Effortless Page 17

Chapter 17

 

  Boise

  A month later, nothing much had changed in my life, even with Denny back around. I went to school, I went to work. I had coffee with Cheyenne, while she tried to make poetry make some sort of sense to me. I spoke to Kellan three or four times a day, more if he was having a traveling day, for hours when he called me on Valentine's Day. Denny came around to the bar for dinner most nights, and we spent the time catching up on our year apart.

  I even agreed to take a more advanced art course with Jenny and Kate on Saturday mornings. . . even though I was atrocious and the instructor humored me with every comment he made. I made a note to not repeat the six-week course with her. Her talent was just way beyond my skills.

  But as much as the good things stayed the same, the questionable things stayed the same as well. I avoided computers, too tempted to Google my boyfriend, too afraid of what I might find. And I definitely didn't want to see any more footage of him with Halle 2. I just couldn't handle seeing it again.

  But I never asked about it when we talked. And I never told him about Denny being back in Seattle. My mouth locked up when I tried. Just the idea of Kellan cheating on me terrified me so much. . . I didn't want to give him that same fear. Not when it wasn't warranted. Denny and I were only friends, truly, just friends.

  So the nagging doubt lingered between Kellan and me, and I let it, not ready to confess what I knew, too scared to hear what he knew. . .

  Getting home from class on a windy Thursday afternoon, I collapsed beside my sister on the sofa, grateful for a few hours respite. I didn't have to work tonight and I didn't have class again until Monday. Until work tomorrow night I could just be a couch potato.

  Anna sighed, irritably tapping her foot as she flicked through channel after channel on the television. I tried to ignore her restlessness. She'd been getting more and more agitated since the holidays. I suspected she was more peeved that Griffin hadn't asked to see her than she let on. I suspected she missed him more than she let on. Since they hadn't had any romantic rendezvous, she hadn't been with him, well, since the night of the going away party. And Anna, for some godforsaken reason, liked being with him.

  Tossing the remote on the floor, she laid her head back on the orange monstrosity we were sitting on. "God, I'm so freaking bored. " Popping her head up, she excitedly leaned forward. "Let's go to Boise. "

  I blinked at her. "What?"

  Nodding, she leaned forward even more, her tight sweater showing off a decolletage that I'd never have. "Let's go to Boise. The guys are playing a show there tonight and it's the closest they're going to be to us until the end of the tour. So let's go to their concert!"

  She gave me puppy dog eyes, sticking out her full bottom lip. I shook my head. "Idaho? By tonight? It's almost five now. . . we don't have time to drive that far, Anna. "

  She sat up on her knees, really excited now. "So we'll hop a flight. It's probably only an hour or so on a plane. "

  I raised my eyebrow. "We can't just 'hop on a plane' to see a concert, Anna. "

  She raised her eyebrow right back at me. "We can do anything we want, Kiera. Come on, live a little. "

  I sighed, but she was already pulling me up off the couch. "You're too focused, too structured. You need to let loose every once and a while. Besides, don't you want to see Kellan?"

  Biting my lip, I stifled another sigh. I did want to see him, more than anything, but. . . there were conversations that we needed to have, conversations that I didn't know if I was ready to have yet. I did miss him though. . . and I hadn't found any playful notes in a while to help keep the loneliness at bay. . .

  Maybe seeing me starting to get sold on the idea, Anna dragged me to my room and started packing a bag for me. I cringed when she found the lacey Christmas present that I'd gotten for Kellan and cringed even more when she shoved it in my bag. Like I'd wear that on a tour bus. Sitting on the bed while she zipped the bag closed, I murmured, "I don't want him to think I'm checking up on him. "

  She paused. Anna knew I still had questions about the video. "You could finally ask him about the girl?" I shook my head and she twisted her lips, then shrugged. "Well, he'll be too busy screwing your brains out to care anyway. "

  I scoffed and threw a pillow at her and she laughed. Then her face got serious. "I want to see Griffin, Kiera. I think I. . . I think I miss him. " She sneered as if the idea was odd to her. It was a little odd to me too, but then, so was their entire relationship.

