And my mind and body are both buzzing, my ears are ringing and I’m practically vibrating with excitement.
I DON’T SLEEP.
Instead, I sit in the middle of my massive bed and spread my notebooks out. I’ve got my duffle bag open and I’ve tried out a bunch of ideas. By the time morning rolls around, I stagger into the suite’s kitchen, clutching my latest creation in my hand.
For the first time in a long time, I’m proud of something I’ve put together.
There’s a dining tray set up with fresh coffee, a platter of fruit, and domed dishes of warm pastries. I snag myself a plate and pour some coffee, testing the temperature to ensure it’s safe to neck before I gulp down half of it in one go. I then shove a pastry in my mouth and tear off more than a mouthful, my mouth struggling to stretch around it.
I spin around and freeze.
Three rock stars are sitting in full view and two of them are wearing amused expressions on their faces. That’s Micah and Iri, while Cal is watching me with barely disguised heat. Although he blinks and his expression clears and I might have been imagining his expression. Probably just my overtired brain seeing things.
“Morning.”
“Mmmpf-orning,” I mumble through a mouthful of pastry. Downing more coffee, I chew and swallow furiously until I’m able to look them in the eye again.
“Sleep well?” Micah asks.
“Ah. No,” I reply. “I made something.”
A jolt of uncertainty goes through me. I may have gotten over excited and hyper focused slightly without considering whether itwould be a welcome intrusion. I pull out the leather cuff which I’ve attached a bunch of silver balls to. Each of them has a bit of my magic imbibed into them with the same sensation I pushed into Micah yesterday, calm and contentment.
I thrust it at Micah. “You just need to touch one of the little balls when you’re feeling overwhelmed, and it should help.”
He blinks at me, tucking his hair behind his shoulder as he reaches out a hand and takes the cuff. I watch as he runs his index finger over it, his eyes widening.
“You made this?” he rasps, staring at it before switching his hypnotic gaze to my eyes. I nod and can’t help but smile as he holds it out to the other two. Cal brushes one thick finger over one of the balls before staring at me with raised eyebrows.
Iri just smirks. “I knew tracking you down was a genius idea on my part.”
Cal grumbles, “Humble.”
I snort. “It should last for a while, but whenever you need it to be topped up, just let me know,” I tell Micah.
He slips the cuff onto his wrist and lets out a slow breath, meeting my eyes with an intensity in his expression that has my smile wavering. He looks so damn sincere and then his face breaks into a breathtaking smile that has my stomach flipping over itself.
I haven’t felt this alive in a long time, and I’m itching to get to work.
Chapter 11
Sin
I’ve discovered the key to invisibility.
I wish I’d known about it years ago and it would have saved me a lot of trouble. Turns out, all you need to cease to exist to other people is to hang around with rock stars.
It’s like as soon as people see the guys, their brains get fried. They misfire or something and they lose any sense of perspective. The only thing that matters is Orpheus Underground.
Over the course of the following days, it happens wherever we go. Hotels, gas stations, rest stops. Everyone we pass by suddenly has this desperate urge to get their autograph—whether they’re a fan, whether they could even name the band without a search engine—they need a selfie and a signature.
It’s insane.
They also seem to lose any sense of personal space, gathering around the guys and trying to cop a feel.
It’s exhausting, and I’m not the one dodging wandering hands.
Two days into our journey and things are getting worse. Or maybe it’s that my tolerance for the journey, and for strangers’ shitty manners, are both waning.
