Best Friend's Ex Box Set (A Second Chance Romance Love Story)

by Claire Adams

  “Great show tonight. Gonna be a good tour,” some of the crew members said in passing as they picked up drinks at the bar. I ended up hanging with several of the road crew guys on the sofas, bullshitting and laughing as I downed a few more drinks. I was having fun, but it didn’t feel quite right because Nalia wasn’t with me. I tried to shake the feeling, but for some unknown reason, I couldn’t.

  I had a heavy buzz going when I got up and headed to the bar for another drink. Talon came over and slung an arm around my shoulder.

  “Come on! Let’s do some shots!” he said, slurring a little bit.

  “You sure you need to do any more shots?” I asked, unable to help smiling.

  “Hell yes!” he snorted, then slapped the bar. “This party is only just getting started, bro! Four shots of fireball!”

  The bartender came over and filled up four shot glasses and Talon beamed at me picking up one.

  “To Bleeding Heart!” He clinked his glass on mine, and several hoots of agreement sounded around the room.

  “To Bleeding Heart,” I agreed before taking the first shot and quickly following it with the second. If I had to mingle, I might as well get a bit drunk.

  “A couple more?” Talon shot me a mischievous glance. I nodded. Why the hell not?

  After two more shots, I was definitely in a more sociable mood. Still, something was missing with Nalia not being there, and I couldn't really get in the right mood for it, even with the alcohol flowing through my veins. I hung out for an hour or so more, then decided I’d had enough. I wanted to spend some time with her.

  Since Talon and Jeremiah were busy chatting up girls, I excused myself with an Irish goodbye and headed into the hall for the elevator. I knew she was just one floor down, but for the life of me, I couldn't remember her room number. You drunken idiot, I thought as I stared at my swaying reflection on the mirrored elevator doors.

  Ever stubborn, I stepped off the elevator onto her floor, looking up and down the hallway, hoping that seeing the room numbers might jog my memory. What the hell was her room number? 218? 216? I remembered it was in the teens but not which one. Was it an even or odd number? I could knock on half if I remembered and find her.

  No, don't do that, I told myself. It was two in the morning. I doubted anyone sleeping in any of those rooms would appreciate me trying to guess which room she was in that way. I sighed and rested my forehead against the wall. Maybe those last few shots hadn't been my brightest idea.

  A door opened, and I looked up, but it was just some old man in his bathrobe who gave me a weird look when I smiled at him. Damn. Like I’d be lucky enough to have her step out of her room with perfect timing like that. I stood in the hall a little longer, hoping that I’d either remember her room number or that she’d come out to pull me into her room, but neither happened.

  The longer I stood there, in fact, the more I realized what a stupid idea this had been. As shitfaced as I was, I would probably make an ass out of myself trying to be smooth with her, anyway.

  With a sigh, I turned toward the elevator and stumbled back in, pressing the button for the penthouse floor. When I walked back in, Jay and Nate were hanging with some girls on the couch, but instead of more partying, I headed straight for one of the rooms to crash, no longer interested in hanging out or mingling.

  I threw myself on the empty bed, grumbling about not getting to see Nalia tonight and then humming a song I had stuck in my head but couldn’t remember where I knew it from. After a minute, it hit me: it was the song Nalia had been playing at the bar. Shit, she really was starting to get under my skin.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Nalia

  I watched as Owen and the guys headed out into the conference room for their first press conference. Owen looked like a million bucks with a smile to match as he stepped in front of cheering fans and dozens of reporters. He fit the role of rock star so well. It was easy to see why all the girls loved him and why the band had such a huge following.

  He was unfazed by all of the flashing cameras and screaming admirers as they walked out and took their seats. Instead, he simply stood calmly with a smile on his face, waiting to get going. Today, they were announcing the new album they’d be releasing, which they had finished recording before leaving for the tour.

  I smiled as I watched them. I had never enjoyed a job so much, and I loved working with them. Some days, I still couldn't believe how lucky I was to have landed this job. Not to mention how amazing it was for my life to have totally turned around like it had. One minute I'd been almost penniless, unemployed with no hope for a decent job in sight, and now there I was, working with one of the biggest rock bands in the country and having a blast doing so. It still felt like a dream sometimes, as if it couldn't possibly be real.

  It didn’t hurt that I was also working with one of the most gorgeous rock star billionaires around. And even if Owen and I hadn’t gotten any alone time the other night, he’d taken it in stride, and things were good.

  My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I excused myself, heading to the back.

  “Hey, Jackson,” I answered, smiling.

  “How’s my little sis doing?” he asked, and I could almost hear his smile through the phone.

  “Not bad, not bad.”

  “Life on the road treating you okay?”

  “Yes. The tour is off to a good start, thanks to yours truly.”

  “Of course it is,” he laughed. “The reason I didn’t want you to take this job had nothing to do with me doubting you.”

  “I know, I know.” He was still a little upset about me taking the job, but he obviously knew there wasn’t much he could do, especially from miles away and after the fact.

  “You’re not falling for that asshole, Owen, are you?”

  “I can’t make any promises, but I’m trying not to,” I joked. Jackson didn’t laugh.

