When a Star Falls (Stars Book 1)

by Rachael Eliker

  Kiki pushed herself out of her chair and tossed the magazine back on the seat. As she climbed the steps, she shouted, “Let’s do this!” The sound crew seemed to have been waiting at the ready because not a minute later, the music blared through the speakers. Without having to be told, her backup dancers scurried to their spots and began gyrating with the music. I watched Kiki for a moment, in awe of her multifaceted entertainment ability. She moved so vigorously that her joints threatened to disassemble while still singing in tune, and I almost doubted she needed speakers—her lungs must have filled half her body. When her song ended, I clapped along with the rest of the crew. As she moved to the next song, I took the opportunity to sneak backstage in search of Troy.

  I had to blink several times while my eyes adjusted to the blackness behind the outdoor stage. Grabbing the hand rail, I descended the steps, groping to try and find my way. Usually the lights were on and people were coming and going, but backstage seemed to have been deserted. I continued in vain to feel along the rough cinder block walls for a light switch. If Troy wasn’t in the dressing rooms taking a break, the only other places to look were the hair and makeup studio and one large area where props and stage equipment were being stored. Above, Kiki had slowed down and started rehearsing a ballad. The forlorn, muted sound was slightly eerie, and involuntarily, I shivered. The whole atmosphere reminded me of one of a creepy mirror house at the carnival. I picked up the pace.

  A few steps ahead, I could hear muffled voices. Figuring I was getting close to where Wanda, Casey, and their crew had set up shop, I turned the corner and found the silhouette of a man and a woman in the faint light of an exit sign. They were in a rather compromising position, their bodies pressed against the wall and their arms and legs knotted together. Any closer together and they might have become inseparably fused. Their mouths hungrily pressed together, coming up for air when they could no longer breathe, only to dive headlong back into another passionate kiss. They were so lost in each other that they didn’t hear the click of my heels softly echoing along the corridor.

  On the wall, my fingertips hit the distinct knob of a light switch. I paused for a moment, trying to decide if there was a way around the lovebirds or if perhaps, I should turn around and send Harrison to go find Troy. I worked up my nerve because I wanted to be done with practice and there was no way I was going to try and sneak past. I flipped on the switch. When my eyes stopped stinging from the brilliant lights that beamed overhead, my blood froze.

  Troy.

  He was holding one of my backup dancers in his arms, the girl with well-proportioned curves and thick black hair. My hands clenched into fists and my throat closed.

  “Ruby,” Troy said breathlessly. He took a step back, distancing himself, and ran his hand through his slicked back hair. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

  My body vibrated with a storm of emotion, and I felt like I might explode. Staring at the ceiling for a moment, I tried to draw patience. “Obviously,” was all I could manage to say.

  “I was just, uh, welcoming Laura to the crew. She’s new.”

  “You’re the regular old welcome committee, aren’t you?” Tears nearly spilled from my eyes, but the rage I felt practically evaporated them before they could fall.

  “I think I’d better go,” Laura said sheepishly. “I didn’t realize I was in the middle of anyone.”

  “You’re not,” I said defiantly, crossing my arms in front of my chest. “Troy and I are only on professional terms, aren’t we?”

  Laura didn’t wait for his answer and slipped past me, avoiding eye contact as she headed to the stage. I would have almost preferred she stayed so I didn’t have to endure this humiliation in front of Troy alone.

  Troy took three long steps and closed the gap between us, putting his hands on my shoulders. Before, his gentle touch had been comforting, reassuring. Now? It made me sick to my stomach. “Ruby, I’m—”

  “Stop!” I growled, rolling my shoulders out from under his warm hands and taking a step back. “Don’t you lay another finger on me.”

  Troy licked his lips. The slightly desperate look in his hazel eyes also held a hint of malice in them. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

  “No, you’re sorry you got caught.”

  Troy scoffed and took a step back himself so he could circle me like a hawk. “You know, Ruby. You’re a real piece of work. Just when I thought I was making progress with you in helping you see that your loser boyfriend isn’t going to stick it out for the long run, you keep clinging onto him. So, I move on, keep my options open. You know, a guy like me can only wait around so long. I’m a hot commodity.”

