Page 84 of The Temptation of Truth
I’m not gone yet, but I’m trapped. I’m suffocating.
And if I don’t change something soon, I’ll disappear for good.
18
MABEL
“Doyou think something is wrong with her?”
I glance up from my drum kit and into Sav’s frowning face. I could tell she was distracted during sound check. Now she’s staring backstage, but when I follow her gaze, the spot is empty. I know who she’s talking about, though. I don’t even have to guess.
“Maybe she’s homesick.” The suggestion tastes bitter on my tongue.
Two nights ago, in the back of a dark club, Aurora kissed me. My lips still tingle with the memory. It was a hungry, confident kiss. The way she touched me,clungto me, as if I was all she needed. As if she’d been waiting to kiss me her whole life. I have never been kissed like that, and I can’t get it out of my head. I can’t get the feel of her off my skin. I can’t stop analyzing every breath and caress and whimper.
I can’t stop wanting more, and I know how dangerous that is.
Not that it matters, I guess. She won’t even look at me, let alone talk to me. My schedule is usually jam-packed once shows start, but I was hoping I’d get a moment alone with her sincewe’re sharing a room. So far, I’ve had no luck. She’s been gone before I wake up and already asleep when I come to bed.
I clench my fists and breathe deeply through the guilt that’s been steadily building.
I tell myself it’s for the best. It’s safer right now. The distance is a good thing. She’s married. She’s young and obviously confused. I can’t get tangled up in that, especially not right after ending a three-year relationship.
Everything about this is wrong. The timing. The circumstance. All of it, and I don’t want to make things more difficult for either of us. She doesn’t know what she wants. She can’t.
But...
I’m no stranger to being a thrilling experiment for the bi-curious. Usually, I welcome it. I play along and have a little fun. But this thing with Aurora? This feels different. Everything about it feels different, and not just because the stakes are higher. I’d be lying to myself if I said I wasn’t drawn to her from the beginning. The attraction and interest have been there since day one, and they’re only getting stronger. If she leaves the tour because of it...
I force down the concern with a rough swallow, then clear my throat.
“How’s she been with Boss?”
“Great. Honestly, I think Brynn might actually be liking the subject, which is a miracle, but after their last session, Aurora just disappeared.” Sav purses her lips, the lines on her forehead deepening. “And she skipped family breakfast.”
I watch Sav as she puzzles through it. I know she’s running through every interaction she’s had with Aurora, analyzing every word and expression. From the look on her face, she’s not liking whatever conclusion she’s coming to. Then she finally brings her eyes to mine, and her brows are slanted with concern.
“How much has she told you about her husband?”
“Not much. Why?”
“I don’t know. You seemed irritated when I mentioned bringing him on tour. Thought you knew something.”
I shake my head. “Nope. I know what you know.”
It’s not a lie. Aurora has told me next to nothing. All I know for sure is what she told us in the dressing room. I’m starting to suspect something is wrong, though. I don’t say it out loud, but I don’t have to. I can tell Sav’s thinking the same.
She hums and looks back out into the venue. “Everything seemed to go downhill after that baby conversation. It was just...bizarre. It was bizarre, right? You think I said the wrong thing? Did I upset her?”
My lips twitch with a sad smile. “IstheSav Loveless second-guessing herself? Loud and cocksure Sav Loveless?”
She flips me off, and I laugh.
“No, Savvy. I don’t think you said the wrong thing. And I don’t think you upset her. I think...”
I trail off and drop my attention to my kit. A huge part of me wants to tell her about the kiss. About the tension that’s been mounting between Aurora and me. The chemistry. Thepull.
In any other circumstance, with any other person, Sav would be the first person I told. But right now, I just can’t do it. I can’t move past the feeling that it would be betraying Aurora. Whatever she’s going through...Well, that’s her story to tell.
