who knows, maybe he’s assuming Tay isn’t coming,” Brent replies as we reach the bus. We both stop at the same time.

  I scrunch my nose up as I look at the door hanging open for us. “It’s going to be a love fest in there, isn’t it?”

  Brent scratches his chin. “Honestly, every time the girls have shown up, I’ve had a girlfriend–so I’ve never really paid much attention.”

  I swallow, looking down at my shoes before looking over at him. “Was it a love fest for you?”

  He blinks at me a few times, his lips in a stern line. “We don’t just start screwing all over the bus.”

  I throw my hands up. “Hey, I know how it is. You haven’t gotten laid in a few months, and you get to see your significant other…”

  “Is that all you think we think about?” he asks, a slight smirk on his face. “Or is that all you think about?”

  My face burns red, and I shake my head. “No–not at all.”

  “Brent?” a woman’s voice calls at our backs.

  “Tay!” Brent replies as he turns, pulling her into a hug. “It’s good to see you!”

  Tay smiles as she pulls away from him. “I forgot how lovely you guys smell right after you get off stage.”

  I watch as Brent’s face turns red, and he puts his hands in his pockets as he rocks on his heels. “Sorry, I haven’t had a chance to shower.”

  She punches him in the shoulder. “Seriously, Brent? Believe me, Kie smells no better than you do. Speaking of which, where is he?”

  Brent glances at me and then to Taylor. She has long blonde hair curled into waves with ice blue eyes that are anything but cold. She smiles as she looks over at me, holding out her hand. “I’m sorry, that was rude of me–you must be Natalie, the photographer? I’m Taylor, Kie’s girlfriend. Everyone calls me Tay.”

  I shake her hand. “You’re the first one to introduce yourself to me. The other girls didn’t even notice me at all.”

  She laughs, running a hand through her hair. “I’m sure if I saw Kie, I would’ve ignored you too!”

  I nod over my shoulder. “Brent, go take a shower. I’ll help Tay find wherever Kie ran off to.”

  Brent narrows his eyes at me, and I smile up at him. “You do smell.”

  He blinks at me. “And you smell any better?”

  My eyes widen, and he puts his hands up before backing slowly onto the tour bus.

  “I’m sorry if I smell,” I say as I look down at my damp tank top.

  Taylor laughs. “You definitely don’t smell like any of them do.”

  “Thanks,” I reply. I nod towards the building. “I think Kie went somewhere inside the venue.”

  We fall into step with one another, and she looks over at me with a slow smile. “So you…and Brent?”

  My face burns and a cold sweat builds on my spine. I tell myself it’s just the difference in temperature between the air-conditioned backstage and the heat of Arizona outside.

  “No, not at all,” I reply, and my voice cracks.

  Because I’m thirsty. Who wouldn’t be after the workout that is doing show photography?

  She bites her lip. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to assume.”

  I put a hand up, laughing a bit too high pitched. “Believe me; I’ve gotten used to people thinking that.”

  “So do you?” she asks, biting her lip as she looks at me.

  “Like him?” I finish her sentence.

  She closes her eyes as we walk further into the venue and shakes her head. “You don’t have to tell me. We don’t know each other… It just seemed like you do.”

  An awkward silence falls over us, and I clear my throat. “Uh, I think I saw Kie go this way. All these places are so different — crazy mazes.”

  I hear a muffled noise that sounds like Kie and head towards the door I think it’s coming from. I open the door to peek my head in and blink as I stare at Kie with a half naked girl wrapped around him and his pants at his ankles. His eyes meet mine, going wide before I slam the door shut.

  Taylor stands back behind me, and she swallows, staring at the closed door. “Anything?”

  My hands go into fists as I try to control my facial expression. “Place has rats apparently.”

  Her eyes drop to the floor, and she nods. “Sometimes they do.”

  “Maybe he made it onto the bus by now?” I say, linking my arm in hers. Guilt washes over me as I try to act like I didn’t see anything.

  Her body is stiff, and I can tell by the blank look in her eyes that she knows the way Kie is. “Sure, if not, I’m sure he’ll make his way there eventually.”

  Silence falls over us as we head back to the bus. My chest tightens as I glance over at her, and I bite my lip before asking, “So it’s that obvious?”

  Taylor shakes her head, looking over at me and her friendly eyes have a dark hint to them. “What?”

