His smile flickers. “Right.”
My eyes widen. “I didn’t mean?—”
He puts up a hand and smiles. “Don’t apologize. I get it.”
I swallow, feeling sick to my stomach. Ididmean that. It’s exactly what I meant. And that makes me feel terrible.
He checks his phone and stands up. “We should probably get back.”
I shut my eyes and push myself up. “Yeah.”
I’m the worst human on this planet. Austin was finally getting a little more real with me, and how do I repay him? Insulting his talent.
We start the walk to the buses, and Austin keeps up a steady flow of small talk until I can’t stand it.
“Hey.” I stop walking.
Austin turns, brows raised.
“About back there…”
“Mia, it’s fine. Really. Forget about it, okay?”
I bite my lip, wishing I could read this guy and whether hereally doesn’t care. Heshouldn’t.Clearly, he’s doing things right. He’s the rising star. I’m the backup singer with fewer followers than the neighbor kid who posts five times a day about his pet mouse.
“At least let me say thank you,” I say, “for asking me to come on tour. You could’ve asked a hundred other people.”
He takes a step toward me. “Whydoyou think I asked you to come on tour, Mia?”
I meet his gaze without responding. I don’t know what to say when Austin’s full and undivided attention is on me.
“You weren’t some charity case,” he says. “I asked you to come because you’re incredibly talented. It was a selfish business decision.”
I nod. Austin and I are in a business relationship. That’s a very useful thing for me to be reminded of tonight.
And every night.
13
AUSTIN
I openthe door to my bus and step inside to find Paul lying on one of the two couches.
He sits up, rubbing his eyes like he’s been sleeping. “Where’ve you been?”
“Out.” I don’t feel like chatting. Pretending I felt like it on the walk back with Mia took it out of me.
Paul peers out the window while I slump on the couch across from him.
“Were you with Mia?” he asks.
“Yeah.”
The silence following my response lasts so long, I glance at him and find he’s watching me.
“What?”
He shrugs. “It’s just not like you—skipping out on a party to wander around the city with a girl.”
