Pretty Words: An Enemies To Lovers Rock Star Romance (River Valley Rebels)

by Gabrielle Sands

  “Why doesn’t he get any help?” I asked tentatively. I couldn’t believe the guys of Bleeding Moonlight would ever let one of their own get that bad. Why weren’t Jamie’s bandmates sending him to rehab?

  Cole ran his hand through his hair and rolled his eyes. “Apparently, he’s a nightmare. His bandmate Oliver has been trying to get him into a clinic for months, but Jamie refuses to go. And the label… Well, they’re happy as long as he keeps playing shows.”

  “Maybe there’s something we can do to help?” I asked. Despite what had happened, a part of me pitied the singer. To me, it seemed obvious that he was in trouble.

  Cole shook his head. “You’re sweet for thinking that, but what I’ve learned over the past few years in the industry is that it’s better to keep your nose out of other bands’ business. Ritual Disruption are superstars, and even on tour, they’ve largely kept their distance from us. They wouldn’t appreciate us trying to get involved in any of their shit.”

  “Are they jerks?” I asked, trying to understand the dynamic between the bands. I wanted to be prepared the next time I crossed paths with anyone from Ritual Disruption.

  “They’re fine. They just keep to themselves,” Cole explained. “Oliver is a nice guy, but I think he’s too busy trying to keep the band on track and manage Jamie’s destructive outbursts. Their bassist and drummer are touring musicians, so they’re pretty down to earth. I’m sure you’ll meet some of them tonight.”

  “What’s happening tonight?”

  Cole’s face broke out into another grin. “We’re going to a club after the show. If you promise to stay close to me, I’ll get you in.”

  My eyes widened. He could get me in despite me being underage?

  Cole read the question on my face and winked. “Hey, being with the band has its advantages. You’ll be on the list, like the rest of us. They never check the IDs of those on the list.”

  Zoey and Sophie were going to freak out when I told them.

  “I’m not going to tell you not to drink,” Cole continued, “but if word gets out that an underage girl got plastered at our party, I’ll be in trouble. You gotta keep your head on straight. Can I trust you on that?”

  I was a light-weight. Our parents were relaxed around alcohol, but since I generally stayed away from parties, I hadn’t had any opportunities to build a tolerance.

  I nodded. “Fine. I probably won’t drink at all.”

  Cole smiled and pulled me in for a hug. “It’s good to have you here, Ives. I’ve missed you. I really hope this adventure lives up to your expectations.”

  As I pressed my cheek against his chest, I was starting to feel optimistic that it would.

  For the show in San Francisco, I asked Ran to watch Bleeding Moonlight from a cordoned-off area to the side of the main floor. The tour manager obliged without enthusiasm, but his attitude wouldn’t ruin my mood tonight. I was giddy about the club we were going to head to around midnight, and the constant buzzing of my group chat with Zoey and Sophie was keeping my spirits high.

  Sophie: “You’re starting it off with a bang!”

  Zoey: “I’m so jealous. I can’t believe you’re going clubbing.”

  Sophie: “Have an amazing time. Take pics of all the hotties for us plebs who don’t have rock-star brothers.”

  I noticed Ran looking over my shoulder at my phone and snuck it back into my purse, feeling my cheeks heat. He raised a brow above his horn-rimmed glasses. “You know you can’t distribute any photos you take at the afterparty. Everyone signs an NDA before they go in. It’s one of Ritual Disruption’s rules.”

  My temper flared. “Do they have any rules about reading other people’s private messages?” I was annoyed about having the tour manager continue to hover around me like some bodyguard. I knew Cole had asked him to, but I wished Ran had put up more of a fight. It seemed like both him and my brother were taking their responsibility over me a little too seriously.

  Ran pursed his lips and looked back at the stage where Bleeding Moonlight was about to go on. I guessed he was calling me about a million different names in his head.

