”Yeah.”
“Good.” Tom clapped him on the shoulder. “It’s about time. Don’t worry about the meet-and-greet; I’ll take care of everything.”
With a deep breath, Reid made his way over to Jess. He couldn’t worry about the possibility of Chloe rejecting him. He couldn’t worry about the possibility of losing them both. It was time to man up. It was time to finally do the right thing.
It was late afternoon when Reid climbed the steps onto the tour bus the next day. His body sagged with fatigue, and while his heart felt heavy, there was a lightness he hadn’t felt in months. As much as he hated hurting Jess, he had only been prolonging the inevitable by staying with her.
With a sigh, he rounded the corner by the stairs before stopping dead in his tracks. A slow smile spread across his face and warmth bloomed in his chest with a feeling he wasn’t allowed to feel until now. It made him want to act on the thoughts he’d had about Chloe over the last few months. But it was more than desire. She was more than desire. Right then, however, she looked completely absurd and that made him happier than he could have imagined.
Seated at the table with her legs crossed, she bobbed her head to the music playing on her iPod as she scribbled in her notebook. A pile of Starburst wrappers littered the table. It was a scene he’d witnessed many times during the first leg of their tour. However, this time, there was a new addition. On the table beside her elbow sat a headless Yoda with Starbursts spilling out of the opening like brains. The longer he stared, the more he wanted to laugh. When she plucked another candy from the jar, he couldn’t hold back.
Moving in front of her, he tugged her earbud free. “Are the bags of candy you keep stashed all over the bus no longer enough? You need the jar too?”
Chloe ducked her head in embarrassment and wrapped her arm around the jar, pulling it against her chest. “I didn’t want to leave Yoda behind. He might get lonely. I don’t know.” She shrugged, balancing the top of Yoda’s head that served as a lid on the mound of Starbursts. “Maybe he can be our official mascot.”
Reid nodded thoughtfully and eased into the seat across from her. “I like it. There are worse things than tiny green Jedi Masters.”
Chloe opened her mouth then paused, her brows furrowing as she looked from the entrance to Reid. “Where’s Jess?”
Reid released a heavy exhale. “She’s not coming.”
“Why?”
“Not now,” Reid said, watching as Greer and Drew filed onto the bus.
Chloe looked from the guys to Reid. “Okay,” she whispered.
A flutter of nervousness caused his already exhausted body to sink lower in his seat. He needed sleep. He wanted a clear head when he talked to Chloe about . . . everything. Leaning forward, he tapped her knee. “I’m going to rest a little bit before we get to San Francisco, but can we talk later tonight?”
Chloe stiffened. “I don’t know if that’s the best idea.”
Reid shook his head. “Chloe, there are some things I need to get off my chest, and I’d rather not have an audience. Please?”
Chloe eyed him cautiously. “The last time you started a conversation like this you told me you went on a cocaine binge. From your appearance, I can’t help but wonder if we’re going to have the same conversation again.”
“No. No binges. I swear.”
Chloe grabbed her pen. “Okay,” she whispered before returning her attention back to her notebook. Realizing she was done talking, Reid stood from the table and grabbed his bag. After a quick hello to the other band members, he disappeared into the room at the back of the bus and didn’t move until they arrived in San Francisco.
The sun had set by the time they reached the hotel. Reid grabbed his bag and opened the bedroom door, loud laughter echoing inside the bus as he walked into the open area. As soon as he got a look at everyone, he froze.
“What the hell?” he mumbled, his bag slipping from his grasp.
Chloe’s eyes widened and she clapped a hand over her mouth to hold back her laughter. “Greer did it!” she blurted out.
Reid’s confusion turned to amusement as he realized they were all smashed. He walked next to Chloe and pulled the Yoda lid off her head. “Chloe, are you drunk?”
She shook her head no. “So drunk.”
Placing the lid on the table, Reid grabbed the empty mason jar beside it and sniffed. His eyes watered and he coughed as he set the jar down quickly. “Is that rubbing alcohol?”
“Close,” Inky grimaced. “It’s white lightning. Firewater. Hooch.”
“Who’s got the hooch?” Chloe sang, falling into Inky’s side, laughing.
Reid glanced at Tom whose eyes were glassy, his cheeks red. “You too?” Reid asked in surprise.
Tom shrugged. “We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.”