Page 33 of Dream (Fighting Fate)

He rubbed the back of his neck again. It was actually kind of cute. “We . . . well, I . . . get recognized quite a bit.”

Josh leaned in again. “He’s the lead singer.”

Wow. It was weird to think I was sitting down talking to someone who was apparently famous. “Do you like it? Being recognized?”

He shrugged. “Most of the time it’s pretty cool. You get a lot of benefits when you’re well known, but sometimes it can be a pain in the ass.”

I shook my head. He seemed pretty well grounded for someone who was supposed to be in the spotlight. “I don’t know how you do it. I mean, having your whole life open to the public like that. It sounds awful.”

The room fell quiet. I looked up to see Josh exchange a look with Dean. I didn’t know what I’d missed. I hoped I hadn’t said the wrong thing.

“Yeah, I guess it can be sometimes,” Dean said cautiously. “But most people who’re in the spotlight, choose to be there. I mean, we knew what to expect when we decided we wanted to do this for a living. It’s not that we want the attention personally, but we rely on people to love the music we make, and to get them to love it, we have to sell it—sell ourselves, really. If people don’t know who we are, they don’t know our music, and they won’t buy it. So, it’s the price you pay for success.”

I drew in a deep breath. “Well, I definitely admire you for sacrificing your privacy. It’s a huge thing to give up.” I laughed. “I’m not sure I could do it. I mean, if you were always happy then it wouldn’t be a problem—all the paparazzi would get would be photos of you being happy and smiling—but what about the days when you just feel down, or you’ve just had your heart broken, or you have a major case of PMS?” I shook my head. “It’s no wonder people flip out.”

Dean smiled at me, then glanced at Josh, a pointed look on his face. “What about you, Josh? Would you sacrifice your privacy for your art?”

I watched Josh meet Dean’s gaze, his jaw tight for some reason. “I guess so.”

Corey clapped his hands together once, drawing everyone’s attention. “Well, this is fun. Does anyone want a drink?”

I declined, choosing to sit back a bit and just observe. After a while, when things seemed to have gotten back to a careless kind of banter, I turned back to Dean. “So, do I get to hear any of your music?”

The surprise on his face was almost comical. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Josh leaned closer to me. “That’s a great idea, Liv. I have everything they’ve recorded right here on my cell phone.”

A few of the guys laughed, overhearing our conversation. Josh grabbed the remote and turned the stereo on, connecting his phone via Bluetooth. When the music started to play, Aiden and Jace groaned.

To say I was amazed was an understatement. They were incredible. I loved it. Their music was full of energy, and I thought Dean’s voice could melt stone. When the song ended, I sighed with contentment. I was definitely going to buy some of their music. “That was awesome. I can’t believe that was really you.” I shook my head. “Wow. I can see why you get recognized. I might even start following you around soon.”

A chorus of laughter erupted in the room, and Josh nudged me with his shoulder. “Are you going to dump me for the rock star?”

I looked between the two as if deciding before laughing at Josh’s worried expression. “No. I’m not so shallow that I’d choose someone just because they’re famous. You’ll do just fine.”

Josh laughed and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me into him. “That’s good to know, surfer girl. That’s very good to know.”

Chapter 22

Josh

If Olivia hadn’t proved herself to the guys with her previous statement, I didn’t think she ever would. Not that Corey or my other bodyguards believed she was acting anymore. They were mostly worried about me taking things too far with her now. Hell, I was mostly worried about me taking things too far. She seemed to do things to me that no other girl had ever done before.

As the guys all filed downstairs to the gaming room, leaving me alone with Liv and Dean, I sat back on the couch and smirked. “Olivia used to play some music for the villagers when she was in Uganda,

” I said, mostly to take my mind off my inability to be a decent human being.

Dean’s eyes sparked with suspicion, and I instantly knew he thought she was trying to get into the music industry. “Really?”

Liv shrugged, trying to appear nonplussed, although I could tell by the slight tension in her body that she was nervous. “Sure,” she said, her voice confident and steady. “Do you want me to play you a song? I assure you I’m not very good, but you don’t intimidate me.”

Her words surprised me, and I couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped out. Dean laughed too, but I could see the challenge in his eyes. He wanted to see if she’d follow through. Her heart rate picked up under my hands.

Dean stood and walked over to where his guitar was leaning against the wall. He picked it up and offered it to her. Challenge set. Shit.

I wanted to apologize. I hadn’t meant to embarrass her. But she stood and took it from him, making sure she met his gaze with a pleasant smile. Taking a seat on the stool, she positioned the guitar on her lap and let her thumb glide over the strings.

After a few strums, she looked up and smiled. “Now don’t laugh, but one of the visiting aid workers was from Texas and introduced the younger girls to Taylor Swift, so most of the time, that’s all they wanted me to play. This is the last one I learned before I left.”

I was actually impressed with how confident she looked sitting there, knowing how fast her pulse was probably racing.

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