  Caving, I exaggerated an annoyed sigh. "Fine, when's the flight?"

  Anna squealed and clapped her hands before running to her room. "You won't regret this, Kiera! We're gonna have the best time!"

  Hoping she was right, I grabbed my bag.

  While the drive across Washington to the bottom of Idaho was around eight hours, it turned out that a flight there was under an hour. We made an early evening plane and were touching down in Boise with time to spare. I'd hated handing over all of my hard-earned tip money for the ticket, but when I stepped out of the airport and smelled the air, air that I knew Kellan was breathing, it seemed worth every penny.

  Wanting to surprise the boys, we didn't call them on the way over. Really, we hadn't called anybody. It was the most impulsive thing I'd ever done, well, if you didn't count having spur-of-the-moment sex in an espresso stand impulsive. I tended to think of different adjectives when I thought about that night.

  But rushing out to see Kellan when he didn't know I was coming was exciting, and my heart was beating fast when we hailed a cab. Calling Rachel to verify where the boys were playing, I instantly felt bad that we hadn't paused long enough to include Rachel and Jenny in our plans. They probably wanted to see their boyfriends too. But really, we'd barely made the flight in time with just the two of us, not with how strict airport security was now. And the interesting collection of "toys" that Anna had packed in her carryon hadn't helped either.

  By the time we found the place and got settled, it was just about time for the show to start. I had no idea how we were going to get in, since a call to the venue had only resulted in us being told that the show was sold out, and had been for a while. While I was thrilled that the tour was going well, it sort of made everything that much harder. I'd never needed a ticket to watch him play before. I was used to just walking into work and having him there, singing, just for me. Or so it seemed sometimes.

  Hoping we could find some scalpers, we got out of the cab at what looked like an old theater. It was massive though, and people milled about outside, smoking or chatting on their phones. Light boxes along the entrance displayed the tour's posters, with our favorite band's name the last on the list of hot groups performing tonight.

  On the marquee though, the D-Bags were right under the main attraction. It was as close to top billing as a small, relatively unknown band could get. Shaking my head at the sign, my heart swelled with pride for him. He was actually doing it. He was actually becoming a rock star, right before my eyes. It blew my mind.

  Just as I headed towards a group of meandering people, feeling like an idiot as I clutched my overnight bag, Anna grabbed my arm and jerked me towards the alley. I squeaked in surprise, then looked around the dark area she was leading us to. Not wanting to be mugged, I pulled back on her arm.

  "Where are we going?"

  Tilting her head at me, her hair perfectly pulled into a loose ponytail, she nodded at the alley that I was sure Jack-the-Ripper was hiding in. "The back entrance is probably down there. We're going in. "

  I gave her a dry look. "They're not just going to let us in the back, Anna. We'll have to buy tickets just like everybody else. "

  Rolling her eyes at me, she adjusted the ridiculously tight t-shirt she'd changed into before leaving the house. "Kiera, I've never bought a concert ticket in my life, and I'm not about to start now. " Smiling in that seductive way that she and Kellan had down to a science, she smirked and headed towards the alley again
. Her bag elegantly slung over her shoulder, looked more like an overlarge purse than the duffel bag that mine resembled.

  Hoping we survived this, I exhaled a quick breath and hurried to catch up to her. If we were going to die, I wanted us to die together.

  Confidently strutting down the dark street, Anna looked completely fine with the situation. Wishing I had her guts, I tried to at least act like I did. Like she expected, we ran into a door being blocked by what could have been Sam's long lost brother. All muscle and rough demeanor, he narrowed his eyes at us as we approached.

  "Keep walking," he muttered as we got close enough to hear.