  “Yeah,” I snapped angrily. “Your undying faithfulness and declaration of love only extended, what? A week?” I pushed past him, my heels echoing sharply as I clomped away.

  “You’re a fool, Ruby,” he called after me. “You need someone like me, who can keep the excitement in a relationship and help your career blossom. Not that forgettable nice guy who will bore you to death with his slow-and-steady love.”

  I turned on my heels and jabbed my pointer finger toward him, snarling, “You don’t know a thing about love. For one, it is steady. It doesn’t flip flop when it isn’t getting enough action as fast as it wants. You are sad and pathetic, Troy. I can’t believe I was ever fooled by a sorry excuse of a man like you.”

  I flipped my hair behind my shoulder and stormed away. Troy cursed under his breath but didn’t follow. The animosity could no longer hold back my tears and they began to slip from my eyes. I swiped at my cheeks, frustrated by the hair that kept sticking to my skin when my tears dampened it. I felt like I was suffocating.

  My heart was bitter, brimful of gall. I would have given anything in the world to hear Collin say my name and hold me in his arms. In a desperate attempt, I pulled out my phone and called his number. I didn’t care if I had to crawl on my hands and knees over thumb tacks all the way back to him to show my sincerity, I’d do it until my skin was raw and bleeding.

  The phone rang twice and it picked up. “Hello?” Jill questioned.

  “I need to talk to Collin,” I said, wiping my nose with the back of my hand and sniffling.

  There was a brief pause and Jill sighed, “Oh, I’m terribly sorry, Ruby. I thought you would have gotten the hint when he didn’t answer your calls all week. He doesn’t want to talk to you. I’m kind of surprised that you thought he’d forgive you for cheating on him with Troy.”

  “You told him?”

  “He deserves to know the truth, so yes, I told him. Everything.”

  “Everything? It was just a kiss on the cheek.”

  “That’s not what I saw. You were tangled up with Troy, kissing rather intensely.”

  “You liar!”

  Jill chuckled softly. “The dark can certainly misconstrue things, and perhaps I was mistaken, but that doesn’t make me a liar. Besides, if it was nothing, you really should have fessed up. Now Collin thinks you hide things from him.”

  My heart shattered into a million pieces as my brain absorbed the news. It was true. I was going to end up alone. Troy was a fake, and I hadn’t appreciated the real thing when I had it with Collin. Every inch of my soul ached, like my spirit was dying.

  “If you don’t mind, I’ve got to get going. Collin’s ordering dinner for me.”

  All I registered was the thrum of my racing heart in my ears. I tried to fight back, but only a small squeak eked past my vocal cords.

  “Oh, and Ruby? Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of him.”

  The phone clicked, and I was left alone in the tunnel which felt an awful lot like a concrete tomb. Maybe I should etch a memorial in the walls, commemorating the spot where my heart died.

  Stumbling along, Wanda eventually found me. I startled her as she sat in a salon chair, reading. She whipped her glasses off and stood, pulling me into a hug. “Ruby? What’s the matter?”

  She steered me to the hair and makeup chair, where I listlessly
flopped. Casey came in, eating a rather large jelly-filled donut, stopping mid-bite as he saw me hunched over and weeping into my hands. Brushing off the powdered sugar from his goatee, he looked like he’d seriously considered turning around and hightailing it. I don’t know how he’d put up with all the drama in showbusiness all these years.

  “Casey,” I called weakly, catching him before he could escape. “Cut it off. Cut it all off.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  I reached around the back of my neck as a breeze blew across my skin. Even in the warm June weather, goosebumps prickled along my arms. The last time I’d had hair this short, I was probably two and that’s only because my wispy baby hair hadn’t grown out yet. I’d always loved my long hair. It had become part of my identity, but it was tying me to Collin. I couldn’t bear thinking of how I’d lost him every time I ran a brush through it.

  “I don’t know, Ruby,” Casey had said, handling my hair in his enormous, calloused hands. “I don’t want you to do anything rash. I’d need to clear it with Mr. Drake.”

