Daisy stood waiting for him by his dressing room, her eyes wide. “Are you okay? Miles said you ran out of here…”
“He’s fine. Why don’t you hang out with him for a bit? I’ve got to have a chat with LJ,” Beau said.
Daisy stared at her dad. “Wait a second, you’re actually allowing me to go into his dressing room alone?”
“Yeah—but don’t get used to this. I still have rules.” He pinned them both with his gaze. “No funny business from either of you.”
“Well damn, there goes our naked massage session I had lined up for this afternoon,” Trevin said.
“Now you’re pushing it,” Beau said, but at least he was smiling.
“Aw, and I was really looking forward to the massage.” Daisy pouted.
Beau snorted. “I’ll see you two later.”
After he left, Trevin plopped down on the loveseat and rubbed his temples. He definitely needed to get the bet sorted out. He glanced at Daisy, who stood watching him. “You know, you don’t have to stay if you don’t want to—I’m not sure how good of company I’ll be.”
“It’s fine, unless of course you want to be alone.” She reached for the door handle.
He leaped to his feet, and his hand covered hers, keeping her from leaving. “Stay. Please?”
“Do you want to talk about it?” They went over to the loveseat and sat down together.
“Not really—if I do, I’ll probably get pissed off all over again.” He stared at the calluses on his fingers from playing guitar.
“We could always play this really awesome game I know,” Daisy said.
“Okay, I’m intrigued. What kind of game?” Trevin scooted closer to her.
“I Spy.”
He laughed. “That’s a really awesome game?”
She gave him a playful slap on the arm. “Hey, I’ll have you know, that game got me through lots of long car rides growing up.”
“Hmm… I spy with my little eye…someone beautiful.” Trevin touched her cheek.
Daisy wrinkled her nose. “I didn’t say you could use the game to create cheesy pickup lines.”
“That is not a line. I do think you’re beautiful. And smart. Not to mention you make me happy. Two seconds ago, I wanted to rip Lester a new asshole, and now you have me smiling.”
Daisy backed away from him and sat on the arm of the couch instead of next to him. She chewed on her fingernail, watching him like she thought he was a wild animal ready to pounce on her.
“Trevin—I, I don’t know what to do about this.” She waved between them. “A part of me thinks it’s a very bad idea to let myself fall for you—the other part of me wants to jump in and never look back.”
“If you want my opinion, I think you should go for it,” he teased. Although he wasn’t really joking. He did want her around.
She played with the edge of her shirt, not meeting his eyes. “I’m not good at this sort of thing. Letting people close to me. Right now I feel like I’m walking on a ledge, and one false move will sending me spiraling downward.”
“Do you think this is easy for me? I’m not exactly Mr. Dates-a-lot. I’ve only had one serious girlfriend and she dumped me for some stupid actor, who is now starring in porn films.” Trevin wet his lips. Damn. He didn’t want to scare her away. But he needed her to see he didn’t take any of this lightly. She wasn’t the only one putting herself out there.
“I’m scared,” she whispered.
He stood and moved next to her. He cupped her face in his hands. “News flash: so am I. Just give me the summer to prove to you that we can make this work. If by the end of the tour, you’re still not convinced, we can go our separate ways.” The thing was, Trevin didn’t know if he’d be able to let her walk away. He had a short time to let her see he meant what he said. He hoped it’d be enough. Bet or not, everything depended upon how the summer went. There was a lot more at stake now—not just the writing collaboration, but his heart, too.
…
Daisy panicked. Trevin seemed serious when he said he wanted to date her. How could she be sure this time would be different than the last? She didn’t want to end her summer with another broken heart or standing on her front porch wondering why he ditched her.
Lucky for her she didn’t have to answer him right away, because Will and Miles barged in to get Trevin for a quick dance rehearsal.
Daisy wandered back upstairs and sat in the courtyard. She pulled out her cell and dialed Lena’s number.
