Page 13 of The Masks We Wear

I shake my head, muttering under my breath. “I hatephotoshoots.”

“Why’s that?” He asks, curiosity evident in his tone.

I shrug. “Because they’re using me for my face and my body and notmeor my talent.” He looks at me as if he’s seeing me for the first time and I scowl. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like…that.” I wave a hand in front of his face to emphasize my point and he shakes his head, a small almost inaudible laugh under his breath. My eyes widen and I suck in a surprised breath. Did I….just make Harvey Taylor laugh?

I’m about to say something else, almost desperate to hear the sound again to make sure I didn’t make it up when a pair of Louboutins make their way over to where we stand. I know the sound of those heels well, along with the rushed footsteps of the person walking. I groan as Selene comes into view. I love my best friend very much, but I’m still pissed and I’m good at holding grudges. “There you are.” Selene appears in one of her signature pantsuits and slicked back bun.

“Here I am.” I say sarcastically.

She shakes her head. “Lose the attitude. This shoot is for BuildingBlox’s adult line of Blox sets.” BuildingBlox is a company that makes kids toys. Specifically toys they build from small plastic pieces by following directions. They’re making an adult line of three Blox sets. One is R6’s guitar, another is Satan’s Baby’s guitar, and the third is my drum set.

“How fun.” I don’t lose the attitude.

Selene yanks me to the side, away from Harvey and the security detail. “Cut it out, Brody. I’m serious. This shoot and collab has been in the works for months and it’s perfect timing that it’s happening now. We need all the good press we can get right now so you’re gonna go sit in hair and makeup and then get your ass on the set.”

I roll my eyes and start for the makeup station. I don’t have toturn to know that Harvey is following me, but I ignore him and am quickly swept up into a mass of makeup artists who force me into a seat and start touching my face with an array of products. I look around the room in search of Aria and Ivory, but I don’t see them. An artist forces my face forward and continues working and I sigh, letting him do his job even though I don’t like when people touch my face.

I make eye contact with Harvey in the mirror and expect to find him basking in my discomfort, but I’m shocked to find him frowning, a deep crease between his brows. I look down, suddenly embarrassed for some unknown reason. I hear chuckles and laughter coming from down the hall and getting louder and I know it’s Aria and Ivory. I’d know those laughs anywhere just as I’d know Selene’s stilettos anywhere.

I turn to look at them but the same artist from before jerks my face forward aggressively and scoffs in my face. Harvey clears his throat from behind me, loud enough to steal my focus and for the rude artist’s face to turn red. From that point on, he’s gentle with me and carries himself like a dog with its tail between its legs. I make eye contact with Harvey once more to find his eyes burning holes through the artist. A flutter of something runs through my belly that almost feels like gratitude mixed with a little bit of attraction. I try to tell myself it isn’t attraction, but I’m no fool. I know from the clench in his jaw and the flare in his nostrils all the way to the crease between his brows, all in my defense that I’m attracted to Harvey Taylor. That doesn’t mean he isn’t still an asshole though. You can be attracted to someone you hate…I think.

I’m grateful to Harvey for this small token of kindness and I make a mental note to cut him a break just a little today. Only a tiny little itty-bitty bit.

Once the artists finish my face, I get a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My eyes look bold and dark. They’re sultry and alluringthe same way they look on stage. The blue in my eyes stands out more and the look is all tied together with a crimson lipstick.

Aria and Ivory appear as the hairstylists come over and start working on my hair. “Hey, guys,” I greet. They’re arm in arm, makeup and hair completely done up, and hysterical laughing over something I don’t know. I frown but try to force the expression into neutrality. Aria’s hair is curled and styled in a half up half down style on top of her head, baby blue streaks running through it. She wears an electric blue lace bralette that shows her ample cleavage and a pair of black leather pants that rest low enough on her hips to leave little to nothing to the imagination. Ivory’s hair is straightened and the hot pink ombre looks freshly dyed. She wears a long-sleeved baby pink velvety top that has a deep cut v neckline and stops right below her breasts. She has a miniskirt on that matches and the whole look is tied together with rhinestones on the fabric and thigh high white leather boots. They look stunning and the sight of them all done up makes me miss the tour when things were normal. Well, normal for us.

Aria glances at me with heavy lids, “Sticks!”

They rush over and hug me and I hug them back, basking in the connection. I’ve missed my friends so much. “I miss you guys.”

“Aw, we miss you too, B.” Ivory squeezes me so tight it feels like my air supply has been cut off.

Aria leans into my ear and breathes out a whisper laugh, “I’ve got crazy ganja. You want a joint?”

They’re high, I knew it. They’re high and Selene is here which means she probably knows they’re high and isn’t doing anything about it. Why is it okay that they’re high and I’m not? Selene set these ridiculous standards for me but doesn’t expect the others to follow them when we’re all in the same amount of trouble. I squeeze the armrests of my chair so tight my knuckles turnwhite. Harvey raises a brow at me in the mirror and I look away, ignoring him because his face is a reminder of everything that isn’t fair.

“I would love to, but I have a babysitter and I’m getting drug tested now.” I whisper in a dark tone.

Aria glances up at the same time Ivory does and they both take Harvey in before Aria licks her lips and whispers, “I see the Henry Cavill and Sebastian Stan in him. He’s hot as fuck. Tell me you’ve tapped that.” She practically salivates, hearts in her eyes.

My mood has been killed by Selene’s inconsistent expectations for all of us and her clear targeting of me. I’m not in the mood to joke with Aria and Ivory over sleeping with Harvey regardless of how hot he is. “I haven’t and I don’t plan on it,” I say dryly.

Ivory groans, “Boring. But if you aren’t would you care if I-”

I snap, my voice raising, “I would care so don’t even think about it.”

Aria and Ivory exchange confused looks, “Woah, calm down,” Aria laughs.

My anger takes over, “Calm down? You want me to calm down when I’m being held to a different standard than you guys are?”

Aria rolls her eyes, “B, we all know you were the worst of us with the drugs. You need to chill.” She fishes around her pocket and pulls out a joint, handing it to me for all to see. Harvey takes a step forward immediately as if to intercept it before I can smoke the whole thing in two seconds, but I make no move to grab it.

Instead, I look at Aria through dark lashes and a face warm with anger. “Don’t try to cover up the inequality with a fucking joint. Have you forgotten we’reallsupposed to be sober? Not just me. All of us. So why am I the only one that’s sober and getting drug tested?”

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