Page 20 of Loved By The Bad Boy

My feet decide this is the best time to stop working. There’s only a step between us. When he angles forward, my breath catches in my throat. I need to snap out of this and leave. He picked Olivia over me. The one time I needed my boyfriend to be on my side, he chose his female friend.

“Tessa,” a male voice screams from outside. Calum. He brushes past Ben and squashes me in a hug. I’m grateful for his presence. Maybe that’s why I hug him so tight. “Someone missed me.”

“Maybe,” I murmur against his chest.

We separate, but his arm rests on my shoulder. Ben is gone. Kicking the door shut with his foot, Calum leads us to the basement. Sam is drumming.Two. Two. One.Imani sways slightly to the beat while Mira sings into the mute microphone. Mira’s eyes snap open when a folded bill lands on her face. She glares at Calum and squats to pick up the money. It’s a ten-dollar note. He stretches out his hand for the money. But without missing a beat, she slips it into her pocket. Smart girl.

“You guys are late,” Imani says to Ben and Calum. They shrug. Handsome assholes.

Sam beats the drum. Mira joins him at the back. There’s a microphone beside her drum. I’ve never watched a band rehearsal. Dumping his backpack on the floor, Calum grabs the microphone.

“Hey there, sexy,” Calum teases. I blush, and he winks.

Sam rolls his eyes. Ben seethes from across the room, hands shoved into his pockets. What’s his problem? Imani saunters toward Ben, and they engage in a hush conversation. Minutes later, he brings out his phone to snap. Right, we are supposed to capture the behind-the-scene moments.

I watch Calum sing through my phone. The camera doesn’t do as much justice to his face, but I’m here to record these moments, not enjoy them. His singing voice differs from his regular voice, so soft and raspy that I want to close my eyes and live in the moment. My hands shake each time I move to the rhythm. I take a few pictures, hoping Ben is doing a better job than me.

Mira harmonizes with Calum. Sam only drums. I grin from ear to ear, no idea why. But that joy of being a part of something pumps through my chest. Sam beats the drum for the last time. Mira continues but with lesser intensity. Calum’s voice falls, Mira’s fades, and he ends the song alone.

Clapping from opposite me makes my grin wider. I click some more pictures and pocket my phone to join Imani clapping. She’s all smiles as she bounces over to my side. “How did they do?”

I jut both hands in two thumbs up. “Perfecto.” Ben snorts. Our eyes meet. I smile. I don’t know why, but he returns it with a bigger one that knocks out my breath. Imani taps me. “It’s great.”

“Right?” Imani hugs me briefly. Mira runs around the drum to hug and kiss her. “You did good.”

How to make Mira blush. Step one: Have Imani compliment her. No, no. Have Imani exist.

“Tessa?” Mira asks.

“Great,” I supply. “Awesome. Are we done for the day?”

“Yeah. We would do more songs, but Lucas isn’t here.” Mira smiles as she adds, “The idiot.”

We share a laugh. The girls are united. I look over Mira’s shoulder. The boys are… the boys. Ben leans against the wall, a foot extended and both hands in his pockets. Sam is seated by his drum. Calum is in front of the microphone stand. When he catches my eyes, he offers me a smile.

“Alright, everyone. Gather round,” Imani commands.

The boys cross over to us. But that Sam boy stays behind. No one bats an eyelid at his behavior. Calum draws closer, his arm sliding around my shoulders. I try to shrug it off, but he stares down at me with a pout. A defeated sigh escapes me, and he solidifies my irritation by ruffling my hair.

“You should stop touching her,” Ben says.

We gather in a circle, but he stands opposite me, watching. I don’t want him fighting my battles, but I appreciate he noticed my discomfort. Calum is annoying, but you have to get used to it.

“What’s it to you?” Calum challenges.

“Everything,” Ben replies.

“Oh, yeah?”

Calum’s voice holds mischief. I turn my head in warning, but he drops a chaste kiss on my lips. I redden. My palm goes over my lips. It happened so fast I didn’t feel it. I wouldn’t count it as a kiss. But Ben doesn’t think so. As Calum straightens up to gloat, he punches him hard. Fuck.

Someone screams as Calum spits out blood. Mira. Her face has lost color. Imani holds her close. I dart a frantic look at Sam. He doesn’t even raise his head. Is he for real? The boys are on the floor, all limbs, as they try to get the best of each other. Ben is on top and seems to be winning.

I have to do something.

“Stop it,” I scream. No one listens. “Do you hear me? Both of you, stop it. Right now!”

Ben swings his hand back, aiming for Calum’s cheek with a right hook.

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