I guess last night was what Cole meant when he said I’d see some of their glamorous life, I just hadn’t expected all of them to get completely tanked in the process. If this was how things continued, I’d have no trouble having my own space on the tour, but I might struggle to spend any quality time with my brother.
While the coffee machine got to work, I sat down in the breakfast nook and looked at my phone. For what must’ve been the hundredth time in the past few hours, I pulled up the picture of Oliver and me.
My God. He was breathtaking. Those sensual lips seemed to offer things that no sane woman could ever deny. His green eyes were narrowed in amusement, his angular jaw impossibly sharp. There was something cruel in the way all of his features came together—as if looking at his beauty came with a steep price.
I should know. I was paying with my heart.
But there was more to him than his flawless appearance. I couldn’t forget how talking to him made me feel. Like I was being lifted out of my insignificant existence into a life filled with infinite possibilities.
At the ping of the coffee machine, I rose to pour myself a cup and sent one of the photos to Zoey and Sophie.
“HO. LY. SHIT. Who IS that?” Sophie responded right away.
I smiled to myself. I wasn’t being crazy. Oliver was objectively perfect.
“Oliver Straits. Guitarist of Ritual Disruption. Met him last night at the club.”
“Who are YOU?! You look amazing!” Zoey texted a moment later.
“Thanks. I’m impressed you noticed me in the photo. All I’ve been doing is zooming in on him.”
“Fuck me to the moon and back. Two thumbs up for this one, babe.” Sophie wrote.
My giggle was interrupted by a loud burp. I jerked my gaze away from my phone to find Charlie standing in the kitchen in a T-shirt and sweatpants, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.
“’Sup?” he asked in a hoarse voice, reaching for the coffee pot. He looked rough, his eyes bleary, and his hair resembling a bird’s nest.
“Nothing much,” I said. “Have a good night?”
Leaning against the counter, he gave me a dark look over the rim of his mug. “Peachy. Literally. I don’t know why the fuck they were serving peach schnapps, but they were.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Gross.”
“And you? Do anything your brother shouldn’t know about?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. Who was Charlie to judge my behavior when he and his bandmates had gotten trashed the night before a big show? “My brother didn’t come back to the bus last night.”
At this, Charlie’s brows rose. “He’s not in his bunk?”
“Didn’t you see? The curtain is open.”
“Fuck,” the guitarist swore. “He probably rented a hotel room and went there with his girl. We’ll have to track him down for soundcheck. Can you give him a call?”
I huffed. “No. I’m not here to shepherd him back whenever he gets lost. That’s band business, isn’t it?”
Charlie pursed his lips. “So much for you being nice. What’s got your panties in a knot this morning?”
If Charlie thought my aspiration in life was to continue being known as a “nice girl”, he was about to be sorely disappointed.
“Cole lectured me on not getting drunk and staying close to you before we went out last night. Turns out, you all got trashed, and he disappeared. Hypocritical, don’t you think?”
Charlie snorted a laugh. “Jesus. I told him this was a bad idea. A bunch of guys in their twenties should not be taking care of a teenager, no matter how straitlaced he thinks you are. You’re either going to cross over to the dark side or lose respect for all of us by the time you go home. Cole didn’t like either of those outcomes, but he still let you come.”
I tapped on my coffee cup as I considered his words. “What if I come up with my own outcome?”
Charlie shook his head and turned back toward the bunks. “Whatever you come up with, you won’t leave here unscathed.”
Yeah, well, maybe I didn’t want to leave unscathed. After all, scars typically came with interesting stories, and I was willing to bleed for a few of those.
I returned to my bunk to listen to Ritual Disruption’s discography, while the guys tracked down my brother. Cole met us when we stopped at a small diner for brunch around eleven. In two hours, they were due to be at the venue for sound check.
“Sorry for leaving last night,” he said to me as we sat down. He wore a bashful smile. “You had a good night?”
