She ran toward the library, her bag slapping against her leg. By the time she reached the glass doors, rain spritzed down on her. She yanked them open and ducked inside, ignoring the glare from the student working the front desk as water dripped onto the floor.
“Perdón.” Lola shrugged. She used her Spanish when she didn’t want anyone stopping her or talking to her. Her mom would be proud of her for using it for something, even though she wouldn’t like the reason. Her eyes scanned the expansive lower level for the telltale mop of blond hair. The entire Stone clan sported golden locks just like their mother. It was a joke in their house that their darker haired father wasn’t their dad after all. “Gotcha.” She found Asher hunched over a book at a table in the back.
The girl sitting next to him stared at him in fascination. Join the party. There was something entrancing about Asher, a charm beneath the surface. Add in his tanned skin, athletic build, and intense chocolate eyes, and most girls were goners.
Asher looked up from the book, his gaze finding Lola. A smile curved his lips. “We’re done for today, Tessa. My ride is here.”
Disappointment flashed across Tessa’s face, followed by annoyance when she saw Lola. She didn’t realize yet that few women captured Asher’s attention for long. Except Lola. That was why she’d never revealed her feelings. She was the one constant friend in his life, and she didn’t want to lose him.
Asher stood, gathered his belongings, and held them out to Lola.
She raised a brow. “When are you going to start carrying your own bag?” She slipped his book and notebook into her already heavy messenger bag.
“Why would I do that when you have one?”
“You’re kind of hopeless.” She laughed. “Come, your chariot awaits, sir.”
He flashed her a grin before walking by her, waving to the girl at the front desk—the one who no longer looked angry, only wistful. What did he do to these girls?
They ran out into the rain, weaving their way through buildings to get to the parking lot where Lola’s ancient Subaru awaited them. She and Asher took turns driving to campus each day. They’d made sure to get on similar schedules.
They were only sophomores, and already, Lola was ready to get out of this place. Her business degree would position her for promotions at the resort, but she had no real passion for it. Not like Asher and his pre-med classes. He was born to be a doctor, and she could just imagine his patients falling over themselves around him.
Lola scrambled to unlock her door and pressed the button on the door to let Asher in. They fell into the car, slamming their doors shut. She leaned her head back against the seat, her chest heaving, as she looked sideways at Asher. “That was fun.”
He laughed. “You always did like the rain.”
“And you always hated how it messed up your hair.”
“Not true.” They both laughed because they knew it was.
A crash of thunder shook the sky, and Lola issued a string of curses in Spanish.
Asher grinned. “You always turn to Spanish when you’re scared.”
“I do not,” she scoffed, wishing for once he didn’t know her so well. Sure, she loved the rain, but only when it came without thunder.
Born and raised in the extremely white bread, suburban Gulf City, Lola stood out with her darker skin and Spanish curses. She might be a Floridian since birth, but her mom came to this country from Mexico when she was a kid. She tried to keep their culture alive within their own home, but she’d been unable to change Lola’s habits, like her preference for English.
Lola started the car, waiting while it sputtered to life. She patted the steering wheel. “Good Lola.”
“You know, it’s completely weird to name a car after yourself.”
She backed out of the parking spot. “It’s not my fault my name is the perfect car name.” She gripped the steering wheel, trying to avoid the other students flooding the lot.
Thunder and lightning chased them all the way to Gulf City, not ceasing until they’d reached the city limits. Daily storms weren’t anything new for Florida in fall. She pulled into the driveway of the small two-bedroom ranch home she shared with her mom, not bothering to ask Asher if he wanted to go home. She knew what his answer would be.
For some reason, he preferred the quiet of her lonely house to the beautiful chaos of his own. He didn’t get how lucky he was to have such a large family. There was always someone around.
Lola unlocked the front door and stepped into the darkened house, dropping her messenger bag outside her bedroom door on the way to the kitchen. “Mama?” she called.
No answer.
