Lily is overwhelmed from all the attention. The way her gaze flicks to me several times is a sign she often did in the past when she felt overwhelmed.
“I’m only joking. It’s nice to meet you as well. You’ll have to fill me in on all the embarrassing stories you have of Elijah.”
Trinity bursts out laughing. “Get ready because I have so many. It’ll definitely take a whole night.”
Pushing past them, I yank open the curtain to my bunk bed on the top. “Absolutely not. I don’t give you permission to disclose any information about me.”
“Why do you get to pick the top?” Lily’s face is adorable when she’s trying to look frustrated.
“Because if the bed breaks and someone gets crushed on the bottom, it won’t be me.” That’s bullshit, but nothing beats the look of shock on her face. I just picked the top because I thought she would be scared. “I’m joking. I assumed you would want to sleep at a normal height. You can take the top if you want.”
She places her hand on her hip that’s popped sassily. “You know what? I will take the top, thank you very much.” She swings her black purse that looks like it only carries her phone on the mattress.
“Come on, bro. Channel your inner Leonidas and be a gentleman,” my brother teases, walking to his bedroom with Trinity on his heel.
“Gentleman, my ass.” Trinity’s mumble can be heard through the quiet bus.
I don’t want to even know what’s going to happen in that room when my brother slams it shut and Trinity squeals a second later.
Strolling to the seating area, I let out anoofwhen Lily follows me because there is nothing else to do on this damn bus already.
“Are we going to have to listen to them having sex every day?”
“Probably.”
Her forehead hits the table. “Why am I doing this?”
I want to rub away the red spot I know will mark her beautiful face. When the silence becomes too heavy, she looks up at me through her lashes. If I wasn’t sitting, I would have fallen to the ground from just that look alone.
As a young boy, I would always hear people talk about Lily, saying things like, “She’s already so pretty; imagine when she grows up.”
Never really understanding why that would piss me off, I kept my thoughts to myself.
Yet they never quite predicted that she’d be a storm. Now that she’s twenty-four, there’s something untouchable about her. Her black hair flows down her back, shimmering like silk in the sun; her green eyes are full of mystery; and you can’t help but want a taste of her pouty pink lips. Lily’s beauty comes naturally, like a waterfall in the middle of a forest.
If she wasn’t staring at me, I would slap my own damn face. I need to snap out of this infatuation that has only gotten stronger with age. Something in my head tells me that’s going to be impossible when we’re living on the same tour bus.
My anxiety is starting to stretch like guitar strings. “You’re doing this for your parents.”
A sad look pools in her eyes.
Shit.
She mutters like a secret, “You’re right … sometimes, I may need you to remind me why I’m here.”
“Not even just a small percentage is for me though?” I try to lighten up the mood, and it works because her foot kicks my shin.
“Keep dreaming.”
EIGHTEEN
LILY
While Times Three attends press releases, sound checks, and interviews for their album, I stay back on the bus and do my first lesson plan with Stella.
She’s a smart cookie, picking up everything the first time and wanting to move on to the next page with excitement.
At this rate, my job will be super easy. I may have to make her lessons more challenging.
