“Miles,” Cam said as though he was testing the sound of his name and it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
She agreed with that sentiment. Miles turned her into a shell of herself and she hardly objected as the insults piled on day after day, month after month, or at least not until she caught him screwing Natalie. It made her physically ill when she thought about what she let him do to her for a year and a half. “You have nothing to be concerned about.” She leaned her face toward his until their noses nearly touched. “You’re the only reason I’m in Seattle. I want to be wherever you are, for as long as you’ll let me.”
Cam’s face softened and she was lost in the brilliant depth of his startling blue eyes. “I want you with me too. Don’t doubt me or yourself.”
***
Before Cam could finish his lunch, Jax and Bre approached their table.
“Are you ready to get out of here?” Jax asked leaning his hip against the side of the circular booth.
Cam took a drink of his water, then turned toward Taylor. “Are you okay if I leave?”
“Yes,” she answered feeling Bre and Jax’s eyes on her.
Cam kissed the side of her cheek. “I won’t be able to see you until after the show, but if you need anything, you can call me.”
She nodded. “Good luck.”
Her eyes followed Cam and Jax until they exited the restaurant.
“Do you mind if I join you?” Bre asked, smiling at her timidly.
She still didn’t feel one hundred percent comfortable around Bre, but she wanted to move past any lingering awkwardness. I’d be nice to have a real friend and from everything she saw, Bre seemed like a really nice person. “Sure. I was thinking about ordering some dessert.”
Bre smiled. “I thought the warm chocolate cake sounded good. Do you want to share it with me?”
“I’ve never been able to turn down chocolate,” Taylor answered.
“Me neither. I’ll be right back.” Bre jumped up to find their waitress, returning a few seconds later.
Taylor watched Bre rearrange the silverware in front of her three times. She should probably say something to break the silence, but nothing came to mind.
“So how are things with Cam?” Bre finally said, finding the one topic she wanted to avoid discussing with Bre.
“Good…I think,” she added.
Bre nodded. “I think so too. He looks happy and more comfortable in his skin than he has since the tour started. You’re good for him.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that.”
“It’s true. I’ve known Cam for a long time.” Bre paused. “Has he told you that we grew up together? We were neighbors.”
“Yeah.” Taylor shifted in her seat.
“Okay. Well, I just wanted to tell you that Cam’s a good guy, one of the best. I won’t lie, he’s done some crappy stuff over the past few years, but that’s not the Cam that was my best friend. He was really sweet, almost like my personal white knight in shining armor.” Taylor flinched almost imperceptibly. “When we were kids,” Bre added quickly, her voice warm and friendly.
Taylor relaxed her shoulders. “I can see him acting like that. He’s definitely protective.”
Bre smiled. “Anyway, I wanted to tell you that I see that side of him when he’s around you and it’s nice. It’s like the old Cam is back.”
The waitress placed a small warm cake with whipped cream and raspberries in the center of the table.
Bre handed her a fork. “Let’s eat this before it gets cold.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Taylor said, dipping her fork into the cake.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Taylor watched the final song of the night. She couldn’t believe the tour was already over. The month went faster than she had thought possible, but it was incredible. She wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket.
Evelyn: We’re making our way backstage. Where can we meet you?
Taylor: Go to the green room. I’ll be there.
Evelyn: We can’t wait to see you!
According to Bre, the post-performance party in the green room would be bigger than normal, with an actual bartender and a full spread of food. Taylor wanted to beat Evelyn and the guys to the green room, so she left before the lights on stage fully dimmed and the celebratory pyrotechnics display started.
As Taylor walked down the hallway, she noticed people already starting to filter toward the green room. She paused to collect her thoughts outside the door. The room was already packed with people and Chasing Ruin hadn’t even made it off the stage. Wild energy buzzed through the air, even more than usual after a performance. People were laughing, drinking and clothes were falling off faster than she thought possible.