  “I’m serious.”

  “So am I! I’m not trying to,” I laughed.

  “Nalia, you know I worry about you,” he sighed.

  “I know. And I’m using my head. You don’t need to worry about me.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m still going to worry. It’s what I do. You’ll always be my baby sister.”

  I smiled. “I know. And you’ll always be my big, overprotective older brother. I really appreciate it, you know I do, but you have got to realize I'm all grown up now and can take care of myself. I really can, I promise!”

  We talked for a few more minutes, and he promised he’d be keeping tabs on me and making sure I was okay, even though I told him it wasn’t necessary. I hung up the call with Jackson and headed back inside to see the guys finishing up their press conference. Owen was just coming around the corner, looking for me.

  “Sorry, had to take a phone call. How did it go?”

  “Great! You ready to go get some lunch?” He smiled and put an arm around me.

  “Yeah. I have us at an Italian restaurant downtown that is closed except for you guys, so you don’t have to worry about a crowd,” I explained.

  His smile widened. “You really do think of everything, don’t you?”

  “It’s my job.”

  “Come on, let’s head out.”

  We made our way outside to the waiting limo and piled in with the others, heading to the restaurant. I went through a few emails about interviews and other tour publicity on the way. When we arrived, I followed them in, still answering emails that needed my attention.

  It was hard to focus on anything else when there were so many details to take care of, and at this early stage of the tour, I still hadn't quite fallen into a rhythm yet. I was still finding my way and doing a pretty decent job of it so far.

  What concerned me was the feeling that something was going to go wrong at some point. That was just the law of nature. Nothing could run this smoothly without any bumps in the road.

  “I’m totally starving!” Talon announced as they took their seats in the middle of the empty restaurant. “I could eat a hor
se right now. And I'm not even joking, dudes. If there's horse on this menu, I'm ordering it!” The others grumbled in agreement, and Owen took a seat at the head of the table. I put my phone away to make sure the staff at the restaurant got everybody's drink and food orders and didn't leave anybody out.

  “Nalia.”

  “Yes?” I spun around to face Owen.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, his forehead wrinkled together in concern.

  “Just making sure you guys are being taken care of. That's my job, remember?” I smiled nervously, suddenly worried I’d done something wrong.

  “Look, everything is perfect. We're here, we're relaxed, everything has been taken care of, we're all on schedule. There's nothing to worry about right now, nothing at all. Stop stressing out and come sit down and eat with us,” he insisted, pulling out a chair.

  “But the-”

  “But nothing. Nalia, you’re doing an amazing job. Seriously, everything is more organized and on schedule than on any other tour we've ever done. We've never been this tight and prepared. Sit down. Emails and calls can wait till after you have some lunch.”

  I hesitated, and that’s when Talon led the guys in chanting my name until I finally sat down, my face crimson from embarrassment. All of them cheered as I took a seat. Talon then leaned over and put an arm around me.

  “That’s our girl!” Talon started. “Come on, I know you've set yourself up in this 'mom' role and you're concerned with making sure everything happens exactly where and when it's supposed to happen—and believe me, we seriously do appreciate it—but, Nalia, you need to enjoy yourself, too. You’ve been working hard at this, and you deserve to at least sit down and enjoy a meal. You're human, just like us, not a robot or some shit, and we totally don't expect you to be a machine all the time. So, relax for a while, forget about all that stuff, and let's just have a nice meal,” he said.

  I smiled and Owen laughed, passing me a menu. I’d never felt so at home in a job than that moment. If it wasn’t where I belonged, then I didn’t know where that would be.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Owen

  I hadn’t felt so great in a long time. I'd forgotten how much I used to love touring, and with Nalia keeping everything on schedule, it was even better than I remembered. And now, with things running more smoothly than they ever had before and with almost no administrative details to worry about because Nalia was doing such a bang up job covering all of that stuff, I could focus purely on the music. I was already in the mindset that this might turn out to be the best tour we'd ever played.

  I looked out over the empty hall smiling, just imagining the stadium outside filled up with the crowd we expected. This was going to be a big one, and I was determined to give every single fan who had bought a ticket a show that they'd remember for the rest of their lives.

  “You guys ready?” I looked back at the others and asked.

  “Hell yeah!” Jeremiah smiled as he strapped on his guitar. “I've never been more ready. Let's tear the roof off this place!”

  “One, two, three, four,” Talon counted off then started on the drums. Jeremiah, Jay, and Nate started in on guitars and bass, then I started in on vocals. I caught Nalia watching from backstage and smiled at her as I sang.

  A reserved smile spread over her pink lips. I hoped she was getting into the music and admiring my performance as we rehearsed, but I figured it was more likely that she was probably going over the next ten tasks she had to get done in her head.

  We went through the entire set of songs with no issues. A flawless rehearsal. We were on a roll, flying on adrenaline, pure energy, and passion. Everyone was in good spirits and ready to go, and I just knew we were gonna rock hard tonight. After we finished, I headed toward the side stage with Talon, and we both peeked out at the growing crowd.

  “This is going to be another great fucking show,” Talon smiled, checking out the crowd. “Damn, bro, there are quite a few sexy ladies out there, eh? This is totally my vibe. Still the best job in the world, dude. The best job on earth!” he nudged my side.

