“That is,” Boomer added quickly, “if Alec lets us.” He glanced down at Asha. “It is his car after all.”
But Asha didn’t back down. As much as she loved Alec and the Heartbreakers, she wasn’t going to let his presence weaken her resolve. She looked at him and raised her chin, as if she was daring him to say no. Everything about her posture screamed “She’sourbest friend, not yours.”
Alec seemed to understand this, because he nodded in agreement. Whether he was disappointed or not by the company was impossible to tell.
Asha’s tough demeanor faded in an instant and was replaced by her normal warm smile. “Good. I’m glad that’s all sorted out. Should we get going? This is going to be a long drive.” She headed toward the street before anyone could respond, like she was afraid Alec would change his mind and she needed to hurry us along so he wouldn’t have that opportunity. We all stared after her, none of us moving, until Alec shook his head in amusement and followed.
“Hey,” I whispered when we reached the car. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”
Alec popped the trunk and held out his hand for my duffel. As I passed it to him, I glanced inside. A guitar case was shoved in the back, and next to it laid a heavy-duty rucksack like the kind used to backpack across Europe. This seemed normal enough, but I frowned at the pair of strange metal objects that looked like sandals with spikes on the bottom. There was also a pickax.
He slammed the trunk closed before I could place either of the two items.
“Absolutely.” He held back a smile as if he thought something was funny. “Now will you stop asking me that and just get in the car?”
Chapter 8
Asha bolted down the front walk of her house, barely glancing back at Riya, who stood in the doorway with crossed arms and a disapproving frown.
“Hey, Alec,” she said when she slid back into the car and slammed the door shut. “I never got to tell you, but I totally adore your guys’ music. ‘Astrophil’ was my favorite song on the new album!”
Alec checked the rearview mirror as he backed out of her driveway. “Thank you,” he said with a nod.
A satisfied grin spread on Asha’s face as she buckled her seat belt and stuffed an overnight tote between her feet. Alec had offered to swing by her and Boomer’s houses before leaving LA so they could pack small bags for the trip.
“Sooo…” Asha said. From the way she was bouncing her knee, I knew she was working up the courage to ask him a question. “Is it true? Are you guys going to be in an episode ofImmortal Nights?”
“Yeah,” he answered. “Three actually.”
“WHAT?” she exclaimed, and I flinched at her volume. “Ohmyfreakinggod!” She collapsed back into her seat, waving a hand in front of her face.
Boomer glanced up and gave Asha a causal once-over before diving back into his game. “I think you may have killed her,” he said.
“I’m sorry,” Alec responded, his brow wrinkling with concern. “Should I not have told her?”
I rolled my eyes. “Give her a minute. She’ll be fine. Probably just fandom overload, bothImmortal Nightsand the Heartbreakers together. This is like a dream come true for her.”
“She’s a bit obsessed, but we love her,” Boomer added.
“Oh please,” I said to him. “If Alec had driven his F12, you would have jizzed yourself.”
Boomer looked me dead in the eyes and said, “Without a doubt.”
Alec barked in laughter. “I take it you’re into cars?”
“Correction—he lives for cars. Honestly, before I met Boomer, I didn’t know the difference between a coupe and a sedan,” I explained. “He was so horrified by my lack of knowledge that he had to educate me before we could be friends.”
“Well, yeah. I couldn’t associate with someone whose dream ride was, and I quote, ‘a blue one.’ That’s just embarrassing.” Boomer hesitated, but then asked Alec, “Do you really own an F12?”
At this, Alec rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s my dad’s car. This is going to sound totally lame, but he insisted we drive it to the ball. He likes…making an entrance.”
But Boomer didn’t think it sounded lame, and the boys chatted about cars until we reached his house. He was in and out before the song on the radio changed, returning with a backpack slung over his shoulder. Five minutes later, we were on I-5 North. My blood rushed in anticipation. I was on my way to Rose! After four yearsof thinking I would never talk to her again, I would hopefully get the chance tonight.
I never questioned if Alec knew where he was going, and he didn’t ask for directions. He seemed confident enough as he weaved through the traffic, and that was refreshing. Since Boomer was the only one who owned a car, he always drove, but he also had the worst sense of direction. The guy couldn’t get from Point A to Point B, even if it was a straight shot between the two, so I was always the designated copilot.
Twenty minutes into the drive, Alec pulled off the highway and I frowned.
Where are we going?I nearly asked, but as soon as the question formed in my head, I realized we were in Los Feliz, a neighborhood known for celebrity residents.
