“He’s a fucking dick.” I scowl, sitting back on the couch. “Everyone else is great.”
I mean that. The rest of the band is a delight to be around, but their drummer is insufferable.
The tour bus door opens and Sebastian steps in, still dressed in his concert suit and mask. He has to be burning up after wearing it for so long, but he makes no move to disrobe. His vibrant red eyes fall to me first, then to Niki.
If he's surprised to see me, he doesn't show it.
“You're still up, my love?”
The way her eyes light up is too sweet.Barf.
“I had a nap,” she assures him. “Jos is going to crash on the couch, if that's ok.”
Again, his gaze tracks to me, and an uneasy shiver rolls up my spine at his red eyes. I know they have to be contacts, but they look so real.
“Of course,” he says, heading for the recliner. He offers Niki a hand. “Come, let's get you to bed.”
The way he pulls her up and into his arms warms my heart and eviscerates any lingering doubt I had about his intentions. He's so clearly in love with her.
“There are blankets and a pillow in the trundle.” Niki’s attention returns to me. “Just let me know if you need more.”
“Thanks. Keep the banging to a minimum, please,” I joke, making a face. “Some of us need some sleep.”
Niki throws her head back and laughs. “You don't have to worry about that.” She rubs her stomach. “I'm gonna be asleep before my head hits the pillow.”
I begin to wonder if I'll get lucky and glimpse Sebastian's face when he takes off the mask to sleep, but as soon as they're in the bedroom, the door clicks closed.
Damn.
At this rate, the baby will be born before I know what its father looks like. It's weird.
More than weird; it's bizarre.
But as odd as it is, I try to trust Niki’s judgement. If she thinks his identity is dangerous enough that I shouldn't know it, so be it.
Even if my curiosity is killing me.
I pull out the drawer under the sofa and find several perfectly folded fluffy blankets and a memory foam pillow. After a little trial and error, I flip off the overhead lights, leaving only tiny emergency ones along the floor. Then I snuggle up on the couch and close my eyes.
My body is exhausted from chasing after the band all night, squatting and kneeling more than I have in the past year, but my mind won't shut off. It's racing with images from tonight and the absolute rush I got from being on stage. Watching the opening bands perform, joking around with the twins on the way to the stage, the way Tobias’ eyes bore into mine when I took his picture.
The absolute god-tier image I captured of him when the light hit.
Tobias…
He's such an asshole, and I can't stand the thought of him, much less his smug ass attitude. I hate everything about him.
Yet, here I am, unable to get him off my mind as I try to sleep.
I grumble and roll over, desperately grasping for anything else to occupy my mind. The fact that I didn't bring pajamas to sleep in, the stiff cushions beneath me that I’m sure will have me regretting sleeping here tomorrow, the chorus that's been stuck in my head since the concert started…
Anything to take my mind off of Rhage’s asshat drummer.
At some point I fall into dreamless sleep, but it only feels like an hour or two before movement in the kitchen wakes me up. With a groan, I pry my eyes open to see Niki making a bowl of cereal.
“Morning,” she giggles. “I hope the couch wasn’t too uncomfortable.”
I move and pain shoots through my lower back, but I don’t mention it. I’m just glad they didn’t make me go all the way back to my hotel last night.