Dim light seeping past the kitchen curtains provided just enough glow to see the note taped to the refrigerator. She pulled it free as Asher flipped on a light.
Caught an extra shift tonight. There’s dinner for you and Asher in the fridge.
Te Quiero.
Lola sighed as she crumpled the note and threw it in the trashcan. Her mom did the best she could—always had—but Lola couldn’t help thinking she was the reason her mom was picking up so many extra shifts.
She worked nights as a nurse at the hospital, and lately, Lola saw little of her. She knew her mom felt guilty about the loans Lola took out for college, but she didn’t care about those. She just wanted her mom around.
Asher opened the fridge. “Yes!”
“Let me guess, she made tamales.”
He pulled out a plate of corn tamales, still in the husks. Making tamales was an involved process her mom only took on when she felt bad about something or excited. Lola figured it was the former.
She pulled two plates out of the cabinet along with the sauces for the tamales. As soon as she unwrapped one and ate a forkful, she groaned. Asher was right to be excited. Lucia Ramirez was a brilliant cook.
They ate in silence, both savoring every last bite. Her mom had known Asher would be with her. He seemed to bask in the stillness, but she craved more than an empty house and dinner served at the counter of a dim kitchen.
“So.” Asher shoved his plate back. “Big bro is coming to Tampa.”
She’d seen that. The news was everywhere. Drew Stone, the hometown boy who’d made it was a big deal. “Yeah?” She’d considered getting tickets to his concert, but they sold out within an hour. Not only was Drew coming to town, but British rocker Noah Clarke was a part of his tour. “And how do we feel about this?”
Asher sighed. “Well, I managed to avoid him most of this summer when he was in town.”
“Drew was here this summer?” She didn’t know why it hurt that Asher hadn’t mentioned it. He was weird about his famous brother, almost… jealous. She was always careful not to let him know she listened to Drew’s music or that she pored over YouTube videos to see him dancing, memorizing every step.
Asher shrugged. “Does Lucia have any ice cream?” He slid from the stool and opened the freezer.
“There’s probably some macha.”
“Gross.” He shut the freezer.
Lola raised one brow. “You know… your mom keeps an entire freezer full of ice cream.”
“Yeah, but then I have to listen to my sisters’ chatter constantly.”
She loved his sisters. Standing, she gathered their plates and took them to the sink. “So, you were saying about your brother.”
He pulled himself up onto the counter next to the sink. “Mom says I have to go to the concert.”
Lola gave him a deadpan stare. “Oh, poor baby. It must be hard to have to go to the most sought after concert in town. I feel really bad for you.”
“You don’t know Drew.” He sighed.
She didn’t, not really. Despite practically being a member of the Stone family, she barely knew the oldest brother. He was around when she was a kid but always on the peripheral, never really part of her life. By the time she was eight, he’d left for L.A. He came home to visit his family, but she wasn’t family.
“Are you ever going to tell me what happened be
tween you two?” She poked his knee.
“I mean…” He scratched the back of his head. “It’s not like anything happened. We just grew apart.”
“You idolized him when we were kids.”
“I did not,” he snapped.
She backed away from him. “Whatever you say, Ash.”
He jumped from the counter and followed her down the hall to her bedroom. She pushed open the door, revealing her perfectly ordered space. A white carpet spanned the hardwood floor underneath the double bed with a turquoise comforter. Her room was her sanctuary. Everything had a place.
“You’re such a neat freak.” Asher laughed.
She scowled over her shoulder at him. “Take your shoes off.”
He did as she asked before collapsing onto her bed in his damp clothes. Some days, she struggled to understand why she had these feelings that wouldn’t go away. Asher was kind of a selfish prick. She had no delusions about that.
“Off the bed.” She crossed her arms.
He ignored her and turned onto his back. “So, you coming with me or what?”
“Coming with you…”
“To the concert. Didn’t I ask? Mom got an extra ticket for you. It’s Saturday though, so if you have to work I can find someone else.”
