He nods and stares at the ground for another few seconds before meeting my eyes.
“So, we’re good?” he asks.
I huff, almost smiling. “We’re always good.”
“And this doesn’t affect…” He looks between Kade and Liam questioningly.
“This would never interfere with our jobs,” I say. “The band’s safety is always my priority. I hope you know that by now.I’ll always have protecting her in the back of my mind, but ultimately, it’s all of you. I can’t choose favorites with this job.”
“And off the clock?”
“Off the clock, you always know where I’ll be,” I tell him.
His gaze moves to the mirror then, and I realize he’s staring at the number Bonnie wrote in the corner this morning.
“Holy shit,” he says. “She’s a week from five years?”
I nod. “Yeah, I was going to mention that to Zeb or Andi. I thought with her moving into the new place, we could do something to celebrate. I don’t know if she’ll want to make a big deal out of it but something.”
“Hell yeah,” he says. “Andi…” He sighs, and I don’t know what turmoil he’s hiding behind that expression. Still, it tenses me.
“She could definitely use a distraction,” he goes on. “I’ll tell her.”
He pivots on his heel to leave then. Excited voices and laughter fill the space when he opens the door wide, and he taps the doorframe twice upon exiting.
Kade and Liam are watching me, grimaces on their faces, when I look at them again.
“That… went surprisingly better than I thought it would,” Kade says.
“It’s because Bonnie talked to him,” I say, pushing off the wall. “A few weeks ago, and I’d probably be in the hospital instead… What else do we have?”
“Did you call Avie back?” Kade asks.
“Yesterday,” I reply. “They get three days here. He isn’t letting up on them having another song recorded before we leave for Colorado.”
“Better get them the fuck to work, then,” Kade says.
I nod. “Agreed. Let’s eat first.”
We leave the room and join the band in the kitchen then, and my chest feels a little lighter now that Mads isn’t staring at me like he’s one heartbeat away from exposing me.
I gravitate toward Bonnie on one of the island stools, and when I see the nervous look on her face, I squint. She’s twisting her fingers, cracking her knuckles. It concerns me enough that I pad toward her and place a hand on the small of her back, causing her to flinch slightly.
“Whoa, hey,” I say quietly as she turns. “What’s up?”
Her gaze moves from person to person in the room, and I think I can guess what she’s considering. A pink tinge rests on her cheeks. She sighs and begins chewing her lip.
“I need to tell them,” she says, head swiveling my way.
I grip her fingers with mine and nod.
This is going to hurt.
Still, I know she needs this.
“Tell us what?” Andi asks from the other side of the island.
It’s Reed who stops chewing the grapes in his mouth. His gaze darts between Bonnie and me as if he can guess what she’s considering, and I hear him clear his throat as he straightens from leaning over the counter.