  Anna tilted her head, running a finger along the deep v-neck of her shirt. "But we want to talk to you. "

  He frowned at her, then at me. "I just got rid of the last batch of you. Don't you girls have anything better to do than try and screw rock stars. "

  I bristled at his words, both because that wasn't what we were doing, not really, and because there was a steady group of girls out there that tried to do exactly what he was saying. Sticking my chin up, I defiantly said, "We just want to see our boyfriends, and they happen to be in one of the bands. If you could let us by, we'd really appreciate it. "

  He smirked at me. "Wow, I've never heard that one before. " Rolling his eyes, he added, "When are you girls gonna learn that the actual girlfriends get passes to the show. They don't come back here to see me. " With a smirk he added, "Not that the actual girlfriends are around much. . . if you know what I mean. "

  He eyed me and my sister up and down, clearly undressing us, and my eyes narrowed at what he was implying-whores trumped girlfriends, by a long shot. Trying to ignore the heat in my stomach, I shook my head. "Our boyfriends don't know we're here. . . it's a surprise. "

  He smiled with one edge of his lip, his bulging biceps not moving from in front of his chest. "Yes, and when they see you out here after the show, it will certainly be a surprise. "

  My mouth dropped open in frustration but Anna shot me a look to keep me quiet. Sidling up to the man, she ran a finger along his arm. Licking her lip as slowly and seductively as she could, she throatily murmured, "There must be some way to get past this. . . " she squeezed his arm, then let her hand travel down his side, ". . . impressive body in our way. "

  Smirking at Anna, his eyes traveled to her chest and stayed there. She subtly straightened her shoulders, giving him the best view she could. One of his hands uncrossing, he brazenly reached out and cupped one of her breasts. I wanted to smack his smug face but Anna held a warning finger behind her back, telling me not to.

  As Anna wasn't wearing a bra, the man got a nice little nipple rub. It disgusted me, but Anna only smiled at him like he was complimenting her on her hair. Smiling that she wasn't moving, he dropped his hand and motioned to her shirt. "Show me, and I'll let you in. "

  I sputtered and mumbled a protest but Anna only shrugged and lifted her shirt to him. When she finally lowered the fabric back down into place, I could tell the bouncer was. . . pleased. If the dazed smile on his face wasn't a big enough clue, the bulge in his jeans was unmistakable.

  I twisted my lips and looked away. "Dog," I muttered. I was pretty sure Sam never would have pulled crap like that.

  Focusing on my sister, I watched her brush her fingers over the man's cheek. "Satisfied," she purred, biting her lip, and glancing down at the evidence of his arousal.

  "Definitely," he growled. "Whatever guy you land in there is one lucky bastard. "

  Anna smirked and smiled as he moved aside from the door. Rolling my eyes, I started to follow her, but the jerk blocked my path. "Nope, sorry, sweetheart. " Leering at my chest, he shook his head. "You haven't paid the price of admission. "

  Dropping my bag, I immediately crossed my arms over my chest, covering my already covered body. "I am not flashing you!"

  He shrugged, unperturbed. "Then you're not getting back there. "

  My mouth dropped open and I smacked him across the chest. He narrowed his eyes at me and I stopped instantly, remembering that this was not a bouncer at Pete's that I was messing with. Lifting my chin, I spat out, "You're a pig. "

  Smirking, he winked at me. "Yeah, and you're still not getting back there until I see some tatas. "

  An exasperated noise fell out of my mouth as I looked up at Anna, waiting with one palm on the door. She shrugged and made a stripping motion with her hand. I cringed back, not wanting to do this. . . but wanting to see Kellan.

  My cheeks flaming so hot they hurt, I shook my head indignantly. "Go get Kellan Kyle! He's the lead singer of the D-Bags. He'll vouch for me, that I'm his girlfriend. . . and then you'll have to let me in!"

  The man yawned, bored. "Listen, sweetheart. The musicians and I have a deal. I don't bother them, and they let me have a groupie or two. It works out great, and I'm not going to jeopardize that for you. " He smiled again, in a creepy way that made my skin crawl. "Now strip. . . or go home. "

  Feeling tears sting my eyes, I glared at my sister. "I'm gonna kill you for this, Anna. " Before she could answer, I twisted to the man and snarled, "The bra stays on!"