  Bleeding Moonlight came on to rapturous applause and jumped right into one of their biggest hits, “The Thing About You”. I jumped to the music, snapping pics of Cole on stage when I got too tired, and waving at him over the crowd, despite him never seeing me. His gaze seemed to be constantly scanning the first few rows of people standing pressed right up to the stage. Who was he looking for? He had to know I’d never watch from there.

  By the time they finished their set, my feet were starting to get sore. I glanced around the venue, seeing the crowd grow thicker in anticipation for the headliner, and I nudged Ran. “Can we go backstage?”

  He nodded and carved a path through the audience to a door leading to the back. Bleeding Moonlight was already in the greenroom by the time we arrived. Their shirts were all drenched with sweat. I walked over to Cole and patted him on the back. “Great show. The crowd loved you guys.”

  He grinned at me, but his expression seemed distracted. “Thanks, Ives. It was a lot of fun.” He chugged some water. “I think I’m going to go rest up in the bus for a bit before we head out. You okay to stay with Ezra and the rest of them here?”

  “Sure,” I told him. “Do your thing. I’ll hang out here.”

  Plopping down on the sofa beside Abel, I congratulated him on the show. The other guys were filing out of the room to shower in the dressing rooms down the hall, but Abel seemed too drained to move. His long hair was plastered to his face, and he reminded me of how I looked after running a few miles in gym class. Athletics was another bullet point on a long list of things I wasn’t great at.

  “I’m not sure how you guys put on a show like that every night. Your cardio must be off the charts,” I told him.

  He gave me a tired grin. “It’s a workout all right. The more you do it, the easier it gets.” Sitting up straight, he glanced around the room. “Did your brother leave for the showers already?”

  “He said he’s resting on the bus before we head out to the club.”

  Abel’s face assumed a knowing smirk. “Resting. Sure.”

  I didn’t know what to make of that. “What do you think he’s doing?”

  “More a matter of who, not what,” he retorted.

  “Oh.” I was immediately embarrassed at not picking up on this earlier. Even though I knew Cole was a successful musician, I hadn’t spent a ton of time thinking through the implications of that fact. Cole has groupies. My nose wrinkled at the thought, earning a snicker from Abel.

  “I’m not trying to make you feel uncomfortable,” he reassured. “But you should know your brother has a bit of a…road wife at the moment. He’s going to be sneaking off to see her now and then.”

  “Road wife?” I asked, unsure of what he meant.

  Abel nodded. “Yeah. She travels to the same cities as us, essentially following our bus and coming to our shows. He met her after our show in Vancouver, and they seemed to hit it off.”

  I processed this new information, trying to imagine the woman who’d managed to capture my brother’s attention. “Do you think he’ll bring her around to meet me?” I asked Abel.

  “Doubt it. Although who knows. Cole says he’s set on shielding you from some of the perils of tour life, but he’s also impulsive and doesn’t deny himself much. He might have a drink too many and invite her back here at some point.”

  I bristled at his words. “I don’t need him shielding me.”

  “It’s not just him,” Abel said with a wry smile. “He’s enlisted all of us to keep an eye on you. But don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll still have a ton of fun.”

  I groaned. “How? It’s hard to do that with someone constantly hovering over me. I’m almost eighteen, and the whole point of me coming here was to have new experiences and meet new people. I just wish Cole would give me free reign.”

  The singer shrugged. “I’m sure he intended on doing that, but the thing with
Jamie was a pretty awful start to your visit.”

  “I know,” I said quietly. “But it wasn’t my fault. Does Cole think everyone is going to be preying on me or something crazy like that? It was a one-off freak encounter. I hardly think I’m interesting enough to inspire more of such behavior.”

  “Your brother may be overreacting,” Abel consented. The fact that he didn’t argue with my self-assessment made my heart sink. “You don’t seem particularly shaken by the incident.”

  “It wasn’t a big deal. If anything, it’s a good story I’ll be telling people for years.”