  After convincing Casey to find him, Mr. Drake had freely given his approval, probably because he was hugely distracted with rekindling what he’d lost with Ms. Osborne, and he was supported by George, who mentioned my sweet, hometown girl look was also supposed to be bridging with a hint of rebellion. Sweetness, for the most part, came natural to me, but they wanted me to dig deep and find something edgier, tougher. Someone who’d experienced life and knew what hardships it held.

  “Then let’s give it to them,” I said coolly. My tears had since dried, and I’d steeled my heart, walling it off from allowing myself to feel the pain of rejection that had been hammered at me on multiple levels. I had a job to do, and I was going to do it. It would bring me happiness or nothing would. Leaning in front of the mirror, I swung my new bangs out of my eyes and practiced utilizing the different angles of my face to convey the varying emotions of my songs.

  “Ruby? Is that you?” Kiki strolled up behind me looking as surprised as I’ve ever seen her.

  “You like it?” I asked touching the back of my hair. “It’s even shorter than yours.”

  “It’s because of Troy, isn’t it? I was right. I told you to stay away from him.”

  I shook my head, and in a thick voice, I answered, “Not just him. Collin too.” A single tear ran down my cheek and I swiped it away, forcing back the rest. The day had been full of every emotion possible, but now, just hours before my first major concert performance as Ruby Hawkins, I felt like I’d been jerked back like a dog reaching the end of its leash. I swallowed down the stubborn knot in my throat. “I thought this would be a good start. Change.”

  For a moment, Kiki studied me and concluded, “It suits you.”

  “Thanks. It means a lot.”

  Kiki cavalierly waved her hand. “Therapy can wait. Right now, we need to get ready. Our fans are expecting us.”

  The noise was deafening. I’d just finished, Till the Love’s All Gone, a spunky, feel-good song that had everyone swaying with the beat. I was on a high. The audience was cheering so loudly I could feel the sound vibrating through my chest, and I was sure their enthusiasm would knock me over. As I’d been taught in my choreography practices, I held my final pose for a few additional seconds, absorbing their applause before hearing the start of the music in my ear piece. Dark Shadows was definitely a change of pace, but the transition was flawless.

  The lights were blinding, and every time I twirled around, I could see myself on a jumbo screen. Wanda really did make me look good. I’d have to thank her for her hardcore diligence later.

  I managed to make it through song after song, everything from fast-paced dance numbers to a heartfelt ballad to my innocent summer romance number, Sun and Shores. I’d convince them to let me wear the flirty sundress and keep the barely-there strappy white outfit for another time, secretly hoping that maybe they’d lose it somewhere in their wardrobe catacombs. While most of my quick, simple wardrobe swaps were done backstage, some of my costume changes were done onstage to add to the flash of the show. I thanked my lucky stars every time I didn’t have a wardrobe malfunction when the overlaying outfit was torn away. The last thing I needed was for twenty thousand people to get a picture of my bare chest on their phones. I did have some dignity left.

  So far, adrenaline, sheer dumb luck, and backup dancers had kept me from too many missteps. Whenever I flubbed a movement, they took the attention off me by performing so perfectly in sync that I don’t think anyone would have known that I’d messed up. During one particular near disaster, I misjudged how close I was to the edge of a second-tier stage and felt myself free-falling to the unforgiving floor below. To my surprise, I fell right into the arms of a brawny dancer who had the cutest dimples in his cheeks. He spun me around with a smile on his face while I stared deeply into his eyes, like I was supposed to take the tumble and no one was the wiser. Maybe I’d suggest it to the choreography team, though with my fortune, the next time I’d fall flat on my back and knock the wind out of myself. Despite any imperfections I noticed, the crowd was highly invested in the music, cheering so loudly that most of the time, I couldn’t even hear myself over the roar. All in all, I’d consider the concert a success.

  Along with the constant fear of falling or exposing myself to the masses, I had to deal with Troy. There was no getting around his presence on stage and often, in very close proximity. He was the lead guitar and more than once, we’d been choreographed to dance and sing, acting like we were having a great time together. Even though Troy played the guitar masterfully and never missed a note, I could see in the furrow of his brow, the tightness of his jawline that his anger towards me was still simmering.

