Page 67 of The Drummer

He gave her a fuckingkey!

A cold sick feeling sinks through me.

God, I’m such an idiot.

“What, so she has a key now?” I blurt out.

Their intimate smiles for each other fade as they direct their attention to me.

“She’s here all the time anyway. I gave her the guest room,” Luke says in a casual tone that makes me want to throw things.

She’slivinghere now?!

I can’t believe how stupid I’ve been! All this time, he’s pushing me toward her and she’s flirting back and…

Was it all in my head? Some twisted game? What exactly is happening right now?

She lowers her bag to the floor and takes a seat across from me. Her gaze brushes mine before scanning the containers. So glad I was able to provide a lunch date for the two of them.

“It’s more convenient, that’s all,” she explains in a further gut-punch.

Convenient? Convenient forwhat?There are very few things that require immediate access to a hotel room. None of them are things that aren’t tearing at my stomach.

But it’s not them I’m mad at. It’s myself. For being so naïve and ridiculous. I barely know Callie. Just because I warned her about falling for Luke at breakfast a week ago, doesn’t mean I own the playbook to their lives.

They’re adults. Free to make their own choices.

And mistakes.

I’ve been watching Luke steal every person in the room since we first started playing together, including my own sister. Just because I finally convinced myself this time would be different doesn’t mean it is.

She loves him. Of course she does. That’s her choice.

But this changes everything.

My feelings for Callie aside, I don’t think I can stick around to watch Luke destroy another sweet, trusting, beautiful person.

I just… can’t.

I’ll get what I need to keep working on the song, then leave them to their nightmare fairytale.

“Did you bring your laptop?” I ask Callie. My tone is colder than I intended but I don’t know how to fake this.

She shoots a look at me but quickly averts her gaze. Guess she knows I’m onto them.

“Got it,” she says.

“Okay, good.”

“Heard you working on something. Sounded pretty good,” Luke says in an attempt to lighten the mood. I almost bark a bitter laugh at the irony. So he’s going to keep the peace now?

Whatever. I’m over it.

“Yeah. Got a call from TJ today…”

Luke’s expression fills with understanding, and I’m just glad I don’t have to explain more, because I don’t feel like discussing anything right now.

“I’m surprised they weren’t on your case sooner.”

---