“Hey, I haven’t heard from you in forever,” Lena said when she picked up. “How are things going with Operation Get Revenge on Trevin?”
Daisy cradled her head in her hands. “Horrible.”
“He’s not taking the bait?” Lena sounded surprised.
“No, he is taking the bait.”
“And that’s a problem?”
“Yeah. I’ve wanted to get back at him for so long for humiliating me—but Lena, spending time with him, I realize maybe he’s not as bad as I thought he was. Am I being stupid?” Daisy’s stomach clenched as she picked at a blade of grass by her foot.
“No, you’re not stupid. You’re probably just starstruck. I mean, Trevin was your ultimate celebrity crush, and even though he did something douchey, he’s now giving you attention. Maybe deep down, you never got over your infatuation with him.”
“But it’s a bad idea to get involved with him, isn’t it?” Daisy asked, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.
Lena got quiet for a moment. “The thing is, he’s already let you down once. Who’s to say it won’t happen again? He’s going to be on tour a lot or getting asked to perform or present at award shows—he won’t always have time for you. We live in the real world; he lives in a fairy tale.”
She knew Lena was right. “Shit, what am I supposed to do, then? I almost don’t feel right getting back at him. I know he deserves it and a part of me still wants to bring him down. This is crazy. I can’t believe my conscience chooses now to start kicking in.”
“That’s because, unlike him, you’re a genuinely nice person and care about people’s feelings.”
The thing was, deep down, so was Trevin. Or so she thought. Maybe she could play along with the whole dating thing for the summer, then, at the end of the tour, let him go. It would be kind of like getting back at him. And if he did anything horrible to her in the near future, she could always reinstate her original plan. She had the video of him standing her up, zipped away safely in her suitcase, and the internet version already saved on her phone.
“So, do you know what you’re going to do?” Lena said.
“I’ll go along with this dating stuff for now… Just because he’s falling doesn’t mean I have to.”
“Good—and you know, you could always give him a test to see how into you he really is.”
“What kind of test?”
“I don’t know, maybe wreak a little more havoc or come clean to him about standing you up. Make him look foolish for not remembering you.”
“But that’s the thing, I want him to remember that night on his own, not because I reminded him.”
“Well, I think you should. At least get a jab in there…” Lena said.
Daisy pushed to her feet and went back into the building. “Listen, I’ve got to go for now. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay—just be careful.”
“I will.” Or at least she’d try to be.
“And Daisy?”
“Yeah.”
“As much as I’d love to see you get your revenge, if you really like him, just do what you think is right. I’ll be here for you no matter what. But I want to make sure that you’re okay, you know?”
“I know.” Daisy sighed. “Thanks for everything.”
When she got back inside, the guys were done with their dance rehearsal and LJ had them circled up to talk.
“So, here’s the plan. We’ll leave for Memphis after the show tonight. And after that we’ll be in Nashville, where we’ve got a
n interview set for you with Entertainment Tonight—they’re going to debut your world premiere video for ‘Let Me Make You Smile’.” LJ popped a stick of gum in his mouth then said, “During this interview, you guys better be on your best behavior, do you understand? Do not pull another stunt like Orlando. Now go get ready for the show.”
Trevin met Daisy’s eye and flagged her over. “Hey, so I guess in the next few days, you’re going to be all famous and stuff.”
“Come again?” Her brow wrinkled.
“The video debuts, which means you’ll be all over the TV networks, internet, magazines… People will get to see us kiss.” He grinned, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.
“I thought you like to keep your relationships private.” Daisy cast him a sideways glance, following him into his dressing room, where the hair and makeup ladies already waited for him.
“I do. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to be seen with you.” He ruffled her hair, then smiled even bigger. “Wait a second, are you saying we’re in a relationship? Does this mean you’ve thought everything over?”