  I only shrugged.

  “I’m going to find Nalia, see if she’s got everything under control,” I said, clearing my throat.

  Talon grinned mischievously. “Riiiiight.”

  I smiled at him and walked off, heading backstage in search of her. I found her alone in the dressing room checking over the catering and ensuring everything was just as it needed to be. She really had a great eye for detail and was a bit of a perfectionist.

  “Hey, beautiful.” I came up behind her and put my arms around her waist.

  “Owen.”

  I could hear the smile in her voice as I leaned down and kissed her neck. I spun her around to face me and backed her up against the wall.

  “Did you need something?” she asked, blinking up at me. I kissed her lips gently, then a bit more hungrily, tugging at her bottom lip. She uttered a soft whimper against my mouth as she kissed me back, her body pressing against mine.

  “Promise me you'll spend the night with me tonight,” I whispered, nuzzling my nose against hers.

  “But you’ll be busy tonight. You’ve got meet and greets, signings, another after party-”

  I kissed her again to cut her off, easing my hips up against her, letting her feel how much I wanted her. “Please, Nalia. I don’t care—just promise me. I just want to spend some time with you. You're the only thing I want to focus on after the show tonight.”

  She smiled up at me, once more with that hesitant look in her eyes. “Okay. I promise. I’m all yours tonight,” she whispered back.

  Once more, I joined my lips to hers, happy despite her hesitance. I didn't want to give her any reason whatsoever to doubt me later. I brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear as I studied her, wondering what was going on behind those beautiful eyes of hers. Her cheeks flushed a little as my fingertips brushed her skin, and she looked down, pulling away from me.

  “I should get back to work,” she said before I could pull her back to me. “I’ve got a few more things need to take care of before you guys hit the stage.”

  “Umm, okay.” I was left a little speechless as I watched her go. Something was off, and to tell the truth, it had seemed to be off for days. I didn’t feel like she was being completely upfront with me about something, and it wasn't sitting right. Maybe she was protecting herself. If so, that was a good thing, right? She didn’t want to get too attached. After all, we had both agreed on that being one of the conditions.

  I had assured her I didn’t want to become too attached to her, either. Or, so I thought. Lately, I’d caught myself wondering what life would be like with Nalia. And watching her walk out of the room with that look on her face had me thinking about other things.

  Not just sex with her, but settling down, having someone close, someone I could be with for...well, forever. The idea of it was kind of scary to think about but also very comforting at the same time. And as scary as it was, I could honestly say I didn't want anyone else, just her. No one had ever made me think about those things. Until now, at least.

  I was still in a daze when the guys came into the room to grab something to eat. I tried to get my mind off of her as they arrived.

  “Doing all right?” Talon asked, grabbing a plate of food.

  “Yeah, just thinking about the show,” I lied.

  “I’m sure it’s going to be great. We totally killed it in rehearsal, so, I imagine it's gonna be just as kick-ass when we actually hit the stage.” He patted my shoulder then sat down next to me. “Not going to eat, bro?”

  “I will in a bit.” I looked over at the food, not feeling too hungry.

  “Too busy thinking about Nalia?” he whispered so the others didn’t hear him. I only shrugged. He could read me better than anyone. “For what it’s worth, I think you two are good for each other. Just don’t fuck things up while we’re on tour,” Talon winked.

  I sure as hell didn’t plan to, and that was the truth.


  I left without eating much, then went and changed for the show, and finally headed out of the dressing room while the opening band was playing to check them out. The crowd was huge, thrumming with energy. It brought a smile to my face and lifted my mood as thoughts of Nalia began fading into the back of my mind. It was getting close to show time, and I needed to get in the right mindset to perform.

  The opening band finished, and we high-fived them as they came off stage, having a couple beers with them while the crew set up the stage for us. When it was time for Bleeding Heart to take the stage, we converged into our usual huddle, putting hands into the middle like we were on a football team before shouting “Bleeding Heart” to pump us up. It was a little juvenile, but it had been our routine since our first live gig.

  When we ran out on stage, the crowd erupted in a thunderous roar of cheers and applause. As the wave of sound hit me, an electric rush flooded through me. Every time I stepped on stage, it was still surreal to see people cheering for us, even after all the years we’d performed. It never got old. Never. It always felt like it had the very first time.

  “How’s everyone doing tonight?” I shouted into the microphone. The crowd roared in response, and my smile grew. “Are you ready to do this? Are you ready to rock this place down to its foundations, tear every brick out, and burn it to the ground?”

  Even louder cheers came in response, and I nodded at Talon. He slammed on the drums and headed straight into our first song, and I watched the crowd morph into a sea of swaying bodies as I began to sing.

  I got lost in the music, forgetting everything else at that moment. For that brief segment of time, everything was perfect. Absolutely perfect.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Nalia

  The guys came off the stage steaming from the heat of their performance and covered in sweat. I ushered them into the dressing room to freshen up before their meet and greet. Once again, they had pulled off a killer set. The crowd had been so fanatical that they had played three encores before finally leaving the stage.