“There’s a reason you have to take a test to get a license, you know. Can you imagine if every Joe Schmo who thought they could drive was out on the streets?”
I give him a pouty look.
He flicks a wrist. “You gonna do this or what?”
I ease off the brake and gently press on the gas. I drive through the massive lot, speeding up and slowing down. I turn to him. “This is fun.”
“Eyes on the road.”
“This isn’t a road. But maybe I should go out on one.”
“I think that’s enough for today.”
I raise a brow. “Meaning you’ll let me drive again?”
“Sure.”
“So who wins the bet? I think I should because I did actually drive the car.”
“Yeah, right into a pole.”
“Shut up. I didn’t hit it.”
“We’ll call it a draw.”
I turn off the engine and jut out my bottom lip. “I was kind of wanting to know what I’d win.”
“What did you want?”
I give him a sultry smile.
“God, woman, you are going to kill me.”
“What did you want if you won the bet?”
“To turn around and drop you off so you wouldn’t go with me.”
My smile falls. “Really?”
“Yes, really. This is going to be uncomfortable as shit, Ella.”
“Then don’t go. Turn around and we’ll both go home. Then I’ll collect my winnings.”
He thinks about it. He thinks hard. “This has been a long time coming. We’re going.”
We switch seats again, and he gets back on the highway. A song I like comes on the radio, and I turn it up and dance in my seat.
“You like this band?”
“Who doesn’t like White Poison?” Then I feel guilty, remembering Bria used to be their backup singer. “I forgot we’re not supposed to like them.”
“They’re real pricks.”
“So you’ve met them? Of course you did, you opened for them. How many times?”
“Four. We never met them though.”
“Never? How can that be?”
“We were explicitly told never to even look at them unless they addressed us.”
My jaw drops. “You’re not serious.”
“We weren’t allowed at their after-parties either. They’d sometimes let us eat from the buffet before shows, but only after everyone on their crew, plus their groupies, had their share. And we barely got paid enough to cover our hotel and expenses.”
“That doesn’t seem fair.”
He shrugs. “It’s how it works. Opening for them was our payment. It got us a lot of attention.”
“And it’s starting to pay off for you big time. Maybe you can upgrade the car soon.”
“I won’t be buying a new car.”
“Then what are you going to do with all your money?”
“I’m saving it.”
“For what?”
“Never mind.”
I scan the radio stations and stop when a Reckless Alibi song comes on. Liam smiles. “What does it feel like to hear your songs on the radio?”
“Probably the same as it feels to see your illustrations in books.”
“No way. It’s totally different. People hear your music and they seek you out. They buy your albums. They come to your concerts. It must be surreal.”
“It’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of.”
“You’re lucky in so many ways. You’re in a successful band. You have incredible friends. Maybe all that can help make up for the bad stuff.”
He grips the steering wheel so hard, his knuckles turn white. “Nothing can ever make up for the bad stuff.”
“I didn’t mean to downplay anything.”
He’s quiet, and I feel terrible for saying what I did.
We pass the welcome sign for Stamford. He turns off the road and onto a driveway lined with trees. He stops at a gate, punches numbers on a keypad, and it opens. “I’m surprised he didn’t delete my code.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Because he hates me as much as I hate him.”
“Then why did he take you in?”
“I told you, it was blackmail. He kept me and my mom around for insurance.”
“Insurance for what?”
“So we would never tell anyone what happened to Luke.”
I touch his hand. “And you.”
He pulls away.
We approach the house, and I’m stunned. It looks more like a hotel than a single-family home. “You lived here?”
“Only as long as I had to and not a second more.”
“When did you move out?”
“Right before the tour.”
“How come you lived here for so long if you despised him?”
“I had to. The band wasn’t making enough money for me to support my mom.”
“Where is she now?”
“In the ground next to Luke.”
I gasp. “Oh, no. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. In a lot of ways, she’s better off. She never got over Luke’s death. She drank a lot. It’s ultimately what killed her.”
“Liam—”
“I said stop it, El. I don’t need you feeling sorry