Jace couldn’t know about this, right? If he’d just ignored that sort of loss, hurt feelings or not, then he wasn’t the man I thought he was.
“My parents were shitty humans; I chose not to attend their funerals,” I admitted, making her startled gaze dart back up to meet mine. “But it sounds like you really loved yours, so I’m sorry for your loss.”
A soft, sad smile touched her lips. “Thanks, Zep.”
“How long ago did it happen?” I asked gently, slipping my hand under the fabric of her shirt to stroke the bumpy burn scar on her spine.
She stared at me for a long pause. “Eight years ago,” she whispered. “Eight years and one month.”
Just a month after the last time she’d seen Jace. Shit, she would have only been sixteen, the poor thing. Before I could comment on that fact, her mouth was against mine, and I eagerly kissed her back. She wanted a distraction, to shift those sour emotions away, and I was all too happy to oblige. We’d keep it quiet, and what Jace didn’t know couldn’t hurt him. Fucker.
seventeen
BILLIE
Turned out that eight hours on a bus until we reachedForstercould go really fast when one was holed up with a sexy rock star. There was no way we could have sex in this room with its paper-thin walls—if I could hear them arguing, they’ddefinitelyhear me moaning.
That thought had given me a moment of panic that they might have heard me telling Rhett about the fire, but he quickly reassured me that when we spoke quietly, we couldn’t be overheard. Not unless someone had their ear pressed to the door. I wasn’t so sure I’d put that past Tom, though, so I needed to be more cautious.
Two nights and three days. Rhett told me that’s how long we had between the two small shows and making it to New York. Surely, at some point in that time, we’d find ourselves properly alone.
Withoutthe ghosts of my past looking over my shoulder. Fucking Jace was taking up too much real estate in my mind as it was, and if I was totally honest… so was Angelo.
When a knock sounded on the door a couple of hours before we were supposed to arrive, I rolled over to find Rhett sound asleep, his face calm and peaceful. Awake, the demons lived in his expression, but right now, he was free from their hold.
Making sure not to disturb him, I dragged myself out of bed and grabbed his shirt on the floor to pull over my nakedness. Just because we hadn’t had sex didn’t mean we hadn’t hadfun.
Running a hand through my scruffy hair, I wondered who I’d find on the other side.
My heart pounded harder in my chest as I reached for the handle, and I wondered how I’d react to Jace right now.If it was Jace.Fuck. Why was I even thinking about that guy at the moment. Rhett made me feel safe and content, and he played chords on my body that would stay with me forever.
Jace broke me just as badly as I’d broken him, and I had to remember that.
With a huff, I yanked the door open, a glare descending across my face only to be replaced with shock when I realized it was not Jace at all.
It was Florence.
“Hey,” she said softly, her gaze dragging along the shirt and down to my bare legs before it shot to the bed where Rhett continued to breathe softly in his sleep. She remained locked on him for many seconds, and I wasn’t even surprised that a shot of jealousy licked through my body.
The look on her face was love. She loved him.
“Thank you,” she whispered, and I blinked like my grasp on English was slipping. I had no idea what she was thanking me for.
“For what?” I finally said, trying to pull myself together.
“Giving him some peace. It’s been too long, and I die every night hearing him rage and scream in the few moments of unbroken sleep he gets.” She was dramatic, but I wouldn’t expect less from a rock star. And the subject was worrying enough to have my head snapping around to Rhett.
Maybe I was dramatic too, but I choked on my next breath as I tried to imagine the reasons for his torturous sleep. “He’s been fine with me,” I said, shock lacing my tone. Turning back to her, I shook my head. “I don’t understand.”
Florence shrugged and laughed sadly. “None of us have a great past. It’s the reason we’re such amazing musicians—we have tragedy in our souls that bleeds into the music. And when you listen to our songs, you feel our pain. You feel… everything.”
I couldn’t argue with that. It was the reason I could never listen to Bellerose’s music. It broke me even further, and I was barely keeping my shattered pieces together as it was.
Clearing my throat, needing not to be in this heavy moment with a chick I wasn’t even sure liked me, I changed the subject. “Did you need something from Rhett?” I asked. “I can let you know when he’s awake.”
She shook her head. “No… no. I actually knocked to see if you’d like some food. I know Rhett grabbed you both some sandwiches earlier, but… I mean. Yeah. I made some extra.” She shrugged. “Whatever. Not a big deal.”
She stumbled over words and floundered around before a stubborn look settled across her features. She’d let a little too much of her softer side out and was trying to repair the damage, but I was not someone to ever use that against her. Hopefully, she’d see that.
