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His lips find my ear. “Stay here.”
“You know I can’t.”
“Say you were at Kira’s again,” he pleads.
I find myself torn between doing what I want and what I should do.
“Fine,” I agree, giving in at last.
I feel his smile rather than see it.
CHAPTER18
HOLLIS
Icarry a half-asleep Mia to my room and give her one of my shirts to change into for the night. She gives me a nod of thanks before I slip out of the room. I’d love to stay for the show, but I saw the way the guys were eyeing me and know I have to talk to them.
I make my way to where they’re sitting in the suite’s living room. I remain standing, because it makes me feel better.
“Are you sure about this, man?” Cannon asks. “Mia’s a cool girl. We like her,” the other guys nod in agreement.
But she’s Hayes’s daughter,” Fox pipes in. “You could screw this whole thing up.”
I want to get defensive and angry, to rage at them, but I know it’s the wrong reaction to have.
“I’m sorry,” I say, meaning it. “Mia is … I like the way I feel when I’m with her. I feel like me, a me I forgot even existed. I’ve let the little bit of fame we’ve received go to my head. She brings me back to reality, grounds me. I tried to stay away, to fight what I felt, because I knew the position I could put us in if I pursued anything with her, but fighting it became impossible. For both of us. I’m not asking for your approval, but I am asking you to respect my actions. I’m doing this because I care about her, not because I’m being reckless.”
Cannon’s jaw is clenched but he sighs and says, “We’ve noticed the difference in you. I didn’t think it was possible but she’s mellowed you out.”
“I think we’ve all mellowed out,” I retort.
Fox snorts. “There’s not much trouble to get into in this small town.”
I crack a smile. “It’s never stopped us before.”
“I’ve definitelynotmellowed out,” Rush smirks.
I glance at him. “Last I checked you were only sleeping with one girl. I think it counts as mellowed out.”
He looks shocked, as if just now realizing he’s only been with Kira since we got here.
Cannon looks at me, leaning forward with his hands clasped. “We can’t ask you not to see her, but fuck, man, be careful. If you get a wandering eye cut her loose immediately.”
My jaw snaps closed with an audible click. I know I deserve him saying that. I’ve jumped from girl to girl the last few years, but it still irks me because Mia is different and I’m different with her. But it seems like that counts for nothing, not when there’s more proof of my manwhore behavior.
“You don’t need to worry about that,” I finally say.
He raises his hands innocently. “I’m not trying to piss you off.”
“I know,” I admit. “But don’t talk about her like she’s just another girl I’m going to grow bored of. She’s not. She never was.”
Cannon shrugs. “Good. It’s about time you grew serious. Ever since she came into the picture you’ve been more focused on music too, and in my book that’s a good thing.” He stands and stretches. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to bed.”
He leaves and I look at the other two. “Do you have anything to say?”
Fox tilts his head. “She’s a nice girl. Don’t fuck this up. I’m not saying that because she’s Hayes’s daughter, but because she’s too good to be strung along by you. If you care about her, keep proving it.”
I’m irritated by his words, but again I know I deserve them. I deserve worse.
