also seemed I wasn’t the only one with self-esteem issues.
“Feeling’s mutual.”
I almost did a double-take when I realized that statement came from my husband.
And he meant it.
What?
Yeah, I know. Shocked the shit out of me.
Cherry looked around at each of the guys, finally coming to the understanding that this offer was for real. “You guys really want to do this?”
Noah smiled then nodded, “Absolutely.”
That seemed to snap Beth out of her daze. “Uh, I think I need to talk to Amber and Micah about this.”
“Already have,” divulged Connor.
Cherry’s eyes narrowed. “And what did they say?”
“They said that it was one hundred percent your choice and that I wasn’t allowed to bully you into it,” he finished, rolling his eyes.
Somewhat appeased, Cherry uttered a quiet, “Okay, good,” but when she looked over at Beth, I knew a decision had been made.
Beth sat up taller and cleared her throat. “I think I speak for all of us Vixens when I say that it would be an honor and a privilege to have Left Turn open for us.”
A moment of quiet passed by. Sneaky smiles started to show as cracks in the hard canvases of the girls’ faces and not long after, the guys stood and hugged each of the laughing girls in this beautiful moment. A friendship brought closer. And yes, the girls had always had the respect of their peers but I believed The Vixens had one more thing they didn’t have yesterday.
Something more important to them than fame, than money, than fans.
Equality.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Better Days.
Emmy
Four days had passed since the guys had decided to gatecrash The Vixens’ tour and since that day, it seemed like our house had become some kind of unofficial headquarters. Not a day had gone by when we didn’t have both bands spread out over our living room and deck, and I didn’t want to be rude but half the time, they didn’t need to be there. I mean, we weren’t always discussing tour stuff.
Take today, for example.
“Next question,” Cherry lay across the sofa and folding the page of the magazine over she, read the question out loud. “You can choose one thing to take on a deserted island. Will you choose A) a book, B) a knife, C) matches, or D) a flashlight?”
I watched quietly from the doorway. Hell sat on the ground with his back to the sofa, his arms folded behind his head with his eyes closed. “What the fuck?” His brows bunched. “How is this going to tell me what pizza flavor I am?”
Cherry shrugged lightly even though Hell couldn’t see her. “I don’t know, it just is. Well, which one do you choose?”
Taking in a deep breath, he replied through an exhale., “Well, the book is out. Matches can get wet. I’ll need batteries for a flashlight. So, I guess the most useful one would be the knife.”
“Okay,” Using a pen, she marked down his answer. “Let me just tally this up.” She did the numbers then made a face before dropping the magazine to her chest and chuckling. “Oh no.”
Her sympathetic exclamation had Hell opening one eye. “What?”
But Cherry kept laughing.
Hell spun around and made to take the magazine from her but she quickly held it up over her head. I couldn’t help but notice she always seemed happier on the days we all hung out. Or, I should say, on the days where she let Hell crawl an inch closer. An odd friendship had bloomed between the two where they flirted on occasion but never let it get weird.
“What?” Hell asked, frustrated.
Cherry stopped laughing but couldn’t stop grinning. “You’re a yucky Hawaiian pizza.”
Almost immediately, Hell rushed out, “No, I’m not.”
Cherry nodded and her grin spread even wider. “You are.”
Hell’s brow lowered and he snatched the magazine out of Cherry’s hand. “Gimme that.” He studied the results with a scrutinizing eye and when the results were in, his lips thinned. “This is bullshit.”
Cherry’s body shook with soundless laughter.
Hell stood, taking the magazine with him. “This is going in the trash.”
As he walked into the kitchen, Cherry spoke through her laughter. “Hey! That’s mine.” Anyone could see she wasn’t actually upset. Quite honestly, it looked like she was having the time of her life.
I loved that for her.
A warm body slid into the back of mine and a strong arm circled my waist. His lips tickled my ear and when Connor spoke, I couldn’t help but laugh. “Are these fuckers ever gonna leave?”
Spinning in his arms, I cupped his stubbly cheek with