Page 25 of Contrition

ZACK

She was ethereal to watch. I absolutely couldn’t take my eyes off her. And as Theo stood to my right in the VIP tent to the left of the main stage, I knew he felt the exact same.

Watching her in action was probably the hottest and coolest thing I would ever bear witness to in my entire existence, regardless of anything I had seen in my time on this planet yet. Even when Derek pointed his drumsticks at her—while a strike of jealousy should have smacked me in the face—I only smiled as I watched her laugh behind the camera.

I smiled even more when she stuck her middle finger out at him, though.

“She’s…something else,” Theo shouted over the music. Even with our fancy ear plugs blocking out some of the music, it was still a challenge to even hear yourself think, let alone someone else.

Just as I was about to shout a response to him though, my eyes widened as I watched Estrella shout to a security guard, only for him to shrug and offer his leg. Within seconds, she was climbing the man like a damned tree right in front of everyone before she straddled his shoulders. My stomach dropped for a split second as I watched her wobble and catch her balance—at least, until the man gripped her legs to stabilize her. Unlike me, though, she laughed wildly before grabbing her camera and continuing her efforts at capturing the performance at hand.

A nervous laugh mixed in with my words as I shouted back to Theo. “Yup. That’s our girl.”

Almost as if she could hear me herself—impossible, even if I liked to imagine otherwise—her French braided head swiveled until her gaze honed in on mine with a bright smile.

Hope bloomed in my chest as she raised the camera again and took the shot at us, rather than her assignment at hand.

I didn’t even know if I was smiling. But one thing I knew for sure?

I was as starstruck for her as our fans were for us.

And when she turned back to the stage with a shy blush, I couldn’t help the hope that festered in my soul.

Theo tapped my shoulder in a brotherly manner as he kept his gaze on her, too.

No words needed spoken.

While we should have paid attention to Neon Cherry, and especially given the fact that Estrella seemed to have a personal connection to the band that could lead to beneficial partnerships in the future, I merely shrugged the thought away.

I wasn’t looking away from my star ever again.

* * *

Anxiety thrummed through my entire existence as I waited for Estrella to come back from the security pit.

Only…she never came.

I looked down at my watch before peaking over at Theo. The show had ended nearly twenty minutes ago, and we had both watched her duck out as soon as the lights went down.

Where the hell was she?

“Does she always take so long? What’s going on?”

Theo rolled his eyes before meeting me with a deadpan stare. “You act like either of us know her schedule or order-of-operations. Why are you asking me?”

I glared at him. Oh, how I just loved my brother sometimes.

Another guy’s voice interrupted our sour stare-off. “Gentlemen. I’d say thanks for watching the show, but I have the suspicion that our music is definitely not why you’re backstage and waiting. Especially when you shouldn’t be here at all.”

I winced as I turned towards the voice’s accusation, but it was Theo’s voice that drew me up short. “Hey, Derek. Regardless of the reason, you all sounded fantastic. You know, we should schedule a meeting with your agent. See if a collaboration is ever in the future?”

Derek’s face lit up with a sarcastic smile. “Are you kissing my ass because I almost beat yours last night? Or so I don’t kick you out right now?”

“I absolutely am. And both.”

“Noted. I just wanted to let you all know that your girl texted me. I tried to get dinner with her, but she said that she’s going to go get dinner and then go back to her hotel room. That’s all I know, though.”

I blinked in offense before looking down at my phone. “Why didn’t she text us?”

---