He sets me on a wooden chair and checks his phone. “You better hurry before those kids attack,” he says, avoiding my question.
I shoo him toward the door. “Give me some space.” I hug my chest, pretending to be shy. “I’ll be ready in a few minutes.”
After playing tug of war with my tail for a few minutes, I free my legs and take a moment to stretch them and wiggle my toes. In a perfect world, I’d take a quick shower, but I’ll just have to wait until I get home.
I check my phone, but there are no missed texts. Out of habit, I open Insta and do a quick check on my notifications, reading comments on my newest post of me unboxing my red and black tail. When I return to the main feed, a story catches my eye. There’s a picture of Sully and Gigi, along with the bold white words reading, “Confirmed to be dating by insider.”
My stomach falls to my feet. What the hell? I click off my phone and toss it into my purse. No. This is not going to ruin my mood. Despite the mule kick to my heart, I slip on my mask of indifference and pack away my tail.
When I step outside, Arthur is wandering around the pool, admiring its rock fountain. I lift a brow, adjusting the bag strap on my shoulder. “You having fun?”
He motions to the pool. “Melissa wants to add a fountain to our pool. Just checking it out.” He jogs over and takes my bag before eyeing the back door. Laughter and screams of “Open mine, open mine!” pour out of the house. Arthur nods toward the gate. “Sounds like the kiddos moved on to opening presents.”
Arthur drops me off at home and honks as he drives away. I wave and force a smile. He didn’t notice my mood shift because I let him play his country station, and he sang the entire way here.
As I walk toward the stairs to my apartment, an unfamiliar black SUV with tinted windows catches my eye. It doesn’t look dangerous, but something about it feels off, like it’s out of place.
I take a calming breath and pull my pink pepper spray from the front pocket of my purse, holding it in my palm. I create a tight fist with my other hand. Thanks to my self-defense classes, I know how to land a solid punch. My parents taught me to go down fighting if anyone messed with me, and I guarantee there will be DNA under my fingernails to land the asshole who killed me in prison.
Dread prickles my spine when I’m forced to turn my back on the SUV when I reach the stairs. If I wasn’t worried about falling and breaking my neck, I’d climb the steps backward. It’s hard to keep looking over my shoulder, so I rush to my apartment. My nerves tell me to run, but again, I don’t want to fall and be one of those victims who always die in horror movies. I’ve already fallen down a flight of stairs while at college, and it caused me knee cap problems. If I could, I’d like to avoid that. Especially if I’m just being paranoid.
A figure moves out of a palm tree’s shadow, and I have the pepper spray aimed and ready.
Sully holds his hands up to shield his eyes. “Wait! Don’t shoot!”
My arms fall to my sides, and a wave of confusion crashes into me, almost knocking me over. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” I roll my shoulders, releasing the tension, but keep the pepper spray close because you never know.
He pulls the rim of the baseball hat down to cover his face while a blonde girl passes by walking her dog and talking on her phone. Once she’s gone, he steps closer and says, “Sorry. I wanted to see you in person to explain.”
“Explain what?” I fire back, placing a foot on the first step leading to my apartment. “That you’re involved with Gigi but still want to have me on the side?”
He shoves his hands into his pockets. “That insider was Amy. She did that without the band’s knowledge, thought it would help when the tour is announced. I’m not with Gigi. She’s not my type.”
I drop my bag near my feet and plant my hands on my hips. “What tour?”
He stares at his shoes, kicking a rock off the sidewalk. “Next month we’re going to open for Gigi’s European tour.”
“Oh. Just that.” I bend down to grab my bag. “I’m too tired for whatever this is.”
“What about our date?”
“My ex took all my patience. I can’t play these games.”
Sully rubs his chin and eyes my bag that’s straining my shoulder but quickly averts his attention back on me. “Scarlet Failure will drop out of the tour.”
Heat creeps up my neck. I lean a hip against the stairs’ metal railing and rest the bag on my thigh. “What?”
Sully presses his hands together like he’s praying. “Please don’t let Amy’s stunt ruin us. There’s still so much I want to do with you, especially knowing your secret.” He flashes me that wolfish grin again, and a dimple peeks through his clean-shaven cheek.
“What secret?”
A smile tugs at his lips. “You’re a magical mermaid.” He closes the distance between us. “Let me take that.” He grabs my bag and tosses it over his shoulder like it weighs nothing.
He’s left me tongue-tied. For some reason I believe him. Why would he ambush me and insist he’s not with Gigi, if he secretly was? But I’ve been burned before. I can’t be made a fool again.
“How can I believe you?”
He makes a cross over his heart. “I swear you’re the only girl on my mind. Hell, you should hear what you did in my dream.”
