Page 33 of Heart of a Rebel

“We can’t do this.” She shifts her shoulders back a fraction. But even if her tone is harsh, there’s something crackling just beneath the surface of her hardened expression.

“And what exactly isthis?”

She might want to talk around the subject, but I’m not doing it. If she wants to draw some kind of line between us, that’s fine, but she’s going to have to say it.

“It was different there.”

“In LA?”

Eloise nods, but I don’t miss that it also makes her flinch. “There was a lot going on between signing the record deal and… everything else. We got caught up in the moment.”

“Did we?” I take a step closer to her because she can say that all she wants, but there’s no way I believe it.

What happened in LA started well before that. Somewhere between meeting Eloise and seeing her at my house every day, things changed. The road we were on was inevitable, and now she’s trying to cover her tracks thinking I won’t notice.

“I get you’ve accepted the job with the band, and I’m happy about that, but don’t make this personal.”

“Personal.” I laugh because I’m not sure what the fuck else she thinks this could be. “If it’s not personal, then how do you explain the kiss?”

“A mistake.” The words come out so fast I can’t deny them.

She doesn’t even blink as she stands there looking at me. Not a pull of regret in her tone.

“And now it’s done.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “Like you said, the band comes first. This will just get messy. It’s better if we just leave it as it was and move on. For the band.”

“Come on.” I step closer. “Don’t do this.”

I reach out to her, but she pulls her arm away and panic floods her face, catching me off guard. Was I that blind to everything? Was I making this all up in my head? Because I thought she wanted me as much as I wanted her, but all of a sudden it looks a lot different in this nearly empty house.

Eloise holds her arms tight over her chest and rubs them with her hands like she’s protecting herself from something.

From me?

I take a step back.

She has to know I’d never do anything to hurt her, and if kissing her crossed a line that makes her think otherwise, then I’ve made a bigger mistake than I originally thought.

“I—” Raking my hands over my hair, I step back further. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have.”

“Adrian.” My name is almost a plea, but I’m not sure why, she’s made it clear. We were friends, and I fucked it up in so many ways.

“I understand,” I say, holding my arms at my sides and feeling like the world around me might as well be slipping away.

The same overwhelming feeling I had when Sam died floods me. The same as when my father was sick, and I couldn’t be there for him. I’ve misread something with Eloise and left her alone in whatever it is that’s causing this reaction. And I can’t do it again.

“It’s not…” But she doesn’t finish her thought, either because she doesn’t want to hurt me, or she can’t. “We need to keep this professional for the band.”

The band. Fuck, what have I done?

“I can step aside,” I say, but Eloise closes in on me at that statement, stepping right in my space.

“No.” She shakes her head. “The guys need you.Ineed you.”

Her hand lifts like she’s about to reach out, but she stops herself.

“It’s just better if we don’t…” She drops her chin. “It would get messy.”

I nod, knowing she’s right. I knew this all along and still acted on it anyway like a reckless fool. I work for the band now, getting involved with her has the potential to end in a real fucking mess.

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