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It was hours later before we actually left the hotel. My phone had died sometime during the night, but Riley had gotten Cash’s number and started blowing up his phone. My friend was worried about me and was demanding to see me with her own eyes.
Everyone was at IHOP, and the smells of bacon and pancakes made my stomach ache the second the Uber dropped us off in the parking lot. There was a huge table in the back that our people were already taking up, making other diners stare in fascination at their craziness. The Demon’s Wings and OtherWorld guys were stuffing their faces right along with Kale and Sin. The Blonde Bombshells were mixed in among the rock legends, with Emmie at the head of the table just as she had been the night before.
Riley was the first to see us coming, and she jumped to her feet with a glare on her face. “You were supposed to be here half an hour ago,” she complained.
“Relax, Riles. I’m here now.” I hugged her. “What’s going on with you anyway?” I muttered for her ears only. “Everything go okay last night?”
“Shane and Drake kept me company all night, and I ended up crashing on their tour bus.” She pulled me away from the others. “Lin has been blowing up my phone left and right. She couldn’t get hold of you, and even though I told her your phone died, she was half hysterical.”
A bad feeling was already creeping up my spine. “Her parents or mine?” I muttered.
“She wouldn’t tell me.”
“Okay, let me see what’s going on. Can I use your phone?” She was already putting it in my hands before I could even finish the question and pushing me toward the door. “Please, just get her to shut the fuck up.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Amara?” Cash was in the process of taking one of the two open seats between Zander Brockman and Wroth Niall, but he stood when he noticed I was on my way toward the door again.
I gave him a bright smile that felt brittle. “I’ll be right back. I just have to check in with my worried roommate. Eat. This won’t take long.”
“What do you want? I’ll order for you.”
My stomach growled hungrily as my heart melted all over again for him. “Bacon, scrambled eggs, and Cinnabon pancakes.”
“You got it,” he told me with a wink.
Riley’s phone went off in my hand, and I saw it was a text from Lindsey. Sighing, I swiped my thumb over the text and hit connect. She was already answering before I could even reach the exit.
“Riley, I need Amara!” she half sobbed.
I closed my eyes. “What’s going on, Lin?”
Hearing my voice, she let out a relieved sigh. “Amara, your stepdad won’t leave me alone. The landline has been going off every hour, and every time I tell him you’re not here, it only gets him angrier.”
“Did you tell him where I am?” I demanded, anxiety making my tone harsh. Aches that had healed years ago began to throb just thinking of my stepdad.
“Of course I didn’t!” she cried defensively. “You know I would never do that to you.”
I gritted my teeth, knowing she would never give me up, even under fear of death. Which was exactly what she was probably feeling. I knew the best thing to do was catch the next flight home and deal with Malcolm on my own, but right then—for the first damn time in my life—I wanted to be selfish. “Look, turn off the ringer. Don’t answer the phone or the door for that matter, in case he comes over. Riley and I will be home tomorrow night.”
“You mean you’re not coming home today?” she groaned loudly.
“No.”
“Amara! He’s only going to be that much more irrational when you do talk to him. Please, just come home now, and you can be at your parents’ house by tonight.”
I knew she was right, and I was already dreading the conversation—or worse, the face-to-face meeting—that was inevitable. There was no way I was walking away from that unscathed. But I was having a good time with Cash, and I wasn’t about to end it before I had to. Whether we continued this thing once we were both back in California or not, I wanted this time with him. Whatever Malcolm dished out would be totally worth getting to spend the extra time with Cash.
“I’ll see you tomorrow night, Lin.”
She sighed resignedly. “This is going to end badly.”
“That’s my problem.”
“No. It’s both our problems. You’re my best friend. If something happens to you, I’ll have no one.” She sighed tiredly. “Go. Enjoy your last weekend of freedom. I doubt you’ll have another peaceful moment after this.”
The sad thing was, she was being completely realistic. Swallowing the panic that was trying to consume me, I put on my best fake smile. The one that my mother had made me perfect over the years so the outside world didn’t see just how broken I really was on the inside. I could have won a fucking Oscar with this damn smile.
