Cece swallowed the fear that bubbled in her. What was he doing? Trying to talk to her again? She didn’t want to talk to him. Suddenly, Cece wanted Avery.
She stood up. “I’m going to talk to Avery,” she said.
Riley’s eyes narrowed on her in a disapproving look as he rose to his feet. “I’m finished with this shit,” he said and stormed away.
Finished with what shit? She was finished with his shit!
Anger rushed through Cece, washing all her happiness and pride away. What was his problem? This was ending now.
Cece chased after him, with Abby at her heels.
“What is your problem?” she demanded when she finally caught up to him. She had to maintain hurried steps to keep up with him. Abby moved to the opposite side of Riley like a tag team with the opponent cornered.
“I can’t stand around and watch you flaunt yourself at Avery,” he snarled.
“Flaunt myself?” She was not doing any such thing.
Abby must have found the humor in his accusation because she scoffed, rewarded with a glare from Riley before he continued. “Running behind stage after his last act. Hurrying over to stand at his side all night long.”
That was not flaunting it, that was being Inch Away’s manager and Riley knew it. She hadn’t even held Avery’s hand all day, she hadn’t kissed him, or even touched him. Avery on the other hand, had touched the middle of her back when they walked away from breakfast. He also grazed her arm purposely with his own when no one was looking, and then played innocent, leaving her with his winks. All of that behavior would hardly be considered flaunting their relationship. She couldn’t wait until it was made public so she could hold his hand and kiss him whenever she damn well pleased.
“I’m his manager, Riley.”
Riley stopped and faced her. “Exactly. So why don’t you start acting like one?” Then he took off before she could answer. That only made her angrier. If he wanted to throw little jabs at her, go ahead, but stand ground and wait for her comeback.
Cece followed and caught up to him.
“I am a damn good manager.” Look where they were standing and what stage Inch Away was standing on. She was the best damn manager. After this exposure, their tour venues would be sold out.
“Besides understanding boundaries,” he quipped.
Boundaries? Boundaries! Was he kidding her?
“Do you hear yourself? You went and fell in love with basically Mrs Calvert’s second daughter!” She poked her head around to find Abby. “No offense Abby.”
Abby was rarely offended and if she was she would let you know. Right now, she looked about as angry at Riley as Cece felt. Then again, this was her twin brother that had Riley all in a twist. “None taken and moving right along to the point,” she said.
Cece looked at her brother. “The point is we can’t help who we fall in love with Riley.”
They were approaching the gate when Riley stopped abruptly and his feet gritted into the ground as he turned to face her. “In love?”
Cece squared her shoulders. “Yes. In love. I’m in love with Avery. I love Avery.”
Abby gasped and Cece distinguished the happiness in her voice.
Riley’s voice held no support. “You’ve known this guy for a whole of two months.”
“You were only dating Abby for a week when you decided you were in love with her.”
“I knew her for two years.”
“Technically you didn’t like me for one of those years,” Abby added.
Riley’s glare slid to Abby. “You’re not helping.”
“I guess it depends whose side I’m on,” Abby said, and Cece wasn’t in the least bit shocked that Abby would stand up to her beliefs against Riley. Abby McAdams was one hundred percent her own woman.
Riley’s gritting feet turned him toward Abby. “And whose side are you on?”
“Avery and Cece’s,” she said matter-of-factly. “I don’t know what’s crawled under your skin, but they’ve had sparks from the very first moment they met.”
Cece remembered that morning and there had been a whole pile of sparks flying that day. Sparks of mistrust meeting Abby for the first time, sparks of desire meeting Avery, sparks of annoyance at Abby’s best friend Izzy, and sparks of anger at Riley for bringing all the people home with him. The day Riley had returned home had been another emotional roller coaster she could add to her life.
“I didn’t even really like Cece then...” Abby looked around Riley at Cece. “No offense.”
