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It opened slowly. “Tanner, just checking you’re okay. Do you need anything?”
I looked at her standing nervously in the doorway. I sat up, patting the bed next to me, but she just stared at me.
“Come and sit down, Emmy. I won’t bite.” I couldn’t help but notice the way her body stiffened as she moved back slightly.
“Do you mind if I don’t? I feel like I’m putting myself in a position. If something happened, it would be my fault.”.
“What do you think is going to happen?” I asked, wanting to know where her fear came from.
“Nothing. With you, nothing, but if I let my guard down with you, then I risk letting it drop with the wrong person.”
“What the fuck happened to you, Emmy? Talk to me.”
She tensed, obviously reliving a memory. “Someone hurt me. They took advantage of me and no one helped me.”
“Come and sit down, Em, please.” Wanting nothing more than to wrap her in my arms and protect her from the world, to prove to her she was safe, I held out my hand to encourage her to come toward me.
Shaking her head, her eyes dropped to the floor as she ignored the gesture. “I just came to tell you we’re about thirty minutes away from the hotel. Addi wanted me to meet her for something, so I’ll do that and then head to my room. Have fun exploring. Take lots of pictures for me.”
I smiled, nodding, realizing at that moment that my body desperately craved her to stay close to me; to smell her skin, to be on the receiving end of one of her smiles, or to feel her pressed against me in a hug. I would give anything right now to be the one to heal her past.
“Em, when you’re ready, tell me. Let me know what makes you too afraid to come and sit on a bed next to me. Please. You can’t expect us to share our secrets with you if you won’t share them with us.”
“Okay. I promise. Now go enjoy Paris and send me lots of pictures.”
“I promise, you’ll see so many photos you’ll feel like you were there with us.”
Chapter 11
Emmy
“Howisthestinkyboy bus?” Addi asked, laughing.
“Not bad. They cook for me, make me hot chocolate, and let me beat them at cards. How is the girl bus?”
“Rubbish. Frankie snores like a bear, and Rylee is always in her room. I thought it was just Tanner she was scared of, but it appears to be all of us. You wanna swap buses?”
“Hell no,” I replied, screwing up my face at the thought of swapping. “You snooze, you lose. So, what did you need me for? I’m planning on a hot bath and movie afternoon, as I can’t go out.”
“Well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. The guys don’t like my plan to not let you out with them and actually, it was a shitty idea. I can’t keep you locked up for months. So Tanner hatched a plan. That boy really wants to spend time with you, Em.”
“A plan? A plan for what?” I asked, suddenly panicking.
“Hey, Emmy, nothing bad, I promise, and if you’re not down with it, then you don’t have to do it. Tanner thought we could disguise you, so you can go out and about without anyone recognizing you and finding out about the book.”
“No one would ever recognize me. I’m no one.” I tucked a loose tendril of hair behind my ear, keeping my eyes fixed firmly on the floor.
“Look at me, Emmy.” When I didn’t listen, Addi lifted my chin with her fingertips, so I was forced to look at her. “You’re a stunning woman who’s traveling with the Cosmic Gods. People might not know who you are right now, but a quickGooglesearch and they will find out and hunt you down. We’re just trying to protect you. Tanner asked Fi to give you a disguise so you can go exploring Paris with him, Frankie, and the twins. Is that something you’d want?”
He’s gone to all this trouble for me?“Yes. Yes. I’d love that.”
“Okay, Fi’s waiting in your room for you. Tell her if there’s anything you’re uncomfortable with. One of the boys will be here for you in an hour to take you to the Eiffel Tower and for croissants.”
Tears filled my eyes as I nodded. “Thank you.”
“This was all Tanner. Thank him. Right, best get back to my job and sort out the logistics for this concert.”
Forty-five minutes later, I found myself in front of a full-length mirror, not recognizing myself. Pink hair—well, a light pink wig cut into a bob with a fringe covered my usual long dark hair. My makeup was light; black eyeliner flicked out at the corner of my eyes, soft pink lipstick covered my lips, and my fading bruises were hidden. Fi helped me pick out a cream flared dress with a thin tan belt that finished mid-thigh and baby pink converse that matched my hair from a rail of clothes that appeared out of nowhere. I was still hiding but in a different way. Yes, I was hiding who I was because I needed to protect the band, but I wasn’t shielding my body and I didn’t feel my usual level of fear, which seemed to accompany me into every situation like a foreboding shadow.
