math equation lately, it slips my mind. But I remembered you telling me you wanted to have a word with them if they showed up again.”
“Right. Thanks, babe.” I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers. Just a brief touch, but even so, my cock got hard. “I’ll go talk to them.”
I glanced at Bryan. He was watching us, and for a moment his gaze flickered with something dark. “Can you keep an eye on Lace until I get back?”
“Sure, man,” he said.
Lace frowned. “I don’t need babysitting, War.”
“I know that. But Vance is lurking around.” Now that the fucker’s band opened for Tempest, I loved rubbing it in his face. The guy and I were sworn enemies. He should never have touched Lace.
She nodded. “Okay.”
I headed inside, my steps purposeful and my expression determined. I kept turning down those same three reps, but they kept coming back, wanting to sign us. I pitted them against one another, and their offers kept rising.
The only problem?
So far, they were all holding firm at excluding Lace from their offers.
• • •
Lace
I stood beside Bryan, picking at my skirt and feeling awkward. We hadn’t been alone since Chad had been injured. I didn’t know what to say. A month later, but it still hurt to know I never had and never would rank with Bryan the way I wanted to.
“Are you okay?” His gray-green eyes glittered above the red tip of his cigarette, and when he exhaled, smoke billowed around him.
“I’m fine,” I said tersely. “Why do you ask?”
“You seem jumpy. You’re that way around me a lot. Around War too. He mentioned it, so I just wondered.”
“I have the SAT tomorrow,” I blurted, always a sucker for sharing with Bryan.
“Figured that had something to do with it.” He gave me a long look, taking a drag and exhaling, making me shivery all over just looking at his mouth. “Is there something else bothering you?”
You. You’re bothering me.
Too handsome with his tousled brown hair and his striking eyes. Too hard to put my attraction for him behind me. I kept wondering what if we’d gone to the beach together the night of my birthday.
“Chad’s hurting and so withdrawn.” I gave Bryan a worry I could share. “And every time I try to talk to him, he gets angry.”
“He’s your friend, Lace. He’ll be your friend again on the other side of this. Just give him some time to process.”
“Yeah, I know that in my head, but it hurts in my heart that he’s avoiding me.” I gave Bryan a long look. He was avoiding me too. I didn’t know how I knew it was purposeful, but I did. I could feel the strain of tension between us.
“He has his reasons, I’m sure. Reasons that you might not understand, but that are best for you.” He studied me a long beat, seeming to try to import some truth to me telepathically. “Is there anything else going on with you?”
Because he looked so interested and asked so gently, and just because he was Bryan, I told him. “I’m worried what will happen if I don’t do better on the SAT this time.”
“You’ll do better,” he said confidently. “You’ve been studying so hard.”
“Maybe.” I bit my lip.
“Definitely.”
“But what if I don’t score high enough to get the scholarship? All the studying, all the effort to try and make something of myself, none of it’ll mean shit if I end up falling short. I’ll end up just like my mom if the band doesn’t go anywhere.”
“Not likely.” Dropping his cigarette to the ground, Bryan closed the distance between us. His hands closed around my upper arms, branding my skin with heat.
“How can you be so sure?” Nerve endings all over my body short-circuiting from his touch, I met his eyes.
“I’m sure because I know you.” His gaze branded me every bit as much as his touch did. “You’re not your mother, Lace Lowell.”
Swaying closer, I wanted to believe him, wanted to float securely on the certainty I saw within his eyes. He was a buoy in my troubled waters, but only a temporary one.
Releasing me, he stepped away just out of reach.
Stupid, Lace. Tears pricked my eyes. He doesn’t want you.
We’d had an interlude when War and I had our break. Bryan could have made a move then if he’d wanted to, but he hadn’t. That was all over. I wouldn’t set myself up to be disappointed with him again. I needed to remember I was