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“Sorry, where?”
“To the hospital this morning.”
Zac had mentioned that the band was heading to a local hospital as part of their involvement in children’s charities. He hadn’t specifically invited her, and she’d assumed she’d head back to the venue and get to work while the band did their thing.
The weight of everyone’s attention made her self-conscious. This was something she still wasn’t used to. Suddenly being confronted with having to navigate this non-relationship with Zac. She never really knew what he expected or wanted from her. “Oh, no, that’s okay. I can catch a ride-share back to the venue.”
“You should come.” Zac regarded her steadily.
“Well, I don’t want to intrude, and I should probably get back and check on everything.”
“You don’t need to do a load-in check today. Everything should be fine how you left it last night since you didn’t pack it up for transport. You can do a check after we get back if you’re worried.” His intense hazel eyes swept over her face. “And as my girlfriend, you’re not exactly intruding.” His voice deepened as he said the word girlfriend and Cassie’s mouth popped open. She shut it quickly at the quirk of his eyebrow and the slight uptick of his lips. It was the first time he’d used the word, and she didn’t know what to think about it. Everyone at the table knew it wasn’t real.
She felt the amused stares of the others and flushed. “Well, if you put it that way,” she managed to get out.
“I do,” he said. This time, his smile was wider. The pressure against her leg increased, and she didn’t know if it was deliberate or not. Questions raced through her head. He didn’t make it easy to know what he was thinking. But misreading his friendliness as more than that was a sure way to have this whole thing explode spectacularly.
She just needed to remember it was all fake. That in a couple of months she’d be back in Las Vegas.
On her own.
ChapterTwenty-One
Zac balanced his bass on his lap as Connor asked if there were any more requests. The group of children sitting in front of them called out a couple of different suggestions. Connor nodded. “Sounds like most of you want to hear ‘Holding Out’.” Both Connor and Tex had their acoustic guitars, while Noah had the hand drums he liked to use when they were doing acoustic performances.
The kids cheered. Even the one little girl in her hospital bed at the back of the group. Zac smiled at her, and her eyes got big. She ducked her head shyly. A few feet away from her, Lexie and Cassie whispered to each other. Cassie’s smile was stunning. Even in the jeans and T-shirt she was wearing, she was sexy. Too sexy for his peace of mind.
He turned his attention back to where it should be, on the eager young faces staring up at them.
Noah counted them in for the song, and they began to play “Holding Out”.It was one of their most popular songs from a couple of albums ago. Zac joined in with Connor for the chorus.
“Your love is an oasis
And I’ve been living in a drought
I want to fall to my knees and quench my thirst
But I’m forced to go without
My heart is begging for just one taste
But I know without a doubt
That the only way I’ll survive you now
Is by holding out, holding out.”
His gaze caught on Cassie’s as he sang, the lyrics suddenly taking on a whole new significance. Pink stained her cheeks, and she looked adorably flustered. But she didn’t drop her gaze. And neither did he.
He shouldn’t have to keep reminding himself that she wasn’t the type of woman he let himself be with. The ones who only wanted to ride a rock star for a night, or see how many ways he could think of to screw them before they both got bored and moved on. Those were the women he chose. The ones who wanted the same thing as him, discrete, short-term, fun-while-it-lasts fucking.
And there was a damn good reason for that.
The last thing he wanted to do was to follow in his dad’s footsteps.
Cassie’s heart may have taken a beating, but she’d never be one of those women. He could still see the hope in her beautiful blue eyes. Heard it in the sweetness of her laughter. He remembered the look on her face last night when she’d read him her poetry. The need for approval. The need to feel like she mattered to someone. That her heart, and her soul, and her dreams mattered. What must her childhood have been like? Had no one encouraged her? Supported her? Someone along the way should have shown her she was worthy of anything and everything.
If he touched her—if he let himself take her the way he wanted to—when he walked away, it would break her heart again. He was the last person who could show a woman she mattered because no one would ever matter more than the music.