I swallowed down my frustration with him, knowing that despite his hypocrisy, it was good he was giving me free rein. “Great. I met a few people. Everyone was nice.”
Cole patted my shoulder. “That’s good to hear. Yeah, it was a good crowd. Mom and Dad will be glad to hear you’re putting yourself out there and meeting folks. Maybe talking to artists will get you inspired to dabble with something while you’re in college.”
“That’s doubtful, but sure,” I said from behind my laminated menu before Cole wrapped his fingers around the top and pulled it down to look at me.
“Seriously, Ives. There’s more to life than getting a good job after you graduate.”
I jerked the menu out of his grip. “Just because my goals are different from yours doesn’t mean they’re any worse.”
Cole sighed. “I’m not saying that they are. I’m saying you should keep an open mind. You haven’t settled on a major yet, right? You might still discover something that interests you and catches you off guard. I just want you to be open to that possibility.”
“I am, okay? Can we please order now?”
While the guys put in their orders, I thought about how I’d already been caught off guard, just not in the way Cole was hoping for. Meeting Oliver had tilted my world on its axis. I couldn’t stop thinking about him and how he’d made me feel.
Replaying the way he’d looked at me made my skin prickle. It felt like I’d met him for a reason, as if he were my reward for putting up with being ignored my whole life. I wasn’t being ignored now. Last night, he’d only had eyes for me.
When the food arrived, we all dug in with gusto.
“Are we going out again tonight?” I asked, already thinking of the next time I’d be able to see Oliver.
“Don’t think so,” Ezra answered. “We’re driving to Phoenix straight after the show, and then we’ll have a day off tomorrow once we’re there. Not sure if something’s been planned for then.”
Disappointment washed over me. Oliver said I’d know where to find him if I ever wanted company, but I couldn’t very well come knocking on their tour bus. I should have given him my phone number, but then again, he hadn’t asked.
We finished our brunch and boarded the bus to drive to the venue. It was a warm day in Oakland, and I sat by a window, looking out on the streets and the people milling about.
Cole sat down across from me in the kitchen nook. “Hey, Ives, you sure you’re okay? I feel bad for ditching you last night.”
I shrugged. “It’s fine.” A second passed before I added, “Abel told me about your ‘road wife’. Who is she?”
Cole’s cheeks reddened. “It’s all very fresh. I don’t know how long it will last.”
Wow. He wasn’t even sure about her, and yet that’s all it took for him to forget about me. I crossed my arms. “Tell me something about her.”
He rubbed at his chest. “Okay. Well, her name is Amy. We met a few shows ago—she’s a big fan. She’s a lot of fun, and she’s beautiful. I’m enjoying getting to know her.”
There was something sweetly hopeful in his expression, and it melted some of my irritation away. He wasn’t just having fun. He was falling for her. Hard. I knew, because I was pretty sure I’d worn that expression all throughout brunch.
“That’s good,” I said, giving him a smile. “Well, maybe I’ll get a chance to meet her.”
“Yeah, that’d be cool. Hey, I almost forgot,” he said. “Do you want to go shopping or somethin
g while we get set up? There’s a bunch of stores in the neighborhood around the venue.”
“Sure.” I could use the opportunity to stretch my feet and maybe buy a few things.
Cole grinned. “Cool. I’ll ask Ran to go with you.”
For the love of God. I stood up from the table. “Cole, it’s the middle of the day on a Sunday. I’ll be fine. Doesn’t Ran have a job outside of babysitting me?”
“I do actually,” Ran’s voice sounded from down the hall. Good to know he’d been eavesdropping on our conversation. “I need to deal with some business at the booking office.”
“Ah, sorry, man,” Cole called out and rubbed the back of his neck. “I shouldn’t assume you’re available. You sure you’ll be okay on your own, Ives?”
“Positive,” I grit out. Cole’s concern for my safety was starting to feel like an act, since it only extended to times when it was convenient for him.