The feeling had been mutual and Cece was glad that they had moved on from that feeling. So much, that Abby was defending her relationship with Avery.
“Get to the point,” Cece said.
Abby nodded with a grin and a wink that mirrored her brother’s. “And I saw it right away. Those two couldn’t keep their eyes off each other. Are you telling me you didn’t see it?”
Riley was quiet.
He saw it? He saw it!
Cece gasped. “Oh my God. Riley, you stuck us together so I wouldn’t get involved with him?”
“Clearly that wasn’t my best judgement call.”
Abby tsked him. “You did not?” she asked in disbelief.
“I’m not the one we are talking about here,” Riley said.
“You should be if you stuck them together to break them apart,” Abby said. “Who do you think you are? Cupid? You can’t just point your bow and arrow around as you please to break up love. Did you not learn anything dating me?”
“I learned you can be a little pain in the rear sometimes and stick your nose where it doesn’t belong. And of course I didn’t stick them together hoping they wouldn’t hook up. I didn’t even know they were interested in each other.”
“What are you? Blind?”
“I really didn’t think your heartbroken brother was going to chase my sister as a rebound,” he snapped.
“I am not a rebound,” Cece stated firmly.
“It sure as hell looks like it,” Riley said.
Abby pointed her finger at him. “You know, you’re going to regret this later. You think I’m going swimming with you now? After you accused my brother of using your sister as a rebound?”
Swimming? How was that even a threat?
“You don’t understand and I’m not about to discuss it in the middle of the AHJ,” Riley snarled and took off through the gate.
Cece didn’t think Riley understood.
She took a step and Abby touched his arm. “I’m not trying to overstep my boundaries here. I know you’re his sister, but maybe you should give him space. Sometimes he’s not so good at talking.”
Cece patted Abby’s hand, appreciating the concern. “You’re family now, Abby and whatever we went through to get here is in the past. You are always welcome to an opinion with me. But, right now, I’m not going to let this go any further. He’s been snubbing Avery all day and I’m at my limit. I love your brother.”
Abby removed her hand with an understanding nod. This time it was Cece’s turn to pull Abby into a hug before taking off after Riley.
Cece might not be able to stand up to Rusty, but she sure as hell could stand up for the man who gave her courage to want to.
She caught Riley as he boarded the bus. She slammed the door behind them and he turned, his eyes flaring. Flaring. Flaring! The nerve. Cece should be the one flaring. He was acting like a total asshole with no good reason to.
“What is this about?” she demanded.
“You know who this is about.”
Rusty.
Cece shook her head. Of course. He was doing exactly what Cece had been doing and comparing the two. It didn’t make sense to Cece. She understood the reasons behind her comparison and they were very logical reasons, however Riley had been long gone when Rusty’s true side revealed itself. There was no way that Riley knew the truth behind the demolition of Rusty and Cece’s relationship. What was he basing his anger on?
“Let me clear things up for you. Avery isn
’t Rusty.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes I do. I don’t even understand what you’re all worked up about when you don’t even know who Rusty really is, or what even happened between us. Riley, you weren’t there.”
“Rusty hurt you.” Standing at her height, Riley’s fight paused as the truth came out. “I don’t want to see you get hurt again.”
“You didn’t see me get hurt. In case you’ve forgotten, you weren’t around. You left. You hurt me.”
“I see it now.”
Cece sighed. “When a relationship fails, everyone involved gets hurt. That’s life. You can’t protect me from every heartache. Do you want me never to date again?”
“I would prefer if you didn’t date a musician who is using you as a rebound.”
“That’s not up to you.”
“I think it’s in your contract.”
Her contract? Was he serious?
The door opened and Abby popped her blonde head of hair in. It was perfect timing because Cece was ready to kick her brother right out the door. What was he going to do...fire her? If he didn’t grow up in about two seconds she was going to quit. What would you do then? Spend every last second with Avery. It didn’t sound so bad at all.
