I turn to Austin. “What do we do for three hours?”
“Eat and party, my man.” Austin digs around in his bunk and retrieves a change of clothes. “And if you’re lucky, food won’t be the only thing you eat tonight.” He sticks out his tongue and waggles it for everyone to see.
My gaze goes to Opal. I can’t help myself. The blush that works up her cheeks as she stares at the floor only fuels my interest. How did such an innocent thing end up working for these guys?
“Austin. There’s a lady in our presence,” Trent practically growls and I quickly look away before I’m busted for staring.
“Sorry.” Austin shrugs, but he doesn’t look sorry at all. If anything, he looks pleased with himself. “Opal, you’re coming, too. Right?”
Her eyes dart to Trent’s and then back to the floor where she scuffs the sole of her boot beneath the chair legs. “Nah, y’all have fun. I’m going to enjoy the quiet while I can.”
Austin shrugs, not looking all that disappointed at her answer. “I get first,” he says and heads down the hall toward the bathroom for a shower.
Trent rakes a hand through his hair and turns to Opal. “You know, Lexi used to stay back, too. The first tour we did together.”
“Really?” Opal sits up with an eagerness that lights the brightness of her eyes. A smile takes over her face, and it strikes me as odd that she’d care so much about what Trent’s girlfriend used to do on the road. Her gaze flicks to mine and her smile dims.
Shit.She caught me staring. I pretend to look busy, shuffling through the storage cabinet to retrieve a set of clean clothes, but I’m unable to help myself from studying their interaction.
She glances at Trent as he kicks back in one of the chairs.
“It must be a woman thing.” She says the words slowly.
He nods, his gaze lingering a long moment on her face before he reaches for his cell.
I don’t know what to say, so I say nothing, wishing we had two showers, or that Austin would hurry the hell up. I’m hungry, and the energy buzzing through my body has nowhere to go. If I were back home I’d find a drum set to beat it onto, or use the piano if my mom were home.Mom and Dad. I haven’t thought of them since yesterday and only because they shut off my phone. A pang of guilt wedges its way into my head for not being a better son. It should bother me that I haven’t spoken to them. Or that they haven’t tried to reach out, but it’s the opposite. All I feel is relief and a rampant sense of freedom. For the first time in my life I can be whomever I want. I can do what I want and I don’t have to hide a damn thing.
My gaze travels back to Opal because she’s most definitely wedged her way onto the list of things I want.
“Who’s next?” Austin bursts down the hall wearing only a pair of boxer briefs.
“I’ll go.” I raise my hand but no one pays attention.
“Put some fucking clothes on,” Trent says without hardly looking up from his phone. “We all know you’re full of yourself.”
“Sorry.” Austin winks at Opal, forcing her pale cheeks to a bright shade of pink. He tugs his jeans over his hips, leaving the fly open before strutting across the bus. He sits right in her lap and kisses the top of her head. “Sure you don’t want to join us, sweetheart?”
The fuck?My gaze narrows at their closeness. Are they together? No. No way someone so beautiful and sweet is with a playboy like him. She’s not a casual fuck kinda girl. It’s written in the way she carries herself and how she blushes at everything.
He murmurs something in her ear and instead of pushing him away she giggles, her cheeks flaring again.Fucking Austin. I have no reason for it, but jealousy churns in my gut at their closeness.
“Dude, you going or what?” Trent says.
“Jesus.” I snap out of staring at the couple, a tinge of envy making me more irritable than I should be. “Give me five.”
“I’ll go invite Everlyn.”
“Wait, who? And more importantly, is she hot?” Austin cocks his head at Trent.
“The band who opened for us, dumbass. Two dudes and a chick. And I’m pretty sure she’s taken . . . and too young for you.” Trent raises his brows, a warning to Austin that I personally agree with. Trent pops off his chair and struts outside.
Austin doesn’t seem insulted or derailed by Trent’s opinion and whispers something else to Opal that makes her laugh.
I trudge to the bathroom and crank the shower. Peeling off the stretchy black jeans and my underwear, I step into the hot stream and with more gusto than necessary scrub the sweat from my skin and wash my hair. It shouldn’t bother me. I shouldn’t care. But I fucking hate that Austin and Opal are alone right now. Which is stupid.
She’s not mine. She’s obviously with him, though the thought of it drives me mad. There’s no way someone like him treats her right. I saw the way he flirted with all the VIP ticket holders after the show. Right in front of Opal, too. Sure, the women were gorgeous, but they had the piranha vibe I’m all too familiar with. Users. Women looking for a step up or maybe just a loaded baby daddy. I might not be used to the rock star attention, but it doesn’t matter if you’re famous or born with a silver spoon, there are always women who will exploit their assets to get what they want.
Dressing quickly, I bang the door open with more force than necessary and fake a harsh cough. If Opal and Austin are sucking face, or worse, I don’t want to see it.
