The Rocker That Needs Me(34)

When I had moved into the apartment with Harper, I stopped crying myself to sleep. I learned to live with the pain, and without realizing it, the pain slowly got easier to deal with. That didn’t mean I didn’t think about him. No, he was on my mind every five minutes. The littlest things would remind me of him.

Some might think that keeping tabs on Drake through his brother was just feeding my pain, but it helped. Knowing that he was okay gave me some peace, and getting to talk to Shane gave me the smallest of connection to Drake, which I hung onto by my fingernails.

It had also made Shane and me closer. He was a big part of my day to day, even if I hadn’t seen him in seven months. If I went a day without talking to him, it made me sad. If I missed one of his calls, he blew up my phone with texts until I called him back. Maybe he was keeping tabs on me for his brother, but I didn’t care.

Now, as I stared at my phone after having just gotten home from dinner with Jesse and my sister, I couldn’t help but wonder what the younger Stevenson brother was up too. It was after eleven here, so that meant it was still early in California, just after eight. More than likely he hadn’t gone out yet.

Sighing, I pulled up his name on my phone and hit send. It rang three times before he answered. “You didn’t tell me,” I said when I heard his voice on the other end.

“Jesse wanted to tell you first,” he assured me, knowing exactly what I was talking about without having to ask. “So… What do you think? We can hang out when I get into town.”

“Why would he do this, Shane? He hates attention like this, and now he’s going to put himself front and center on a freaking reality television show.” I closed my eyes, a headache making my eyes throb.

Shane paused, as if thinking about what to say before he spoke. “He has his reasons, Lana. Maybe one day he will tell you about them. Until then, let’s talk about you and me and the best burger in the world. I know this great burger joint, and I want to take you there.”

Rolling my eyes, I lay back on the couch. Might as well get comfortable. “When do you get in?”

“Tuesday. Drake has to be there for tryouts on Friday, and he wants to be settled in by then. So, let’s go out Thursday. I’ll pick you up…unless you want to come over to our apartment?”

“Um, no. That’s okay.” I wasn’t sure I was ready to see Drake face to face yet. “Thursday is fine. I’ll stay home and wait with bated breath for your arrival, stud.”

He chuckled. “Great. And then Friday you can show me the best jogging trail to take through Central Park.”

“I don’t run through the park. I go to the gym and use the treadmills.”

“No way! I’m ashamed of you, Lana! Okay, then we will find them together. After the burgers we are going to need the exercise…Ah, crap!”

“What?” I demanded, startled when I heard someone else’s voice in the background. Was that a girl? “Shane, really? Next time I call and you’re with some skank, do me a favor and don’t answer!”

“I’m not with some skank, Lana!” Shane assured me. “I’m meeting Emmie and Nik for dinner. That was the waitress.”

“Sure it was.” I laughed. “Liar. I’ll let you go so you can get to your…dinner.”

“You are such a bitch sometimes,” he muttered.

“Yeah, I know. See you Thursday.”

“Can’t wait. Love ya, sweetheart.”

“Love you too, Shane.” With a quivering chin, I hit the end button and tossed my phone aside.

--

It felt like Thursday took forever to come around. My roommates avoided me at times because I was equal parts anxious and excited and that made for horrible mood swings. Linc kept giving me the evil eye, not sure if my behavior was from PMS or if I was just being my sometimes bitchy self.

I had one class Thursday morning. Trying to cram three months of Biology material into five weeks over the summer break was not fun, but I was glad for the challenge. Still, as soon as my professor excused us, I pulled out my cell to see if I had missed any texts from Shane.

Pick you up @ 1. Can’t wait for dinner 2 c u.

A glance at the clock on my phone told me that I wasn’t going to make it to my apartment in time unless I grabbed a cab. Muttering a curse, I flagged one down and tossed the driver an incentive to get me home as quick as he could. New York cab drivers in a hurry made for a terrifying ride. I just covered my eyes and waited for the car to finally come to a stop.

Paying my fare, I grabbed my shoulder bag that held all my essentials and turned for the apartment. The tall man standing by the door made me stop. He was just standing there watching me. I couldn’t see those blue-gray eyes of his behind the sunglasses, and his Boston Red Sox cap was on backwards, hiding that shaggy dark hair from me. He hadn’t changed in the seven months since I had last seen him.