  He rolled his eyes and shrugged and I closed mine. Wishing I could disappear, I fought against every sense in my body and lifted my shirt to the repugnant man before me. I heard him chuckle as he muttered, "Ah, white cotton with the cute little flower in the middle. Aren't you a sweet thing?"

  Just as his fingers came out to touch, I smacked his hand away and lowered my clothes, holding them tight around myself. Looking satisfied that I'd done it, he motioned to the door where Anna was standing. Glaring at him, I picked up my bag and stiffly walked past him.

  Grabbing my arm as I brushed against him, he leaned into me. "I love the innocent ones. . . they're the wildest in the sack. " He nodded at the closed door. "I'll be around, once you're done with this Kellan guy, if you want to experience a real man. " He ground his still-aroused body into my leg and I forced myself to not slap him.

  Backing away, I straightened and muttered, "No, thank you. " Then shoved Anna's back so she'd open the door and get us out of that damn alley. "You're so dead, Anna," I muttered again while the sound of the bouncer chuckling was washed away by the sounds in the theater as she finally opened the heavy, steel door.

  Anna was highly entertained by the whole thing. As we walked down the hall, she slung her arm over my shoulders and laughed out, "Oh my God, I so thought you were going to deck that guy!" Biting my lip, I glared at her. She only laughed harder and squeezed me tight. Resting her head against mine, she merrily exclaimed, "Ah, relax, Kiera, no harm done, and now you're one step closer to Kellan. "

  She winked at me as I pushed her away. "I'll turn you into a vixen yet, sister," she giggled. I rolled my eyes at her but did smile a little. Well, Kellan had wanted me to have a good story to tell him. I guess, now I did.

  The music of the band currently on stage filtered around us as we aimlessly walked through corridors and open areas. There were tons of people about, some that seemed to work at the venue, walking around with headsets and clipboards, some that looked more like security, which we purposely avoided since we technically weren't supposed to be here. Some seemed to be from a local radio station, and some were clearly band members. But the majority seemed to be women, just like us. It helped us blend in, but I wasn't thrilled at the girl-to-guy ratio that I was seeing.

  Not knowing where our boys were in the lineup, or where they might be hanging out until it was their turn, we just kept searching. Anna flipped out when she spotted Justin and his band- Anna loved their music just as much as I did. She started heading his way but I grabbed her arm. "Don't, Anna!"

  She glared back at me. "Don't you know who that is?"

  I rolled my eyes and nodded. "Yeah, we met when the boys left. "

  Anna slung her arm around me, dragging me forward. "Perfect, then he'll tell you where Kellan is. "

  I felt heat in my cheeks that was nearly
painful. Our introduction hadn't exactly been smooth. . . and. . . he'd been at the restaurant for Kellan's little, erotic performance. Oh God, I could not look him in the eye after that!

  "He won't remember me, Anna. " Oh God, yeah, he probably would remember me now. . .

  Anna giggled in my ear as we got closer to Justin, his smile wide as he talked with a couple of girls nearby. "Who could forget you, Kiera?"

  I rolled my eyes at her and wanted to protest further, but Justin had turned his head and noticed us. His light blue eyes widened as he pointed a finger at me; I could see the spark of recognition in the pale depths. He did remember me, which meant, he probably remembered overhearing the phone sex, too. Damn it. I really hate you right now, Kellan Kyle.

  Tilting his blond head, he grinned crookedly and let out a short laugh. "Hey, aren't you. . . Kellan's girl?"

  Biting my lip, I walked up to him. My knees were shaking, but I made myself say, "Yeah, my sister and I came out to see him. . . to surprise him. " Not able to look Justin in the eye, I stared at the ink scrawled across his chest; I couldn't read it, but the lines were a nice distraction for my embarrassment.

  Anna took over at my ineptitude. Thrusting her hand out and sliding as close to him as etiquette allowed, she purred, "Anna Allen, huge fan. 'Kick Me When I'm Down' has got to be my favorite song in the world. "

  I looked up at her and scowled. Of course she would remember a song title. Justin seemed pleased that she had, and that she wasn't wearing a bra. His eyes only quickly flashed over her breasts, not blatantly staring like the bouncer had, but he still checked her out as he shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Anna. "

  His eyes burned a little as he watched her and I thought my sister might actually have a shot with him. Not surprising really, my sister could have just about anybody. She usually got whatever boy she set her sights on. Except Kellan. She never had gotten to have him.

