The next night, the band decided to go to Pete’s after rehearsal. Well, I don’t think it was really a decision, it was more like, “See you at the bar, right? Yep, I’ll be there,” as we were finishing.
Denny pulled into the parking lot right as I was shutting off the engine of the Chevelle, and I waited for him at the back of my car. He was dressed in his work clothes, a big smile on his face as he made his way over to me. “Hey, mate, fancy meeting you here,” he told me.
I clapped him on the shoulder and asked him how his job was going. By his answer, you’d think he’d just unlocked one of the secrets of the universe. A content smile was on my face as we walked toward the front doors of Pete’s. Both of my roommates were finding their way here. I liked that. And I was thrilled Denny was happy with his new job. They say you should do what you love, and he definitely seemed to love it.
Matt, Griffin, and Evan walked in a few steps ahead of Denny and me. Like she could sense us, Kiera’s head swiveled in our direction. I was too far away to know for sure, but she seemed to inhale a deep breath, composing herself, like she was nervous to wait on us. Were the D-Bags intimidating? I really didn’t think we were. We were playful. Fun. We might tease her some, but we only teased the people we liked.
She seemed to relax when she saw that Denny was with us. He tossed her a wave, and she curled her fingers in response. Quietly to me, he said, “Is it just me, or does she look a little frightened?”
I laughed as I looked over at him. “It’s Griffin. He frightens everybody.” Almost as if on cue, Kiera’s eyes swung to Griffin and she immediately looked away, her cheeks clearly red even from a distance.
Denny and I shared a laugh as we all made our way to my favorite table. When Kiera approached us, Evan scooped her up into a hug, making her laugh. Griffin squeezed her butt while she was helpless in Evan’s arms. She shot him a nasty glare that promised physical violence, but he was already sitting at the table, out of her reach. Matt held up his hand in greeting, and I gave her a brief nod. When Evan set her down Denny immediately took his place. Denny and Kiera wrapped their arms around each other, sharing a warm, peaceful kiss.
No matter what individual fears they had, they found strength and comfort in each other. They were a team. That moved me, and I found myself continually wondering what it would be like to have something even moderately close to that.
For the first time ever, my house was consistently warm, peaceful, and happy. Kiera and I hung out during the day; Denny and I hung out at night, usually at Pete’s, so he could see Kiera for a little bit. We got right back into our easy friendship, and after a while, it didn’t even seem like he’d ever left Seattle.
Jenny commented on my good mood one evening while I watched Kiera work; Kiera was humming while she cleaned off a table, and I was pretty sure she was humming one of my songs. That made me insanely happy. “Hey, Kellan. How’s it going at your place? Everybody seems happy so far.”
I tipped back my beer before I answered her. “It’s great. We all get along really well. Denny and Kiera are…good people.” My eyes drifted back to Kiera when I said her name. Hanging out with her was surprisingly refreshing. She wasn’t melodramatic, psychotic, or using me to fulfill some rock star fantasy. I could just be me with her.
Jenny looked back at Kiera with me. Returning her eyes to mine, she narrowed them. I kept my expression even. I was just looking, no harm in that. “Yeah, she and Denny are adorable together.”
I got the feeling that she was subtly telling me to leave Kiera alone. No warnings needed. I was solidly on the Denny/Kiera team. Giving Jenny a playful smile, I told her, “Not half as adorable as you and Evan.”
She rolled her eyes at me as she glanced over at Evan sitting on the stage, flirting with a group of girls. I happened to know that he was currently in between love interests. If Jenny wanted a turn, now was the time to get in line. “Please, we’re just friends, Kellan.”
“Yeah, but I saw you two cuddling on the Fourth, and you looked awful cozy.”
She gave me a placating smile. “And I saw you with red, white, and blue what’s-her-name. Doesn’t mean anything.” She gave me a bright smile like she’d just won the argument. With a laugh, I let her.
Holding my hands up, I said, “Okay. You got me. I was just throwing it out there.” Lowering my hands, I playfully added, “But when you two end up together, just remember…I called it.”
She shook her head with an amused smile on her lips. “All right, Nostradamus, whatever you say.” I leaned back in my chair, chuckling to myself as she walked away.
Matt and Griffin were nearby, showing Sam their new tattoos. Matt’s was the Chinese symbol for determination. Griffin’s was a girl getting it on with a snake; Griff loved suggestive tattoos. Having already seen their artwork, I tuned out my friends and watched Kiera as she bounced between her tables. She had taken to waitressing easily enough, and like Denny at his job and me at mine, she seemed to enjoy it.
Kiera noticed me watching her just about the time my beer was empty. I motioned her over to get another one. “Hey. Beer?” she asked.
I nodded, loving that she could anticipate my needs now. “Yeah, thanks, Kiera.”
