“I struggled from nothing to get to where I’m at today, but each group I worked with felt like they wanted to use me. So, I decided quickly that I didn’t just want to be in a band, I wanted to use my talent to find therightgroup. To be with people who appreciated me for me, and not what I can do.”
“Yeah, I get that.” I lean into him for a second, giving him some comfort that only solidarity can offer. We’re quiet for a moment, before I ask, “I still don’t get why you wanted to work with me. To the point you chased down the opportunity.”
A soft laugh wraps around me. He keeps doing that, yet I’m not sure I’ll ever grow tired of it. “I’m your number one fan, remember? And having a crush on you doesn’t hurt. But then again, I never said how long I’d stick around.”
I gasp and teasingly nudge his side. “As if you’d ever leave me.” I’m not sure how I missed it before—I blame sleep again—but the air is full of our sexual tension.
“Probably not,” he says, his voice lower than it was before.
“One more question…” I lick my lips, preparing myself the best I can for a possible heartbreak. “Did you make any promises to Dickless when joining the band?”
“Dickless?” he asks, his head tilted to the side.
“Oops. That’s what I call Mr. Lexington in my head.” Shit. I can’t believe I said that out loud, it’s just become such a habit.
“Your uncle?”
“Listen, I really don’t want to think about him having any kind of connection with me. If I didn’t have a contract, he’d be dead to me.” I plead with a look for him to drop it. “Did you make him any promises?”
He studies me, his gaze flicking back and forth. “No, I didn’t. They had me wave a signing bonus since I came to them, which made me think he was a money grabbing bastard, considering you were in a bit of a bind.”
With a smile, he adds, “You’re worth it, though.”
“You didn’t offer to keep me in line? To spy for him?” My stomach is in knots asking him, but I have to be sure.
Surprise slams into him, his body moving away from me like he was hit with a bat. “Spy on you? You must be bloody joking. Did that wanker put that in your head?” He stands and paces for a second, clearly heated. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to overreact. This makes so much sense. No, Raina, I’m not spying on you. I’d never do anything to hurt you.Never.”
“Good,” Keaton’s gruff voice sounds through the silence of the bus. I find him leaning against the wall, watching us. He kicks off and pushes past Darius, holding his hand out for me. “Now stop putting moves on my girl.”
“Storm Chasers! I’m sure we’re all excited for the Boston show, I know I am. Currently, I’m filming from the line to get in. It might be surprising to you that I wasn’t the first one here.”
I turn the phone toward the few fans who made it here before me. “Say hi everyone!” The six girls and one guy all wave to the camera, holding up their signs and cheer. I can’t help but smile at the #TeamTristan one. It’s nice that I’m gaining some support, but ultimately the only one I need is Raina.
Turning the camera back on me, I smile and run a hand through my hair. “Security will be tight once I get in there, but I’m hoping I can find a way to get to Raina. In the meantime, this is day six of my groveling tour. I’m so sorry, Lexi. I love you.
“I’ve never been more thankful than the day I met Raina. I’m sure you’re all wondering why I didn’t start from the very beginning with my stories, and to be honest, I don’t have a good answer for you. It’s not like I planned these out ahead of time.” I grimace. “I probably should have, though.”
Shifting my weight, I give the camera a new view behind me of all the fans waiting who came after me. “The first time I met my best friend, she was holding a wild daisy like it was a microphone, singing her heart out into the flower.
“If you asked me today, I wouldn’t be able to remember what song it was, knowing her upbringing, it was probably some church hymn, but you’d never think that with the amount of passion she put into it. You might call me crazy for saying the world dropped out of view, but it did. I got lost in the beauty of her voice.”
Glancing at the ground, I let out a small laugh and shake my head at the memory. “She drew me in like a bee to honey until I was standing right in front of her. It didn’t phase her for a second either. She held her flower out for me to join her, but I was struck too dumb to do anything more than stare at her.”
I bring the phone closer to my face and lower my voice like I’m telling everyone a secret. “Here’s the part where you won’t believe me. We were five when she had that big of an impact on me. My family had just moved into the house next door and I didn’t have a single friend in the world. Yet, without me even sharing a single word with her, she invited me in. Gave me a part in the show she was performing for the line of stuffed animals sitting in the grass.”
My hand covers my mouth for a second, trying to sell it. “I really hope she doesn’t kill me for telling you about Purple the hippo, Floppy the rabbit, and Bear the bear, but they were our first fans. Sorry to break it to you, Storm Chasers, you weren’t here first.”
A sudden realization hits me, and I stare into the distance for a second. “Shit. I wasn’t her first fan, either. Damn, that hits hard, my one bragging right.” Blowing out a long breath, I flash the camera a dramatic, rueful grin. “Looks like it’s time to admitI didn’t just lose Lexi; I also lost my status as Raina’s first fan. Well, that stings.”
The chill of the New England air bites at my cheeks, but I barely stop to notice. The line behind me stretches further now, snaking out of sight as more fans join the wait.
“Anyway,” I continue, recovering from my revelation and forcing a smile back onto my face. “That day was the start of something really special. My voice was high-pitched and whiny, but that didn’t matter to Raina. She took my hand, led me up to our makeshift stage and right there, in front of Purple, Floppy, and Bear... we shared our first duet. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star never sounded so off key.”
My chest tightens with the memory, the innocence of it all a stark contrast to the darkness that has since woven throughout our lives. The buzz of anticipation from the crowd is a distracting hum in my ears, but I push ahead, determined to finish my story.
“I won’t lie and say it was magical—hell, I think I scared away a couple of neighborhood dogs with how bad I sounded before my voice dropped—but Raina… she made it feel like it was just us. Even then, she had this ability to block out everything else and focus on the moment. And in that moment… I was her bandmate.
“I went home and asked my parents for a guitar that day. If it wasn’t for Raina’s passion, I wouldn’t have found mine.”
