“You’re right. I don’t know you anymore. Because the Kylie Ryans I knew made her own damn decisions. And since we’ve been on this tour, I don’t know that I’ve seen you make a single one without your fucking entourage.”
She glared at him so hard he was thankful that looks couldn’t actually kill.
“Well, watch real close. I’m about to make one right now.” With that, she turned her back to him and marched herself right back onto the bus.
Just before she disappeared from his sight, she glared at him once more over her shoulder and hit him with a parting shot.
“Enjoy the view.”
“THAT WENT well,” Lulu said when Kylie returned.
She didn’t even bother with a witty comeback. She was emotionally exhausted from the draining events of the entire damn day.
She dropped onto the couch and looked over at Steven, who was still holding a hand towel full of ice to his mouth.
Trace and Steven had been the ones to whale on each other, but she felt just as battered as they looked.
“Can we have a minute?” she said to Lulu and Mia and Lily.
“Yeah, um, we’re actually going to head on to our hotel. We’re driving back to Nashville early in the morning,” Mia said.
“Thanks for coming. I’m sorry it was such a crazy night.”
“Eh, we were already in town. And I’m pretty sure my dad could get you a reality show,” Lily informed her with a grin. “Just sayin’.”
“Very funny.”
“I’d watch it,” Lulu added with a shrug. “I’m going to go see what Mike’s up to. And if the backstage brawl has made it on YouTube yet.”
“Keep your head up, Oklahoma. This tour will be over before you know it.” Mia gave her a gentle smile as they left. Kylie didn’t miss the lingering look she cast in Steven’s direction either.
Kylie sighed loudly once they were gone. “I think I owe you an apology,” she told Steven. “Pretty sure this is all my fault.”
“You think?” He tried to smile but winced in pain instead. Kylie nearly winced right along with him.
“For the record, I wasn’t trying to make him jealous or make him want to hurt you.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “I was trying to protect myself. I thought maybe if he thought we were dating he would respect that enough to keep his distance.”
“That really what you want, Ryans? For him to keep his distance?”
She looked up at her friend’s already bruising face. “Truthfully, I have no idea what I want. And that’s part of the problem.” She lifted a shoulder and let it drop. “But I shouldn’t have used you like that. I agreed to this tour and I should’ve handled whatever he threw at me head-on instead of hiding behind you.”
Steven came closer and dropped down next to her. “Don’t beat yourself up. I came along for the ride knowing what I was getting into.” He lowered the ice pack from his face and aimed a pointed stare at it. “Well, maybe not exactly what I was getting into. But I’ve known since day one that you were just killing time with me. And I was cool with it.”
“That still doesn’t make it okay. And I really am sorry. I don’t know how I let it get so...messy.”
Steven shrugged. “Love is messy.”
Kylie’s eyebrows dipped in confusion. “Uh, who said anything about love?”
He chuckled softly beside her. “You did. And so did he. You both practically shout it from the top of your lungs every time you get within five feet of each other. You just have really fucked-up ways of showing it.”
She shook her head and stared at her hands in her lap. “He doesn’t love me. Regardless of how I feel or felt about him, he never loved me.”
“Did you even listen to the lyrics to his song tonight? The whole damn thing was about how much he loves you. I’m starting to think you both need some fucking therapy. My parents saw a couples’ therapist for a while. I could get you the number.”
“Gee thanks.”
He laughed again and bumped her shoulder with his. “To tell you the truth, I was really just hoping to finally get to have sex with you. You know, strictly for bragging rights.”
“You better be joking or I’m going to bust your other lip.”
He laughed again. “You never know, Ryans. Maybe if we do it, I’ll blow your mind and you really will finally get completely over him.”
She tilted her head and tapped her lips with her forefinger, as if she were actually contemplating his offer.
“Just kidding,” he said, standing. “Pretty sure it’s just a dick in my pants and not a magic wand. But if I could wave it and help you get over him, I promise I would.”