“Hell yes,” Greer answered, his brows drawing together as he looked around. “Where the fuck is Reid?”
Tom cleared his throat and averted his eyes. “He’ll be here soon. Now, everyone get ready. See you in an hour.” Without another word, Tom turned and left.
“Something’s going on,” Drew whispered, moving behind Chloe and Greer.
“You think he fell off the wagon?” Greer asked, his brow arched quizzically.
Chloe’s stomach dropped. Her heart hammered inside her chest. Surely he hadn’t felt so guilty about kissing her that he’d do something so stupid. Her eyes darted around the room, looking for some sort of proof that Greer’s question was completely off base.
“Nah, man,” Drew said, his eyes flicking on Chloe. “I’m sure he’s just in one of his super emo moods. I wouldn’t worry about it. Let’s get our shit ready.” Greer opened his mouth to speak but snapped it shut when Drew gave him a pointed stare.
“You guys realize I can see everything you’re not saying, right?” Chloe asked, finding her voice.
Drew rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry, Chloe. I’m just not sure how much Reid would appreciate certain aspects of his life being discussed in the open.”
Chloe nodded, not bothering to let them know just how much she knew. Like Drew said, Reid probably wouldn’t appreciate his life being discussed in the open. “No problem. I’m going to get changed. I’ll see you guys in a bit.”
Chloe took off toward their bus, freezing when a hand wrapped around her bicep. “Are you okay?” Greer whispered, looking over his shoulder. Chloe turned, her brows drawn.
“Yeah. I’m just tired. And I’m a little bummed about this part of the tour being over.” Chloe shrugged and gave him a small smile. “I guess I’m having my own super emo moment today.”
Greer stared at her, his eyes clouded with suspicion. “If you say so. You know you can talk to me if you need to, right? No matter what,” he added, his meaning clear.
“You’ll be sorry you said that when I call you at two in the morning crying over something ridiculously girlie.” Chloe giggled when Greer’s face twisted with disgust.
“If you call me at two in the morning, it better be for one of two things: you’re dying . . . or a booty call.”
Chloe laughed and smacked his shoulder. “You’re terrible! What if I was in jail?”
Greer rubbed his chin. “Depends.”
“On what?”
“On if there’s a booty call happening once I bail you out.”
Chloe rolled her eyes and pushed on his shoulder again before turning away. “Keep dreaming,” she called over her shoulder with a laugh.
“While it’s nice to have your permission, I would have done so anyway,” Greer yelled, walking backward.
Chloe could only cover her face and laugh as she stumbled to the bus. Taking a deep breath, she climbed the stairs and peeked around the corner. Her heart sank when she realized it was empty. Reid was really going to avoid her until the last second possible. For the first time since he’d left her room, Chloe felt a bubble of anger being to swell. Anger at Reid and anger at herself. Above all else, he was her friend, and at the moment, she felt like she’d lost him. What if he decided to use Valerie for the second leg of the tour? The option had been left open in her contract. What would that mean for the contacts he’d made for her in LA? Frustrated and confused, Chloe walked to her bunk and pulled down her things. She took extra time doing her makeup and hair. She wanted to look pretty, confident, like a girl who wasn’t feeling more and more heartbroken by the second.
Chloe tightened her grip on her violin and walked the narrow path to the side of the stage. Drew and Greer were already on stage, Reid was the only one missing. Chloe froze and her breath stilled when she suddenly heard his voice.
“I can’t wait to see you, too. I’ve missed you so much,” he said, his voice low, sad.
Chloe’s eyes stung and her chin trembled as she moved into the shadows. She didn’t want to eavesdrop, but other than walking past him, she had little choice. Every couple of seconds he would pace into view, his phone pressed to his ear.
“Sometimes I wonder how different things would have been if I’d never left. If I would have stayed in Memphis.”
Chloe sank her teeth into her lip until the metal of her lip ring cut into her skin. How could he even think something like that? He loved being a musician. He would have been miserable had he stayed in Memphis. At least, that was what he led her to believe. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe Chloe didn’t know Reid as well as she thought.
“I know. I know. Okay, I need to go. I’ll see you in a couple of days. I love you.”