Page 3 of Heartbeat Girl

I scrunched up my nose as I looked toward the door again.Pete and Steve.I should have known they’d be lurking nearby. Wherever Liam went, they followed. Together they were the wildly popular rock band, The Oppressors. Like Liam, they were heavily tattooed and pierced, and loved picking on me until embarrassment forced me to run away.

Steve, with his obnoxiously bright and charming smile, walked over and draped his arm around me. I tensed. Hunching over, he came close to my neck and inhaled. Something he did, they all did, a lot. Like damn dogs, they always had their nose up in the air, breathing in the fumes. It was weird.

“Mm. Sweet,as always,”he said, rolling his eyes.

What a fucking weirdo!

As always?

Liam said those same words to Ruth.

Although Liam referred to Ruth’s beauty, Steve referred to my smell. My cheeks flamed. Equally embarrassed and irritated, I felt like the butt of a joke. I wasn’t drop dead gorgeous like Ruth, but was I so unattractive they could only compliment my smell?Um, no.I was as cute as a button and it fucking sucked when I wanted to feel sexy every once in a blue moon.

As I sidestepped away from Steve, Liam yanked his collar, dragging him from me. Liam's jaw tightened as he stared at Steve. Since I rarely gave them the opportunity to be in my presence, I didn’t see Liam angry much.Unlessone of his bandmates touched me. Then a dark glint settled in his eyes.Butwhen they teased me? He didn’t care, so maybe I imagined the boogeyman look on his face.

Like a kid, Steve started waving as Liam held him by the collar.Mischief. They were pure trouble.

“Keep your distance,” Liam told Steve before looking me in the eye. “Jayne’s skittish and a runner, remember?” When Liam winked, I bit the inside of my jaw to keep from frowning, but I probably still gave him the stink eye. Because I knew my damn cheeks were red from how hot they were.

Hah. So I ran when they were near? Big deal. Nothing wrong about getting away from people that drained your energy. And those three? They sucked me dry. My hands got all clammy and shaky, too.

“Leave my PA alone.” Ruth piped in as she stood.

I rushed forward and started helping the makeup artist clean up her things.Anythingto avoid a conversation with The Oppressors. Since Ruth had been touring with them for the last few months, it hadn’t been easy avoiding them. But where there’s a will, there’s a way. And I had plenty of motivation to keep away.

“You ready, SoulGoddess?” Steve asked.

“Liam.”

There was a warning in Ruth’s tone, and I couldn’t help but look back and wished I hadn’t. My breath caught in my chest as I met Liam’s intense stare. Chills swept over me. For our eyes to have met, he must have already been looking at me. His attention was so intense it disturbed me. When he glanced at Ruth, I exhaled and resumed helping the makeup artist.

“You worry too much,” Liam’s smooth voice replied.

“Off limits.”

At Ruth’s cold words, I desperately wanted to peek at the band again. I didn’t, though.

What were they talking about? What didn’t I know? And why did it irritate me so much that Ruth had secrets with the band?

“But will you always be here?” From the corner of my eye, I watched Liam arch a brow at Ruth. Something about what Liam said made Pete and Steve cackle. Ruth frowned and Liam added, “Relax.”

“Go on. I’ll be behind you,” Ruth told them.

As if knowing I was watching, three unnerving gazes slid over me. They always seemed in sync. All three nodded simultaneously before leaving. Whenever they left a room, they nodded. It made me uncomfortable because they always directed it at me. Or I could be one of those girls that thought everything was about me when it wasn’t.

Overthinking. Overthinking. Overthinking.

I did that a lot lately, especially with Ruth. Ruth and the band. Things were being left unsaid.

Outcast.

Sometimes I felt so isolated my lungs wanted to choke on the air I needed to breathe.

Once the fellows left, I asked Ruth, “What were you guys talking about?”

She dismissed my question with a wave of her hand. “I can’t let them bother my cute, tiny PA.”

I rolled my eyes.Really? They spoke about me?Then why did Ruth look so serious? “I don’t need your protection. As I said before, I’m not attracted to skinny, tattooed artists.”

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