I was the lead singer and he’d been the only one in our little group that had picked up the slack with vocals more often than not.
An uncomfortable silence settled over all of us before Trevor averted his eyes from me to Ang.
“Hey, Ang,” he said softly, then pulled her into a tight hug.
I expected her to flinch, to default into what was comfortable, but instead she returned his hug and pulled away only to wink and say. “Someone finally married you, huh?”
He barked out a laugh. “Yeah, apparently I’m not, wait what did you use to call me? Allergic to commitment? A hater of love?”
“I believe I told you that you were going to die alone too,” Ang said thoughtfully.
Zane burst out laughing behind her.
“Hey, man.” Trevor shook his hand. “When you gonna leave your label and come over to The Dark Side with me and Ty?”
Their label was literally called The Dark Side because of all of the alternative music they produced.
Zane shrugged. “Yeah well, my agent’s kind of an asshole when it comes to shitting where I sleep so…” His grin widened. “Sounds like a fun idea and easy way to send good ol’ Will into an early grave, I’m in!’
I groaned. “You’re not in, you’re… wait I thought you wanted to stop touring for a few?”
Zane just shrugged. “I think I could be convinced if I had the right… opening act or maybe even a double headlining tour.” That was all he said before he walked off and started talking with Alec.
“That look on his face.” Ty finally spoke up. “That’s the look of trouble, he had that same look when he set my pants on fire.”
“First of all,” Trevor said, “your pants were already on fire, he was trying to put the fire out.” He coughed into his hand. “Second, it’s Zane ‘Saint’ Andrews, you can’t really say no to the guy when he asks.”
“Don’t I know it,” I grumbled.
Andrew crossed his arms behind Ty, his gaze solely on Ang, but he still wasn’t speaking.
“So…” Ty sniffed. “Looks like you’re repping pretty much every big name in the business.” I felt Ang recoil next to me. “Including the incredible comeback from the one and only Angelica Greene.” He said the words like he meant them. Ang smiled softly, as a pink bloom spread across her cheeks. I suddenly wanted to take her away, from the crowd, from all of it. From the past that she was doing a damn good job of facing.
“Comeback?” Andrew finally piped up. “Is that what we’re calling it?”
Ang flinched while Trevor rolled his eyes and looked heavenward like Andrew had pushed him past his limits before filming even began for them.
“Yes.” Ang spoke in a stern tone, “Then again, who knows, Will’s probably going to steal the whole show.”
“From what I hear, Will’s not naked near as much as you are. So, I highly doubt it.” Andrew said in a cool tone his eyes raking over her body with such raw sexuality that I wanted to punch him in the face.
Even Ty looked uncomfortable and nothing really made the guy react.
“It was good seeing you guys.” I said, pulling Ang closer to my chest.
“Dinner,” Andrew blurted. “I mean if this is a reunion, shouldn’t we all… reunite?”
I was torn between wanting to show him that he had little to no effect on us and wanting to hide Ang away from it all.
Instead, she pushed away from me and took a step toward him, and then side stepped him completely and walked off by herself.
I held my breath.
She didn’t puke, just went into her trailer and shut the door.
“Well this is fun.” Trevor blew out a long drawn out breath. “Andrew, can you try not to be an ass? Just once?”
“No.” His jaw clenched, “Not in my nature.”
“You’re telling me,” I said under my breath.
“Aw, did I offend the great Will Sutherland? You know what? I call bullshit on all of this.” He licked his lips and scowled, then walked off.
I nodded in his direction. “He always like that now?”
“Ever since…” Ty started to say then stopped talking.
“The band broke up?” I offered.
“Actually,” Ty shifted on his feet and looked down at the sand, “I was going to say ever since you guys did.”
“Me?”
“You were best friends,” Was all Ty said before Trevor changed the subject moving into family territory and Instagram photos of his kids. It was thirty minutes later when I went in search of Ang, and found her alone in her trailer.
Crying.
I DIDN’T WANT him to get to me.
But he did.
The way he leered at me like I was naked.
Even with Will standing right there.
And all the shame, all the mistakes, all the touches he’d given me, things he’d whispered in my ear, the so-called brushes of his hand, kisses to my neck.
My stomach lurched.
It took everything in me to walk past him.
To smell that same cologne floating off his skin.
And all the things that came with it.
Drugs.
Partying.
Waking up in his hotel sheets that night, knowing that I only had myself to blame, and that I may as well embrace that side of me since Will was gone, since he wasn’t coming back.
The trailer door jerked open.
He took one look at me, scooped me up into his arms, and held me on the couch, playing with my hair while his kisses dried up my tears.
His lips moved across my cheeks, my chin, his mouth was so warm, comforting, sexy, I turned into him, inhaling his shirt while he rested his chin against my head.
“Thank you.” I pressed my head against his naked chest. “I just… needed a minute, looking at him is one thing, hearing him speak…” I shuddered. “And then the way he was watching me.”
“He always wanted you,” Will stated in a flat tone. “Every teenage guy on the planet wanted you… I think that’s what started it. The fact that you and I just clicked, the fact that you immediately put him in this friend zone that I only encouraged because I knew he admired you… liked you.”
I peeked up at Will, his brown eyes focused in on me with laser like intensity. “I only wanted you.”
He dragged another kiss across my lips, then another, until I was flat on my back on the couch, until I was moving my hands to his still wet jeans, until his movements were just as frantic as mine as we removed every last layer of clothing separating us.
My body ached for him.
Only him.
It always had.
It always would.
He kissed the palm of my hand, his eyes never leaving mine as my body fit around his, he rolled against me, into me. With every stroke my body cried out.
He rose above me again as a shudder of desire rippled between us, the way he filled me was explosive, like my body wasn’t sure how to react, how to deal.
Our lips met.
But we didn’t kiss.
We just existed.
And when his body melted against mine, when the very last throb of tension snapped between us, he said my name like a prayer, releasing it into the universe as if his only wish was me.
We lay like that, skin against skin, for another few minutes before Will finally got up and then ran a hand over his face like he was contemplating something really serious.