  But Anna didn't seem too interested in Justin. Instead, she waved her hand around the mammoth backstage area. "We're looking for the D-Bags. Have you seen Kellan and Griffin?"

  Justin twisted his lips. He seemed disappointed that Anna didn't want to hang out with him. "Griffin?" By the way his lip twisted even more, I thought maybe Justin had met The Hulk too. Pointing over his thumb, he shrugged. "Last I saw, they were drinking with some girls back there. "

  A knot in my stomach formed at hearing his words. Drinking with girls? I tried to put a lid on the knot growing, though. Drinking with girls didn't mean sleeping with girls. At least, not in Kellan's case.

  Anna brightened and thanked him. We both said goodbye and Justin seemed a little sad as Anna left his sight. I looked back before we turned a corner to another corridor and accidentally locked eyes with Justin. He suddenly looked amused. He chuckled and leaned over to a friend of his, pointing at me again. The friend stared at me too, chuckling in the same way. Knowing that they were talking about Kellan faking jacking-off at their table, I clenched my fists and hurried after Anna as she pushed herself through a group of people. That was not the way I wanted a celebrity to remember me. In fact, I'd rather he didn't.

  As we got to a large room filled with people, I felt like we'd stepped back into Pete's bar. It was smaller than the bar, but the alcohol was flowing, girls were giggling, and the music from the stage was being piped through some speakers, filling the room with noise. I suddenly felt like I should have a tray and a bag full of lollipops.

  I looked around the clusters of people, but didn't see my D-Bag anywhere. Chairs and couches were tossed around the space, seemingly at random, with small tables holding stacks of empty cups. I wasn't sure how long ago the show had started, but this party seemed to already be in full effect.

  Girls clamored over boys I didn't know; I figured they were some of the other band's members. As I watched a girl lean up and tug on a boy's earlobe, I wondered if any of these guys had girls waiting back home. It sort of made me nauseous to think about it. Anna grabbed my hand, leading us through the throngs, and my stomach tightened with every step.

  Maybe coming here was a bad idea. If I caught Kellan in the act with another girl. . . I think my heart would explode right then and there. I don't think I could take it. While I'd always felt bad about Denny having seen our moment, I had a newfound appreciation for his pain. No wonder he'd flown off the handle. I wanted to already as I watched boys openly flirting with loose girls, and I hadn't even found Kellan yet.

  I found him a few moments later. He was standing with his back to me, luckily with no girls hanging off him, chuckling over something in front of him. Women next to me mimicked pinching his ass and giggled. Other women around looked about ready to sling their drunk arms around him and kiss him. Ignoring them, I concentrated on the messy head of sandy-brown hair that I'd missed so much. As he leaned over to laughingly whisper something to the man beside him, who I finally realized was Griffin, my eyes were transfixed to the strong jaw line, the full lips speaking words through his smile.

  He was so impossibly attractive, it was nearly unfair. But that wasn't all he was, and my heart swelled with the love I felt for him, love that was only growing since we'd been forced apart.

  Then I noticed what had his and Griffin's rapt attention.

  As Anna sidestepped us around some girls that she couldn't plow through, I got a full shot of what Kellan and Griffin were watching and laughing about. Draped over the makeshift bar that someone had set up back here, a blonde, buxom bimbo was spread out. Wearing impractically tiny shorts and only a bra for a top, she was having shots of liquor poured over her while other, equally skanky women, sucked the liquid off. One girl even poured some in the blonde's mouth, then immediately dived in to retrieve it.

  I watched them for a second, disgusted by the obvious ploy to get the rock star's attentions, then I twisted my head over to stare at Kellan. He was still watching them, chewing on his bottom lip as he twisted a bottle of beer in his hands. Narrowing my eyes, I stared at his jeans. I knew it was wrong, a guy couldn't help being aroused by beautiful girls acting overtly sexual, but I had to know if he was getting turned on by this. I didn't see any telltale signs. . . yet.

