Page 42 of Addicted to You
I felt the color drain from my face when I saw Donnie Pierce in line.
Elliott looked at me. “You didn’t invite him, did you?”
I shook my head. “I haven’t talked to him in a while and definitely didn’t expect to see him tonight.”
“Do you want us to ask him to leave?” Jesse asked.
“Nah. There’s no reason to cause a scene in front of the fans,” I replied. “If he causes any problems later, we can get security involved.”
Cash leaned in close to me and whispered, “You good?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Someone I used to buy drugs from is here. I didn’t know he was coming, but it should be fine.”
“Okay, if you need anything, just tell me.”
“I will.”
While in rehab, I’d wondered what it would be like to see someone from that part of my life again. I’d feared I would immediately slip into old habits, so I was slightly relieved when I wasn’t tempted to make a deal and do a line.
Maybe this recovery thing was going to work.
16
CASH
Malachi’sraspy voice filled the venue as he gripped the mic stand and belted out “Gravity Pull.” The energy from the crowd was off the charts as people sang and danced in front of their seats. Britt had a bright smile on her face, her eyes locked on Silas as he pounded the drums at the back of the stage. His freshly dyed bleach-blond hair was damp with sweat, his arms moving with the beat. He looked good and focused. Healthy. That was the most important thing.
I reached for Britt’s waist and pulled her toward me to dance. She barely reacted, her body stiff. I tried again, swaying against her, but she stepped forward, just enough to make it clear she wasn’t into it.
Letting my hands drop, I tried to brush off what felt like a rejection. Maybe she was just caught up in the show. She had been excited about seeing Silas perform again, making a big deal about how lucky it was she had the night off and could come while the band was in town. But it was weird. In Toronto, she’d danced with me, laughing and smiling when I pulled her close. She had even kissed me in the middle of theconcert just because. Now, it felt as though she wanted nothing to do with me.
She turned slightly. “Silas is killing it.”
“Yeah, he is.” I meant it. He was completely in the zone. He didn’t look like someone barely out of rehab. He looked like the rock star he was.
Britt didn’t say anything else. She kept watching, moving her hips a little to the song, but not in a way that invited me to join her.
After a few more songs, I leaned in, pressing my lips to the side of her neck while Malachi sang “Whispers in the Night,” expecting Britt to react with a little shiver and then turn her head so I could kiss her like she had the last time we heard the song. Instead, she pulled away again, her motion barely noticeable, but enough for me to feel it. My stomach tightened.
I let out a small breath, watching her as she kept her focus on the stage. “You okay?”
“Yep.” She didn’t look at me, just nodded.
The crowd roared as Malachi hyped them up and Jesse ripped into a guitar solo that had people losing their minds. Britt clapped, cheering along with them like everything was fine.
Maybe it was.
But that feeling—that tiny, nagging thing at the back of my mind—didn’t go away. It was still there the next morning, when I headed out of town with the band.
The hotel roomin New York City was as nice as I had expected. It had big windows and stylish furniture, and was the kind of place that screamed money. Silas barely reacted, just tossed his duffel onto one of the beds like the lavish room didn’t faze him. I guess he was used to it with his rock star lifestyle.
I dropped my bag by the bed closest to the bathroom and rolled my shoulders. “At least they didn’t stick us in a shoebox.”
Silas smirked. “That’s not how Surrenderrolls. At least not anymore. During our first tour when we were the opening act, the hotels weren’t as nice.” He flopped onto his chosen bed and stretched out. “Guess I should get used to this, huh? You and me, rooming together.”
“Yep.”
He turned his head and smirked. “Never had a roommate on tour before.”