Daisy glanced at the floor. Damn it. She hoped she wouldn’t live to regret this. “Against my better judgment, yes, we’re in a relationship.” But whether it would be a real one or a fake one, she wasn’t sure just yet. Even though she and Lena had talked things through, she still had no idea what she was going to do. “I’m going to head out with my dad for a while so you can get changed.”
“I’ll see you later.” He leaned over and planted a kiss on her lips.
Her skin tingled, and she sucked in a deep breath. Would she ever get used to the electric sensation she felt when she was with him? In a daze, she ambled back to where her dad stood.
He sighed, then shook his head at her. “So much for not liking Trevin, huh?”
“Just because we’ve been hanging out doesn’t mean we’re a ‘thing’.”
“Just be careful, kiddo. And I want you asking before you go running off anywhere, got it?” he said.
She nodded. “So, you’re okay with this?”
“Well, you’re old enough to date, but you’ll still have curfews, and you will check in with me.”
“I will.” She hesitated a moment, then hugged him. Maybe to say thank you or maybe to apologize for being a jerk.
He seemed startled at first but hugged her back. “Listen, tomorrow night I took a few hours off before the concert. I thought we could have a father-daughter dinner or something.”
“Sounds good.” Daisy took a step back; maybe this summer was about more than just getting back at Trevin. Maybe it was about mending all the relationships in her life. “I’m gonna text Lena real quick. She’ll be mad if I don’t keep her updated on all things S2J.”
Daisy tugged her cell back out and texted Lena about the music video being on ET in a few days.
Lena responded back with a big OMG and smiley face emoticon. Followed by: I’m gonna record it. U will be famous. Emma will look so stupid now when everyone sees u and Trevin together.
The thing was, this wasn’t her first time being in the spotlight. Sure, last time had been local networks, but she’d still made the headlines. She only hoped this time around went better than the last one.
Chapter Seventeen
Trevin sprawled out on his bunk, pillow propped behind his head. He held up his phone, trying to get the camera angled just right.
“Hey, can you see us?” Caroline’s face popped up on the screen, followed by his mom and other siblings.
“Yeah, you guys barely fit on my phone.” A pang of sadness washed over him as he stared at his sisters and brothers. He ignored the lump lodged in his throat. He hadn’t seen any of them in person for months, except his mom, who’d come out for a couple of shows to visit and cook the guys some homemade meals.
His younger brother Lee shoved Caroline out of the way. “So did Caroline tell you I made the football team?”
“No—but that’s awesome. What position will you be playing?”
“Running back.” He smiled, his dark hair sticking up on its ends, likely from his football helmet. “Dad said as long as I keep up my chores, I can do it. But I’ll have to help out in the fields come harvest time. And of course, Caroline’s mad because she has to drive into town to get me to practice.”
“Well some of us have lives and don’t want to spend all our time at the football fields.” Caroline pushed him down, so he was sitting on his knees in front of her.
“You always hog the car,” Tai, his other sister, said. “I hardly even get behind the wheel. Every time I want to go somewhere, she’s got it.”
“Every time? Seriously? You just got your license like two weeks ago.” Caroline rolled her eyes. “If she thinks she’s going to have it all the time, she’s crazy. Besides, I’m the oldest one left at home, so I should have more access to it.”
“Maybe Trevin can buy me a new one,” Tai said.
Trevin stiffened. “You know I would if I could.”
“Girls,” his mom hissed, glancing over her shoulder.
She was probably making sure his dad wasn’t in earshot. Because if he heard them begging Trevin for things, he’d make them end the conversation. It sucked that Trevin couldn’t do more for them. Not that he wanted to spoil them, but hell, he had money to spend. At the end of the year, he considered buying his own house. Maybe somewhere close to his family for when he had time off. Or maybe a place on the beach, where he could invite his family out for vacations.
“Sorry, I was just asking,” Tai said.
“Let’s not fight—Trevin doesn’t have much time to talk.” His mom patted his sister’s arm.
“It’s fine, Mom.” Trevin grinned. Days like this made him feel like nothing had changed since he left—and at the same time, like everything had changed. Everyone looked so much more grown up. It sucked that his only connection with them was through video chat.