  I was still staring at his jeans when Anna finally pulled us close enough that Kellan and Griffin noticed. When the view of his hips went from a side angle to a front angle, my heart started beating ten times faster and I looked up to his face. Embarrassed that he'd caught me staring at his privates, I blushed.

  He didn't look embarrassed, though, not that he would ever be embarrassed about me staring at his body. No, instead, he looked completely floored. Mouth wide open, he stared at me like he'd just wished me into existence. Griffin beside him looked equally shocked as he stared at Anna.

  Griffin surprisingly snapped out of it first. "Hell yeah!" he exclaimed, pushing past Kellan to scoop up a giggling Anna. His tongue was deep down her throat in seconds. A moment after that, her legs were around his waist and he was walking out of the room with her, bullying aside anyone who wasn't quick enough to move.

  I blinked at how quickly they got down to business, then twisted back to Kellan. Recovering slowly, he shook his head, a smile replacing his shocked expression. "You're here?" he said, stepping towards me.

  I nodded, a smile on my own lips. I accidently flicked a glance at the making-out coeds and Kellan followed my eye sight. Bunching his brows, he looked back at me and shrugged. Looking a little sheepish, he grabbed my hand and pulled me into him. "Sorry about that. " Running his other hand back through my hair, his eyes lovingly washed over my face. "Some girls will do anything to get noticed," he whispered.

  Feeling the heat in my belly fading as those indigo eyes absorbed me, I nodded. I didn't point out that they'd succeed in getting his attention. He'd definitely been invested until I'd walked up. But men were men. . . you couldn't expect them to not look at something like that. Even Denny would have watched.

  Smiling warmly at me, he cupped my cheek, the heat o
f it traveled all the way down my body. "I can't believe you're here. " He glanced around at where he was. "How did you get back here?"

  I sighed morosely. "You would not believe what I had to do. " I raised an eyebrow. "Make sure you say bye to Anna. . . because I'm killing her when we get home. "

  He chuckled at me, his smile glorious. "Ah, I can't wait to hear this story. "

  Biting my lip, I stepped closer to his body. "Could it maybe wait just a little bit?" I whispered, my eyes locking onto his mouth.

  Understanding what I needed, his lips were instantly on mine. I wanted to groan and clutch him to me. It was the first part of March. It had been over two months since our last kiss, back in December. . . and I had missed this so much. His arms wrapped around me, his hand cupping my cheek moving back to cradle my neck. My arms slipped up his chest, one continuing on to tangle in his hair. His tongue slid against mine, tasting me, teasing me. The chaos of the world slipped away as we melded together, and for a few long seconds, it was just the two of us in this packed room.

  But then Kellan's shoulder was tapped on and he grudgingly pulled away from me. Hiding a scowl, I looked over at who couldn't wait a few moments to have his attention. Thinking that maybe the buxom blonde on the counter was going to try something a little more aggressive, I fully expected to see her there. But when Halle 2's eyes met mine, I wished to God that it had been the blonde.

  The actress's lookalike glanced at me, then focused on Kellan. "Kellan, I'm ready for you. "

  My mouth dropped open as wide as Kellan's had when he'd first noticed me here. Had she seriously just propositioned him right in front of me? Who the hell was this chick?

  Expecting Kellan to stutter and stammer and flail about for a lie that made sense, I was a little surprised when he only nodded at her and said, "Okay, I'll need a minute, though. "

  The statuesque woman looked me up and down, shook her head a little, then smiled back at him. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she leaned in so he could hear her over the music and laughter in the room. "The conference room upstairs. . . when you're ready. "

  Kellan nodded, still smiling warmly at her. I wanted to punch the jackass in the face. She smirked at me, then turned and walked away. I just stood there, my arms falling off of Kellan to hang loosely at my sides. That didn't really just happen, did it? I dug my nails into my palms, trying to wake myself up. I had to be dreaming. This was just another nightmare about her. . . that's all.

