Until I realized it was less about her being my best friend and more about how much I wanted to cross that line.
I’m not immune to the looks she gets from the guys on our security team. Or the way the roadcrew act like a bunch of dogs with their tongues hanging out when she’s around. But it’s not jealousy...
Well, it’s not only jealousy. It’s pride too. And this ball of nerves in the pit of my stomach that make my mouth dry and mytongue feel too big. I want her to know. I want to tell her and see the look on her face.
“You can’t be all over Sonatina and then get upset when I play a great game of Bullshit. That’s not—”
“I was not all over Sonatina.” I grab one of the guitars I keep on the bus for when I want to work on new material. I press the faded aquamarine body into the form fitting velvet. Rogue and Ivy are bringing in a band, but I’m going to perform for their first dance.
Plus, I never know when the muse is going to strike. Some of my best songs have been written in five minutes in the back seat while Rebel drives.
I toss a handful of guitar picks in as well. Among the aquamarine triangles left in the canister is a random blue one. That’s fate. I pick it out and tuck it between the strings. Something blue in case the bride doesn’t have that covered.
“That’s not what it looked like.” Kelsey stands in the doorway.
“She was all over me. I couldn’t wait to get out of there.” I don’t know how I can make that any clearer.
“You had her underwear in your pocket.” She sounds disappointed in me. Hurt.
Her reaction is what I’m annoyed about. It’s like she’s trying to push me away tonight.
“How many times have we laughed about one of us finding underwear in our pockets after one of those parties? You know how this life is. You know how it goes.” The latch on the case snaps into place. “Remember, we chose it together. The good, the bad, and the ugly.”
Her eyes brighten, but not happily. She takes a big breath, and her bottom lip quivers. “You’re right. We did.”
“Nothing happened, Kelsey. Truly.”
Blowing out a breath, she seems to shrink. “Okay.”
I walk over and tip her chin up, make her lock eyes with me. “You believe me?”
“I...” She licks her lips.
My phone rings from where I tossed it on the bed while I was packing. Her gaze pounces to the lit screen.
Fuck.
12
Kelsey
“Don’t tell me it’s nothing when she’s blowing up your phone.” She gave him her number, which means he must have called for her to have his. “She wants you. You should answer it.”
He releases me to answer her call. My breath catches. I’ve tried hard not to fall all the way in love with my best friend, but I don’t think I ever had a choice. I’m obsessed with him and always have been. I’ve tried not to be possessive. I’ve told myself a million times not to be jealous.
Yet here I am letting my jealousy get the best of me.
“Baby, I’m waiting for you...” Her shrill voice is loud enough that he doesn’t need her on speaker phone for me to be able to hear her.
“Sonatina.” He shuts me out, his shoulders blocking my view. “You need to stop calling me.”
Maybe if he’d locked eyes on me instead, my heart wouldn’t feel like it has shrunk enough to fall out of my chest.
“I’m still not wearing any panties,” she says.
I shut my eyes to try to keep my emotions from going into free fall.
“I’m not going to answer again,” he tells her and hangs up.
