Page 111 of This Side of Beautiful

“Hmm… mmm.”

“Show me.” He kissed under my ear while still moving in and out of me.

I pushed Landon down on the bench in the shower to climb on top of him and slide down his thick pole.

And I took every bit of my anger out on him.

June 18

The following afternoon, I awakened before Landon and turned on my phone. I had several missed texts and calls from the guys and Frankie. I eased out of bed, careful to not wake Landon, and sat on my sofa in the living area. My head throbbed as I scrolled through the texts.

I called Frankie. “Hey… is Cedrick with you?”

“No.”

“Good, because I didn’t want to talk to him before I’ve talked to Landon. Did Landon just up and quit Hollow Bones? Brian sent me a text begging Landon to call him.”

“From what I understand, Landon quit the band because he believes Cedrick gave you drugs. And he disappeared and hasn’t answered his phone since. I assume Landon is with you, or we would’ve heard from you by now.”

“He is. We’re in Austin, and he didn’t tell me he left the band.”

“Of course he didn’t. Landon is so afraid to lose you that he’d rather take out his anger on everyone but the one person he should be mad at. Cedrick is pissed and not talking to me. The rest of the guys don’t know what to do because they were supposed to head back to Harlem and finish the album. But hey, as long as you and Landon are all hugged up while all hell has broken everywhere else, do you.”

My temples pounded viciously. “Not that I owe you an explanation, but Landon was planning to leave me too, and he would’ve had the paparazzi not been in front of my door. We came here to get away from it all and work through all of this. I’ll figure something out to get them back together. He can’t break up the band because of me. The Hollow Bones is his heart.”

“Cedrick couldn’t sleep, worried about Landon and trying to find out where you and he had gone. He’s hurting, and he didn’t do anything to deserve Landon’s anger. I told you not to put Cedrick in the middle. But you had to have what you wanted and didn’t care how Landon or anyone else felt.”

Her tone grated on my nerves and added to my migraine. “I don’t need to hear this. I told you until you know what I’ve been through, you don’t have the right to judge me.”

“Then tell me what made you act like that. Huh? We’re supposed to be friends. What did your mother say to you, and why did Del escort her out?”

“We are friends, but I need to tell Landon before I tell anyone else. Be mad, or don’t. I’ll explain to you later. Just tell Cedrick I’m sorry, and I’ll fix it.” I hung up and rocked in place. I had to find a way to make things right for Landon and The Hollow Bones.

I pushed up from the sofa and decided to cook a late breakfast to keep my mind and hands occupied. We needed a hearty meal anyway. Landon wanted to hike around the nearby trail and Lake Travis, and I would use that time to talk about the band.

I had just finished setting the table with poached eggs, cheese grits, bacon, and toast when a shirtless Landon walked in. He glanced at the spread with hesitation before patting my ass. “Smells good.” He went to the refrigerator. “Orange juice?”

“On the table. Don’t worry, I’m boiling a couple of eggs for you.”

He nodded and pulled me away from the stove. “Sit. You’re still restless. Probably only slept a couple of hours.”

“I’m good.”Three.I’d slept three. We had more important things to discuss than my sleeping habits.

“Humor me.” Landon cocked a brow and pulled out the chair for me, then waited until I sat. He sat beside me and picked up the platter of grits. “I’ll wash the dishes.”

“Thank you.”

“No, thank you for the breakfast.” He reached for my plate and added grits. His fresh scent wafted over the table.

“How often do you shower a day when I’m not around?”

“Several times when I’m at home.” He shrugged and picked up a piece of bacon.

“If you can’t, does that bug you out?”

“It was worse when I was younger. Now I can handle it. As long as I can take a shower before I sleep, I can deal. I use soap and oils that don’t dry out my skin. Does it bother you?”

Though I had no appetite, I forced myself to take a bite of grits. “A good-smelling man will never bother me. Does it bother you that I usually take one shower and two on days when I have time?”

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