She couldn’t help thinking he hoped she’d turn him down so he could bring a date instead, but it just so happened she could be free Saturday if she begged her boss for a night off. The studio wouldn’t say no to her when she never asked for anything. “If you think I’m missing a Drew Stone concert, you’re cracked in the head.” She collapsed beside him on the bed, no longer caring about their damp clothes or hair.
“Ew, gross.” He shrank away from her. “You’re a fan. You never told me that.” He held his hand out. “Give me your phone.”
“What? No.”
“Come on. Don’t make me come and get it.”
“Not a chance, Ash.”
He lunged for her, knocking her onto her back as he tickled her. She squirmed beneath him, trying to break free as she laughed. “Ash. Fine. Uncle!”
He smirked down at her and sat back on his heels, one hand extended. She unlocked her phone and set it in his palm. His expression darkened as he scrolled through it. “You have every one of his albums on here. Years of music.”
She sat up and snatched the phone back, holding it to her chest. “I like him, okay?”
“No, not okay. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Why would I? It’s just music.”
“Because he’s my brother, Lo. I don’t want you to be a fan.” Insecurity shone in his eyes, and Lola’s anger faded. Asher had always had this strange fear she’d leave him one day. It was one of many reasons she never told him how she felt. Romantic relationships ended, but friendships were forever, and she wanted to prove him wrong, to show him she’d always be there for him. Despite his arrogance, his total dude-ness, Asher Stone was her person.
“Ash.” She set her phone on the bed and leaned forward to wrap her arms around him. “I just like the music. I’ll prove it to you at the concert Saturday. Let’s go and have fun. We can forget who’s on stage. Besides, we’ll get to see Noah Clarke and Jo Jackson perform too. You love them.”
More like in love. Asher had an obsession with Jo Jackson, the pink-haired drummer. The same obsession she wouldn’t admit she had with Drew.
Asher rested his chin on her shoulder. “I just don’t want you to love him.”
And that was the problem. Asher Stone wanted to be her entire world in all ways except one.
And she wasn’t strong enough to pull away.
3
Drew
“Don’t forget the words this time.” Piper Hayes tapped her pen against the clipboard in a way that let Drew know she was nervous for him.
The action only made him smile. “I won’t.”
“But when you get too caught up in the dancing…”
“Piper, I’ll be fine.”
“Yeah, but just remember you are a singer first and a dancer second.”
He grabbed her hand, stopping the pen’s steady beat. “Chill.”
“Not exactly my strong suit.” She sighed and ran her free hand through her long hair.
Drew laughed at the sight of his normally calm—weirdly so—assistant letting herself get frazzled before his show. It wasn’t her fault. The week before, he’d gotten so caught up in his dance steps and the adrenaline racing through him, he completely spaced on an entire song, missing words and coming in at the wrong places. He tried to cover up his mistake by moving faster, letting his body mesmerize the crowd into forgetting the words too.
They hadn’t.
The tabloids the next morning revealed his mishap to the world, but he didn’t care, not like Piper at least. It was her job to keep the trains running on time, to make sure he was where he needed to be at the correct times.
She saw his forgetfulness as an indictment of her.
It was ridiculous, but there was no changing her mind on that.
He released her hand and dropped his voice playfully. “Write a song about it.”
She glared at him. Piper would one day be the biggest songwriter in the industry. He knew it in his gut. The entire world now knew she’d been writing Fate’s hits for years after her sister Quinn admitted as much at a press conference. Soon, everyone would clamor for a Piper Hayes song—Drew included.
Her pen resumed its tapping. “How did soundcheck go today? Sorry I missed it.”
“Pipes, you are there for everything. One measly soundcheck doesn’t break your streak of being the most diligent person I’ve ever met.”
She shook her head. “No. It’s not professional of me to miss anything just because Ben is here. It won’t happen again.”