“Hey guys, I hate to interrupt−”
Riley held his hand up. “Not now Abby.”
“I know...but...”
“Give us a minute,” Riley snarled. He was so grouchy, miserable and cranky. Cranky, cranky, cranky. Snap out of it brother, cause you aren’t winning this one. There is no way I am ever letting Avery go.
“O-Kay,” Abby said reluctantly, shutting the door behind her.
Riley turned back to Cece and continued. She wished he would stop fighting her and see how happy she was with Avery. “Stop trying to pull the wool over my eyes. I am your brother. I am your blood. I raised you from the time Mom and Dad died, so I see everything.” She wasn’t doing any such thing. She was trying to do the opposite and be honest with Riley, but he was making it difficult.
“Did you see all that all the way in Willow Valley for the last two years?” His jaw tightened at the insult. “Yeah, I didn’t think so. A lot has happened since you left, so you don’t really know me all that well.”
“I know I haven’t seen you look at a person the way you looked at Rusty at the Oakston Grill, since Uncle Jack.”
“Like he’s an asshole.”
“No. Like you were scared.”
Cece’s mouth clamped shut. Shit. All these years of hiding her emotions from everyone and Riley picked that up in one supper? Had she ever been hiding them good to start with? She was beginning to doubt herself.
“What happened?” he asked.
“You know what happened? You left me when I needed you most. During the hardest time in my life. You didn’t protect me then, and right now, I don’t need you to protect me.” Cece hadn’t known how angry she was with her brother for not being there for her during that time in her life, until now. Riley had left her because his life was hard, but he was her only family.
Riley folded his arms over his chest, like he was trying to ignore the hurt. “Do you remember that time when I decided to quit school? Jack and I got into a huge argument that ended with punches?” Cece nodded. “We were both strong enough to stand up to each other and neither of us won. It only caused more friction between us. But the part I remember most was the look across your face. You were so scared...”
Of course she was scared. If they hadn’t stopped, they would have killed each other. Cece didn’t speak. Her insides were tightening anxiously waiting to hear where he was going.
“Rusty hit you, didn’t he?”
Tears she hadn’t known were surfacing sprang to her eyes. How did he know? How did he know!
“Cece...” His anger was gone and she watched the brother who had raised her, cared for her, protected her step toward her, but it was too late. It was over and done.
She held her hand up this time and took a step back. “No,” she said forcefully and her brother stopped. The tears slipped down her face and she wiped them away, not wanting the evidence. “You don’t understand.”
“Talk to me.”
Talk to him? Now? That wasn’t fair. “The last day I went to the rehab center to visit you, I wanted to talk to you. Do you remember? The day you left the letter for me?” She watched his face twist with sadness. “I had incredible news and I was so excited. The only person in this whole entire world I wanted to tell was you.” Cece remembered she’d dressed up that day and brought a gift with her for Riley. She couldn’t stop smiling until the receptionist handed her the note and told her Riley was gone. “You are my brother and like you know me, I know you. And I knew if the receptionist told you about my pregnancy you would see me. You wouldn’t be able not to, because even though you were hurting you were my family.” Her plan had been bulletproof...almost.
Any light or hope that this conversation was going anywhere in Riley’s eyes disappeared. That had been the way she’d felt when she’d been told he was gone.
“You were pregnant? With Rusty’s baby?”
“You were gone. They wouldn’t tell me where and I was sitting in the waiting area, alone, reading a letter, pregnant, and crying because you left me. You need to quit worrying about Rusty, or Avery, because you aren’t so good for me either.” Cece knew it was harsh. This was her brother and all he was trying to do was protect her.
“What happened to the baby?”
“I fell down a flight of stairs and lost her.”
“Her?”
Yes, a little baby girl. Her little baby girl. “Yes.”
Riley stared at her for a long time like he’d done many times growing up. He was analyzing her. He would be surprised to find she wasn’t a young woman anymore and could stand her ground. “How did you lose balance?” he finally asked.
