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“Oh, I see him with some girl he picked up on tour. At least for a few hours. Then we’ll move onto the next city, and he’ll find another one.”
Everyone is laughing except me. I forget that I’m supposed to be. This isn’t supposed to bother me, but it does. I look at the ground. Emma notices and places a hand on my thigh. When I look up, his eyes are burning into mine.
“I’m sorry,” he mouths.
I look away, but I notice Brent is watching me. He gives me a slight shake of his head, like a warning. I implore him with my eyes not to say anything. Unsure of whether or not he’ll listen, I see that my mom is watching us too. Fuck, so much for privacy.
“I want to hear you guys sing,” Dad says. “I haven’t heard you in a long time. Is there a new album coming out soon?”
My eyes snap to Derek. I know what trouble he’s been having with this lately. He just groans.
“Yeah, brother, how have the songs been going?” Aiden teases him.
“Getting a little better,” Derek tells him. “I’m getting my block all worked out.”
I can’t help but wonder if the innuendo in his voice was meant for me. I don’t dare look at him, though. I’m pretty sure Brent is suspicious, and I don’t want to create any in Aiden.
The guys grab their guitars from the deck, because of course they were ready for this. My parents have often asked Derek and Aiden to sing. When this happens, Brent has a pad that he plays on. It brings in the perfect beat for the songs and keeps him included. They set up and we all sit back and enjoy the soft tones of their voices.
I love watching Crave perform. Every time they have a show near me, I make it a point to attend. And when a new tour starts, I will head out and watch them too. Even if it means traveling. Aiden has been supportive of me with my Beachbody career and other training that I’ve done. I feel like I owe it to him to do the same thing for him.
It’s a beautiful night, and the gentle strumming of guitars makes it all that much more perfect. Crave normally has a harder sound, so when they sing and do this acoustically, it’s just that much more special. My brother’s voice is the first one I hear. I smile and watch him. His eyes are closed, and he’s really focusing on the words coming out of his mouth and on his guitar playing. I bump Emma’s leg with mine because I know right now she is homed in on his singing too.
I look over and catch her beaming. My eyes drift over to Derek. He’s staring at me while he plays. His expression is so intense that I can’t bring myself to look away. Then he begins to sing.
People see what they want to see
But you
Never you
Only you see me
I swallow audibly, thinking that those words are meant for me. I keep watching him as the song continues. His eyes never leave mine. The song ends and we all clap. It’s then that the trance is broken. Derek looks around the fire, making sure no one else caught our moment. I take a look at my parents, and I’m pretty sure my dad caught it. He’s watching me with a raised eyebrow. I shift uncomfortably before getting up to get another drink. Anything to distract myself and to keep my dad from looking at me like that. He better not ask, because I don’t want to have to lie to him.
The band continues to play, and I stay over by the coolers where it’s darker. The fire isn’t heating here, keeping our drinks nice and cold. It allows me to cool off just a bit too, from the heat of his stare.
My dad comes up and stands beside me.
“What are you doing over here, Audrey?”
“Just getting a break from the fire. It’s getting a bit warm over there.”
“What are you doing, sweetheart?” he asks me.
I look over at him. He knows. There’s no point in denying or pretending like it’s not happening.
“I don’t know, but please don’t tell Aiden or Mom.”
He sighs. “Okay, but if I’m asked, I won’t lie.”
A loud cell phone cuts through the night air, making the calm sounds of guitars and drum stop.
“Fuck, man. I thought that was on silent,” Aiden says.
It’s Derek’s phone. He pulls it out of his shorts pocket and glares at the screen. “Of course, it’s fucking her.”
My blood runs cold. I hadn’t realized that she reached out to him on his personal cell phone. For some reason, I thought their conversations were strictly through their agents.
