Page 78 of Starstruck
My lips curl. “Get. Out.”
“Wow,” she huffs, collecting her purse from the bartop. “You really are a dick.”
“Good riddance,” I mumble to myself as I turn my attention back to Lennon’s text.
Better now.
[33 ]
ONLY HUMAN
LENNON
“HALO” BY HALEY JAMES SCOTT
“Concert is coming up fast, eh?” my brother asks from where he stands at the barbeque.
I’m seated next to Emma at the patio set on their back deck, watching my niece and nephew in the pool while he grills us dinner.
“Sure is,” I respond over a wine cooler. “Six weeks to go. It’s crazy how fast time has flown by.”
It’s even crazier that there are only six weeks left of this arrangement with Baxter. An arrangement that, other than Paige hearing Isa’s slip in my office a few months back, my siblings still know nothing about. She never brought it up, and I’m hoping that, with any luck, it’ll end before she does.
“How are things coming along?” Emma asks.
I nod, a smile filling my face. “Good. Really good. Most of the vendors have been booked, and I approved most of the merch, so things are really coming together nicely.”
“That’s fantastic, Lens,” she replies, taking a sip of sparkling water. They just found out they’re pregnant with their third child,and I couldn’t be happier for the two of them.
“No more drama with the artists?” Dylan takes the seat across from me.
I shake my head. “Not since Lilia Love cancelled, but at least she had a valid reason—her father is having surgery that weekend. SON!C is the only one who screwed me over, and I haven’t heard a peep from them since.”
“And Baxter James?” Dylan inquires, a knowing look on his face. Paige must have said something to him. “From everything I’ve seen about the guy in the media, I would’ve thought there’d be some drama with him.”
My shoulders fall as he finishes, relieved that his comment wasn’t referring tomeand Baxter. “He’s been great, actually.”
“Who’s been great?” Paige pipes up, walking through the sliding glass door carrying a salad bowl, Trevor in tow with their drinks.
“Baxter James.” Emma shoots Paige a smirk, as if they all know something I don’t.
Paige’s eyes widen. “Oh, are we finally talking about that?”
“Talking about what?” I ask, acting like I have no idea what’s going on. I have a strong feeling they know about us, but I don’t want to put my foot in my mouth on the off chance that they’re referring to something else.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know, Lens. It’s unbecoming.”
My brows furrow. “Well, hello to you too, sis. But what the hell are you talking about?”
“Auntie Wenny said a bad wod!” comes screeching from the pool before my four-year-old nephew Isaac runs over to me, soaking everything in his path.
I can’t help the laugh that falls from my lips as he plants his wet hands on my cheeks, his bright-green eyes that match his mom’s meeting mine. “Dat’s a bad wod, Wenny.”
“I’m sorry, bug,” I reply, rolling my lips together to fight a smile. “I’ll put a quarter in the jar. Promise.” I boop him on thenose as a smile fills his face again. With a nod, he runs and jumps back into the pool.
I shake my head with a smile before looking back to my siblings and in-laws, who all stare at me with concern written on their faces. My brows pull together as I say, “Elaborate, please.”
Paige sighs. “That comment Isa made in your office back in May. I know there’s something going on between you two.”
