“You know if you decide you want to go, I’ll come with you,” he offers, but his shoulders tense, as if preparing for me to shoot him down.
“Are you serious? That sounds like a fun way to spend the day, with my parents who hate me and watching my baby niece who I’ve never even met get baptized in the church that despises me because I dare sing music that’s not dedicated to their one and only?” I arch a brow at him.
“Any time with you is time well spent.” The corner of his mouth lifts in the smallest smile, a slight blush staining his cheeks and poking through his light stubble.
I can’t help my own smile that creeps its way on my face.
The thought of having someone by my side if I return home brings a surge of relief through me, making the idea slightly easier to swallow.
“I just might take you up on that,” I say.
“I damn well hope you do.”
20
SCAR
Sweat trickles down the back of my neck as I pull my hair up into a bun on the top of my head to keep it from sticking to my hot skin. Grabbing my sunscreen out of my pool bag, I squirt a thick dollop onto my hands before rubbing it over my legs, trying to be careful to not burn under the blistering sun this afternoon.
Naomi and Carter sit in lounge chairs to my right, the three of us taking full advantage of the hotel pool before we pack up and get back on the road tomorrow. The large outdoor area is packed, everyone trying to either tan or keep cool in the water. It’s nice to have a girls’ day while Boone is tied up in meetings with Vik, the band is in the studio, and Daniel is off doing…whatever the hell it is he does. Probably harassing children or spitting on squirrels in the park.
He seems like a total dick if you ask me, but I’ve been careful not to say anything rude around Carter.
“So how long do we have to sit here and bake in the sun before you start coughing up details about what you were up to yesterday with a certain hunky drummer?” Naomi shoots me a wicked look over the top of her large square sunglasses, her lithe body stretched elegantly across the chair. Her deep green bikini compliments the cool undertone of her skin and offsets her black hair.
My cheeks flush and not from the heat. I feel like a little kid in school with a crush.
But that’s what it’s starting to feel like for me, or something even stronger, which scares me more. My date yesterday with Walker was one of the best days I’ve had in a long time. The most I’ve felt emotionally connected to a guy in as long as I can remember, and my physical attraction is quickly picking up steam.
By the time we got back to the hotel yesterday, I was all but begging in my head for him to kiss me and pull me into his hotel room and have his way with me, but like the gentleman he keeps showing me he is, he instead walked me to my room and left me with a burning kiss to my cheek.
I had to take care of business myself last night.
“It was good,” I say.
“That’s it? C’mon, Scar, I’m all about the details. I want details!”
Carter sits up with both of her elbows on the arm of the chair, leaning closer to Naomi to get in on the conversation. She pushes her Ray Bans on her head, tucking her short blonde bob out of her face. “You went on a date with Walker?”
“She did,” Naomi answers for me.
“I’m with her.” Carter points a thumb in Naomi’s direction. “I want details. He’s sexy as hell.”
“He is,” Naomi hums in agreement.
“There’s more to him than that,” I say, instantly regretting how defensive it sounds because they both immediately have shit-eating grins on their faces.
“You like him!” Naomi claps her hands once and settles back in her chair, satisfied.
“Maybe a little,” I say.
I eventually spill all of the details to them, both sitting raptly and giving me their full attention, even when a waiter swings by to ask for a drink order. It’s too hot for anything other than water and we all chug it down the second we have them in our hands. I continue telling them about the skydiving and Walker being so sweet to the girl working there, which has the two of them swooning too. I gloss over our lunch time conversation, not wanting to get too deep into details as Naomi already knows most of my past and not wanting to dampen the day by explaining everything to Carter right now.
“He’s a sweetheart,” Naomi says.
“Are you going to go out again?” Carter asks.
We didn’t discuss any further plans last night, but I definitely don’t want whatever this is starting to turn into to stop. “I hope so. I’m going to watch his set tonight and then try to catch him afterward to see where his head’s at.”