Page 70 of Rocked By the Alpha
“But you’re just as talented as her. You don’t need the band to be a success.”
“I do,” she says, feeling the wet tears start to trail down her cheeks. “I do need them. She’s my best friend. She’s been my best friend forever.”
“Then you’ll work this out. Let her calm down.”
“I lied to her, West. I lied to her all this time. And she’s so angry with me. I don’t think we can put this right.”
He steps towards her, reaching out to take her elbow. She swipes his hand away but he won’t let go, wrestling her towards him. She resists, struggling against his chest, but then his warm arms wrap around her body and she relaxes into his hold, all her anger seeping away.
“It’s going to be okay, Ruby,” he says, rubbing circles over her back.
“I don’t know, I don’t think it is.”
Chapter 21
He doesn’t know what to do to help her. He’s no good at this stuff. Not like Ash or Hunter who seem to know what to do in a crisis. He can whip up a smile, make people laugh, but none of that seems to be helping her right now.
She smiles weakly when he tries but then she’s back to pacing, wringing her hands and occasionally kicking things. She takes a call from her other band mate Tanya and from other members of her management team but none of them sound good. Her voice is strained, occasionally she snaps something or starts sobbing all over again.
He wants to tell the lot of them to go to hell and leave his Omega the fuck alone. He has enough money and contacts, and she has enough talent that he could set her up on her own solo project tomorrow. But she’ll never accept that from him. Ruby’s too much of a fighter. She wouldn’t want anything handed on a plate to her.
By the evening, she’s no calmer and when she receives a message on her phone, she loses it all together, flinging the device across the room and throwing her head back to scream.
“What?” he says, perching on the arm of the sofa.
“My mom!”
“Your mom?” he says confused.
“I forgot I’m meant to be flying out there tomorrow for this stupid fucking anniversary dinner.” She leans against the kitchen counter, dragging her hands down her face. “That is literally the last thing I need right now.”
“Then don’t go,” he says. He walks over to the drinks cabinet and pours her out a large tumbler of whisky, and one for him, adding chunks of ice to each of the glasses. He places one next to her arm. “Here, drink this, Omega.” He nudges it towards her and she snatches it in her hand and throws back the whole thing in one gulp. Her hair is a tangle about her head, several strands of hair stuck to her wet cheeks and black trails of mascara running from her eyes.
“I can’t. I have to go. It took a long time to fix things with my mom and dad and things are … fragile between us.” She stares into her empty glass, rotating it in her hands.
“I don’t think you should go,” he says again. “You’re not in the right state of mind for it.”
She peers up at him. She looks exhausted. He wants to pick her up and take her to the nest room and snuggle her up in the soft blankets while he purrs softly to her. But he suspects that will only irritate the hell out of her right now. Instead, he strokes his knuckles down the side of her arm, making her shiver.
“I have to go.”
“I’ll come with you then.” He says the words before he’s had a chance to consider it properly but as soon as he’s said them, he knows it’s the right thing to do. She needs him. He has to be there for her.
She shakes her head. “I’ll go alone. These dinner of theirs are,” she pulls a face, “not your thing. Trust me.”
He lifts her chin, the usual grin stretching across his face. “I’m very good at charming parents, Ruby.”
“Hmmm, you haven’t met mine.”
“They won’t be pleased you’re dating a multimillionaire rock star?”
That hint of a smile returns to her face and it warms his insides. “Rock’n’roll isn’t really their thing. Let’s just say they weren’t happy when their only daughter dropped classical music and became a rock star. Actually, they were furious. It’s why I left home.”
His whole body shakes with laughter. When he finally catches his breath, he asks her, “Are you kidding me? You were a classical musician? How did you go from classical protege to rock goddess?”
She laughs herself; finally. “I rebelled.”
“Against them?”