4
The bus parked in front of a large terracotta-colored building with the words “Fox Oakland” spelled out on an enormous neon sign. At its center was a tall dome, embellished with colorful stained glass and patterned tiles. It looked like something you’d see in Morocco rather than Oakland, California.
“Wow,” I said as we stepped off the bus. “Cool spot.”
Abel came to stand beside me. “The Fox Theater. This place is legendary. And the inside is even more impressive.”
“I’m going to walk around the area for a bit, but I’ll be back in a few hours,” I told him, checking my purse again to make sure I had my phone, wallet, and the all-access pass. “I’ll see you later.”
He nodded and waved goodbye. As nice as the guys had been so far, I still didn’t feel completely at ease around them. They were so…larger than life. I never idolized my brother or his band from afar, but now that I was living side by side with them, their stardom was front and center. I was just Ivy, but they were Cole, Abel, Charlie, Ezra, Silas. Their names rolled off their fans’ tongues, longing and admiration and something unattainable folded into the syllables.
I didn’t secretly fantasize about being famous or anything like that. I knew that this kind of life came with big sacrifices, and that my brother and his bandmates had worked really hard to get to where they were. But how amazing must it feel to be loved and admired by so many people? It was something I’d never find out for myself.
I strolled through downtown Oakland with Ritual Disruption’s second album blasting through my headphones. Tall palm trees lined the sidewalks. College students wearing Berkeley T-shirts streamed by me, laughing and enjoying the beautiful day. I popped inside a few stores and bought some clothes, all courtesy of Cole’s credit card.
A store display with sunglasses caught my eye, and I stopped to look. I must have stood too close to the door, because the sensor went off, and the two glass panes slid open.
Oliver stood inside, his back to me.
My heart rate spiked, and my palms immediately grew clammy. I wiped them on my jeans, torn between going inside and running away. Why hadn’t I put more effort into my appearance this morning? I’d only slicked on a bit of eyeliner and blush before getting off the bus, anticipating that I’d get ready properly after I returned.
While I teetered on the threshold of the door, Oliver turned and looked directly at me.
Oh God.
His emerald eyes pierced through my clothes, my skin, my muscle and bone, until I was sure he could see directly into my soul.
“Hi,” I mouthed.
The corners of his mouth curled up. “Hi,” he mouthed back.
I took a few tentative steps inside the shop. He didn’t move, calmly waiting for me to come to him, like a spider who’d already weaved his web. I didn’t care if I was eaten alive. In fact, I welcomed it. Being completely consumed by him was infinitely more appealing than the alternative—turning around and returning to a life that now seemed tragically mundane.
“What are you doing here?” I asked when I stopped in front of him. He wore a fitted black T-shirt and blue skinny jeans—a simple outfit that looked incredible on him.
“Looking for new sunglasses. I lost mine a few days ago.” He smiled. “How are you?”
“I’m great.” Bumping into him here felt like a stroke of luck. “You?”
His gaze lingered on me for a moment before he turned his attention back to the display. “A little tired.”
“Long night?” Ritual Disruption were still at the club when we left.
“Yeah. Jamie doesn’t like to be told that the party’s over,” he said with resigned frustration in his voice. “I needed to get some space from him before the show tonight.”
I shook my head. “I don’t know how you do it for months at a time. It’s my third day on the bus and I already feel a little claustrophobic.”
He put on a pair of aviators and moved a step to the left to peek at the mirror. “You get used to it. At some point, you just say goodbye to all personal boundaries and start to relax into it. What do you think of these?” He turned his face toward me, hiking up a brow.
I cleared my throat. “I like them.” I was pretty confident I’d like everything on him.
“I suppose it’s harder for you,” he added, turning back to the mirror.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re a woman. Some boundaries have to stay in place or… Well, I’m sure your brother wouldn’t want you walking around in your underwear on the bus.”
“Yeah. I’m sure.”
“His band mates might, though.”
The back of my neck prickled. “There’s nothing…like that happening, believe me. Some of them have known me since I was a child.”
