Page 106 of The Drummer's Heart

“Who cares?” Emily held her hand out again. “Let me see…”

Kenzie reluctantly handed over the camera.

I leaned over Emily’s shoulder to see the photos in the viewfinder. Every single one of them was of Ronan. Mostlycandids. Nothing X-rated or anything, which made me relieved for her. There were some of him practicing, strumming on his guitar when he didn’t seem to notice he was being photographed, and many closeups of his handsome face. When I looked over at Kenzie, her face was beet red. I knewexactlywhat was going on, and it seemed Emily now suspected something too, based on the smirk on her face.

“You seem to have a favorite,” Emily teased.

I smothered a grin.

Kenzie cleared her throat. “No, I was only messing around. Those aren’t even photos we’re gonna use.”

“My point exactly,” Emily said. “They were for your own entertainment. Why are you embarrassed to have a crush? Ronan is hot, even if he’s a bit nuts.”

“Don’t read into it. I don’t have a crush on him.” Kenzie grabbed the camera and nearly dropped it. “Anyway…I have to go get back to work.”

She exited the bus faster than a bat out of hell.

Emily and I looked at each other.

Emily cringed. “I feel bad now. I didn’t mean to embarrass her, but she totally has a thing for Ronan.” She laughed. “Which is horrible for her, because Atticus would kill him if he touched his niece.”

“Yeah…” I muttered, feeling ready to explode.

“And knowing that, Ronan wouldnevertouch Kenzie,” she added.

You’d be surprised.

“So she’s probably out of luck, even if she’s super pretty. I could see Ronan liking her, if things were different. How old is she again?”

“Twenty-four, I think?” I gulped.

“Okay, so a decade younger than Ronan. That wouldn’t be bad, I guess. Less of an age gap than Tristan and me. Anyway, Lord knows I’ve seen Ronan date all ages.”

“It’s not the age,” I said. “It’s the principle of the matter. Atticus is like a father to her, and Ronan is his best friend. So that would be awkward.”

“That’s true. But it’s a long tour. She’s gorgeous. And if she has the hots for him…” Emily shrugged. “Anything can happen, I guess.”

I felt like the truth was ready to explode out of me.

“What’s that look?”

“What look?” I felt myself burning up.

She squinted. “You look like you know something...”

I cleared my throat. “What makes you say that?”

“Nicole, what the fuck is going on?”

Crap!

I let out the air I’d been holding. “You have to promise not to say anything.”

She nodded eagerly. “Okay…”

“I saw them together earlier. Ronan and Kenzie. They didn’t know I was in the back bedroom when they snuck onto the bus to be together for a few minutes while everyone was at sound check.”

She covered her mouth. “Holy crap.”

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