Page 30 of Leah

Ignoring my tone, she smiled brightly, showing me every perfectly aligned tooth and replied, “The band doesn’t need a fan-base to be huge. Their music carries itself.”

I raised a brow. Was she a fucking idiot? “That’s like saying a book can be a masterpiece without a single person reading it.”

She shook her head and glanced at Carter. “Some people just don’t understand art, baby.”

Like your pig art?I wanted to ask, but then that would appear obvious I’d taken seconds out of my precious life to look this bitch up. I refused to give the gorgeous looking giraffe the satisfaction.

Carter didn’t respond to her. He seemed to be at a loss for words as he shook his arm from her grasp.

Oh, boy, trouble in paradise.

I stiffly turned away from this odd as hell conversation and hurried into the kitchen, nearly tripping over my feet in the process. I set the tray down and studied my shaking hands.

What was happening to me?

I wasn’t a clumsy girl. I was usually so sure of myself around others, even if I was faking it most of the time. But Carter’s mere presence had penetrated straight through my armour. If I’d known he would be here, I might have at least emotionally prepared myself for it. But it’d come out of nowhere! I’d had literally no time to come to grips with this.

It was shock, I told myself. Just shock. Nothing more.

He’s bad for you.

Yes, he was.

And stop imagining him naked.

I wasn’t.

Liar.

I took a few deep breaths and stared out of the entranceway and into the living room. He couldn’t see me from where I stood,but Molly could. Her eyes were pinned to my head, and her thin lips were raised into a smile.

She knew.

I wanted to stab her eyes out with a fork for looking so smug.

I stayed in the kitchen, feeling like shit that Marlena was doing all the work, but I couldn’t push myself to go back out there. I turned to the sink and occupied myself with the dishes for a very long while. At least this way I had an excuse to stay here.

“Come eat, Leah,” Marlena hounded me from the living room. “You love Chinese food, and the boys are putting a huge dent into it already!”

“Just washing the dishes,” I yelled back. Washing the same ones over and over again, mind you.

“That’s what dishwashers are for, darling.”

“I know, but—”

“Just come in and enjoy yourself! Rome’s talking about the concert they had the other night! Apparently, it was amazing!”

You have no idea.

“I’ll be right there.”I sighed and shut the water off.

God, there was no escape, was there? This was like torture without one moment of respite. I dried my hands and re-joined them. Everyone was seated, and Marlena motioned me to a dining chair she’d pulled out of the dining room and placed around the coffee table. By how relaxed everyone looked, I guess it seemed more convenient eating in here.

I took a seat and stared at everyone but Carter. The girls weren’t interested in the food. I caught Molly taking a selfie next to Carter, shooting a duckface with crazy wide eyes.Oh, my God.I cringed before catching Carter’s eye. His lips lifted up just barely, clearly catching my expression.

How did I get to looking at him again?

Rome was talking about their tour, and I watched him in complete awe. I wanted to think that he seemed different because I hadn’t seen him in forever, but deep inside, I knew that wasn’t the case. His whole mannerism had changed. He’d gone from being humble and tentative, to this loud, cocky rocker, talking about his car collection and a third house he was looking to buy in Puerto Rico.

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