  Abel chuckled. “Yeah, I suppose it’ll be a fun one to tell at parties.” His expression turned thoughtful as he crossed his arms. “All right, let me give you some advice. I grew up in foster homes where I always managed to escape unwanted supervision using one simple trick. Don’t argue with Cole about him keeping an eye on you. All you need to do is make him think you’re totally fine with what he’s doing. He’ll start to relax when he sees that. His focus will slip, and he’ll get absorbed in his own business. When that happens, you’ll be able to do whatever your little heart desires.”

  Would that really work? Normally, my brother wasn’t particularly responsible. When he and Ezra were teenagers, my mom would always joke that without Ezra, Cole would never show up for anything on time. The diligent overprotectiveness he was displaying now must be taking a serious effort.

  I smiled at the singer. “That’s good advice.” Tonight, when we got to the club, I was going to test it out.

  We arrived at the industrial SOMA neighborhood a few hours later, and the bus stopped in front of the club’s private back entrance. Loud but muffled EDM was blaring through the gray concrete walls.

  Cole helped me off the bus and held my hand. “I know you don’t like crowded spaces. We have a private area upstairs that won’t be too packed,” he told me.

  “Sounds good.”

  I was about to follow the rest of the guys to the doorman standing outside with a clipboard, but Cole tightened his grip on my hand. He took me aside. “Ivy, make sure you’re always in sight of at least one of us, okay? I don’t want you getting lost in there.”

  I narrowed my eyes and held back the urge to snap at him. I wasn’t some clueless idiot. “Okay, will do.” My lips pulled back into a fake smile, following Abel’s advice.

  Cole’s expression relaxed. “Great. You know, I was surprised when Mom said it was your idea to do this. It didn’t seem like something you’d be excited about. I thought maybe you’d really changed since I last saw you, but now that you’re here, I can tell you’re still the same.” He smiled at me. “You’re a good kid. Much better than I was when I was your age. You don’t drink, you don’t smoke, and you haven’t even started to date, based on what Mom and Dad tell me. Sorry if I’ve been a little heavy-handed with the supervision. It’s like I forgot who I’m dealing with.” He laughed to himself.

  I grit my teeth, not finding anything funny in his words. All I heard was that he thought I was a big hopeless loser. Was I going to prove him wrong? Could I?

  “Yep, still the same Ivy,” I muttered.

  We signed the NDAs and made our way inside the club. The opening band and their entourage were already milling about in the cordoned-off area upstairs. The industrial exterior of the warehouse contrasted sharply with the plush decor—velvet sofas and intricate wrought iron coffee tables littered through out the space, a few of them occupied by women in heavy makeup and tattooed men.

  While Cole greeted people he knew, I went up to the railing and looked down at the main floor. Hundreds of bodies writhed and danced, their sweat glistening in the strobe of the lights. I felt uncomfortable just looking at them, but another part of me wished I could turn off my irritating fear and join the masses below.

  I walked along the perimeter of the upstairs area, mapping it out in my head. A number of intimate lounges branched off to the sides, but they were empty at the moment. I stopped when I reached the bar and leaned back against the counter to watch my brother and his bandmates. They stood close to each other, talking to VIPs and roadies, and slinging back shots delivered to them by thin servers perched on platform heels. Cole was in his element, greeting people with a giant grin and saying things that made them laugh. It was so effortless for him.

  Why is it so difficult for me?

  I looked away. It wasn’t fair that Cole was the kind of person that everyone was drawn to, while I was a miserable wallflower.

  Cole glanced in my direction a few times, but the longer I stood in one place, the less frequently he turned to me. It seemed like Abel’s advice was spot on. Now that Cole thought I was making his job easy for him, he was happy to drink and let go.

  I scanned the area for a place where I could check my coat. On the drive over, I’d changed my outfit to another dress that Sophie had helped me pick out. It was a fitted number, sleeveless, with a deep V-neck, and hem that reached about mid-thigh. The color was a bright ruby red that I matched with my lipstick. I didn’t want to risk Cole protesting about it, so I’d covered up with a leather jacket. Now I was ready to get rid of it.

