by Emily Childs
Bridger’s eyes swallow me whole, his jaw pulses. For a moment I’m mesmerized. Is he checking me out?
Not what I intended when I asked the question. I hold my breath, hoping he can’t see the thud of my pulse in my neck.
He snaps out of it with a quick shake to his head. “She’s Parker’s sister.”
“Oh,” Tim says, completely brushing all previous interaction away. “Pleasure to meet you. She’s perfect, Bridge. Perfect. I’ll have Mallorie tell Candi she can head home and we won’t be needing her after all.”
Bridger curses and scrubs his face. “You really had someone waiting?”
Tim looks aghast. “Did I sound like I wasn’t serious? The song was perfect, broke their hearts, now the personal image needs to be molded into our narrative. That GMA teaser got over a hundred thousand hits in four hours. Wait until the book is out.”
The good mood fizzles like a balloon leaking air. Lance clears his throat and shoves Bridger’s shoulder. “Well, some of us aren’t grounded from meet and greets. See ya later.”
The bassist abandons us, and Bridger wears a stoic face. I raise my hand. A habit of mine when I’m not sure who is meant to speak. I know, it’s weird.
Tim flicks his eyes to me. “Yes?”
“Um, I’m perfect for what? And who is Candi?”
“She’s now insignificant,” he says with a grin. “But you, you’re his good name, Miss Knight.”
“Come again?”
“Tim,” Bridger warns. “Al is not—”
“I’m not what? I think I can decide for myself what I am and am not. What’s going on?”
“Is this the thing you told me about?” Parker asks. Bridger nods. Now, my brother laughs at Tim. “Oh, man. If you want Bridger with a good girl who fawns over him and pumps up his ego and image, you’re going to want to pick someone besides Alexis.”
Fawns over? I wouldn’t fawn, but it doesn’t mean I like the idea of anyone else fawning. My chest squeezes. I need to stop these rogue possessive, needy thoughts. Soon. Bridger is still Bridger. Arrogant, rude, annoying. He’s all those things and always will be. This new need to touch him, laugh with him, and be by him can scurry away.
“You’re setting Bridger up with someone?”
“Afraid it’s a need at this point,” Tim says. “He needs to show the cameras he’s not so far gone that he can’t attract a sweet librarian.”
Tim winks at me. But my stomach goes out through my sneakers.
“No,” Bridger says.
“Seconded.” Parker crosses his arms, a stony expression.
“I don’t know,” Becca says with a sly grin. “You guys already know each other. You might have the perfect setup.”
“Do explain,” Bridger says, exasperated.
“Well, if Candi has to be your sidekick, if I had to guess, it’ll be hard to cut ties when this all blows over. We don’t want another Erika, right?”
A collective shudder runs through the group. I’ll never forget the woman who kept showing up at Bridger’s shows, convinced he was her husband. When she broke into his bat cave, that’s when it went to a new level. Last I heard, Erika was still getting help at the state hospital. Delusions of grandeur they called it.
“I’m liking this train of thought,” Tim says.
“We fight,” Bridger tells him. “Seriously. We fight. Right, Al?”
“I wouldn’t fight. I’m a pleasant person. It’s you who insists on being totally impossible.”
“See.” Bridger gestures at me, clearly satisfied his point is made.
Tim waves us away. “Fight all you want behind closed doors. Give a few hugs, a few laughs after shows, and give the press something to wonder about as this hailstorm hits. The label will compensate you, Miss—”
“I beg your pardon?” My mouth parts. “I am not someone who can be bought, Mr. Grant. I can give Bridger Cole a piece of my mind for free, thank you very much. And another thing, this Nadia disaster, I don’t need to be asked twice to smile pretty next to Bridge if it means shutting her down. I’ll do it. Of course, I’ll do it.” Then, I reel on Bridger. “Even if I laugh at your dumb jokes, or let you hold my hand, this doesn’t mean I like you, Cole!”
And with that beautiful display, I storm into the greenroom.
