Her eyebrows shot up. “Is that right?”
“I mean objectively. One look online and you’ll see all the fangirls go crazy over him.”
“Right.” She gave me a knowing look.
I countered with, “Are you going to tell me what ‘stuff’ you were up to at the Fall Festival?”
Two could play at that game. She held my gaze, opened her mouth, and closed it again. “Anyway. Leo managed to book another gig in town for spring and get some donations.”
My jaw dropped, and my heart started to race.This man. “I can’t believe he did all that,” I whispered in awe.
“I was as surprised as you are. Hasn’t been seen for years and now he’s on stage and schmoozing the crowd and acting like he was running for mayor. If a baby had been proffered, he probably would have kissed it.”
“This makes no sense.” I looked around his kitchen as though I could find the answers. “He didn’t need to do any of that. I don’t understand.”
“Somebody has it bad for you.”
“No. He . . . No,” I sputtered.
She was teasing, but learning all this made me feel weird and anxious. Leo was such a good guy. I may have painted him with the wrong brush at first, but ultimately, he wanted to do the right thing, and I’d made him do all the things he hated. It would make sense that I was falling for him just as I was making his life a living hell. Why did I do this to the people in my life? Why did I push them so hard and make them hate being around me?
I groaned and dropped my head.
Thankfully, I was a natural human-repellent. People didn’t want someone like me around, so brash and demanding. We would get through the next few months of his tutoring Cath. And honestly, after the past few days spent in the disgusting condition I was in, there was no need to worry about that inconvenient sexual tension because Leo would want nothing to do with me.
CHAPTER 19
LEO
The past few days had been more stressful than when The Burnouts opened for Sunshine Capone and played sold-out arenas. Way too much peopling. I wanted to hide in my garden, but even I began to feel the pressure of Cath’s upcoming deadline. Mari cared so much, and I wanted to help her. I couldn’t help how much her cares were becoming my cares. Every day that passed, the closer Cath was to her audition, and there was no more avoiding it. I didn’t get to talk to Cath much at the clusterfuck that had been the Fall Festival except for when I briefly made plans to meet her for the drum lesson today. She had been guarded and short but at least willing to meet. Thankfully, Janice agreed to come, and we swung to get Cath on the way up to Devlin’s house. The ride was awkward except for the stilted questions my mom threw her way.
I’d brought the drums up during my break in caring for Mari yesterday, and good thing because all of us would not have fit in the car.
I was constantly battling myself. I, equal parts, wanted to check on Mari and find excuses to be away from her. I couldn’t be trusted around her.
It wasn’t enough that I couldn’t stop worrying about her, but at the festival something had taken over when she got so sick. It hadn’t been me. It had been the spirit of Mari operating me like an avatar. But I was paying for that burst of energy, and my social batteries were almost all out.
Cath had perked up as Devlin gave us a tour of his renovated studio. She asked loads of questions and chatted more than I’d ever seen her. At least she was getting more comfortable. I, on the other hand, could not stop glancingover my shoulder. My ears were pricked, waiting to hear the voices of my former bandmates.
I was exhausted and on edge. I itched to get back to the house. And not just to see Mari, who thankfully had been sleeping when I left. Her fever broke in the middle of the night, and I was able to get a fitful few hours of sleep. People got sick all the time, but seeing such a force of a woman knocked down to that level was harrowing.
“Here’s the studio restroom.” Devlin gestured to a small bathroom off the main recording room with a toilet and a shower. “This is a new door. With a lock. Here is how the lock works.”
“I think we would probably figure it out,” I said.
“I’m showing you anyway. If you use the bathroom, lock the door.” Devlin scowled.
Janice and I exchanged a look. “Somebody likes their potty privacy,” she whispered to me as Devlin and Cath moved on.
“That was super weird,” I agreed, wondering what the story was there.
Devlin finished the tour and led us to the padded drum room. “I’ll be working on some mixes in here, but call if you need anything.” He pointed at the mixing area behind glass.
“And there is the drum set.” I gestured to the kit.
Cath didn’t move for several seconds after Devlin left. She glanced up to Janice, who sat just on the other side of the glass, playing on her phone. She gave Cath a thumbs-up when she looked up to see her looking her way.
I didn’t rush Cath. I’d been there before.
