Page 18 of Addicted to You
I chuckled and leaned back, my shoulders sinking into the mattress. “Not old, just ... experienced.”
She snorted and rolled onto her side to face me. “You say that like it’s supposed to make me feel better.”
I reached over to tug her closer, pulling her into a hug. “You don’t look a day over twenty-one.”
“Trying to smooth talkme, Mr. Hawthorne?”
“Is it working?”
Britt brushed her fingers across my chest, and then, without a word, she kissed me. When we broke apart, she smiled. “Yeah, and I think we’re definitely gonna need that air mattress tomorrow night.”
I laughed, tucking a strand of brown hair from her face. “I think we are.”
7
Silas
Two MonthsLater
Life had beena whirlwind since returning to LA after the holidays. Our busy schedule had started with the album drop, which included numerous interviews and industry parties. The whole thing had been exhausting but worth it becauseNeon Nightshad become an instant success just like I’d thought it would.
I’d only had so much time to celebrate, though. As soon as things had begun to calm down after the release, we’d started preparing for our tour. Rehearsals left us little time for anything else, and it had felt like I was running on caffeine andother thingsmost days. Still, I’d never complain about any of it. It was the dream the guys and I had been working toward since we were kids.
To shake off some of that stress and celebrate a little, tonight we were going out for some fun. Jesse’s younger brother Jasper had arrived earlier in the afternoon from Boston. He was a professionalchef who had agreed to join us on tour after our original catering company fell through. On top of that, Savannah Skye, an up-and-coming pop star, would also be joining us on the road. She’d recorded a duet with Malachi for our album, and the record label had insisted she go on tour with us, so they could perform “Whispers in the Night” together at all of our stops.
After rehearsal, our manager, Rina, ordered two vehicles to drive our group to The Velvet Veil, a nightclub in West Hollywood. As soon as the SUVs’ doors opened in front of the club, the flashing lights from the paparazzi’s cameras nearly blinded me. When they saw Malachi and Savannah step out of the other vehicle together, all attention turned their way. It might have been shitty of me to be relieved, but I took advantage of the paps’ distraction to slip inside the club without having to answer any questions or pose for photos. Malachi was a lot better at that crap than I was, and I was quite happy to go unnoticed.
Inside, we followed Jesse to the VIP section, where a reserved table and a bottle of premium vodka were waiting for us. Once we were all seated, Jesse poured us shots, raised his glass, and said, “To having Jasper with us on tour.”
“To Jasper,” we echoed before clinking our glasses together and tossing back the drinks.
Jesse had been looking forward to his brother joining us, and watching them interact made me think of my sister. When we’d all left Boston, I’d expected to get a call from Britt demanding an explanation about what Cash had seen that last morning. But she and I hadn’t talked since, and I was grateful Cash appeared to have kept things between us.
Our group continued drinking as the night went on, but Jesse eventually ditched us to call Olivia, who hadn’t come out with us, while Elliott led Savannah out to the dance floor. I stayed behind with Malachi and Jasper, sipping a drink and watching the crowd.
When I spotted someone I recognized in the far corner of the club, I set my glass down and stood. “A friend of mine is here. I’ll catch you both later.”
Malachi gave me a nod, but I didn’t miss the tinyflicker of judgment in his eyes that seemed to be present any time we went out lately. Sometimes it felt as though all the guys were watching me like a hawk to make sure I didn’t do anything they thought might fuck up stuff for our band. I wished they’d back off a little and realize I had everything under control.
Choosing to ignore his disapproval, I made my way through the mass of people. As I pulled out my wallet to grab some cash, my fingers brushed against the business card that I’d shoved inside. I was unsure why I’d kept it when I had zero intention of ever calling Cash. I didn’t need a sober companion trying to talk to me about something that wasn’t even a real problem.
“Hey,” I said as I slid up beside Rob at the bar.
He glanced at me and smiled. “Silas, how’s it going, man?”
“Good, but busy,” I replied, trying to keep my voice low so only he could hear, but it was hard with the booming music. “You got anything on you?”
He shrugged. “Depends on what you’re looking for.”
“Same as usual.”
He reached into his pocket, and I slipped him some money at the same time he handed over a small bag.
“Pleasure doing business with you.” He tilted his bottle in my direction.
“Thanks.” I gave him a friendly squeeze on the shoulder and headed toward the bathroom.
Since there were a couple of guys inside, I locked myself in a stall. I pulled out the bag and poured a small amount of coke onto the back of my hand. Lifting it to my nose, I inhaled, and the familiar euphoria hit right away.
