Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 86706 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86706 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Because I knew in my heart that everything had just gotten a whole lot more complicated.
CHAPTER 17
TRISTAN
After we returned to the tour, Emily went to her bus, and I went to mine to face the fire of my bandmates.
“So, like, what does this mean?” our interim keyboardist, Melvin, asked. “You’re not getting the surgery, so it’s just gonna keep getting worse?”
“Not necessarily. I’m trying to manage it—resting my voice when I don’t have to use it. So all this talking right now isn’t really helping me.”
“Why not just get the damn surgery?” Atticus challenged.
I didn’t want to admit I was scared. But that was the truth. “There are risks to that, and I need to do more research. I’m seeing my doctor when I get to L.A.”
Atticus shook his head. “I don’t understand why you haven’t talked to me about this before.”
“He talked to me,” Ronan added.
Atticus glared at him. “That makes it ten times fucking worse,” he spewed. “You open up to him about this and not me?”
“I just didn’t want to alarm you. Ronan confronted me about it. That’s the only reason I told him. I couldn’t lie once he asked me a direct question.”
“I notice everything while you guys have your heads stuck in your asses.” Ronan raised his chin at me. “I also noticed Tristan getting out of a car today with Emily, though he’s trying to convince me nothing is going on there. Might explain where he’s been for the past day.”
Atticus’s eyes widened. “Emily the hot roadie?”
That comment irked me to no end. He’d better not have any freaking ideas about her. I’d kill him if he so much as thought about making a move on Emily.
“Yes. That Emily. But there’s nothing going on,” I lied.
Atticus flashed me a suspicious look. “You were with her the entire time you were gone?”
It made no sense to deny where I’d been, though I wouldn’t be telling them anything else—more for Emily’s privacy than my own.
“She grew up an hour away from here. I went to her house to get away from the tour for a while,” I explained. “She knew I’d canceled and offered me a safe place to decompress.”
“She knew you canceled the show before we did?” Ronan frowned.
“So what? She doesn’t have a vested interest in anything. I felt comfortable talking to her about what was going on. She and I are cool like that.”
Atticus shook his head. “You expect me to believe there’s nothing going on between you and her?”
“I expect you to realize that it’s none of your freaking business what I do.”
“Well, no wonder you haven’t been interested in anything lately besides retreating to your room after the show. Probably jerking it to thoughts of Emily,” he chided.
I shook my head. “I need to be done talking now. I have to rest my voice.”
No one argued with that as I headed past them to my bedroom in the back. Lying on the bed, I closed my eyes and vowed not to speak until we got to the next city.
I still couldn’t believe what happened with Emily, the way she’d made the first move. Today shouldn’t ever be repeated, but I couldn’t possibly regret one of the best and hottest moments of my life. Who would’ve thought less was more? Holding back like I had, limiting myself to only pleasuring her, was one of the most erotic things I’d ever experienced.
And right now? I was so damn hard, I thought I might explode. It was a miracle I hadn’t escaped to her bathroom and fucked my hand. But now I couldn’t concentrate on anything else; all I wanted to do was taste her again. It had taken everything in me not to lower my mouth to her sweet pussy, but she’d given me more than I could’ve imagined to begin with.
Tonight I’d fantasize about what it would’ve been like to have more, to fuck her the way I wanted to. I’d already decided I shouldn’t go there, though. Having sex with someone like Emily—someone I truly cared for—felt too intimate. It would mean something to me. And I couldn’t afford to get feelings involved when I knew things would end as soon as the tour was over.
The bus lurched forward and began to move as we started toward the next city.
Having to endure the ride without getting to see or touch Emily would be torture. I wouldn’t have minded exploring Shady Hills with her for days. Exploring her for days. Not sure her mother would appreciate my hanging around, though. How long could we keep her believing there was nothing going on? Pretty sure she knew better already.
I decided to call Emily’s cell.
She picked up after a few rings. “Hey.”
“Just checking in with you.”
“I’m glad you did. How did it go talking to the guys?”