  But I didn't wake up and Kellan twisted back around to face me. He didn't seem chagrined at all about being caught. Of course, he didn't know that I knew she was his stalker. He didn't know that I'd watched the videos, that I'd seen her hanging around, that I knew he knew her. As he watched my blank expression, he bit his lip, finally seeming nervous.

  "I need to tell you something. . . can we talk?"

  I briefly closed my eyes at those hated words, then nodded and twisted away from him. I aimlessly walked towards the hallway that Anna and Griffin had disappeared in, not really knowing where I was going, just hoping that there was enough privacy back here so that I could murder him without attracting too much attention.

  When we got to a spot where the crowd had thinned out, Kellan grabbed my elbow, making me stop. I wanted to pull away. I wanted to keep walking. If I kept walking, then I wouldn't have to hear him say that he'd fallen for someone else. . . and he was about to go have sex with her in a conference room. God, how tacky.

  Bunching his brows as I stiffened in his arms, he asked, "Hey, are you. . . mad at me?"

  Bristling, I stuck my chin out and threw my bag on the ground. "No, why would I be mad?" He shook his head and was about to answer, but I stupidly answered for him. "You're only about to dump me for the hot celebrity lookalike that's been stalking you for weeks. You're only about to go have sex with her on an office table. You're only about to crush me into a thousand pieces, and right after I exposed my chest to some jackass just to see you, too!"

  He blinked and gaped at me as I started breathing heavy. I really hadn't meant to say any of that. I had been planning on letting him hang himself. "Wait, you think. . . ?" He stopped and tilted his head. "You did what to come see me?"

  Irritated, I shoved his chest away and started storming off. . . somewhere. Sighing, he grabbed my shoulders and twisted me around. Backing me into a wall, he stared me down. "I am not dumping you. I am not about to have sex with her. And I am not going to crush you. "

  He gave me a minute to calm down. When I was breathing regularly, I searched his face. "Then what. . . is going on?"

  Releasing my shoulders, he shook his head. "Well, what I had been going to tell you, before you leapt to that wild conclusion, is. . . " he bit his lip, his face beaming underneath it, ". . . we got signed. " He nodded his head upstairs. "That's Lana. She's a rep from the record company. She's been following the tour, examining the bands. . . and she wants to sign us to her label. " He laughed a little, shaking his head. "We're going to have a record, Kiera, an actual, professional record. . . can you believe it?"

  My mouth dropped open again as my eyes watered. My mind hadn't gone down that path at all. I'd automatically assumed the worst. I shoved his shoulders away from me. "Why didn't you tell me you were being scouted, jackass!"

  He cringed away from me, frowning as I started smacking his chest. "Because I really didn't expect much. I didn't think she'd pick us. . . and. . . " His voice trailed off and I stopped hitting him. Sighing, he grabbed my hands and peeked up at me from under his lashes. "I didn't want to disappoint you. . . if she wasn't interested in us. I know you think I'm going to go all the way. . . I didn't want to let you down. . . "

  He looked down and I instantly felt like an idiot. Slinging my arms around him, I hugged him tight. "God, Kellan, I'd never be disappointed in you. . . ever. " Pulling back, I cupped his cheeks, my eyes hazy with tears. "I'm so proud of you, of everything you do, and even if it ended right here, I'd be anything but disappointed in you. "

  He exhaled, seemingly relieved. Sniffling, he looked around the hall. "Well, I haven't even told the guys yet. . . I didn't want to jinx it, so we need to find them and get them upstairs to sign the legal stuff. " He looked back at me, raising an eyebrow. "That's what's going down on the conference room table. . . not sex. " He grabbed my hips, pulling me into him. "But if you wanted to, once everyone was gone. . . I'd never tell you no. "

  He chuckled and I grabbed his face, kissing him hard. I might take him up on that offer. I was just so relieved that he didn't seem to be sleeping with her. And so very proud of him for what he was doing.