Cece was finished with this conversation. “I guess I was tired from doing two jobs.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“What are you leaving out?” he pried.
Cece didn’t reply. Hadn’t he caused enough pain?
“I raised you Cece. I know when you’re hiding something. What are you hiding?” he asked again.
“Riley, let it go.” Her voice was rising again.
“No. Tell me,” he demanded.
Cece wasn’t about to tell him and he was making her angry with his pushing. “It was years ago.”
“That doesn’t make it less important.”
“Damn it Riley!” Cece yelled.
“Damn it Cece!” Riley yelled back at her.
“He hit me alright.” Cece couldn’t believe the words had left her mouth. But she was even more surprised when she continued. “And it wasn’t the first time. That whole month, whenever he lost his temper, I got the backside of his hand, or a fist.”
Riley’s jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed as she spoke. Riley had never been a violent man, but she watched anger take over his eyes. She should have stopped. For crying out loud, Rusty was out in the yard, but she didn’t.
“One day after he hit me so hard I couldn’t even feel my face, I was done. I stood up and I was finished being his punching bag.” She chuckled sadly. “He chased me, slammed me down on the ground. Picked me up, choked me against a wall. When I got away, we were at the top of the stairs and I fell. Right down stairs. I lost my baby that night.” The tears that seemed to want to flaunt themselves in front of everyone lately were back and Cece tried to wipe them away as quickly as they fell.
An anger Cece had never seen overtook Riley. “Rusty did that to you?”
“A long time ago.”
The door burst open and Abby came bursting in. “Riley!” Abby screamed.
Riley looked like he was about to growl another, not now Abby, but the tone of her voice alerted him as it did Cece. Something had happened. Even before she glanced at Abby’s panicking face, she knew. Cece hoped it wasn’t Peyton a
gain when all her family was here.
Riley turned.
“Avery heard everything. Guys, the damn windows are open and I tried to warn you. Riley, you need to go catch him. He’s heading to the tent party.”
Shit. Shit. Shit!
Every last person attending the AHJ had a cell phone with a video camera at their fingertips. If Avery touched Rusty it would be a social media frenzy and Avery would be the victim. Avery would be destroyed. Avery and the band weren’t built-up enough to live through the backlash of getting into a fight...or whatever Avery was thinking he was going to do.
Riley cursed and ran past Abby and out of the bus. Abby stared at her for a moment. “I’m sorry, Cece.”
“You’re not going to be saying that when Avery destroys his career over me.”
Please think this out Avery. Don’t ruin your career over something in the past.
Chapter Twenty-Four
EVERY STEP THAT landed on the ground thumped with rage, pushing Avery to move faster. He knew everyone was at his heels, but damned if he was going to stop.
He was going to find Rusty Towns and show him what if felt like to fight with a man. And Rusty Towns was going to damn well lose.
Avery was glad that bastard had stopped by the tent party and he hoped he was still there.
This would hurt Avery’s career. He was sorry for the band, but he couldn’t stand back and let that son of a bitch off the hook. So much made sense now. Cece’s reaction to his touch, her reaction whenever Rusty was around. She was terrified of him. She was terrified of Avery doing the same thing as Rusty. That selfish son of a bitch. He was going to drill his head into the ground for cheating on Cece and for laying his filthy hands on her.
The tent was packed full and Rusty had a crowd around him. Avery didn’t give a shit. As Avery made his way directly to Rusty, he caught sight of his family waving at him. He saw the way all their faces dropped, knowing something was wrong. Jake stepped forward and was walking in the same direction as Avery. Keep out of it Jake. We don’t need two men in trouble. Avery sent him a warning, but Jake didn’t bow down.
Rusty’s laughter echoed through the tent and he flipped his hair back with each chuckle.
Lakeshore Lyrics: The McAdams Sisters (By The Lake Series Book 5) Page 21