Page 101 of When the Storm Breaks
Was she out of her fucking mind? “Listen to me. I’m here for you. Not for the sights or the fancy hotel room. Just you.” I wanted her to hear me and understand. “If you want me there…”
“I do but—”
“No buts. Where you go, I go. Show me your world, Shiloh. That’s why I’m here.”
She smiled, the worried crease in her forehead smoothing out at my words. “Well then, you’d better hang on tight. It’s going to be a wild ride.”
* * *
And shit,she hadn’t been joking. It was crazy to witness how much went into one concert. Shiloh Leroux had an entire crew who took care of everything from the lighting to the sound to the stage set. She had a catering crew, wardrobe and makeup, a PA, her manager and tons of other people running around making sure everything ran smoothly for tonight’s performance.
Later that night, I stood backstage and I watched Shiloh perform magic. Because that was what it was. Pure fucking magic. You’d never guess she had been nervous earlier. As soon as she’d stepped onto the stage and the lights had come up, she’d transformed before my eyes. I wasn’t watching the girl I’d gotten to know in Texas. I was watching a rock star who had thousands of fans eating out of the palm of her hand as she strutted across the stage like she owned it, her voice soaring, reaching the ears of every person at this sold-out concert, her image projected from a big-ass screen so everyone could see her.
“Are you starting to get it?” Marcus asked as I stood, transfixed, listening to her voice as she sang, her voice sultry and sexy like the lyrics. “ … late night drives with his hand on my thigh and the cherry glow of his cigarette burning brighter than the midnight moon.” And I fucking hated it that she was most likely singing about the douche. I was imagining them driving around L.A. with his fucking hand on her thigh and I wanted to break his fingers for ever having dared to touch her.
I was a sick, jealous fuck.
“Get what?” I asked finally, turning to look at Marcus after the last note of the song played out.
“Do you see the transformation?” He waved his hand at the stage. He looked like your typical L.A. smooth talking slickster with his black V neck T-shirt, slicked back hair and an expensive watch on his wrist.
I saw the transformation, it was impossible not to, but I had no intention of admitting it to him.
“You had your fun in Texas. But that wasn’t her real life. This is who she is. So I suggest you disabuse yourself of the notion that she’d ever be happy to settle down in a small town with a rancher and have a bunch of kids.”
Just as I’d suspected, Marcus saw me as a threat. I glanced at his wedding band and pitied the woman who had said yes to him. He didn’t look like the type of guy to keep a woman satisfied in or out of bed. “Never crossed my mind. But I bet it scares the shit out of you, doesn’t it? I bet you lose sleep at night worrying that she’ll wake up and leave you.”
“I’m good at my job, Brody. I do whatever I can to make sure she reaches her potential. She has everything it takes to get to the top and stay there. But I think you’re missing the point. Can you honestly imagine her ever walking away from this?”
“Wasn’t aware that was ever in question. She has no intention of giving this up and I’d never expect it.”
“Huh. So where do you fit into her life?” He stroked his jaw, like he was giving this serious thought even though it was none of his goddamn business. “You’re here for what... a week? And then you’re on a plane back home? I give your relationship three months and that’s being generous.”
“Next time I want your opinion, I’ll ask for it. In the meantime, kindly get the fuck away from me so I can listen to Shiloh without having to deal with your bullshit.”
He did as I asked and put some distance between us. But my jaw was clenched so tight I couldn’t enjoy the show. I rolled out my shoulders and tried to loosen up so I could focus on Shiloh. And I tried my damnedest not to let his words get under my skin. But try as I might, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I knew there was some truth in his words. I’d have to be an idiot not to notice that we lived in different worlds.
WheredidI fit into Shiloh Leroux’s life? And how the fuck were we going to make this work?
Chapter Thirty-One
Shiloh
Three days,two cities and three sold-out concerts later, we arrived in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat for our mini-vacation. I was tired but chilled, looking forward to four days of sun and relaxation. The sky was deep blue and cloudless, the Mediterranean glittering turquoise in the sunshine. All the colors were saturated and sun-drenched, the sea air fresh, and the music piping from the speakers was summertime breezy. We’d picked up a rental car at the Nice Airport and Brody had navigated the winding curves and narrow roads along the coast with expertise.
“Jesus,” Brody said under his breath when the pink villa came into view. It was at the end of a narrow private drive that hugged the sea, tucked away behind pines and palm trees.
I had no idea why Bastian had rented a villa on the Cote d’Azur when he claimed to hate the sunshine. But that was Bastian for you. An enigma. You never knew which version of Bastian you’d get on any given day. When he was laid low, he barricaded himself inside a dark room and sometimes didn’t come out for days. When he was flying high, he was the life of the party.
Today he greeted us at the front door, barefoot and shirtless in swim trunks, and ushered us inside the red damask-papered foyer with a sweeping gesture of his hand. A black chandelier hung from the ceiling and potted palms flanked an ornately carved sideboard.
Bastian embraced me and kissed me on each cheek. He smelled like tobacco and sunscreen, his olive skin a few shades darker than the last time I’d seen him at Glastonbury. “You’ve been getting some sun. I’m so proud of you,” I teased, giving him a little slug on the shoulder. He was lean but cut, thanks to the workouts Hayden forced him to do.
He waved his hand in the air theatrically then plucked a thin brown rollie from behind his ear and lit it. Took a drag and blew smoke into the air. It smelled like black licorice. “When in the south of France.”
He turned his attention to Brody, his gaze roaming over him from head to toe, not even trying to hide the fact he was checking him out. I’d already warned Brody that Bastian might get flirtatious with him, but it didn’t mean anything. Hopefully Brody would be cool with it and not get freaked out. This was uncharted territory, not a test exactly, but Bastian was my closest friend and I really wanted them to like each other. I didn’t know how Brody would react to Bastian who had a flair for the dramatic.
I hung onto Brody’s arm and gave it a little squeeze as if he needed my support.
