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“I think she probably just needs some time to compose herself. And I told her to ask for Maggie. If she feels like talking, Maggie will be there for her.”
Lexie gave him a slow nod. With her brow still furrowed, she looked back down at her computer.
There was a knock at the door, and it swung open. Drew stuck his head through the gap. “Fifteen minutes before your pre-show guests arrive.”
Zac and the other three men nodded their acknowledgment at him. Before most shows, the band spent half an hour hanging out with underprivileged kids who had been gifted tickets to the concert. They’d been doing it for years, as part of the band’s commitment to various charities providing music therapy to children. It was one of the best perks of the job.
“I just need to get changed,” Zac told Drew. The other three were already in their stage outfits, barely distinguishable from their street clothes. He stood and went through to their wardrobe room, quickly changing into fitted black jeans and a plain charcoal-gray V-neck T-shirt.
He was already wearing a leather cuff and chunky silver rings on both hands, so he didn’t bother adding anything else. Leaving the room, he sat back at the table with the other men. He considered asking to be dealt in for the next round but instead reached for the bass he’d left propped against the wall earlier. Rocking back in his chair, he plucked a few chords, his mind drifting again to the devastation on Cassie’s face when she’d looked up at him in the hallway.
Something constricted in his chest. That look right there was why he didn’t have the slightest interest in getting involved with anyone. Guaranteed, someone was going to get hurt. Usually more than one person. Even his Fractured bandmates, all three of whom had somehow managed, against all odds, to fall in love, had gone through a world of pain first—or put their women through it. And even though things seemed to be going smoothly now, it didn’t mean shit wouldn’t hit the fan again sometime down the road.
Keep your distance, avoid getting emotionally involved. That was the best way to ensure you made it through life unscathed, while doing as little damage yourself as possible.
It was just a shame Cassie had to find that out the hard way.
ChapterFour
Cassie’s eyes were raw. Her entire face burned. Not to mention her heart. She was curled up on one of the plush black leather couches on Fractured’s tour bus. The dark wood paneling, massive wall-mounted television, and fully appointed kitchenette set it apart from Blacklite’s much smaller, less well-appointed one.
Before the thought of Bryan had her dissolving into tears again, Maggie came over and held out a mug. “Here, sweetheart.”
Cassie accepted it with a smile that trembled on her lips. She took a sip of the steaming hot liquid as the tall, slightly intimidating older woman settled on the seat next to her. She could sense Maggie’s gaze on the side of her face, but she kept her own fixed on the mug in her hands.
“You don’t have to tell me about it,” Maggie said. “But sometimes it helps to talk. And I’ve been told I’m a good listener.”
Cassie’s eyes met Maggie’s, noting the warmth in their brown depths. She looked away, letting out a dry laugh as more tears streaked down her face. “There’s not much to tell. He told me he loved me. He promised he’d never hurt me.” She wiped her wet cheeks with the back of her hand. “He lied.”
Maggie nodded and leaned back in her seat. “How long were you two together?”
Cassie blew on her tea to give herself a few seconds before responding. “Since we were sixteen. But we were friends for two years before that.”
“That’s a long time.”
“Yes,” Cassie whispered. A hollow ache grew in the pit of her stomach. How could he do that to her?Bryan. The man she’d loved since she was just a teenager. How had this happened? It was surreal—like a nightmare. Like maybe she’d suddenly wake up back in the bunk she shared with him, his body warm and solid next to hers. He’d take her in his arms and tell her he loved her, and she’d breathe a sigh of relief and tell him she loved him too.
But the pain that raked Cassie’s chest wouldn’t let her hide from the truth. She stared sightlessly at the mug in her hands. “I’m such a fool.”
“I don’t think it’s a bad thing to be foolish, even if it sometimes ends up hurting us.” Cassie had almost forgotten Maggie was there. “It means you’re taking a chance on something that could be amazing. True, it doesn’t always work out. But when it does, well, it can make your journey through life unforgettable.”
“But what if you believe you have something amazing, and then you just end up all”—her breath hitched—“all alone again?”
Maggie didn’t answer her straight away, studying her face. “Were you alone, Cassie? Before him?”
Cassie swallowed past the lump in her throat and looked back down at her tea. She didn’t really want to think about how things were before Bryan. She was struggling just to come to terms with how things were now.
AfterBryan.
Fresh tears welled up, and she shook her head. Maggie seemed to understand that meant she didn’t want to talk about it rather than answering in the negative because she patted Cassie on the shoulder and stood. “Well, I have to prep for heading out once the boys and Lexie wrap everything up. I’ll leave you to drink the rest of your tea in peace.” She reached up to a shelf above her head with a tattooed arm and placed something down on the seat next to Cassie. “Here’s the control for the entertainment system if you decide you’d like a distraction.”
Cassie’s smile was watery. “Thank you.”
Maggie gave her a sympathetic look. “You just relax here for a couple of hours, okay, sweetheart?” She turned to head to the front of the bus. Before she went through the doorway, she hesitated, then turned back. “You know, Cassie, being alone is far better than being with someone who doesn’t appreciate your true worth. Just remember that when he comes crawling back.” Without waiting for Cassie to reply, she left.
Cassie’s fingers tightened around the mug. Bryan had been the only one who’d ever thought she was worth anything.
Bryan. Her heart lurched and stumbled in her chest.
