The rest of the afternoon disappeared quickly, and although Kristie and I weren’t fast friends, she was considerably less frosty now that she’d woken up properly. Or maybe because Rhett wasn’t standing right beside me holding my hand like we were… uh… well, more than strangers.
Dora eventually told us we were done, and Kristie raced off almost before Dora finished her sentence. The support crew all had backstage passes for the concerts, so she’d already told me she was heading to change and do her makeup.
“Are you going to the show, Billie?” Dora asked as we closed up the buses. She made sure all three were securely locked while I waited.
I shook my head. “Nah, it’s not my scene. If Kristie is going, I might take advantage of the quiet to take a bath and get an early night’s sleep.”
Dora smiled as she pressed the freight elevator call button. “Smart girl. I plan to do the same.”
The display panel dinged, and the doors to the left side elevator slid open smoothly. Unfortunately, the carriage wasn’t empty, and my breath caught as a pair of hard blue eyes met my startled gaze.
Fucking hell.
Refusing to acknowledge the way Jace made me feel, I shifted my gaze to Rhett instead. But he was locked in a heated debate with the girl, Florence, and hadn’t seen me. The big drummer dude, who was taller than Jace by an inch, gave me a curious glance as he exited the elevator but said nothing.
“Where are you going, Billie?” Jace barked when I tried to follow Dora into the car they’d just vacated.
Rhett’s head snapped around, his eyes finding me immediately as a smile lit up his face.
“Um,” I stalled, hoping the doors would fucking close already. “To my room?”
Why the hell that came out as a question, I had no clue.
Jace's responding laugh was totally devoid of amusement or warmth. “Like fuck you are. You’re coming with us.”
I bit the inside of my cheek, reaching out to stab at the “close doors” button.
“No thanks,” I chirped, desperate to keep things casual. “But break a leg and all that.”
Finally, the elevator started to close. Finally! But stupid fucking Jace just stopped them with a heavy hand and furious glare.
“I wasn’t asking, Billie.” The low, angry pitch to his voice sent a deep shiver through me, and my mouth went dry. Shit. He scared me, but also turned me right the hell on.
I had issues, that was no secret. But I wouldn’t let Jace Adams push me around like some kind of… slave. Fuck. That.
Rhett's heavy exhale made me frown, and I looked over to him for some kind of guidance. What should I do? How did I handle this volatile, angry version of my childhood sweetheart? Rhett gave me a small nod, silently telling me to just do what Jace wanted. I think.
“Have fun, Billie,” Dora muttered as I reluctantly stepped back out of the elevator. “Don’t stay out too late.”
Without Jace holding the doors, they closed easily and cut off my last chance of escape. Damn it. Worse still, Jace had already turned away, striding through the underground parking lot like I’d imagined that whole interaction. If not for Rhett hanging back and draping his arm over my shoulders, I'd have been questioning if it was all a hallucination.
“Sorry,” Rhett said quietly as we followed the rest of the band over to their blacked-out SUVs. “I have no clue what’s going through his head, but I’m selfishly excited to have you at our show tonight.”
If I was perfectly honest, I was kind of excited myself. I would never admit it, not even under torture, but I was dying to see Bellerose in concert. To see Jace sing those songs we’d worked on together… back when he loved me. His Rose.
eleven
BILLIE
Rhett ushered me into the second SUV while Jace took the first one with Florence and her slimy boyfriend. I was glad for the reprieve but a moment later found myself squeezed between Rhett and the Bellerose drummer, Grayson.
The SUV had another row of seats, which were occupied by a craggy-faced security guard and a guitar case. Apparently, Rhett didn’t trust the roadies to bring his baby to the concert venue.
Awkward silence filled the vehicle as our driver started the engine up, following the other car out of the underground parking. I tried to make myself as small as possible, but there was only so small a human being could make themself. And neither Rhett or Grayson seemed to care, so eventually I gave up and accepted the fact that my whole right side was pressed against a man I’d not even spoken to.
“Um, so… hi,” I said awkwardly. “We haven’t really met. I’m Billie.”
His head swiveled toward me, and being so close to him for the first time, I finally noticed a very faint scar on the right side of his full lower lip. “I know.”