  Well, he wasn’t going to get the upper hand on me.

  Whenever I was supposed to look at Troy, I made sure I stared longer and harder than him. It certainly made for onstage drama that was driving the crowd wild. For the last of the brief offstage wardrobe changes, I was again surrounded by a slew of people who all had a specific job they were assigned to do and performed it with incredible speed and accuracy, the way the pit crew in the Indy 500 changes tires on the cars in less time than it takes to blink.

  “Look up,” Wanda hurriedly angled my chin and fluttered a powder brush over my cheeks and nose. I could feel Casey’s hands in my hair, rubbing more product on it to get my newly shortened hair to lay just the way he wanted it, while Harrison zipped up the back of the black leather outfit, the same that Kiki had tried on. Though it was skin tight and left little of my curves to the imagination, it was one of my favorites, in part because I was wearing pants and no matter how likely it was that I might trip, no one was going to see any inkling of a thong.

  Troy shoved his way over through the endless horde of people it required to run a concert of this scale. I could see by the anger in his eyes that he wasn’t pleased with how I’d taunted him on stage.

  He couldn’t help himself, and I noticed his eyes trickled down the length of my outfit, appreciating how well-tailored it was and the strategically placed cutouts that gave just a peek of my skin. I gathered by his hesitation he had to mentally shake himself to remember what he’d come over to chew me out for. Before, I’d been flattered by his attention, but now, his inability to see me as a woman with a brain and feelings and not an object for his uncontrollable lust, made me irate.

  “What do you want?” I glared at him. I didn’t care who overheard me snarling at Troy. We’d be back on stage soon enough, and once the show was over for the night, I wouldn’t have to look at his preppy face until the next concert stop. I never did like that nose of his. My eyes flicked to the bump at the bridge of his nose, which seemed to be much more conspicuous as of late.

  “What are you doing out there?” he growled.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I swished my bangs out of my face and stubbornly refused to blink. Thank goodness I’d had enough staring contests with Chloe to work up my endurance. Troy was th
e first to blink and look away, shaking his head.

  “Yes, you do. You’ve been snubbing me on stage. When we’re supposed to be performing together and sharing camera time, you’re not standing where you’re supposed to. I’m not being picked up.”

  I sneered at him, barely biting back the cuss words that seemed to be accumulating on the end of my tongue. “If you haven’t noticed, this concert set is about me, not some backup guitar player with a wandering eye.”

  “Three minutes until the start of Heart on Fire!” the lead stage coordinator shouted over the din coming from the stage.

  Troy smiled maliciously and pointed out, “Actually, you are the backup. Kiki’s the star here.”

  “You heard her, Troy,” Kiki showed up and stood next to me. It never ceased to amaze me that someone so petite could fill a space with her personality. “You and I both know that someday, she’s going to be headlining. Unlike you. You’re always going to be in the shadows. The replaceable guitarist.”

  The veins in Troy’s forehead popped out, and I could see him working his jaw muscles. “If that’s how you feel, here you go.”

  Troy thrust his guitar into my hands, and the force of it would have knocked me off of my feet if it hadn’t have been for Kiki catching me. A sudden wave of panic forced my throat shut. Was he really going to walk out on me on me now?

  “You wouldn’t.” It was a challenge that I wasn’t entirely certain he wasn’t going to take.

  “Watch me.” He spun on his heels and marched away.

  “Wait!” I called to him. He turned around, looking smug. I suspect he was ready for me to come groveling to him. “I don’t need your sissy guitar. Keep it.”

  I thrust his guitar back at him, and he scrambled to catch it before it smashed on the floor. Half of me wanted to see it shatter into splinters, but even I wasn’t so heartless that I’d want to waste a perfectly good guitar.

  Just then, Harrison scurried by, and I managed to catch him by his collar. “Harrison! Can you get my guitar out of my dressing room? The red and black one?” Thankfully Harrison was used to being sent on errands and didn’t have to be asked twice. He bolted down the hallway, bumping into Troy and sliding dangerously around the corner.