had no idea where to begin. Sensing my reticence, she took my hand in hers. “Liv… at first I thought you were trying to be such a good friend by showing undying support. So many times, you patiently listened to me go on and on about my breakup with Chase. But I’m over it, and still your mood hasn’t changed. I know something has been bothering you. I planned to give you space and then call you out once he left. I figured it had something to do with it, and by then you’d open up. Then the whole Molly thing happened, and I knew you were hurting.”
“So many times I wanted to talk, but you had your own thing, and honestly I had no idea how to even vocalize my issue.”
“Is it the tour?”
“Actually, it all started after their LA trip.”
“Did he do something out there?”
“No. That’s part of my problem.” I carefully explained the obvious ways Shane kept out of trouble. During it, Kim never said a word, nor did she give me an indication of what ran through her mind. I tried to be sensitive to the fact her boyfriend at the time held none of the sensitivity Shane held regarding her feelings.
I then shared the way his face lit up when talking about the festival they’d played, causing thoughts of regrets to grow no differently than a weed that goes ignored. You’d never know there was a party happening down the hall with how engrossed she was in my rundown.
“Every decision he’s made was for someone else, Kim. It may not matter now, but what happens years from now when he realizes all that he missed out on? And what will come of me when that tears us apart and I have nothing but him in my life?”
Just as my dad’s brows had risen in understanding when I’d said the same to him, so did Kim’s. “You’re worried you’ll also have regrets.”
It wasn’t a question, and I had no choice but to say, “Yes.”
“Oh, sweetie.”
“I love him… so damn much it hurts. It physically causes me pain, thinking of a day in my life without him in it. And a few months ago, that notion seemed impossible, but now I can’t shake how much things have changed between us already. In our defense, we’ve been challenged for the first time in our relationship. Still, it can get so much worse. We are so entwined I don’t know where he ends and I begin.” The tears fell freely now, forcing Kim to pluck a few tissues out of a box sitting on the desk and hand them to me. “I hate feeling this way.”
“You can’t help how you feel, Liv. None of us can. As much as that bastard hurt me, if he were to say he couldn’t live without me, I’d be in his arms in a heartbeat.”
“Really?”
Looking ashamed, she nodded. “Really… and like you, I hate that I feel that way. The difference is, I learned how to move on, or pretend to at least… but you’re stuck. Maybe you guys need a break to figure things out?”
“Maybe,” I said through a pained whisper. The thought literally sent a sharp pain through my heart, but she was right. Maybe we did.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Shane
I kept one eye on the fanatics, and one on Alivia. But even that became difficult, and extracting myself became nearly impossible. If there was one thing I always learned from my parents, it was to be kind yet stern when faced with persistent fans. But my patience was up.
“Okay, enough!” With that, Ryan heard my voice and plowed through the door. He roughly pushed his way through the crowd. I didn’t blame him for not being in the room. Shit, Chase’s own parents failed to see a threat from a few feet away. No one could have predicted this reaction, or me being swarmed as I had been.
Most of them didn’t even know me, having gone to Chase’s school and not Windsor-Horne. It was obvious they were interested only in grabbing a piece of their own fifteen minutes. A photo on their social media, bragging rights over being friends with Shane Lair, getting a touch, copping a feel. It was all fucking ridiculous.
A few girls turned to follow until Ryan shoved a firm hand in their faces. “Girls, please stop.”
The entire scene took no more than ten minutes. It was scary how quickly things could escalate and get out of control. Did people