Page 47 of Pretty Little Rocker

“Never mind,” she snipped, her wild hair hitting me in the face as she walked past the desk. Fuck, she smelled good. “Maddie!”

“What are you yelling about?” her friend demanded, coming out of an office down the hall. “Jesus Christ. I was on a phone call with Annabelle and a client in Nashville. Now I’m all flustered because I had to rush off…”

She trailed off when her eyes found me. After she stopped in her tracks, I saw her throat work a few times, but then she gave me a beaming smile. “Ky! It’s so good to see you again. It feels like forever. When’s the last time we saw you, Christmas? I was so excited when I saw your name come up. Mom and I immediately got busy on your contracts. I’ve been working nonstop on your social media plans. You’re going to love them!”

Walking around Hayat, I opened my arms. Without hesitation, Maddie stepped forward. Pushing herself up onto her tiptoes, she kissed my cheek right beside the corner of my mouth and then hugged me hard.

“How have you been?” I asked, ignoring the kiss as I leaned back enough to look down at her face. Her blond hair was pulled into a high ponytail. Dressed in jeans and a simple top, she wasn’t trying to draw attention to her body, but there was no hiding how beautiful she was. My brother was an idiot for fucking things up with Maddie. She had a lot to offer. Not just looks, but she had a brain, work ethic, and she came from a great family. Holden didn’t know how to hold on to the good things in life, always thinking there was something better waiting for him out there.

“I’m good,” she murmured, using her thumb to wipe away what must have been a smear of lipstick on my skin that she’d left behind. “Better than good, actually. Oh! Did you get the pictures of Avalyn from her preschool graduation? She received so many awards. Including the most helpful citizen badge…” She bunched her brows together in thought. “Or something like that. Anyway, Mom and Dad were so proud. We took like a million pictures. God, I can’t believe how fast she’s growing up. It seems like yesterday she was…born.”

Not wanting her to dwell on the past, I filled the silence that had descended on us. “I got the pictures and added them all to the photo album that I have reserved just for her. Soon, I’m going to have to start a new one with all the pictures you and Trinity send me. She’s beautiful. Looks just like her mom. All I can say is that I’m glad she takes more after the Dawsons than our side of the family.”

Her smile was bittersweet. “Small miracles. She’s an angel. Maybe a little bit of a diva, but that’s because everyone spoils her, including you. That doll you gave her for her last birthday is still her favorite. She carries it everywhere. Kylie is what she called the thing, after her bestest friend, Ky. Mom and Dad are taking her on tour with them over the summer, but I’m not doing anything for the Fourth. How about you join—”

Several clearing throats had us both turning before she could finish her question, my arm still around Maddie’s shoulders. Sparks and Jamie shared a weird look before glancing at Hayat and then at me. I felt a new tension in the air, and my gaze went straight to our girl. She stood there with her eyes rapidly flickering from me to Maddie, the slightest frown squeezing her brows together. I couldn’t read what she was thinking, which wasn’t new. Since Jamie had brought her home Saturday, she’d been closing herself off more and more with me.

Letting me touch her. Kiss her. Fuck her. But cuddles were reserved for Jamie and Sparks. Sweet giggles, sexy laughs, soft, loving touches, lingering kisses, those were for our two other bandmates. With each passing day—fuck, each hour—I could feel her slipping further away from me emotionally.

I’d fucked up badly by letting my hot temper get the best of me. But I was trying, damn it. If she would just give me half a chance, I wouldn’t mess up again.

Maddie moved from under my arm, her hand already extended to Sparks and then Jamie. They each shook her hand, although they were quick brushes of their fingers over hers before they were each throwing an arm around Hayat.

Maddie gave her friend a frown before standing straighter, falling back into work mode. “Right. Well, I have everything set up in one of the conference rooms. My office is about as big as a shoebox, so there is no way all five of us will fit in there. Plus, I have a PowerPoint I want to show you.”

Turning, Maddie led the way. I walked beside her, half listening to her ramble about the social media plan she had for Autumn’s Slumber. Glancing over my shoulder, I watched as Hayat cuddled more into Jamie since Sparks was holding our bag, but they both had their arms around her. Jamie kissed the top of her head, murmuring something too quietly for me to hear while shooting me a scowl.

Not knowing what new fuckup I was responsible for, I paused outside the conference room Maddie showed us to. While the little blonde went inside, I waited for my bandmates. “What?” I asked, my eyes glued to Hayat’s face.

“Nothing,” she muttered, looking at something over my shoulder. I was only two inches taller than she was, so there wasn’t much she could have seen since I was mostly blocking the doorway. “Looks like I was worried for nothing. You and Maddie get along great. Actually, you two make a beautiful couple. Maybe if you’d been around more back then, Avalyn would have been yours and not Holden’s.” She gave a scratchy laugh, a sound that made my stomach knot up. There was no humor in it. Only suppressed…anger? Pain? “And maybe Maddie wouldn’t have gone through everything else.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” I whispered, lowering my head so she had no choice but to see my face. “First, you were upset that I used to be a Renchford. Now, you’re acting all weird because she and I are friends?”

Hayat cocked her head to the side, her eyes glowing with something I couldn’t name. “Friends. Okay, sure. I wonder how you’d feel if I hugged my guy friends the way you just hugged her? If I allowed them to kiss me?”

“The fuck you say!” Sparks and Jamie snarled at the same time.

I was confused and pissed off because I didn’t understand what the fuck was going on. What had I done wrong? “How was I hugging her? And that was an innocent kiss. She always does that when we see each other.” I’d never thought about it, because there was nothing between us except for our connections to Avalyn.

“Everything okay, guys?” Maddie called from behind me, still across the room. I could hear her shuffling papers around.

“Be right there,” Hayat assured her. “Just a quick band meeting, Mads.”

“Babe—” I started, but she cut me off.

“No, this is not the place. But let me ask you this, Ky.” She folded her arms around her middle, the walls she’d slammed up lowering for only half a second to let me see how hurt she was before they were raised again. “You three got jealous of me talking to the guards downstairs. Talking. There wasn’t any physical contact, but all three of you went all caveman. Then you expect me not to feel anything when one of you hugs and allows another girl to kiss you? Not just a simple peck on the cheek, but practically on the mouth. And that wasn’t just a friendly hug. You were practically absorbing her into your body.”

She snorted, shaking her head in annoyance. “I shouldn’t even be feeling this shit right now. Especially over you. But once you turn on an emotion, it’s damned hard to turn it off again. Whatever. I’m glad you and Maddie have a good relationship despite all the shit the Renchfords put her through. I can sleep a little easier at night now, knowing she won’t fall back into the darkness your brother shoved her into.”

“Wait,” I choked out, not sure if I should be elated she was upset about this or scared out of my fucking mind. I’d thought she would be glad that Maddie and her family were close with me. “You’re jealous?”

Silver filtered through her eyes before they turned back to that beautiful aquamarine. “Nope. Not anymore. I already learned one lesson from you. I’m not about to be taught another.”

Too stunned to figure out how to make my voice work, I watched helplessly as she turned to Sparks. “I would appreciate it if you sat in on this meeting with Ky and Maddie. I’m not currently in a healthy frame of mind to pay attention. Ask her to email me everything, but I’m sure it will all be straightforward.”

She grabbed Jamie’s wrist and tugged, still speaking only to Sparks. “I’m going to go introduce this guy to Uncle Shane. If you want, I’ll do the same with you and my other uncles later. You’re going to love Drake.”

Brushing past me, she took a few steps into the conference room. “Hey, Mads. Jamie and I have something really important I need to handle. But Ky and Sparks are going to be here. I’ll see you later, okay?”

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