A knot forms in my throat as I walk away from them all and toward a vanity mirror in the corner of the room. The lights illuminate my face showing too much makeup covering up aplethora of worries. If we keep pushing Darius away, he might leave us, just like Tristan. I can’t handle it happening a second time.
Suddenly Keaton’s reflection appears behind mine. His gray-tipped hair ruffled as though he’s been running his hands through it.
“Raina,” his voice is soft, filled with an understanding that only he seems to possess. “You care for him?”
What is it with Keaton coming to me with tough truths?
“I do,” I whisper, not wanting to admit it to myself, much less out loud.
“Then you should go after him.”
My gaze snaps to Keaton’s eyes in the mirror.Maybe he needs a family like the rest of us.I’m not sure how Keaton realizes it before me, but having it click in my brain has me shooting to my feet and striding from the room after Darius.
By the time I make it to the hallway, he’s turning at the end. I rush past roadies and call after him. “Dare, wait!”
My feet slip out from under me as I try to take the turn too fast, only to smack against a chiseled body. Darius’ reflexes are much faster than mine apparently, because he uses my momentum to turn us and press me against the wall.
The force of it knocks the breath from me, made all the worse when he gazes down at me, his nose brushing mine. I’m so used to him always having an infectious smile that it feels odd to find him so serious right now with his eyebrows pinched together.
“Hey,” I huff out.
“What are you doing?” he asks, tilting his head to the side.
“I… I’m not sure.” I drop my stare, but it ends up on his chest. His muscles are covered with his shirt, but I know what’sunderneath. I don’t have long to imagine his hard body before his finger lifts my chin.
“Come with me?” It’s a statement, but he says it like it’s a question, a thread of hope in it.
“Yeah, okay.” I nod my head and lick my lips, suddenly nervous. His hand grabs mine once more, banishing that previous sensation of missing his touch, making me instinctively grip him tighter.
I don’t overthink it; I let him lead us through the backstage area until we’re on the other side, where it’s not as busy. He tucks us away into a dark corner where we can see into the crowd. Carmen is on stage, but I tune the sound of her voice out, refusing to let her intrude on my time with Darius.
“What are we doing here?” I ask him.
“Just watch,” he whispers in my ear. His front presses against my back and his arms come around me, embracing me in a warm hug. Fans are making their way to their seats, an excitement filling the auditorium as they wait for me to get on stage. I’m secretly happy to find that they barely pay Carmen any attention. They don’t seem to like her at all, which is slightly surprising since she’s performing the same type of songs I built my name on.
“Dare,” I say, barely loud enough to be heard. I move to turn around, but his hold tightens, keeping me where I am. I wanted to talk to him face to face, but I won’t let this stop me from having the conversation.
Regret fills me for the miscommunication in the greenroom. I know it came off as an attack, but the guys are mostly concerned about the situation, not about Dare himself. Sure, we were all suspicious at first, but he’s too genuine of a person to be working against me.
“They didn’t mean it the way it came off,” I tell him, leaning into his hard body.
He shakes his head, the added side effect of his cheek brushing against mine in a soft caress. “No, it’s okay. They had every right to question me.”
“No, Dare,” I interject, my heart pounding fiercely against my ribs. His words stir something fierce within me. Perhaps it’s the weariness in his voice.
I turn to face him fully. This time he lets me, and I wrap my arms around his neck, holding him against me. “They weren’t questioning you,” I start, my voice soft but firm, “they were questioning the situation.”
“That still doesn’t make it feel any better,” he mutters under his breath.
The honesty in his voice shakes me. My throat feels dry and I swallow hard before speaking again. “Maybe not, but it’s hard not to want to demand some answer that makes the pain dull. That’s all they were doing.”
“I hate seeing you in agony like this. I feel like I can’t do anything to help you.” His eyes trace over me like a soft caress. “Do you know how much I wanted to scoop you onto my lap yesterday to hold you while we experienced the betrayal together?”
His confession has my heart skipping a beat. “Dare,” I whisper, fairly certain the word is swallowed by the sound coming out of the speakers. “I’m in a relationship.”
“I know.” His hand cups my face, and my eyes flutter as I fight the urge to lean into it. “I just want to be someone you can lean on. Someone who you share your pain with. Yesterday didn’t have to be something you experienced alone. Hell, it didn’t even need to be me. You have three boyfriends who adore you and were desperately wanting to do something.”
Okay… he’s acting a little too much like Keaton, making me face my fears. Because that’s what this one is. I’ve been alone for so long, I forget that I now have people who won’t let me down.I suppose deep down, I’m terrified to test the strength of our connection.