“So Thomas and Clare, did you guys win your science fair?” he asked.
“Yeah.” Clare held up her blue ribbon. “But I did most of the work. Thomas spent most of his time messaging Kendra Parker.” She glared at her twin.
“I didn’t spend all my time messaging her. She asked me to her birthday party, but I couldn’t go because we had to muck out the barn.”
Trevin cringed, remembering all too well the summers he’d spent helping on the farm and not being allowed to hang out with friends. Although, as he got older, he’d gotten smart and invited his buddies over to help with things so it’d go faster. The quicker he got his chores taken care of, the quicker he could go to the swimming hole or out on a four-wheeler. It wasn’t that he didn’t like his family’s farm—they were self-sufficient because of it—but it sucked every spare second they had.
After everyone had the chance to talk, the kids slowly slipped away, getting back to their lives and chores. But Caroline and his mom still sat on the other end.
“So have you been eating right?” his mom asked.
“Yeah, Marsha hounds me.”
She laughed. “Miles’s mom is a good woman.”
“How’s Daisy?” Caroline winked. “Please tell me you’ve taken that girl on a real date.”
He rubbed his neck. “Kind of. I took her out to a Korean restaurant for lunch, then to the beach.”
“Did someone say Korean food?” Miles plopped down on Trevin’s bed, poking his head around to wave to the Jacobses. “Are you sending us kimchi? Is that what we’re talking about?”
Trevin’s mom smiled. “Do you miss my cooking?”
“Yes. The food on tour is okay, but it doesn’t compare to yours. I keep telling Trevin he needs to have you come back out here.”
“I hope you boys are being good,” she said.
“We are,” Trevin and Miles said in unison.
“Not according to the interviews.” His mom frowned.
“Aw, bugger, don’t believe everything you hear—but I think this is my cue to head out. Aimee will be calling any
second.”
“Take care, Miles, we’ll see you soon.” Trevin’s mom waved.
Miles climbed back out of Trevin’s bunk and headed to the other side of the tour bus. When he was gone, Trevin got resituated.
“So, the reason we wanted to video chat today is Dad wanted to check in with you, too,” his mom said.
Trevin’s eyes widened. “Really?” Maybe he’d had a change of heart about everything. Maybe today he’d finally be okay with Trevin’s choice to be in Seconds to Juliet.
“Yes. He doesn’t always show it, but he misses you.”
He watched his dad come into view, wearing a pair of dirty jeans, an old Chiefs T-shirt, and his work boots.
“Oh, I see Trevin on the screen. What do I do?” His dad stared into the camera.
“You can just talk, John. He can see us on the other end—”
“I’m going to go check on the twins,” Caroline said. “Love you, big bro.”
“Love you, too.”
His dad sat down, dark rings under his eyes. “So how are you, kid?”
“Good, we’re in Memphis right now. We have a show in a few hours; after that we’ll be taking the bus to Nashville. We have a couple venues there and another TV interview. I think LJ was going to try and get us into the recording studio, too.”
He frowned. “I hope this interview goes better than the last one. I didn’t like hearing the things you boys have been up to. Just because you’re famous now doesn’t mean you can do what you want—you can still get into trouble.”
“Dad, the guys were just kidding. We didn’t go to a strip club or any of that stuff.”
“What about all that underwear nonsense?”
“Also didn’t happen. My account got hacked.” Trevin sighed. Of course his dad would come and find every negative thing to lecture him about. Couldn’t he just be proud of him for once?
“I don’t like it. None of this would be happening if you’d have stayed home to help out on the farm. You don’t know how much I could use you in the fields this year.”
And there it was.
“I know—you’ve been telling me the same thing since I left home. But I love what I’m doing. Singing, traveling, and supporting myself.”
Daisy and the Front Man (Entangled Crush) (Backstage Pass) Page 16