They need someone to knock Nadia off her lying pedestal? Sign. Me. Up. But it’s not because I have anything but irritation for Bridger Cole. He gets under my skin like no one else.
I’m not so sure I mind.
Chapter 16
Bridger
Summer—2009
Desert Sands Library is small, old, and rarely full. Especially on a Friday evening. But there is something incredibly awesome about Desert Sands Library, particularly in the back section where the old encyclopedias are kept.
It’s never used.
Not since they added the computers at the front. Now the shelves are filled with thick, red books and an extra layer of dust.
Which is why it’s the perfect place to check off the Mesa High rite of passage—making out for as long as possible before Miss Cook, the old librarian, catches you.
Parker made it a full thirty minutes last Thursday. Tate—freaking two hours! They didn’t even get caught, just left because something was up with his gramps and he had to hurry home.
It’s no secret between working at the drive-in four nights a week, keeping up with Brooks’s homework since Mom has been covering late shifts, my own homework, band practice at school, plus trying to catch gigs with Warped Head, I date less than any of my friends.
Tonight is mine, though.
Parker’s thirty-minute girl has a cousin.
I park my dad’s old blue Honda, grinning at the passenger seat. She’s hot. Long hair that reminds me of strawberries, big green eyes. Tight skirt. She laughs at my jokes, she held my hand first. Plus she doesn’t know anything about me, my family, nothing.
If the night keeps going like it has been, I think by morning I might start falling for Lydia Taylor.
Maybe she’ll come to my shows? I could be that guy—the rocker who has his girl screaming his name. Parker keeps warning me to cool it with chicks. He says I like them too hard, too fast. But he’s never met Lydia. A smile curls in the corner of my mouth.
“What are we doing here?”
My stomach is tight. I’m nervous, but only pansy’s get nervous. I’m sixteen. I’m in a new rock band. No better time than now to learn how to be the suave rockstar. I glance at her. “We’re going to do the dirty dip.”
Confidence is key here.
“The dirty dip?”
Rockstar. I lean over the console and pinch her chin between my thumb and finger. “Don’t tell me you haven’t wanted to kiss me all night.”
Her eyes widen, but she does this hot little thing where she bites her bottom lip. I give her a rundown on the rules and my inner David Bowie must’ve come out because she agrees. My palm is practically drenched when I take her hand and tug her inside the library.
It’s dead quiet and smells like dust that hasn’t been touched for a century, but who cares? This is happening.
A single guy is at the counter checking out, and I fight off the groan when I catch sight of the girl behind the counter. She’s still wearing braces because her teeth are that crooked, and glasses that don’t really fit right. Can’t fault her for that, though, Mama Knight never takes her in to get them resized.
She’s made this place a total mood killer since she got hired on a couple months ago. Parker never comes in when Al is here, and let’s be honest, she’s always here. He’s lucky he got thirty-minute girl on her one day off.
Al finishes checking the guy out, then returns to reading a thick book. Some romance that looks like it’s set in World War II. I want to groan again—when is she going to catch on that sci-fi is where it’s at?
I try to lead Lydia past Alexis, but it’s like Al has a sixth sense and must take any opportunity to be annoying.
“What are you doing here?”
I roll my eyes and glance at her. She sips a pink lemonade through a straw, glaring between me and Lydia.
“It’s a library,” I say. “What do you think I’m doing?”
“Since you can’t read, I really can’t say.”
Lydia balks. See, she’s even the kind of girl who’ll stand up for me. I hit the jackpot.
I lean over the counter, grinning snidely. “Hey, why don’t you live your life through that book and just avoid the back row for the next three hours.”
Alexis pinches her lips, eyes narrowed, but she doesn’t get a chance to say anything. Lydia tugs me away by the arm.
“Who is that?”
“Parker’s little sister.”
Lydia looks over her shoulder and snorts a laugh. “That’s his sister? Talk about opposites. He’s a jock and she looks like a total dork.”
My stomach curls. I look over my shoulder. Al is returning books back to the shelves, sort of keeping a close distance. She probably wants to watch, but I’m still stuck on Lydia insulting her. I’m pretty sure Alexis heard, and that doesn’t sit right.