He grinned. This woman. “I think Ben would have had my head if I didn’t allow him time with the woman he lurves.”
Her face scrunched. “Do you have to say it like that?”
“Why yes, yes, I do.”
“You going to answer my question?”
He nudged her with his elbow. “Soundcheck was perfect. This concert will be perfect. I am perfect.”
She snorted. “Okay.”
“I feel like that was an insult, but I’ll let it go because you love me.”
“Drew, I’m your assistant. I don’t love you.”
“Whatever you say, milady.” He bowed. “Now, I must be off. These muscles aren’t going to stretch themselves, and I have a dance show—whoops, I mean concert—to do.” He laughed at the way her face reddened. “I promise I won’t forget the words again. The world already thinks I’m an idiot, so I just wanted to prove them right so they didn’t feel bad about themselves.”
“You’re not an idiot, Drew.” She tucked the clipboard under one arm.
He shot her a lopsided grin. “See? I knew you loved me.” With that, he sauntered over to where Leah sat on the floor stretching with two other dancers—Brooke and Nolan.
Brooke jumped to her feet as he approached, her face flushing. “Hi, Drew.”
“Hey, Brookie cookie.” He wrapped her in a one-armed hug. “You ready for tonight?”
She nodded against him, her grip too tight for comfort. Releasing her, he extended a fist down to Nolan. Nolan met his fist bump, barely looking up from his stretches.
“Hey, weirdo.” Leah elbowed him when he sat beside her. “You ready to rock?” She stuck her tongue out and pretended to scream.
“And you call me a weirdo?”
“That’s what you’re wearing?” She eyed him up and down.
“I think he looks good.” Brooke nodded.
“Thanks, darling.” Brooke’s attention had always made him uncomfortable. Leah teased him for it, telling him he just needed to give the girl what she wanted. But Drew had a rule. He didn’t get involved with people on his tours whether it was a one-night thing or longer. Relationships complicated everything, and he wanted the tours to remain as uncomplicated as possible.
He side-eyed Leah. “I like what I’m wearing, thank you.” Loose jeans would let him move easily, and the white button down wouldn’t stay buttoned up for long. Underneath, he only wore a thin tank. The tour’s stylist designed everything to make the girls in the crowd go wild. He had to give them what they wanted.
“Get to stretching,” Nolan chimed in. “Wouldn’t want old man Stone to break a hip out there.”
Drew raised a brow. “Dude, I’m twenty-nine.” In the dance world, that was old, but Drew wasn’t a mere dancer. He owned the show. One day, he’d have to slow down and realize he wouldn’t be young forever. He surveyed the dancers preparing to take the stage. Leah was the only one over twenty-five. Most of these dancers had been new to him when they started training before this tour. They were a bunch of kids.
And it was his fault. He’d told Leah to hire fresh dancers, ones he could train to move like he needed them to. Sure, they’d all been dancing their entire lives, but the world of professional dancing hadn’t ruined them yet.
“How old are you, Nolan?” He didn’t want to hear the answer, but curiosity got the better of him.
Nolan shrugged. “Twenty-two.”
That surprised Drew. Nolan was one of the few seasoned dancers on the tour. He had quite the resume already. “Way to make me feel old, man.”
Leah laughed like this was the funniest conversation she’d ever heard. “You guys realize we’re an hour away from stepping onto a stage in front of like fifteen thousand people, right? And this is what you want to talk about?”
“Drew can talk about whatever he likes.” Brooke pouted.
Leah rolled her eyes, and Drew suppressed a laugh. Being famous never got less ridiculous. People said the oddest things to him and believed he could do no wrong. They failed to see the person behind the songs or the pretty face. Surrounding himself with people like Leah and Piper was the only way for him to keep his head on his shoulders. They didn’t let him get away with anything.
A security guard approached, the words Arena Security stretched across his chest. “Mr. Stone.”
Love is a Dance Step (Rockstars Anonymous) Page 2
