Cole was screaming at Jamie, at everyone clustered around the sad tableau. I forced myself to focus on what he was saying.
“What the fuck is wrong with you? This is my sister! She’s seventeen. I should tear your tongue out for assaulting her. I’m calling the fucking cops. Your sorry ass deserves to go to jail.”
Wheels began turning. Assault? Oh God, no. I couldn’t let him send Jamie to jail. I would never live this down. My shock at the kiss was being quickly overshadowed by the potential consequences of my inaction. I should’ve pushed the singer off, acted faster, but instead, I’d stood in place like a clueless idiot while he’d invaded my mouth. I had to fix this.
“Cole, no,” I said, taking a step toward my brother. He continued shouting at Jamie, making no indication that he’d heard me.
“Cole. Cole!” I screeched. The room went silent as everyone’s attention snapped to me. Ezra stood beside Cole, along with a dark-haired man I didn’t know. Another man with a shaved head was kneeling on the ground, holding Jamie’s face in his lap. A trail of blood was coming out of Jamie’s nose and dripping past his lips. He appeared to be passed out.
“Ivy,” Cole said in a hoarse voice, and I flinched at the stricken expression on his face. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve been here keeping an eye on you. This guy is bad news. It’s about time he spent a night in jail and sobered up.”
The man holding Jamie’s face whipped his shaved head toward Cole. “He’s not going anywhere. You need to calm down. This was a misunderstanding.”
“His tongue was down my underaged sister’s throat,” Cole growled, a thick vein protruding from under the skin of his neck. “What are you not understanding about that?”
The man’s gaze flickered to me. “She doesn’t look underage. It was an honest mistake.”
I folded in on myself, suddenly all too aware of my revealing dress. Cole didn’t even look at me as he retorted, “I don’t give a shit if she looks like a middle-aged go-go girl. I know my sister wouldn’t willingly kiss an asshole like him.”
The man scoffed. “If you think Jamie has to force himself on women, I invite you to come visit the tour bus after one of the shows and see how willing they are.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “Why don’t you ask your sister if he was doing anything she didn’t want him to?”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding—”
This was humiliating. “Cole,” I interrupted him, stepping away from the lockers and gripping his upper arm. “It’s fine. I’m fine. It was…unexpected, but it was just a kiss. I screamed because I was shocked to suddenly find all of you in here, not because I was hurt.”
My brother tore his gaze away from Jamie’s handler and looked down at me. “Ivy, you don’t need to do this. He hasn’t been sober since we started this tour. I know he must have forced himself on you.”
“It was just a kiss,” I insisted. “He didn’t even touch me.” I glanced at Jamie who looked like an absolute mess. “Look at him. He’s not okay. He doesn’t need jail. He needs help. I think we should call a doctor.”
The man with the shaved-head adjusted his grip on the singer. “We got him. Mike, let’s get him cleaned up in the dressing room and let him sleep it off before the show.” They were being awfully optimistic if they thought he was going to be able to perform in less than two hours.
Cole looked like he still wanted to protest, but Ezra jumped in. “Ivy says she’s fine. Don’t patronize her. Why don’t you let her decide what she wants to do about this?”
My heart swelled in response to Ezra casting me a lifeline. I gave him a grateful look before turning once again to Cole. “Just let him go. I’m fine, honestly.”
Cole stared at me for a long moment, his hands still clenched in fists. I thought I saw something like regret flicker across his expression. Did he regret allowing me to come?
He closed his eyes and let out a low breath. “Fine. Take him away. If this happens again, I will call the cops,” he said to the two men. Jamie grumbled something as they lifted him off the floor and carried him out of the dressing room.
When the door slammed behind them, I collapsed on a bench, my head in my hands. Cole snaked his arm around my shoulders and pulled me to him. “Ives, I’m so sorry.”
“Stop apologizing.”
“Cole, it’s my fault,” Ezra said from somewhere to my left. “I should’ve waited for her outside the dressing room.”
I shrugged Cole’s hand off my shoulders and rose. “No. I don’t need you or anyone else standing on guard duty. For the thousandth time, I’m fine. Can we please forget this happened and move on? This is so embarrassing.”
For the first time since I’d arrived, Cole took in my appearance. He narrowed his eyes. “Ivy, I don’t want you dressing like that while you’re here.”
Anger prickled at my temples. “How I dress is none of your business.”
My brother stood up, his jaw tightening. He looked to Ezra. “Was this a huge mistake? Am I an idiot for bringing her here?”
Ezra cast me a weary glance. “She told you she’s fine. Let’s all just calm down.”
Cole sighed and faced me. “Ivy, I agreed to this because Mom insisted you could benefit from more exposure to the world outside of River Valley. She told me you need to broaden your horizons. But this isn’t a free-for-all. You’re still my little sister, and I don’t want you to get into any trouble. That guy is definitely trouble.”
“I have no interest in that guy,” I grit out. “I can handle myself. I’m an adult, Cole. Start treating me like one.” Was that so much to ask?
