Page 114 of Starstruck
As I make my way through the trailer, I notice the only things from the list that are missing are the towels, the puppies andkittens—rightfully so, considering those were a joke—and the food.
Andher.
As soon as I think it, the door swings open, and I spin around to find Lennon frozen in the entryway.
“Shit,” she mutters, her eyes widening slightly before she forces them downward and lets her chestnut-brown hair fall in beachy waves around her to block my view of her face.
She’s wearing an old Thorned Roses T-shirt that fits her like a dress, falling about mid-thigh, with fishnet tights and black Doc Martens. If I had to guess, I’d bet her usual leather jacket is around here somewhere, too, for when it cools down later tonight.
Fuck, it’s so good to see her.
“Sorry,” is all she says as she sets the stack of towels she’s holding on the counter next to the door. Then, before I can say anything, she turns and leaves.
I shove my way past Colt and out the door after her.
“Lennon!” I call out, and her feet stop moving. I approach her hesitantly, expecting her to turn around, but instead she keeps her gaze trained forward, refusing to look at me.
Not that I blame her, but fuck if it doesn’t hurt.
Taking another cautious step closer so I can see her side profile, I ask, “Will you please look at me, Lennon?” Her back is almost touching my front, but I make sure to keep a gap between us so I don’t make her uncomfortable, no matter how much I ache to touch her right now.
She inhales sharply when she notices my proximity, and her eyes fall shut. “No.”
My shoulders drop in resignation, but I don’t move.
“What are you doing here? You’re six hours early,” she asks, her voice breathy.
I sigh. “I wanted to see you. To talk to you.”
“I’m busy.” I barely catch the way her eyes flick down to the clipboard she had hidden under the stack of towels. “Your foodwill be delivered at seven thirty. Go enjoy the show, Baxter. I have things to do.”
And with that, she walks away.
Fuck.
“BLURRY” BY PUDDLE OF MUDD
“You have some nerve showing your face around here after all that’s happened,” a voice says from behind where I stand in the VIP section watching Julien Averies perform.
Before I even look, I know who it is. When I turn around, Paige glares at me, standing at the same height as her sister with the same chestnut-brown hair. Her arms are crossed over her chest, her hip cocked as the scowl on her face grows. She’s wearing a pair of leather shorts and a T-shirt that matches the one Lennon is wearing.
From the first day I met her, Paige Holbrook—previously Thorne—has intimidated the hell out of me. I’m not the kind of guy to scare easily, but something about Paige tells me she’s all bite and no bark.
Maybe it’s because she’s a criminal defense lawyer. She has a badass reputation, and I’m sure if she wanted to, she could easily dig up some dirt on me to ruin my chances with Lennon entirely.
If I haven’t already done that on my own.
But because of her job, she’s great at reading people. From day one, she’s been weary of me. The rest of Lennon’s family was welcoming when I met them, but Paige always looked at me as if she knew I was keeping something from them. She was right about that, which only makes me fear her more.
“Paige—” I begin, but she cuts me off.
“I knew you were bad news. I tried to tell Lennon, but she refused to hear it. Ever since the accident, I’ve been walking on eggshells around her, afraid that if I say one wrong thing, she’ll snap at me. So I let it go. If only I’d tried a bit harder, maybe I could’ve opened her eyes months ago and made her see how dangerous getting involved with someone like you would be.”
I frown, opening my mouth to defend myself, but she doesn’t give me the chance.
“You broke her heart. My strong, beautiful, independent sister, who has already been through enough in her life, let alone in this past year. She was finally doing better, and now she’s walking around like a lost puppy because she fell for the wrong guy—the guy who decided it would be best if no one in our family knew hisbrotherwas responsible for the deaths of our parents.”
I grit my teeth. “I swear I never meant to hurt her…hurtanyof you. I can explain.”