“She’s not a dork,” I say. “She just likes to read a lot.”
“Whatever,” Lydia says, pulling me into the right row. The overhead light is out. It’s dark, quiet, and perfect. She goes onto her toes and hovers her lips over mine. “I don’t care what she does, but I’ll stick to the jocks like you.”
Lydia kisses me. She’s a hard kisser. Sort of fast and wet. I like it, but . . . I’m not a jock.
“I, uh—” I start to say between kisses. Whoa, her hands are everywhere. “I don’t play sports.”
Lydia pauses. “I thought you played with Parker.”
My fingertips dance down her spine. I lean in and kiss her, but she’s not as vigorous. I shake my head. “No, he’s the ball player. I’m in a band.”
Lydia pulls away, her hand on my chest. Not in a sexy way, more like she’s keeping me at a distance. “You’re in band. As in the school band?”
“Yeah, and a garage band. We’re playing at—”
“Like marching band?”
“No. Regular band.”
Lydia snickers, eyeing me kind of how she looked at Alexis. “You’re a band geek? Gross.”
Heat prickles up the back of my neck. It’s not a new thing. I’ve heard it before from some of the football players. Until they heard Warped Head play. They don’t laugh at me for being in a band now.
Lydia scoffs and starts walking away. “My cousin told me you played with Parker.”
“Come back to my house, I’ll play for you. We’re already scoring gigs.”
“What? You think you’re going to be like, famous or something? Super lame.”
I don’t answer and she laughs. Actually laughs at me. I’d be totally satisfied if the heavy encyclopedia shelves tipped over and buried me alive.
“Hey.”
My blood freezes.
Alexis stands behind us, holding two Dr. Pepper cans. This night couldn’t get any worse. She heard Lydia laughing, no mistake, and Al is getting quicker with her comebacks. She’ll never let me live this down.
Alexis holds out a can to Lydia. “Free drinks tonight. We like to clean out the fridge before the new week. If you needed to take a breather.”
Lydia takes the can, so do I, but my eyes are on Alexis. They don’t give out free drinks. Miss Cook guards her Dr. Pepper like a rabid wolf.
“Cool,” Lydia says. “Come on, Bridger. I want to go home.”
Alexis shakes her head when I reach for the can top. She mouths, Don’t do it, at the same time Lydia pops her top. A frothy explosion hits her in the mouth, then dribbles down her white T-shirt and hands.
“Oh!” Lydia screams as more soda spills out. It’s all over the carpet by the time it ends. Lydia glares at Alexis. “You loser. You shook it on purpose.”
“Revenge of the nerds!” Alexis does her weird, evil laugh. This time, I laugh with her.
Lydia shoots me with her glare and shoves her wet soda can in my hands. “You know what, forget driving me. I’ll call my cousin. You’re both losers.”
I stand there holding two sodas, silent for a long time.
Alexis inspects the carpet. “I better clean this up. Miss Cook will probably fire me for touching her Dr. Pepper. Kind of a bummer. I liked this job and it’s one of the few places that’ll hire a fourteen-year-old.”
“She won’t fire you,” I say. “We’re going to buy some more and you’re going to take the credit for the surprise. She’ll give you a raise.”
“I don’t get off until nine. The store will be closing.”
“I’ll go buy some.”
She tilts her head. “Ah, cute. You don’t want me to get fired.”
“I don’t. If you get fired, then you’ll have more free time to bother us. Go get the towels, I’ll help get this cleaned up first.”
Alexis grins and disappears into the bathroom. She returns with damp paper towels and we start dabbing at the spilled soda in silence.
“Hey, Bridge?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re not a loser. You’re just perfectly broken and at the last talent show you looked way more like a rocker than a band geek. You’ll for sure be one in a million.”
I bite the inside of my cheek to hide my smile. “Al, I’m only going to say this once, so listen.” She lifts her eyes to me. “You’re not even close to a loser, either.”
Alexis smiles at the carpet. “Hey, don’t think this means I like you, Cole.”
