Page 69 of Reckless
All I wanted was to sing, to pursue my passion, but I supposed every passion had its side effects, and having to do things like radio interviews was one of mine. Being forced to talk about myself to people I didn’t know and having each word dissected and talked about without me present was a special kind of hell.
No one really cared about your well-being. Particularly if you were having a hard time. They just wanted toknowall about it, probably to make them feel better about their own lives.
It was safe to say I’d become cynical and jaded, all the markers of a professional rock star.
Just another thing my mother would be proud of.
Bryan paused in front of the door to his room. “I can barely keep track of where we are anymore, never mind who we’re meeting with. Just think of it as the last one, and all will be good.”
I rubbed my hands together. “I wonder what they’ll get from the interview this time to make the gossip rags go mad.”
Ben shrugged. “Hopefully, we’ll get a sane DJ this time. This tour has been eventful enough, it might be best if we fizzle out on the gossip front rather than go out with a bang. I honestly don’t think Ron’s heart could take it. He’s aged about fifty years in the last couple months.”
“What time is this interview?” I called over my shoulder as I key carded my door and took a step inside.
Locked eyes with Kelly.
“There is no interview,” came from behind me.
When I swiveled my head to ask them what was going on, thinking I must be seeing things, they’d both disappeared into their rooms.
“Chickens,” said the vision in front of me. Sparkling blue eyes blinked at me from a face framed in dark waves. A face I’d missed.
A face I’d left behind…again.
“Hi,” Kelly said, her sexy mouth curving upward tentatively. Her head tilted, and she swayed, drawing my attention to the red-flowered sundress that hung to just above her knees. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Are you really here?” I stepped closer, reached out to run my finger over the soft skin of her cheek. “I’m…glad you’re here.”
Her cheeks stained an adorable pink color. “So am I.”
Now that she was here, I couldn’t keep myself away from her. I needed to hold her. Feel her.
When I held out my arms, I let out a slow breath of relief when she slid willingly into them. I held her against my chest, feeling like I’d just been anchored back to earth after floating around in outer space for months, and realized just now how much I’d been spinning out of control. I breathed in and inhaled her scent, cherry blossoms and honey. For a long moment, it didn’t matter what had happened between us—just that having her so close felt like home.
“What are you doing in San Francisco?” I asked when she pulled back and studied me.
“I came to see you. Why else would I be here?” She smiled up at me, showing her perfect teeth. But something was off. Kelly never could tell a lie.
I narrowed my eyes at her, and hers widened. “Someone put you up to this.” God, I was an idiot. Ron probably bribed her to come up here to wrangle me into place. Or…“Oh, my god. Andy had something to do with this?” I stepped back, letting the chasm between us fall back into place. “Please tell me you aren’t here to babysit me. Because I’m doing fine, thank you very much.”
“I’m not here for that. Andy did call me, but I wanted to—”
I cursed, hissing the word between my teeth. “Knowing Babs, she probably finagled you to promise that you’d look after me, and now you’re here to make good. Well, you don’t need to absolve guilt here. You don’t have anything to feel guilty about, not this time.”
Kelly gasped.
Shit, what was wrong with me? I’d missed her so much, then when she’s standing in my room, I say the one thing that can hurt her the most.
Kelly stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest, her blue gaze burning into me. “Andy may have called, but I came here because I wanted to see you.”
“I…” She was being sincere. Even I could see it. I plunged my fingers into my hair and twisted the too long locks. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m being a fuck. This is just so unexpected.”
“If it was a mistake coming, I can go. I shouldn’t have come without warning you. Especially after…the way we left things.”
The thought of her walking out, of not having whatever time I could snatch with her, made my heart flip into high gear. “I’m sorry about how I left. It’s no excuse, but I was an emotional wreck.”
And I’msomuch better now. Right.
