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“I have to talk to Vik, but I don’t think so. I’m hoping to get some studio time in, work on my first full-length album.”
I squeeze her shoulders and beam down at her, seeing the same excitement reflected in Boone’s face. Scar knocks one of her boots against the other, uncomfortable by the attention.
“I can’t wait to hear it,” I whisper close to her ear, enjoying the blush that creeps up her cheeks.
“Anyone wanna go grab some food quick before—” Boone starts, before a muffled yelp rings out from the pit in front of the stage.
We turn our heads, following the direction of the noise and find Daniel and Carter standing down there, cameras in hand.
At first glance, it looks like they might be having a private moment with the way Daniel has Carter backed up against the rails and head tucked low over hers. But looking closer, I notice Carter’s hand shaking, knuckles white around her camera. And when she turns her head to the side, the corner of her eyes are wet, the stage lights illuminating tear tracks down the side of her face.
My arm is off of Scar and I’m charging forward before I can blink. Anger barrels its way through every step I take closing in on them. But before I can call out, Hayden is quicker than me, jumping off the front of the stage and into the pit, yanking Daniel back and taking the bastard by surprise.
“What the hell are you doing?” Daniel calls out, grappling at Hayden’s hands, trying to pull them off his shirt. But Hayden doesn’t budge, pushing him backward, silent fury steaming from him.
I hop offstage, coming down right next to Carter. She’s watching Daniel struggle against Hayden, eyes wide in shock.
“Are you okay?” I ask, leaning in but not close enough to invade her space after the way Daniel just was.
Carter nods her head quickly, wiping her face with the back of her free hand. “I’m fine.” She turns and shoots me a watery smile.
I raise a brow at her, but don’t question it. She doesn't need me calling bullshit on her lie right now.
“Get the fuck off me, man, what is your problem?” Daniel yells, and out of the corner of my eye, I see him about to raise a fist, winding up to land one on Hayden.
“You do that and that’s the last time you’ll ever work for anyone of importance.” Boone’s voice rings out, cold and detached in a way I’ve never heard before. He walks toward the scuffle with purpose, shoulders back and ice in his eyes. Scar walks alongside him, almost jogging to keep pace. She goes directly to Carter, pulling her close and whispering to her, concern written all over her face.
“Boone, c’mon man, help me out here,” Daniel says, raising his hands up, trying to put on a show of innocence.
Disgusted, Hayden lets him go with a hard shove, Daniel almost tripping over his feet before he regains his balance. He shoots Hayden a look of pure venom, before it disappears the moment he turns back to Boone. It was a blink and you’ll miss it moment and I feel my blood chill, watching him snuff out that rage so quickly, or more like masking it so fast.
I look around, seeing if anyone else saw it.
From the haunted look in Carter’s eye and the fury behind Scar’s, I take it as a yes.
Boone ignores Daniel completely, turning his attention to Carter. “Are you all right?” he asks her, the familiar warmth seeping back into his voice.
Carter nods her head, gaze shooting over to Daniel and back to the group, before dipping down to her feet.
Scar cracks her neck side to side and I can almost see the burst of air that comes out of her nose on a deep breath, face twisting as if it physically pains her to not say the words I know are sitting at the tip of her tongue right now.
She’s made her opinion of Daniel to me quite clear over the past couple of weeks as I’ve grown to know more about her friendship with Carter. If it were up to Scar, he would’ve been dropped from the tour five cities ago.
When I questioned her about why she didn’t like him, she was tight-lipped, saying it’s just “woman’s intuition”. But I’ve always thought there was more to it than that and she was just respecting the privacy of her friendship with Carter.
And by watching the way that Carter seems to shrink in on herself as he stares her down, her hand clinging to her camera as if it’s her very life force, I’m starting to see what she was alluding to.
“Look, I don’t know what you all think is going on here.” Daniel starts stepping forward, closing the distance between himself and Carter, which Hayden swiftly moves in and blocks his path.
Daniel stands toe to toe with him, lifting his chin, trying to gain every inch possible in height but still falling short to Hayden’s six feet.
“I think we saw enough,” Hayden says, voice low. He’s unmovable, unwavering, as Daniel’s chest rises and falls in anger.
“Just because those two started fucking, everybody thinks they can be involved in everyone else’s relationship now?” Daniel gestures to me and Scar.
Ah, so that’s how he’ll play it. He realized Boone wasn’t falling for his act, and now he’s going to try to deflect the attention onto someone else, and mine and Scar’s relationship is the easiest picking as it’s still circulating heavily in the media.
“Pathetic.” I laugh under my breath, shaking my head at the sad excuse for a man in front of me.
