Page 67 of Sky Full of Stars

Chapter Twenty

“Wow,” my eyes move up and down her body. Her dress is coffee coloured with spaghetti straps and a cinched waist, it flares out and falls just above her knee. She has nude heeled sandals on and I can see a delicate silver anklet that I know I want her to leave on when we eventually fuck. She already has a slight tan, more sun-kissed than an actual deepening of colour. She has her hair pulled over her shoulder in a messy braid, some of it falling over her eyes. I love that she doesn’t wear too much make-up, just enough to accentuate her features. “You look gorgeous.”

She smiles and lifts her leg, bent at the knee behind her, so she can adjust the strap on her sandal. I close my eyes and turn away from her. She’s the devil. I grab my keys and we head out. Setting the security alarm I hold the door to the SUV for her. She asks about the Tesla and I tell her it was Arch’s, I only have one car, she looks thoughtful about that then she smiles and I feel like I’ve passed a test.

Arch lives up in the hills away from the beach, he went full on ostentatious when we moved out here and had enough cash to buy our own homes. It’s a Spanish style monstrosity with eight bedrooms, ten baths a home theatre, two pools and a garage big enough for six cars, all of which are filled with a variety of practical and sporty cars, he bought a Harley too but still hasn’t learnt to ride it. Despite it all, he’s one of the most down to earth guys anyone could ever hope to meet.

Jenna’s eyes widen when she sees it and she looks over at me. “It’s a whole other world,” she mutters. “How much does a place like this cost?”

“You couldn’t get a three bedroomed penthouse in New York for the price of this place.”

“I’d never earn enough in my lifetime to buy either. I’m happy in my crappy yet lovable one-bedroom apartment.”

“Does that mean when I’m living out there for a while you wouldn’t want to stay in a completely ridiculously overpriced New York penthouse.”

“Well, I wouldn’t go that far,” she smiles at me.

I die. She’s thinking about being with me when I’m in New York. I get out and hurry around to let her out. Jenna looks a little nervous so I clasp her hand, remembering I don’t want to bombard her too much with my lifestyle. I don’t want to scare her off. My friends are normal people, she’ll soon see.

“It’s just Arch and the other guys,” I’m presuming Jordan will be here, Arch said he was inviting him. “Nick’s been dating this girl, Elsa so she’ll be here too. There will be a couple of other guys there, people who work on the tours with us and their girlfriends.”

“Got it,” she squeezes my hand. “McAllister’s this is not.”

“Believe me, I’d rather be there right now.” She smiles at me, I pull her into me, putting an arm around her shoulder and lowering my face to hers. “I think after this, we’ve done our social quota, I just wanna stay at home with you the rest of the time you’re here.”

“Won’t that get a little boring?” she arches a brow. I kiss her in response. “Okay then,” she pulls back, breathless and blushing. She’s smart and confident and could probably kick my ass if she wanted to, but kiss her and say something sexy, and she blushes like no one’s business.

Arch opens the door and welcomes us giving me a one-armed bro hug then kisses Jenna on the cheek. I glare at him over her head and he laughs at me. She manages to keep the awe in check as we enter the house and all the people I consider family gathered in Arch’s living room. There is loud music playing and drinks flowing freely but the atmosphere is relaxed.

“You hired wait staff? You complete tool,” I look at Arch as a woman in a uniform goes past with a tray of hor dourves.

“I’m sophisticated.”

I stare at him like he’s nuts. Nick and Jordan come over to greet me and I introduce Jenna. They’re easily charmed and she talks about New York and her trip here. She tells Jordan she is sorry about his accident and he smiles sheepishly, I can see him eyeing her up. Jenna just smiles and turns when Arch offers her a glass of wine. Jordan looks at me and makes an obscene gesture with his hands so I slap the back of his head. Jenna turns to see him holding it with his good hand and we both smile so she doesn’t know what happened.

I’m glad to see Jordan here and looking happy but he can fuck right off if he thinks he’s getting near Jenna.

We’re all hanging out chatting and relaxed, Jenna is perched on the sofa so I pull her back against me, I don’t want to not be touching her. The doorbell rings. As far as I know, everyone who was supposed to be here, already is. Arch hurries out to answer the door and when he comes back, he’s trailed by two women. He looks at me and his face is white. I glance behind him and see a girl I know Arch has been interested in but the woman next to her is completely unexpected.

It’s Erica James. My ex-girlfriend, the only girl I’ve ever let myself fall in love with. I glance at Jenna who doesn’t seem to be aware I’m about to freak out. I glare at Arch, he shrugs, he doesn’t know why she is here. It takes Erica a moment to find me in the group and she starts to smile but it falters when she sees Jenna leaning against me, one hand on my thigh. Jenna is smiling at something Nick’s girl is saying and doesn’t hear Jordan.

“Shit just got real,” he murmurs.

I broke up with Erica three years ago when she got the opportunity of a lifetime to work abroad and moved to Paris. She didn’t want things to end. I didn’t want her to go or for us to end either and for a while we tried the long-distance thing, at least I did. She grew distant, I could never get hold of her which was difficult enough given my schedule. It eventually got back to me she was dating someone else. So, that was that.

I see the look of hurt cross her face but she quickly wipes it away and smiles at me. She has no right to be hurt. She was the one who fucked us up. It took me a long time to get over her and against my better judgement a lot of groupies came on the bus with me when we toured that summer, trying to fuck Erica out of my system. I’m still embarrassed about that period of my life and it’s one I dread Jenna finding out about.

Jenna looks up at me, feeling how I’ve tensed. “Everything okay?” she asks.

“Yeah, fine,” I tell her, hating the strain in my voice. Her eyes go over to where the new arrivals are standing, she looks at me, back at the women then turns to drink her wine.

“Everyone knows Sarah right?” Arch holds out his hand to her. “And Erica,” he adds as he offers them both a drink and they come into the room taking their seats. People nod and wave. Erica sits down by one of the women here with our instrument manager and they start to talk like old friends, but she keeps looking over.

“I’m just gonna go to the bathroom,” I tell Jenna and she shifts to let me up. I walk out of the room and down the hall. Arch follows me. “What the fuck?” I snap at him.

“You think I knew she was bringing her?” he asks. He looks back at the room, his head hanging. “I thought she was still in France with that guy.”

“So did I,” I say through gritted teeth.

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