Page 76 of Heart of a Rebel

With her flush against me, this is where the lines between being her manager and being something more start to clash. I’d love nothing more than to sayfuck it. To cancel this whole festival and drag her back into her bed. Better yet, drag her all the way back to Denver and fuck her in my sheets there. Finally doing what we should have a year ago but were too scared to.

Except, I can’t. As her boss, and the person responsible for making sure her career stays on track, I need her to walk out this door.

“One more week.” I kiss the top of her head.

She sighs. “One week.”

I’m not sure what bubbles up inside me, but the unknown of what’s happening with the band after this tour makes me suddenly anxious.

Three knocks come at the door, and before I can process the familiar sound, the door swings open behind me.

Eloise pulls away and I turn to see Sebastian standing in the doorway looking from me to her.

Fuck, I unlocked the door, but she stopped me right before I opened it. The narrowing of his eyes mixed with his smirk is a clear indicator we’re caught. And as much as I’d like to care, I don’t. Especially after what Eloise said to me last night. She’s lived with enough secrets; I don’t have any desire to be the burden of another one.

“Well, that answers that.” Sebastian steps onto the bus.

I shrug a shoulder and don’t take my eyes off him, waiting to see if he’s going to say anything else.

He doesn’t, which I appreciate.

Our friendship has always involved this mutual understanding, where even if we piss each other off, we trust each other. That fact has been tested a few times over the years due to the role I play professionally. But at the end of the day, we’re always looking out for each other. Hence why he’s never explicitly told me to stay away from his sister.

“Wait.” Eloise steps forward as Sebastian starts to turn. “You’re not going to say anything?”

Sebastian looks over his shoulder and smirks at her. “You can’t shock me, sis. You’re not the only one with those twin voodoo mind reading tricks.”

He walks off the bus, leaving Eloise standing with her mouth open staring at the door.

After a long pause, she looks to me. “You didn’t even try to deny it.”

I shrug.

“He’s going to tell the whole band.”

“Okay.”

“They’re going to tell everyone else.”

“Probably.”

She narrows her eyes at me. “And you’re okay with that?”

“Like I said.” I reach my hand out to her. “You aren’t my secret.”

Eloise looks down at my hand like it’s a sacrifice. My heart on an altar waiting to see if she’ll claim or destroy it. I’d be fine with either because from the moment I met Eloise, I always knew the fate of that particular organ was in her hands.

What I can’t explain is the reaction in my chest when she laces her fingers through mine and accepts me. When she doesn’t let go as I lead her off the bus. How she stays close and plants a hand on my arm even as the documentary crew starts rolling. Even as eyes start watching.

Looking down at her, it’s not everyone else I’m noticing though. It’s her, the moment before her sunglasses slip over her eyes.

She sees me.

The band sits through a day full of interviews. I’m not sure how they do it, still smiling through the same questions they were peppered with hours ago. Taking turns between who is on and who is checking out. Sebastian and Noah take the lead with the questions today, followed by Rome making random off-the-wall comments just to get a reaction. Eloise is forced into it every time they want thefemale perspective. Two words that draw a noticeably irritated reaction from her.

I’m just glad they’re playing nice. This press event’s only the start. We have a week to get through at this festival, and between the media and the fans, I can’t help but feel the vultures circling.

Not that I’ll let it show.

---