That I’ll ruin Chase too.
So needy. So clingy. You turned me into this.
That kiss should’ve felt like freedom. Instead, it feels like proof. Proof that I’m selfish. Reckless. Unfaithful.
Proof that Alex was right.
Clearing my throat, I turn to glance at my brother, shaking off the misery. “This is incredible.”
“Shit yeah, it is,” he beams, grin giddy. “Our little marketing guru and merch extraordinaire is well on her way to adding ‘graphic designer’ to her resume.” Tag slings a long arm around Kenna, squishing her against his tall frame.
She scoffs, peeling herself away. But her cheeks flush a little. “I’m a vision girl. I see it. I do it. It wasn’t hard.”
“What would we do without you?” I stalk over to her, gratitude lacing my tone.
“Well, you’re about to find out. I won’t be able to swing the tour.”
I freeze. “Wait, what? I thought it was a done deal.”
“It was…until my sister decided to give birth six weeks early. I’m flying out to Santa Barbara the day you leave to meet my new niece.”
Despite my disappointment, I can’t be mad about that. She has a life outside of all this, filled with people who need her just as much as I do. Sometimes I forget that…how lucky I am she’s chosen to be in my corner at all. “Wow. That’s amazing. Congrats to Leila.”
“She named her Ribbon. What the hell kind of name is that?” She scowls, horrified. “And what about the nicknames? Ribs? Ribeye? Bonbon? I can’t.” Sighing, Kenna digs the toe of her sneaker into a divot. “Anyway, I’m sorry I won’t be there, but I’m only a text or phone call away. I’ll be keeping tabs. And when you really hit the big time, I’ll be in the front row, singing every word to every song.”
My eyes mist. “I know you will.”
As I lean in for a hug, Kenna jerks away, waving a hand in front of her face. “Jesus. You smell like my mother when she was trying to hide her month-long affair with the furnace repair guy.”
My nose wrinkles as I sniff myself.Yikes. “Sorry. I may have gone a little overboard on the perfume. I’ll go hop in the shower.”
Stepping away, I survey the van one more time, allowing the gloom to settle into a warm glow. Two more days, and everything is going to change.
I’m trekking back into the house, nearly halfway out of my shirt, whenChase comes up behind me and clears his throat. I squeak in surprise, shoving my arm back through the sleeve. “Oh, jeez. Hey. I’m shower-bound.” I attempt to tame my hair, but it’s basically a hunk of solid concrete at this point.
He presses a shoulder against the wall, drinking me in. “Can we talk first?”
My chest tightens, the gloom rushing back to the surface. “Talk? About what?”
A look.
“Everything is fine, Chase. I’m just acclimating. Sorry if I’ve been distant.” I swallow, my heart skipping a beat. “I promise we’re good.”
“You look like you haven’t slept in weeks.”
“When do I ever sleep?” I pop a shoulder, chuckling lightly. “I’m used to it. Besides, I told you before, I’m not used to sleeping alone. All part of the acclimation.”
“Annie…” He lifts up from the wall, and it looks like he hasn’t slept much either. “I don’t want there to be a wedge between us on the tour. We should talk about it.”
It.
The kiss.
He wants to talk about it. Communicate like healthy, high-functioning humans.
That’s fair.
But talking about it makes it real. Gives it fire, life, a heartbeat. And I can’t have any more teeth chewing through me.