  Pulling apart from me, he reached down and picked up my forgotten bag. "Come on, we've got to take care of this before it's our turn on stage. " Holding his hand out for me, he smiled like a little boy. "They bumped us up the lineup; we play right under Justin's band now. Pretty cool, huh?"

  Leaning into his side, I giggled and nodded. "That's amazing, Kellan. "

  Feeling better about a lot of things as we walked around the halls, looking for D-Bags, I considered all the videos I'd seen her in. That's why she'd been around, she'd been scoping out the band. And that's why they'd seemed friendly. She was wooing him. . . in a way. Lana? Seemed like a respectable enough name, not that names really meant anything, but still. . .

  As I processed this new information, Kellan smiled down at me. "Hey, what did you mean when you said she'd been stalking me for weeks? How did you know about that?"

  Biting my lip, I took tiny peeks at his face. "Uh, Rachel put up this website, and fans have posted videos of your shows. I've been watching you. . . " My voice trailed off and I had the weird sensation that I had been the stalker, not the other way around.

  "She finally got that up and running, huh? Well, that should make Matt happy. " Releasing my hand, Kellan slung his arm around my shoulder. "So, you've been checking up on me?"

  I stared up at his face, his eyes amused as he searched for his friends. "No. .
. " His dark blue eyes swung down to mine, even more amused. I sighed. "Maybe. . . a little. "

  Tilting his head, he squeezed me tighter. "And was I being good?"

  Not sure how to answer that, since I'd sort of been thinking he'd been diddling the record rep, I floundered for words for a second. Luckily, Griffin and Anna appeared from around a corner. I smiled at seeing them, which was a strange reaction to have at seeing Griffin. Anna had a dopey, satisfied look on her face while she adjusted her hair and clothes. I figured they'd already gone a round then. . . maybe two.

  Slapping Griffin on the shoulder, Kellan filled him in on what was going on. Griffin was naturally over the moon and took off to grab his cousin, who had apparently been working out a section of the music with Evan in a quiet space. I smiled as I thought over them practicing before playing, instead of flirting with the ample amount of eager women that seemed to be around. Rachel was right, it was all about the music with Matt. Evan too, in a way.

  Kellan shrugged and led us to an elevator being blocked by a security guard. Backstage clearance didn't get you upstairs, apparently. With Anna giggling and clutching my arm, the three of us got waved past the guard after Kellan said a few words to him. He gave Kellan an approving look as the elevator doors closed behind us, like he thought Kellan was about to have a threesome with me and my sister. Ew.

  While Anna reached into her bag, grabbing a sucker, and I did not want to know why, Kellan dropped my bag and wrapped his arms around me. Kissing me a little too passionately, considering my sister was watching, he murmured, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this earlier. . . but I'm glad you're here. "

  I sighed, running my fingers through his hair. "I'm glad I'm here, too. " All the stress of the last few weeks washed off of me as his mouth explored mine. I was just wishing we had some more privacy when the elevator stopped and the doors dinged open. Anna smiled at us around her lollipop before stepping out.

  Kellan grabbed my bag again, as well as my hand. "So," he asked merrily as we exited, "anything you've been holding off on telling me?"

  He laughed as he said it, so I was sure he didn't actually know anything. Anna frowned as she gave me a pointed look. She obviously wanted me to tell him. And I would. . . I should. He should know Denny had reappeared in his absence. But just like me having to deal with the swarms of women downstairs, Kellan was going to have to trust me.

  Inhaling deep, I was just about to tell him when his phone buzzed on his hip. Frowning slightly, he reached into his back pocket. He silenced it without looking at the number, then put it back in his pocket. Staring straight ahead, he kept walking down the hall like it was nothing. Counting off all of the people that I knew in Kellan's head, I wondered who'd just called him. Lana was waiting in the room we were getting closer to, and the guys were all on their way up. It wasn't Griffin this time. Of course, I was almost positive that it hadn't really been Griffin last time.

  All of the momentary good feelings that I'd had about us faded as I watched him purposely avoid looking at me. He was still hiding something and I had no idea what. . . or who. Tears stinging my eyes, I shut my mouth and said absolutely nothing about Denny being in town.