Dirty Little Mistake (Hard to Love #2)

Chapter 22

Trystan

B ass still thrummed through my bones, an echo of the stadium's roar that had shaken the stage just hours ago. My ears rang with phantom applause, the lingering aftermath of the biggest show of my career. But now, with sweat still cooling on my skin and adrenaline giving way to exhaustion, all I craved was silence. The beach house pulsed with music and laughter, neon-bright party lights bleeding onto the sand – definitely not the quiet I was looking for.

I'd invited Jax, Kaia, Syn and Harlow to see me perform for the first time on a real tour and after we all moved the party to my parent's beach house instead of a hotel like normal. The house was filled with not just my family but also my band, groupies, the crew and the bands traveling with us, and it was way too loud.

The heavy glass door swooshed shut behind me, transforming the party's thunder into a muffled heartbeat. The contrast hit like a curtain dropping after the final encore – that same sudden shift from chaos to clarity that always left me dizzy with relief.

The salt-heavy breeze hit my lungs, washing away the stale taste of stage smoke and borrowed air. Moonlight carved a silver path across the water, breaking into thousands of scattered diamonds where waves slammed against the shore. The rhythm of the surf – crash, hiss, retreat – felt more natural than any bassline I'd ever played.

My eyes drifted down just past where the lights from the house stopped and froze on a pretty little blonde. It was Kaia sitting alone on the beach. She was angry with me, which was the hardest part about Cam and me—everyone being in the middle of the relationship whether they wanted to be or not.

I strolled down through the pool patio and down the wooden walkway that led to the beach, preparing what I was going to say.

My bare feet sunk into the cool, wet sand as I approached. "How did I know I'd find you out here by yourself?"

Kaia's shoulders tensed, but she kept her gaze fixed on the horizon.

I settled onto the sand beside her, close enough to show I cared, far enough to give her space. "On a scale of one to ten, how mad are you at me?"

She shot me the kind of look that could freeze hell, then turned back to the darkness stretching over the water. "Probably a three." Her arms tightened around her knees, making herself smaller.

I traced patterns in the sand with one finger. "I guess I deserve that."

"Just tell me that the reason you didn't invite Cam had nothing to do with me at the Cages."

There it was. The question I knew was coming. It was the question I was mentally preparing for. It actually had nothing to do with the Cages, but I couldn't tell Kaia the real reason. I couldn't tell her I'd been so jealous that Cam had gone home with Owen that I made a deal with the devil. I knew what she'd say.

I sucked in a deep breath holding it for a minute before slowly exhaling. "I'm angry Cam went to the cages because she could have been hurt, and even if we aren't together, I still care about her. She went to the Cages to get back at me because she knew I wouldn't want her there. I'm even madder she dragged you down with her, but..." I paused, trying to find the right words as my tongue swept out, wetting my dry lips. "No, that's not why I didn't invite her. There's a lot more to the story that you don't know, Kai, and I prefer to keep you out of it."

"Then don't put me in the middle of it." She glared at me. "I was never mad you didn't invite her. I was mad you left it up to me to tell her."

I closed my eyes and shook my head. It never occurred to me that Kaia would be the one to deal with me not inviting Cam. Whether I wanted to keep her out of what was going on between Cam and me or not, she was in the middle, and so was Jax.

"Sorry about that." I sighed. "I guess I didn't think about that."

"Maybe next time you will."

Forcing a smile, I nodded.

Kaia and I sat under the stars, catching up for what felt like forever. Talking about her and Jax and Jax and I's childhood before she came into our lives.

Sand crunched under familiar footsteps. "You're hiding from your own party."

"You know me, bro." I pushed myself up, brushing sand from my jeans. "I like my solitude."

Jax extended a hand to Kaia, pulling her up. "What are you two doing out here?"

"Just catching up." The moonlight caught the soft curve of Kaia's smile.

Jax's fingers drummed against his thigh. "Kai, do you mind if I talk to my brother for a minute?"

"No." She brushed sand from her legs, already turning toward the house. "I'll be inside cleaning up." Her footprints trailed behind her, disappearing into the shadows beyond the porch lights.

Once Kaia's footsteps faded into the night, I turned to face my brother. "What's up?"

Jax kicked at the sand, sending a spray of crystals into the darkness. "You should know that Cam was really upset when she found out you didn't invite her."

"Yeah." A hollow laugh escaped my throat as I shrugged. "Well, I was really upset when I found out she went home with Owen."

Jax's brows slammed together, his face hardening. "What?" He raked his fingers through his hair, taking a step closer. "What are you talking about?"

"You told me that after the Cages, Cam went home with Owen."

"What the fuck?" Jax snapped. "No, I didn't. I said she left with him. He took her home because I told him to get her out of there. They both went home alone."

The world tilted sideways as Jax's words sank in. All this time, I'd been carrying this image of Cam and Owen together, letting it eat away at me, using it as an excuse to push her away. And it wasn't even real. My chest constricted like I was back on stage, lights too bright, air too thin. "Fuck," I managed, the word barely a whisper. My fingers pressed against my forehead.

"Sounds like you heard what you wanted to hear." My gaze flashed to his, and I nodded. He was right. I was looking for an out, and I didn't know why. I wanted Cam, but I guess that scared the shit out of me. "If they are hanging out now, that's because you fucked up and pushed her away, but thus far, they've only been friends that I know of."

"I gotta go," I said. "Do me a favor and let the band know I'll meet them in Orlando for the next show." I twisted to walk away.

Jax's hand wrapped around my arm, stopping me. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know yet, but you should go fix things with Kaia before you make the same stupid mistakes I did."

He released my arm and nodded. "Good luck."

I strolled down the beach, and Jax disappeared inside the house. My phone's glow carved a harsh circle in the darkness, bright enough to sting. Cam's unopened message waited like a loaded gun.

Camryn: Fuck you. You are a coward

"Fuck," The word dissolved into sea spray, as bitter as the taste in my mouth. She was right; I was a coward. I clicked on the phone button and pulled the phone to my ear. It rang twice, and she sent it to voicemail. I tried again. It rang once before she sent it to voicemail.

I shoved my hand through my messy hair. I really fucked up, but thankfully, I'd only been stupid and not done something I couldn't recover from, like fuck Charleigh or any other groupie.

I was less than an hour away from her house. If I left now, I could make it before sunrise.

There was only one problem. I didn't have my bike, but I bet Jax had his.