Steven came over to where she stood. He ignored Trace completely. “Olivia told me the deal with your bitch of a stepmom. And I have an idea for a song. You feel like writing?”
She could feel Trace’s glare on them but she needed some space. And writing sounded like a great way to work through the mess in her head.
“Yeah, um, head on back to my room and I’ll grab us some Red Bulls.”
“Cool.” Steven winked at her and walked to her room.
“Kylie, I need to tell you—”
“Trace, it’s been a really long day. I just want to get lost in some music and forget it all for a while, okay?”
His jaw flexed, and she could feel the tension radiating off his body and onto her. She was wound pretty tight herself. Which was why she needed him to back off before she said or did something she’d regret.
“Fine. But later, when you’re pissed at me for something that isn’t my fault at all, please remember that I tried to tell you.”
She had no idea what in God’s name he was talking about. “Oh-kay. Night, Trace.”
She was already at her bedroom door when she thought she heard him say, “Goodbye, Kylie Lou.”
“Goodbye?” She turned around, bewildered as to why he’d say goodbye instead of goodnight, but he’d already closed the door to his room.
THE SMELL of stale beer and cigars made Kylie wonder if she’d fallen asleep in a bar. But when she opened her eyes, Steven was sprawled out and snoring next to her.
They’d stayed up until almost sunrise writing music. Some of it worthwhile and some of it garbage. But it had helped her clear her head.
Sort of.
She rolled over and checked the time on her phone. It was nearly ten. She knew soundcheck wasn’t until two, but she felt strangely panicked anyways. She rarely slept late when on tour. There was always work to be done.
She took a quick shower and dressed, careful not to disturb the man-boy still sawing logs in her bed.
Walking out into the main area of the bus, she listened for any sounds of life. But there weren’t any.
She made her coffee and grabbed a banana. The show in Atlanta had sold out in record time. She guessed it was because it was near Trace’s hometown. She hadn’t checked yet to see how tickets for next week’s show in Oklahoma City had sold.
As she finished her breakfast, Steven stumbled from her room.
“Morning,” she greeted him.
“Umph,” he groaned as he went through the cabinets in search of sustenance.
“There’s cereal,” she informed him as she polished off the last of her banana and tossed the peel in the trash.
“This will do.” Steven grabbed an oatmeal cream pie and ate it in two bites. He pulled a soda from the fridge and slid into the booth. “Ryans, can I ask you something?”
“No, you cannot borrow my toothbrush. We’re parked. You can go back to your own bus now.” She smirked at him.
He didn’t laugh. He just downed a few swallows of his soda.
“Joke,” she said, nudging him as she sat down beside him. “Well, not the toothbrush part.”
“You’re hilarious. Anyways, serious question time.”
She forced herself to focus on him and ignore the remnants of last night’s encounter with Trace that kept threatening to take over her mind.
Steven cleared his throat and pinned her with his stare. “Which of the Tailgate Twins do you think is hotter? Because Alexis is my favorite, I think. But Camilla’s ass is like—”
Kylie slung a throw pillow at him, and he leaned to the side to avoid it.
“This is why you should only go on tour with dudes. I do not want to hear these things.”
“I thought you didn’t do jealous?” He winked at her over the top of his soda can.
“I don’t.” She rolled her eyes. “But I don’t want to hear about other girls’ asses either.”
“Okay, okay,” he said, throwing his hands up in surrender when she grabbed another throw pillow. “But for real, on a scale of one to ten, how mad would you be if I maybe hooked up with one of them?”
Kylie took a second to gage her own reaction. She wondered if it would hurt Steven’s feelings if she said zero. “Egh. Depends I guess.”
“On?”
“If it’s your favorite one you’re leaving me and our three illegitimate kids for or just the one with the nice ass.”
Steven chuckled and she breathed a sigh of relief. Things with him were so…easy. She totally understood the lure of friends with benefits.
But after last night, she couldn’t deny that Lulu was right. All the tatted-up sexy brooding rock stars in the world couldn’t hold a candle to the arrogant, tight-jean-wearing smartass she couldn’t seem to force her heart to move on from.