  The bartender directed me to a hallway that led to the bathrooms. I checked my jacket and popped into the ladies room to fix my makeup. Inside, I stared into the mirror and took a few deep breaths.

  You can do it. Go back out there, introduce yourself to people, and make conversation.

  Besides my brother’s immediate crew, no one knew who I was, which meant I could be anyone. I held onto this thought as I fixed my lipstick and did one final check in the mirror.

  I emerged from the bathroom and saw that Ritual Disruption had arrived with their hangers-on. An uncomfortable feeling rose in my throat, immediately erasing the bit of confidence I’d been able to channel just moments earlier. The previously spacious upstairs area was now full of people dancing and trying to shout over the music. I spied Ezra at the bar ordering a drink, but when I looked toward Cole’s earlier spot, he was gone.

  Someone bumped into me, and I jumped back, startled. There were too many people here, their voices cutting through the music from all directions, boxing me in, and making me claustrophobic. The need to escape hit me with urgency just as my gaze landed on the closest dimly lit lounge.

  I skirted past the bodies and ducked inside. It was quieter and considerably less busy. I took a deep breath—someone was smoking.

  In one corner, Jamie sat on a long leather sofa, his tongue glued to some blonde’s neck. My gut churned nervously at the sight of him. Was he as messed up now as he’d been back in that dressing room? Some part of me wanted to check on him and see if his nose was okay, but I knew it was a bad idea. I couldn’t risk another incident with him, not when Cole was only starting to give me space.

  Before I could survey the rest of the room, a man in a black suit appeared in front of me. “Excuse me, miss. This is a private area.”

  I stumbled over how to respond. “Uhh—I’m—”

  Someone called out over the music. “It’s fine. Let her in.”

  The security guard looked over his shoulder, nodded, and moved aside. “Go ahead.”

  I stepped past him, moving deeper into the room as my gaze searched for whoever had come to my rescue. Through the haze of the smoke, I spotted someone sitting in the corner opposite of Jamie—a man with a woman on each side. As I floated in his direction, the song changed to one I knew, “Hell Is Round the Corner”.

  The man’s features came into focus frame by frame. Long, booted legs crossed at the ankles. Elegant hands resting on black jean-covered thighs. Narrow waist, wide shoulders, and a tattooed neck. My gaze landed on his face, and I froze in place.

  He was the most heartbreakingly handsome man I’d ever seen.

  I could barely breathe as I took in his blond hair, light brows, and aristocratic features that the boys of my dreams couldn’t hold a candle to. When he tipped his head back to laugh at something the blonde on his right said, my gaze licked
along the sharp edge of his jaw as if it were a lollipop, and I’d never tasted sugar before.

  Suddenly, he glanced at me and our eyes met. We were still at least ten feet apart, but it was as if the distance between us folded in on itself and shrank to nothing.

  I’d never believed in love at first sight. That was something reserved for fairytales and romcoms, not real life. But as I looked at this man, everything inside of me seized in a way I’d never felt before. It was as if my body was telling me everything I’d believed up until now had been a lie.

  There was only one truth in this world. And that was him.

  The arrogant smile on his face melted away to make room for a tantalizing smirk. Inch by inch, his gaze moved from my face to my collarbones, across my chest, and all the way down to my shoes. When his eyes sprung back up, I prayed that by some act of God, he was as affected as I was.

  Dismissing the two girls with a flick of his hand, he placed his elbows on his knees and beckoned me closer with his fingers. My steps moved with the music, each one impossibly loud in my ears, as if counting down moments until nothing would be the same ever again.

  3

  Time stopped. But not in the sense that nothing was happening. Instead, the moment stretched, like bubble gum, encompassing more and more until I was hyper aware of everything. The gritty smoke in my nostrils, the buzzing in my gut, the way the man was soaking me in with his gaze. I wanted him to keep looking. When he was focused on me, I didn’t feel like the awkward seventeen-year-old who was completely out of her depth. When he was looking at me, I felt special. I felt beautiful.

  It was a heady combination, one that had the potential to become addicting.