Page 34 of Forever and Ever

Last night I almost caved for the first time since I met him. I could practically taste the mint on his lips. I could feel myself reacting to that rock-hard body of his and I wanted to say fuck it and just close the distance.

Up until now, I’ve managed to stay strong. I’m around gorgeous rock stars almost twenty-four-seven. Pretty faces don’t bring me to my knees. But Noah is edging his way in bit by bit, and everything he’s ever done for me is building up and starting to slowly spill over.

How he takes care of me, even when I’m a total bitch and tell him not to. How he gets me water and food when he notices I’ve been running around all day and not eating. How he lets me crash in his bed on tour with no expectation of sex. How he offered to let me stay in his house to record this demo, even though it seemed to hurt him to do so.

I’m going to destroy him, and he seems intent on letting me do it.

It takes a good fifteen minutes, but the ibuprofen kicks in. I’m able to shower and finish getting ready before the girls arrive.

Cassie decided we should have a girls’ day before Quinn heads back to her hometown for a few weeks. And since Cassie herself will be going back and forth between Seattle and Denver for the next few months, she’s decided we need to catch up any moment we can.

But I’m not dumb, I know why they’re coming over. They want the dirt on me staying at Noah’s house, and this is their not-so-subtle way of dragging the details out of me.

Once I’m ready, I make my way back into the kitchen, wearing way more makeup than necessary for an afternoon with friends. But fuck it, just because I’m in the middle of nowhere doesn’t mean I need to leave the badass chick I am at the door. And that’s definitely where I am: the middle of nowhere. Standing at the slider and looking at the thick forest that surrounds Noah’s house.

Painful silence all around.

Whether I get grilled by the girls today or not, I’m glad they’re coming over, because I don’t like how quiet it is here—how far away from civilization it is.

I’ve never been good at sitting still, and I’m already feeling antsy.

The doorbell rings and I can’t get there fast enough, pulling it open to see the girls on the other side.

“Is your hair getting pinker by the day or something?” I ask Cassie, noticing how the pink that used to just coat the tips of her long blonde hair, now goes up a good five inches of it.

Cassie gives a shy shrug. “I like it.”

“Mhmm,” I grin at her and notice her cheeks flushing. “You and a certain lead singer.”

Her cheeks brighten in embarrassment, but she doesn’t deny it, ignoring me instead and walking past me toward Noah’s kitchen.

“Speaking of pink, I’m surrounded,” I say as Quinn steps into the house next in a tiny blue sundress that shows off her almost fully tatted-up skin. Her hair is pulled in a tight bun on her head.

“I’m considering going blue, but you’ll just have to wait and see.” Quinn winks, before giving me a big hug.

When I joined Enemy Muse, Quinn was the first friend I made. She handles the band’s PR and social media accounts and is as sweet as her cotton candy hair.

“Don’t forget me,” a voice comes from behind Quinn.

I look around Quinn and see Stacy filling the doorway with her tall frame. As per usual, the woman doesn’t know how to relax and has shown up in dress slacks and a perfectly pleated red shirt that matches her lipstick. The color stands out against her dark skin and from the way she carries herself, she knows it.

“What the hell, I thought you left town already?”

Stacy props a hand on her hip. “I should have last night, but I booked a flight for tomorrow instead. Cassie said we were having a girls’ day, and after this last tour, I need it.”

“Touché.”

Between the drama with Megan releasing a sex tape of Sebastian and Cassie, and the issues with a few of the roadies, the last tour was even more eventful than I like. Everyone involved is no doubt ready for this break.

Stacy walks past me without a hug, which doesn’t offend me because I know she’s not a physically affectionate person, and I follow them all into the kitchen.

“So, what’s the plan?” I ask.

We all take stools around the large marble island and Cassie starts pulling things from a brown paper bag.

“Margaritas,” Cassie says, pulling out the mix and some limes.

“Uh—”

---