Her eyes flicked behind me a couple of times, and I would almost bet money that she was wishing Griffin would put his clothes back on. As she tucked a loose strand of dark hair behind her ear, her face suddenly flushed with color and she wouldn’t meet my eyes. She usually only turned that shade when I was teasing her, but I hadn’t said anything, so she must be thinking of something that she found embarrassing. Curiosity drove me to find out what it was.
“What?” I asked, already amused.
“Do you have one?” She pointed over at Griffin.
I looked back at him. He was flexing his arm for a group of fans. They squealed as they touched him. “Tattoo?” I asked, turning back around. Shaking my head, I told her, “No, I can’t think of anything I’d want permanently etched on my skin.” Wondering if she had any markings hidden anywhere, I smiled and asked, “You?”
She seemed a little flustered as she answered. “Nope…virgin skin here.” Apparently, she hadn’t meant to say that, for she turned bright red. I had to laugh at the unhappy expression on her face as she muttered, “I’ll be right back with your beer…”
She sped away from me like a bullet from a gun. Shaking my head, I kept chuckling. I wasn’t sure why she was so easily embarrassed; there was certainly nothing about her or her personality that needed to feel that way, but watching the inner struggle was amusing. And yet, at the same time, I hoped that she felt comfortable and confident in her own skin one day. She should feel that way. She was wonderful.
While I watched, Denny burst through the doors, nearly colliding with her. He grabbed her shoulders, his face alight with what could only be good news. Kiera smiled, obviously happy to see him and eager to hear his news. Then her face fell. I frowned, wondering what was going on. Denny shrugged as he said something to her, and her mouth dropped open like he’d slugged her in the gut. I wished I was closer and could hear what they were saying, but I knew the conversation was none of my business, so I stayed put.
Kiera looked upset while she rattled something off to Denny. Denny looked confused while he explained something to her. Then she suddenly exclaimed, “What?” People throughout the bar started turning to look at the couple, who were obviously starting to argue. I stood from my chair, concerned. Denny and Kiera didn’t argue. Ever. Or if they did, it certainly wasn’t in a public place like this.
Denny looked around at the curious eyes, grabbed Kiera’s arm, and pulled her outside. I took a step, wanting to follow, but this had nothing to do with me. I couldn’t intrude. I had a really bad feeling though.
Keeping my eyes on the doors, I walked to the bar to get a beer. While I sipped on it, I stared at the doors and willed Denny and Kiera to come back through them their normal, happy, all-is-right-with-the-world selves. I sort of had the feeling that they were breaking up, and it filled me with dread. What would happen to our makeshift family if they split? Why the hell would Denny break up with her anyway? She was warm, sweet, funny, real…beautiful. She was as close to perfect as a girl could get.
When the doors finally reopened, Kiera was alone. I didn’t take that as a good sign. She was trying to put on a brave face, that much I could tell, but when she swiped her fingers under her eyes, I knew she was on the verge of failing. Something was wrong.
Frowning, I walked over to her. “Are you okay?”
Her eyes were red and shimmering as she avoided eye contact and looked over my shoulder. She’d been crying, and she was about to do it again. “Yep.”
It didn’t take a genius to see she was lying. “Kiera…” Talk to me.
I put a hand on her arm, hoping she’d open up. She raised her eyes to mine, and the floodgates released. I immediately pulled her into my arms. Protectiveness surged through me as I held her tight to my chest. How dare Denny hurt her! Even as I thought that, I knew I couldn’t judge what I didn’t understand, so I did my best to push that feeling aside. Resting my cheek against her head, I rubbed her back, soothing her as best I could while she sobbed. People around us stared, but I didn’t care. She needed me, and I was going to be there for her.
I was mildly surprised at how natural holding her felt. She fit into my body perfectly, like we’d been molded for each other. And comforting her was stirring things inside me. Besides wanting to protect her, save her, something else was growing…friendship, or maybe something even deeper than that. I wasn’t sure. All I knew was I didn’t want to let go.
I wasn’t sure how long we stood there embracing, but eventually Sam came up to me. I knew what he was going to say before he even said it. The band was on, it was time to go play. I shook my head at him, warning him to give me a minute. Kiera peeked up at me, disrupting our contact. She was mostly under control now, just a few sad tears escaping that she swiped from her cheeks. “I’m fine. Thank you. Go, go be a rock star.”
Concerned, I asked, “Are you sure? These guys can wait a few more minutes.” If you need me, I’m here for you.
She smiled, touched by my offer even as she rejected it. “No, really, I’m fine. I should get back to work anyway. I missed getting you your beer again.”
I didn’t want to, but I released her. With a chuckle, I told her, “Next time.”
I rubbed her arm, wishing she was as fine as she was pretending to be, cursing the fact that I had to leave her to go onstage, and wondering why the silkiness of her skin made my heart beat faster.
Shaking that irrelevant thought aside, I let her get back to work. Maybe she’d feel okay enough after the show to open up to me. I really hoped so. I wanted her to talk to me, wanted her to trust me. I would never do anything to hurt or betray her, and I wanted her to see that. She meant a lot to me.