Page 103 of The Drummer's Heart

“Are you sure no one is coming back here?” she asked.

“Everyone is down at the sound check,” he said. “The coast is clear.”

Great.He’d brought a groupie here with him? I’d been lucky enough to make it through the tour thus far without walking into anything of that sort.Oh well. It was good while it lasted. I was just about to give them privacy and go to bed when Ronan shifted, allowing me a clear view of who he was talking to.

It was no groupie. It was Kenzie.

Kenzie.

“This is still risky,” she said.

He wrapped his arms around her. “I know. But I miss you, and I don’t have a lot of opportunities to be with you alone.”

Then they were kissing.

Holy shit.

Kenzie and Ronan.

Atticus’snieceand Ronan.

How long has this been going on?

She sighed. “It’s really frustrating that we have to hide like this.”

“I told you, I’m perfectly happy to tell him and deal with the aftermath,” Ronan said.

“And have him beat the crap out of you while you’re on tour? We can’t let that happen. It has to be after everything is over.”

My mouth dropped open.

“This is ridiculous,” he said. “We’re both fucking adults. We shouldn’t have to sneak around.”

“I know. But he doesn’t see me that way because I’m like his kid.”

“He’s got enough kids at the moment.”

She gasped. “That was bad.”

“I know. Look, I love the guy like a brother. And I’m scared shitless of him finding out, too. But I love you more, and I don’t want to have to hide it.”

Love?

“It’s just a few months,” she insisted. “Trust me, he’s going to need time to process. That can’t happen in the middle of a tour.”

Ronan sighed. “You’re right.”

“I know I am.”

After a few minutes, she left first, and he followed shortly after.

Their stolen moment was over, but my jaw remained on the floor. I lay down in bed, but I didn’t feel so sleepy now. How the hell was I supposed to keep this from Atticus?

***

A half hour after Kenzie and Ronan left, I heard footsteps on the bus again.

I went over to the peephole and immediately opened when I saw who it was.

---