  I feel the need to distract her from whatever is going on in her head.

  “That I might be…” I suck my lips into my mouth before admitting, “A tiny bit attracted to Brent?”

  Taylor bursts out laughing. “A tiny bit? And who says it’s only obvious one way?”

  “What do you mean?” I ask, trying to make my voice light.

  “I’ve known Brent forever,” she says, and her brows go up into her forehead. “And he definitely feels the same.”

  “Too bad this is way too complicated,” I reply, sighing. I’ve never really had any girlfriends, so this whole situation feels awkward, but it’s a hell of a lot less embarrassing than admitting I saw her boyfriend screwing some other girl.

  “Dating a guy in a band is complicated enough. I can’t imagine what it would be like for you,” she says with a nod as we reach the bus.

  My hand stops on the door as I hear giggling. “Why don’t we just stay out here for a while?”

  It may be hot out here, but I’m pretty sure it’s probably just as hot in there and even more awkward.

  Taylor smirks. “That’s probably a good idea.”

  We sit down on the curb, and I give into to the ‘girl talk.’

  “I only dated a guy in a band once,” I say looking over at her.

  “It didn’t end well?” she asks, grimacing.

  I pick at the nail polish on my fingers as I take a deep breath. Kie appears at the building door, and neither Taylor or I stand.

  “No,” I answer, watching Kie as he looks around the lot. “I caught him cheating, but I guess I always knew he was cheating. I just had to see it to believe it.”

  Taylor’s eyes lock on Kie, who hasn’t noticed us yet. “Did it destroy you to know he was?”

  I shrug. “He wasn’t the nicest person to begin with.”

  She looks down at her boots, moving the zipper up and down. “So you broke up?”

  “And I vowed never to date one of my clients ever again,” I reply, standing and offering her my hand.

  She takes it, her eyes meeting mine as she stands.

  “Brent isn’t like that…” She swallows as Kie sees us and begins to jog forward.

  “Tay!” he yells, pulling her into his arms and swinging her around.

  I watch as she squeezes her eyes shut, keeping her arms around him so that he won’t see her face. The other girls looked overjoyed when they jumped into their boyfriend’s arms, but Taylor’s face is tight, and her eyes are sad as she lets her arms slip down his shoulders so he can see her expression. I watch as Kie’s shoulders tense, and he whispers something in her ear. She shakes her head, and I watch as his muscles relax. I brush my hands off on my pants before turning to the tour bus just as Brent pokes his head out
.

  “There you are!” he says as he holds the door open for me.

  I smile up at him. “How’s it being the single one?”

  He runs his tongue over his teeth. “You want to go catch a movie or something? The giggling is a bit sickening.”

  “I need a shower first, but after, how about we go out to eat, and you can help me pick out what pictures to edit from tonight?” I say as I slip inside.

  “That sounds like a plan,” Brent says as we both look around the bus. It was just the right size for the band, me, and the techs– with the addition of four women, it’s a bit much. There’s barely anywhere to move, and the noise level is almost as bad as a concert. I shower in record time, and Brent makes sure a car is waiting for us when I’m done.

  “Thank God for you,” Brent says as he opens the door for me.

  I smile at him, catching a glimpse of Tay smirking at us as the door swings shut.

  Chapter 16

  When I get up the next morning Tay, Amber and Meeghan are getting ready to catch a ride back to the airport. I glance over at Brent, and he wiggles his eyebrows at me, mouthing the words thank God. I stifle a laugh as I get up and go to the bathroom before making my way into the kitchen. Brent hands me a cup of coffee and a muffin, and I sit down next to him.

  “When do we hit the road for New Mexico?” I ask as I take a sip.

  James nods to the back of the bus. “As soon as Anna catches a car.”

  Aiden looks down at his watch. “Which is hopefully soon. You told Brad we needed to get going by ten, right?”

  “I sure did,” James replies, running his tongue against the inside of his cheek with his eyes still on the door to the back lounge area. Just then the door opens, and Brad comes out, his hair tousled.

  Brent looks at me from the corner of his eyes, and I can’t help the way my lips go down. I don’t even want to know what they were doing in there. Our gazes move to Brad as he goes to the coffee machine and pours two cups of coffee before heading back towards the lounge.

  James clears his throat, and Brad pauses, looking over his shoulder.