Page 28 of Stuck with a Billionaire Rockstar

Julia looks down toward the rest of the tour group, then brings her attention back to me and shrugs. “I think I saw everything I needed to. Let’s head back to the resort.”

I let her thread her fingers through mine and bask in the electricity that shoots through me at the contact. Ever since we started this thing, I’ve gotten used to the sensations she brings out in me and have realized I don’t want them to go away.

The sensations take me back to my ex, who I dated in high school before Raising Havoc got famous. We were one of those couples that everyone voted most likely to stay together or get married, and I had never been more proud of something before than I was about that. She was the love of my life, and I was more than prepared to spend every waking moment with her.

It wasn’t until I got famous that everything changed. The woman I grew up loving was no longer that same person – she had become money-hungry. Every day was something new; constantly held her hand out as soon as we woke up and claimed she needed a certain dress for an event coming up. Instead of being able to enjoy our mornings together as we had done before, it turned into something I didn’t want to wake up to any longer.

The betrayal shattered me.

If I can’t trust the person who knew me as a teenager not to use me or treat me like a human ATM, how in the world can I trust anyone? No matter how down-to-earth Julia seems, what if being in the spotlight changes her just as it did my ex?

***

When we step into the resort lobby, Julia tugs her hand out of mine and hikes a thumb toward the elevator. “I’m going to grab my things from your room, then head back to my suite.”

I frown and tilt my head. “Is there a reason? I thought you were going to stay in my room for the rest of the trip?”

She nibbles on her bottom lip and shakes her head, eyes darting around the room to make sure no one is paying attention to us. “This is supposed to be a girls trip, you know? I don’t think it would be right if I spent it holed up in a guy's room, especially when that guy is my best friend’s brother.”

“So, things are better between the two of you?”

Julia shrugs. “Not really sure, to be honest, but I should at least try apologizing for how I acted and mend things before she ignores me the rest of our time here.” The elevator dings, and she steps away from me, eyes cast down to the ground as guests slip out of the opened doors and walk around us. “I’ll see you later though, yeah?”

“Sure, yeah.”

I watch her walk away and then disappear into the elevator before I finally turn and head toward the pool. There’s a pretty bartender pouring drinks and she winks at me when I lean against the counter, her eyes raking appreciatively over my form, but I don’t pay her any mind. If it were when I first got here, I might have flirted a bit, but now that I’ve been spending all my time with Julia, it doesn’t seem as fun.

It feels as though I’d be cheating on her.

“You look like you need good company,” she says, her voice lowering as she leans forward to show off her assets hidden beneath her shirt. “I could help you with that.” To most people, she could be offering me her bartender services, but I can tell by the needy swirl in her eyes that she means something else.

“That would be great,” I say, watching as her gaze brightens, and I point to the whiskey over her shoulder. “Just whiskey, over rocks, sweetie.” I’ve learned one thing from bartenders if they are hoping for a little more action at the end of the night, and that’s to never call them sweetie. Most of the older men at the clubs the guys and I would hole up in would call the bartenders that, so I know that’s the easiest way to get this woman off my back.

She huffs in annoyance and rolls her eyes but plasters a smile on her face to hide the frustration. “Sure thing.” While she pours my drink, I take a moment to look around the pool and study the people milling around with friends of their own. Mallory is lounging in one of the chairs nearby, a guy sitting next to her and talking at what looks like a mile a minute, and she rolls her eyes before darting up with her eyes narrowed at her screen.

She snaps her attention up, scouring the crowd for someone in particular, until her gaze lands on me, and that’s when she rises from her chair without bothering to say anything to the stranger next to her. I thank the bartender for my drink, then take a slow sip as Mallory comes stomping over to me with her phone clutched tightly in her hand.

“Hey, sis,” I say with a small smile when she stops in front of me.

“Don’t sis me,” she says through clenched teeth before shoving her phone in front of my face. “What the hell is this?”

I let my eyes adjust to the screen, and my mouth parts in surprise. It’s a picture of me and Julia, kissing, that someone must’ve taken without our knowledge. Briefly, I glance at the top of the image that’s been posted to Instagram and notice that the people who posted it was St. George Botanical Garden themselves and they tagged me in it.

Shit.

Julia said she didn’t want Mallory to find out, but how can I possibly lie my way through this? It’s right there for the entire world to see, and I’m sure everyone is going to have a field day with the news.

“Mal,” I say slowly while handing her phone back. “Maybe you should talk to Julia and let her explain everything.”

Mallory shakes her head and places her hands on her hips. “What is it you plan to do, Brent, huh? Let me guess, you’re using her to help your stupid image?” She threads her fingers through her hair and tugs at the strands. “God, do you have any idea what you’re doing to her? She’s not cut out for your lifestyle, Brent!”

Now, it’s my turn to narrow my eyes at her. “And what makes you so sure of that?”

She chuckles. “Have you bothered to see her lately? She barely talks to a guy, let alone being able to handle all the attention that comes with being with you. Julia doesn’t need it, and I’m damn sure she doesn’t want it.”

I shake my head and frown but decide to keep my lips sealed on the truth of everything. “I suggest you talk to her about everything else.” Before I walk away from her, with my whiskey in hand, I smile and say, “Clearly, you don’t know your best friend as well as you thought she did. She’s more than you make her out to be, Mal.”

With that, I leave my sister to gather my words and walk down the trail that leads to the beach. I’ll admit it – I’m a coward. I don’t want to be anywhere near them two when they go at it over this situation.

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