Page 5 of Big & Burly Rockstar

Chapter 3

Elli

I plop down on my bed and let out a long sigh, staring at the high ceiling. After signing the contract, I spent one last night in my apartment. And now I’m in my new bedroom that’s bigger than my entire apartment. I glance to my left at the wall of floor to ceiling windows giving a view of the large garden filled with fruit trees and blooming flowers.

Fear bubbles up in my stomach. I just can’t help it. After living with closed curtains for half a year, I feel entirely exposed in this airy, light-filled room.

I stand up and yank the gauzy white curtains shut. They do little to block out the light, but even so, I feel safer.

Maybe this fear is irrational. A high fence surrounds Devon’s property, and there’s a guard at the only entrance. I’m much safer here than I was in my apartment. Which is why I’m secretly glad it’s part of my contract to live here. But I’d rather cut out my own tongue than admit it to Devon.

Devon… It feels strange to think of him as just Devon. It makes him sound so normal when he’s anything but. My older sister Mel used to be obsessed with The Bayonets, which is the main reason I never liked them much. And Devon was her favorite. Petty satisfaction fills me as I picture her reaction when she finds out.

I glance at my phone, wondering whether I should call my family and tell them about my new “boyfriend”. They’d ask a million questions, I’m sure of it. And I won’t have answers to any of them. I’ll have to come up with a convincing backstory before I tell them. And Devon and I should probably do it together, so that we’re on the same page. Because once the news hits that Devon Wakefield has a girlfriend, the media will likely hound us both. The thought of journalists and fans circling like vultures, trying to find out every little detail about our private life, no matter how fake it all is, makes me feel slightly ill.

“Do you like your room?”

I spin around, heart thumping, to see Devon standing in the door frame, his broad shoulders almost filling it completely. Fear makes half-formed, disjointed thoughts and feelings crash through my mind.

“Don’t fucking creep up on me like that,” I hiss, clenching my fists to hide my shaking hands.

His full lips pull into a sneer. “Sorry, princess. Didn’t know you’re so fucking sensitive.”

I press my lips together hard, willing my heartbeat to calm down. “I just—can you knock next time?” I ask, trying my best to sound polite. I know I shouldn’t have snapped at him. Plus, my life is going to be easier if Devon and I can get along.

He lifts an eyebrow. “What’s the magic word?”

Nope. Fuck getting along. I want to scream. And then stab him with the first sharp object I can find. Instead, I settle for profanity. “Oh, fuck off.”

His eyes widen in mock outrage. “Language, princess.”

“If you don’t like the way I speak, then don’t talk to me.” I don’t know what it is about him that makes me behave like this. Usually, when someone annoys me, I clench my teeth and smile. But something about Devon Wakefield riles me up.

He lets out a low, rumbling laugh that makes my skin tingle. “I don’t think I can do that, princess. Not when annoying you is so much fun.”

“What, so you only came here to torment me?”

“No. I came to see if you were ready.”

I furrow my brow. “Ready? For what?” I ask, my mouth suddenly dry. Somehow I have a feeling I won’t much like what comes next.

Devon rolls his eyes. “For the gig.”

“What gig?”

He sighs in exasperation. “My gig, princess. We’re playing the Huffington Arena tonight.”

I blink at him. “Oh. I didn’t know.”

He stares at me wordlessly for a second. Then he snorts, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “Of course you didn’t,” he says, shaking his head. “You know you’re probably the only person in this goddamn city who didn’t know, right? There are posters fucking everywhere. Do you ever go outside?”

I jerk back from him as if he’s hit me. For a moment, bickering with him actually made me forget about all the shittiness in my life. And now it all comes rushing back, making it hard to breathe.

When I don’t reply, the amusement fades from his face and is replaced by an inquisitive look that I don’t like one bit. He opens his mouth to say something, but I cut him off.

“I don’t go out much. Not really a people person. And when I do go out, the last thing I want to look at is your ugly face.” I try to make my voice sound biting. Instead, I sound like an angry child close to bursting into tears.

Devon ignores my insult. Not really surprising, considering that even I have to admit he’s annoyingly handsome with his barrel chest, chiseled jaw covered in stubble and thick arms covered in tattoos. He watches me curiously from gorgeous, blue-green eyes. I try to school my features into a neutral expression, but I can’t keep my bottom lip from trembling ever so slightly. After what feels like an eternity, he sighs. “Get ready, princess. The driver’ll be here in twenty.”

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