I nudge her shoulder. “I wouldn’t dare.”
Chapter 17
Bridger
My mind hasn’t caught up since Alexis stormed into the greenroom. Her words keep bouncing in my head, but I can’t make sense of them.
Tim claps his hands together. “Perfect. I’ll get the NDA all written up—”
“Hang on, Tim.” I shoot a glance at Parker. “What did she say?”
He frowns. “Something crazy.”
“Does she even have any idea what this would mean?” He doesn’t need to answer, we both know Alexis is doing this out of loyalty and hasn’t a clue how this will affect her life. My jaw tightens, and I shove my way into the greenroom. “Give us a second.”
I close the door behind me. Alexis is at the table lined with our mishmash of favorite things. Mini pizza slices, potato logs, pineapple. We all have different tastes. She’s spearing a triangle of pineapple, her back to me.
“Al, what are you doing?”
“Eating.”
“You know what I mean.”
She drops the fruit and faces me. “Paying you back for giving me a place to sleep, how’s that?”
“A lie.” I go to her side. “What are you doing? You can’t agree to this, it’s . . . it won’t be good for you.”
“I think you have it backward. It won’t be good for you if I don’t.” She waves a hand in front of her face. “Listen, Bridger. You drive me insane, but what Nadia is doing drives me more insane. Let’s be grownups and help each other out. You helped me. I’ll help you.”
I spin her against me. She gasps when our faces are inches apart. “This is different than giving you a room, Al. People will follow you, harass you. They’ll dig into your life.”
“You think I don’t know that?”
I hesitate. “Why are you doing it?”
Her breaths come harder. Her hand is over my heart. I didn’t realize how close we’d become.
I curl my arm around her waist, trying to read everything her eyes are saying, but what her mouth isn’t.
“Because it’s my job to be your safety net,” she whispers.
My pulse won’t stop pounding in my skull. She licks her lips as my thumb comes up and follows the line of her jaw. In this moment, I’d do anything to rediscover what her mouth feels like on mine. This is risky, dangerous. We can hardly stand each other.
I don’t care.
Alexis tilts her head, driving me insane in the
best ways. She’s looking at me like she might be thinking the same thing, like she might want me to close the space between us as desperately as me.
The handle of the door jiggles and we break apart.
I take my guitar from around my shoulders and drag my hands through my hair as Tim comes in, smiling.
“Hey, thirty minutes until the ensemble,” he tells me, then glances at Alexis. “Miss Knight. Here is your non-disclosure agreement. I’ll need you to sign it before you leave. It states . . .”
I’m not listening. I’m watching Alexis glare at Tim. She hates that NDA and she’s going to eat him up when he’s finished with his spiel.
“What’s going on?” Parker asks at my side.
I blink, still a little stunned. “Um, I think . . . I think she’s agreeing to be my Mary Sue.”
Parker’s jaw pulses. He gives me a pointed stare. “Do I need to say it?”
In truth, he might need to give me the big brother speech because I’m still stuck in the moment we came close to something else. I shake my head. “I won’t let her get hurt, man.”
Parker grinds his teeth and crosses his arms over his chest. “You better not.”
Quinn sat in the front of the car. Alexis and me in the back, what’s left of the fries and chicken fingers are smelling up the backseat between us.
I look out one window. She looks out the other.
My phone lights up for the fifth time. The same message.
Tim: Bridger, I can see you’ve been getting my texts. You’ve GOT to get her to sign that NDA.
Alexis glances at me, she must read my face, and grins. “Is he still at it? Well, be sure and tell him I’ll go to my grave before I sign one of those stupid things. It’s offensive and rude. Oh, but also tell him the picture of his wife and daughter on his phone were adorable. Seriously, so cute.”
I tuck my phone away and shake my head. “Yeah, they’re great, but he’s ruthless. Even if he’s always smiling. It’s his job to keep the band’s best interests, Al. He’s not going to give up.”
“I’m not going to sign it.” She looks out the window again. “But I’m also not going to tell anyone anything. I’m not Nadia, Bridger.”
