Page 85 of Bitter Beats

“Yeah.” Levi grins. Then he glances at me. “Yep, Nova and Ivy flew in for the show. It’s like a college reunion. My sister is fucking giddy, and Kenny looked pretty psyched too.”

“Nice. Mckenna didn’t tell me,” I admit.

“You’re not her keeper, bro,” Levi claps back.

I smack the back of his head.

I’m glad Mckenna’s friends are here. I know how isolating things have been for her. It will be good for her to ring in the new year with her girl group. It will be fun for all of them to watch the show and have a few nights out dancing and laughing.

My brother chucks a can of beer at my head. Since I’ve known him for years, my reflexes kick in, and I catch it with one hand. “Now you don’t have to worry about her or mope around, feeling guilty for shit. She’s probably having a better time hanging with her crew anyway.”

“Yeah,” I agree, snorting. But his words scrape against the walls of my chest. Is Mckenna having a better time with her friends than with me?

What the hell went wrong? How did things between us deteriorate so quickly? I thought we were clicking again.We were on even ground. We were…friends.

I crack open the beer and take a swig. Next to me, Levi pops the tab on his Coke and takes a long pull.

I swear, my relationship with Mckenna is giving me emotional whiplash. Is it fake or real? Are we off or on? Is it for the moment or the long term?

I can’t fucking keep up, and I’m trying my best to make her feel comfortable. To show her that she can trust me. To prove that I’m capable of being whatever she needs—a friend, a person to confide in, a guy who will look out for her. Why won’t she give me a damn inch?

“Are you guys ready?” Derek asks as he barrels into the room. “I want to check out the space, see the stage, and run through a few things before tomorrow’s rehearsal.”

“Absolutely,” Jameson agrees, setting down his beer.

I take another pull of mine before discarding it on the coffee table. “Let’s do it.”

We roll out of the suite and head to the venue.

I text Mckenna.

Me: Hey! Heading to the venue. You good?

I don’t know what I expect her to say. Maybe that she’s settling in. Or she’s hanging with her friends, shopping, or booking pedicures. Or even that she’s crashing a happy hour.

But I don’t expect her silence.

That she says nothing at all is a slap in the face.

Something isn’t off; something is wrong.

Our crew meetsfor a fancy dinner at a trendy sushi restaurant that night. Saké flows, huge platters of sashimi and specialty maki rolls line the center of the table, and the energy is high.

Even Mckenna is in better spirits.

She looks beautiful, dressed in an emerald-green dress that dips low in the front and ends mid-thigh. Sexy stiletto heels, a rhinestone clutch, and a fresh blow-out made me do a double take when I first laid eyes on her.

I still can’t stop staring.

“Y’all are adorable,” her friend Nova gushes, grinning at me.

Allegra laughs, looking at Nova. “Do you remember you and West back in college?”

“Heart eyes,” Ivy agrees, nodding enthusiastically.

Nova’s man, West Crawford, is a running back for the Knoxville Coyotes. He’s always been a good, upstanding guy. Right now, he’s at home in Tennessee, hanging with his baby girl Stella and his brother-in-law, while gearing up for his next game.

I frown, recalling a time when he and Nova were on the outs. How the hell did West swoop in and convince Nova to give him a second chance? I glance at Nova’s beaming face. At least West was successful. Maybe I should dial him up and take notes.

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