Page 13 of Hard Ride

Someonehadbeen following her.

Or…maybe… She should stop being so damn paranoid.Van’s overprotective nature was rubbing off on her.The gift could be from him.

Maybe he simply didn’t know how to approach her after they’d been so intimate yet resolved exactly nothing regarding their relationship, which had all the same challenges it had before they’d given in to temptation.Plus a few more their impetuous liaison had caused.

She crouched down, plucked the card from the flowers, and tore it open.All the while, she kept her head up, staying observant, just in case.When she glanced down at the card, her hand shook bad enough that she dropped it.It fluttered to the ground in a spastic semblance of a spiral that did nothing to ease the disquiet building in her gut.

Her instincts had been right.She hadn’t been alone in the alley.

And it hadn’t been Van offering her a sweet olive branch.

Time to get out of there.Pronto.

With one final look around, she got to her feet, prepared to race for the bus, or the backdoor of the stadium.Calculating which was closer, she paused.

When her phone buzzed in her pocket, Kyra nearly shrieked.

She clutched her chest and whipped her head from side to side, equally relieved to see there was still no one lurking around the corner and no one there to witness her overreacting.As the only female member of the band, the very last thing she needed was for them to think she couldn’t handle herself.

Kyra jammed her hand into the pocket of her romper and withdrew her phone.She patted the pocketknife next to it, too.

Her anxiety dissipated further when she tapped the screen and a picture of Mr.Prickles flashed onto it.He was nibbling on a miniature sign made out of cardboard.She figured Ollie had “helped” the hedgehog writeOllie told me he’s sorry.Please forgive him.

Her instantaneous grin faded when she realized it was she who probably owed him an apology, or at least some truth that he wasn’t liable to enjoy hearing.That was scarier than some random fan leaving her presents.She chided herself for being afraid of lovely flowers, a balloon, and a note.Even if it was from a guy who kind of creeped her out even with Van around, never mind when she thought of bumping into him in an empty alley.

However, she didn’t go back to collect the gifts and neither did she dally as she headed directly for the bus.At least she could be alone there to think and have a moment to recover in peace.Okay, in solitude.Because if Van saw her now, he’d notice something was off.

The absolute last thing she wanted to do was tell him what had happened.Most likely she was jumping at her own shadow.Especially since she’d let him inside her, he was going to be even more controlling than before and she didn’t want him to view her that way—as some helpless charge he was responsible for sheltering.

That’s how they’d gotten in this mess in the first place.

Still, she wasn’t taking any chances.

Running through her options, Kyra settled on the one that seemed the most harmless.Maybe because of Ollie’s message, which reminded her there were people who cared for her outside of the band for the first time in a long time.She drew out her phone and dialed Hot Rides.Someone there would stay on the phone with her until she made it safely back to the bus even if they didn’t realize they were chaperoning her.

It rang once.Twice.

Then someone picked up.Please let it be Devra.Or Wren.Or any of the guys except…

Ollie said, “Hot Rides, how can I help you?”

The universe hated her.

“Hello?”he asked.

Kyra debated hanging up, but a crash from the dumpster behind her made her think twice.Had her overzealous fan been hiding out in the trash?Would he be pissed that she’d spurned his gifts?She hastened her steps, nearly jogging now.“Hey, Ollie.”

“Kyra?”He sounded like the air whooshed out of his lungs, similar to how she felt, though probably for different reasons.Worse, she couldn’t even say she’d tried to talk to him after getting his message since she’d called the shop line instead of his personal phone.

Her guts knotted, unused to so much turmoil at once.

“Um, yeah.Hey.Hi.”How was she going to explain why she didn’t have the right words at the moment to beg his forgiveness for storming out on their kiss and fill him in on how things were going?When had everything gotten so damn complicated?

“Are you okay?I can hardly hear you.”Ollie sounded like he was moving then, maybe closing the door between the office and the shop.

Kyra cleared her throat and tried to act like everything was fine, but it was impossible.Everything was definitelynotfine.Not in her personal life and maybe not even on a more basic level.Though she hadn’t intended to be so honest, she heard herself say, “I think so.But, I’m not entirely sure.Would you stay on the phone with me for a couple minutes?”

“Of course.What’s wrong?”He seemed to go on high alert.“This isn’t about my text is it?Hopefully, it didn’t make Van pissed at you or something.”

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