Page 41 of The Masks We Wear

I exhale and close my eyes as the pent-up breath leaves. “I’m just afraid that the music and the show won’t be a spectacle but I will and what happened will.”

He shakes his head, “Don’t worry about any of that. These people are all here because they love the music you make and they love the sound of your voice. They love you, Brody. Don’t let him take this from you.”

He’s right and I know it. I nod and take one final breath. As I exhale, I force my anxiety to leave with it. This may feel like the hardest show I’ve ever had to put on but Harvey somehow just made it feel easier. “Thank you.”

He releases me and takes a step back, gesturing towards the door with his chin. “Come on, I’ll walk you.”

I follow behind him as we walk down the long hallway to the stage. The entire time we walk, I stick close to his back not wanting to be far from him. He just has this way of breathing air into my lungs when it feels like I’m suffocating.

We make it to the stage and I walk up the stairs with my friends to perform, leaving Harvey behind. I feel his eyes on my back as I disappear and the lights cut out.

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THE SHOW WASN’T ASbad as I thought it would be. I focusedon my friends and the music, ignoring the eyes on me that were searching for cracks in my mask. Harvey was right about showing them who I really am and tonight I showed all of them that I’m stronger than they ever thought possible.

Ivory and Aria disappeared after the show, most likely finding their way back to their dressing rooms. I did the same, finding my way back to my own and when I entered, I found Harvey’s eyes immediately. I close the door behind myself and give him a weak smile, “Unless you want to see me naked again, I suggest you get out so I can change,” I tease him.

His nostrils flare as wickedness coasts across his face. He licks his lips but inevitably looks down as if scolding himself for wanting me. “You did great tonight. Are you feeling okay?” he changes the subject.

The wavering emotions that his question brings me is enough to wipe the smile off my face. I fold my arms over my chest in a weak attempt to ground myself and shrug, “I guess.”

He cocks his head, “Brody,” he prods, knowing me well enough to know there’s more to say.

I exhale, “I would be lying if I said I wasn’t still shaken up from last night. I’d also be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid.”

“Afraid of what?” he asks in a low voice as he takes a few steps closer to me.

I meet his dark gaze, “Afraid that if I turn around he’ll be there to finish what he started and kill me for getting him caught.”

Harvey’s brows pull together and a look of malice contorts his perfect features. “He’s going to jail, Brody. You have nothing to be afraid of. You are safe and even if you weren’t, I wouldneverlet anything happen to you, not even a scratch.”

I nod, swallowing. “I know.”

He frowns, “I’m worried that you’re pretending to be okay and you’re pretending to be put together when you really aren’t. You can always come to me to talk about anything. I know I’m notthe most in touch with my emotions or the emotions of others, but I can try at the very least to help you,” his voice comes out low and soothing, comforting in a way.

I squeeze my eyes shut and mutter before I can bite my tongue, “Only when it isn’t about you.”

“What?” he asks, his tone laced with confusion.

My eyes reluctantly open and I wince when I realize what I just said.Motherfucker, why can you never keep your mouth shut?I ask myself. I shake my head, “Nothing.”

I try to walk past him but he grabs my arm, stopping me. I hesitate to meet his gaze over my shoulder. “No, that wasn’t nothing. Is there something you want to talk to me about, aboutme?”

I pull out of his grip and give him a dry look. “Harvey, did you forget that you were hellbent on ignoring me for days and my near death was the only thing that made you soften up? You treated me like I didn’t exist and then all of a sudden you care because I would’ve died on your job.”

The rage that crosses his features has me taking a step back. His nostrils flare and his eyes darken, his lips pull into a frown. “I ignored you to put space between us, not to treat you like shit,” he corrects. “And you getting attacked is partially the reason that I’ve been softer with you, so you have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”

“What’s the whole reason then?” I push him, raising a brow.

He opens his mouth to answer my question but stops himself, closing his mouth a second later. He then gives me a dark glare full of anger, irritation, and what looks like lust and just when I think he’s frozen, unable to move, he reaches behind himself and locks the door to the dressing room. I swallow and feel butterflies swarm my stomach when the lock clicks, locking us in here together, alone with our issues. He charges towards me a second later and I’m not sure what he’s going to do until hegrabs a fistful of my hair and tugs my head back, crashing his lips down on mine. He kisses me hungrily, passionately, and I kiss him back equally. This kiss feels different than our previous kisses. Where they were desperate and depraved, this one feels like coming home after being on the road for months.

Harvey pulls back and we both catch our breath. I expect him to tear away from me with a look of regret as if touching me burned third degree burns into his skin and to ignore me for a week but he surprises me and catches me completely off guard by growling, “The whole reason, Little Rockstar, is that I find it impossible to stay away from you. Ignoring you is like tearing my bleeding heart out of my chest and trying to survive without it.”

I suck in a small, surprised breath and just stare at him wide eyed at his words. “So then why?” I ask so faintly it almost comes out as a breathy whisper.

His mouth hovers over mine. “Because I love my job and I want to keep it and I can’t keep you and the job.”

“So, you choose the job?”

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