I couldn’t look him in the eyes. “You’re with Maddie,” I reminded us both.
“You know that’s different. She’s not you.”
I kept my gaze fixed on the water. I was scared of what I’d see, and even more frightened of what I wouldn’t.
The night haunted me for the rest of our trip. Between moments of sipping crisp white wine and screaming as weleaped off the boat into the crystal blue water, I’d meet his eyes and his words would echo through me.
You know that’s different. She’s not you.
His feelings were a mystery that tangled around me, yet one I was afraid to unravel because I was certain I already knew the answer. I was the one who kept him at arm’s length. Maybe all it would take was telling him I wanted more?
The final morning, Maddie was waiting for us when we docked. She had a silk scarf tied around her soft blonde curls, and the fabric of her white linen dress caught in the warm breeze. The rest of us looked like a bunch of college students coming off of a spring break vacation.
My gaze found Wes the moment he noticed her. His easy smile slipped for a moment into shock and then morphed into something I could only describe as plastic.
“I thought we’d agreed to meet at the airport,” he said, walking up to her and looping an arm around her waist.
“I have friends in the area, and it’s been too long since I visited them. We actually went out on the lake the other day. My reception was just fine. Are you sure you didn’t get my texts?” Maddie frowned, turning her painted lips into a perfect pout. “Maybe we should get it checked.”
“My phone didn’t work either,” Garrett offered. His arms were crossed over his chest, his eyes locked unyieldingly on Maddie. Something cold rushed between them.
“Must be the provider,” Maddie said and turned away. “But now I get you all to myself.”
“Can’t wait,” Wes said, but he still was stiff.
He gave us one last wave before they walked to a waiting car.
“Fucking harpy,” Luca muttered.
That surprised me—I’d never heard Luca say a bad word about anyone. “What’s with you guys?”
Luca flushed. “It’s not that we hate her.”
“Don’t really know her.” Jared shrugged. “But she makes it fucking hard to rehearse or do much of anything like we used to. She’s either in the room with us or making a fuss about scheduling conflicts. This is the longest we’ve seen him in ages.”
“Who knows, maybe this weekend was the wakeup call he needed,” Garrett said. “Our car is here. We better get going.”
24
Avery
November 2025
Iwould like to say Wes and I are discreet about our relationship, but it would be more accurate to say everyone else is discreet and adhering to the ironclad guidelines of their NDAs.
After we finish the two-show run in LA, it’s off to Phoenix where Wes and I have hotel rooms on different floors. When we head to Dallas and Houston, our rooms are across the hall. Now in Chicago, there’s an adjoining door that is currently wide open. So, it’s safe to assume that at least a few people know that Wes and I are going at it like horny college freshmen with zero self-control. We haven’t had sex, but I’m perfectly satisfied with everything else.
I’ve been with a few other people and haven’t thought twice about that level of intimacy, but for us it means more.
I lie on the king mattress with a towel loosely wrapped around my middle which is slowly forming a damp spot where Wes is lying his shaggy head on my stomach. It’s 5 a.m. on our first two day break after six shows, which really isn’t time off because we have our first press appearance today.
“At what point do you think they’ll give up and just put us in the same room to save costs?” Wes asks, trailing a finger up and down the inside of my thigh, leaving streaks of lightning in his wake. Weeks of this and still my body can’t get enough, sparking and fizzling at the mere brush of his skin against mine.
Last night, halfway through our final number he gripped my waist, and I nearly forgot where we were. I leaned in to kiss him but caught myself when I was two inches away.
If this is going to stay a secret much longer, I need to get my shit together. I’m fine with this, but for some reason the idea of one room, even if it’s a joke, sets me on edge.
“We should be more careful. Keep this”—I wave my hand between us—“to the hotel. We’re getting sloppy.”