“Good thing I didn’t, then.”
Our eyes met. Was he implying what I thought he was? His expression was neutral, but his gaze was making my face heat.
He extended his arm toward my shoulders, and for a moment, I thought he was going to touch me, but his hand passed by and reached for something on the display behind my head. He handed me a pair of earrings. They were delicate gold studs with tiny pendants that held crimson-colored gems.
“I noticed these when I first came in,” he said. “Try them on. I think they’ll suit you.”
“Okay.” I took the earrings and started to pry off the backings. Oliver steered me toward a mirror, then brushed my hair back over my shoulders with gentle hands. My fingers trembled. He was so close to me that I could smell his intoxicating cologne.
After a few tries, I finally got the earrings in. “They’re beautiful.”
Oliver stood beside me, his gaze lingering on my face in the mirror. “I like them,” he said, lowering his head so that his words filled the space behind my ear. “I want to buy them for you.”
He wanted to buy me a gift.
He liked me. He had to. Why else would he want to do this? I licked my lips. “Thank you. I love them.”
He paid, and we left the store.
“How much time do you have?” Oliver asked.
“I don’t know.” I adjusted the shopping bags hanging off my wrist. “I guess I should be back in time for the show.”
“Want to go for a walk to the lake nearby? It’s supposed to be quite beautiful.”
“Sure,” I said as excitement filled my chest. I didn’t care where he wanted to go as long as I could prolong this time with him. He smiled down at me, and we began to walk. Whenever I could, I allowed my gaze to skate down the contours of his body. He was lean and very tall. Everything about him exuded masculine vitality. I wasn’t stupid. I knew that being a famous rock star added to his appeal, but even without all of that, even if he’d just been a regular Joe walking down the streets of Oakland on a weekend afternoon, I was sure he’d still be turning heads.
“Have you ever been here before?” he asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“No, this is my first time in California, even though I’m moving to LA soon. I guess I always knew I’d like it here.”
/> “I do miss the beach,” Oliver said. “My family has a place in the Hamptons, but I don’t make it up there all that often. Have you ever been to New York?”
I wished I could tell him I was well-traveled, that I’ve been to New York, and Paris, and London, and God knows where else, but instead, all I could do was shake my head. “No. I’ve been to Philadelphia and Miami, but besides that, I’m a small-town girl through and through.”
“Ah. Well, don’t worry. When I was your age, I didn’t travel much, either,” he said in a relaxed voice, but he may as well have dropped a bucket of ice-cold water over my head. He was eleven years older than me—I looked it up last night. I knew my age would become a problem eventually, it was only a matter of—
“Maybe one day I’ll take you there,” he added after a momentary pause, looking down at me with a friendly expression.
Relief filled my lungs. Could he really mean it? Of course, I knew he wasn’t about to whisk me away to New York tomorrow, but didn’t his comment imply he thought we’d know each other for longer than the duration of this tour?
“I’d love that,” I said, glancing at him from beneath my eyelashes. For a second, his eyes glinted with something I couldn’t quite make out, but then it was gone.
Our arms brushed against each other every few steps as he led us to the lake. I stole quick glances at him, still in disbelief that we were hanging out. This felt like a date. I, Ivy Abbot, was on a maybe-date with Oliver Straits.
Not once did I glance at the GPS on my phone. I wanted to be led by him. Putting myself at his will was tantalizingly seductive. Some small nagging part of my brain was concerned at my willingness to abandon myself to this man who I’d just met, but I ignored it. Isn’t this what falling in love was supposed to feel like? As if you were taking a leap of faith into something unknown?
The lake unfurled before our eyes, and we walked onto a dock that extended out into the water. The wooden planks rocked softly under my feet as I surveyed our surroundings. A colorful gazebo directly across from where we stood caught my attention.
“It’s beautiful here,” I commented.
Pretty Words: An Enemies To Lovers Rock Star Romance (River Valley Rebels) Page 5
