Chapter 3
Chapter Three
J ust remain calm, Dylan kept telling herself as she rubbed knees with Abe while he sang one of her favorite songs of all time. Everyone in town was glued to his performance. Some even sang along when he got to the chorus.
With everyone in Pride in attendance, and with their eyes on the man sitting next her, she could no longer hide that she was back. She had heard about the bonfire earlier that morning at Sara’s Nook and, since stepping onto the beach, she’d run into several people she knew.
She had managed to avoid long conversations the way she always did, by asking uncomfortable questions. After a few quick chats, she’d been left alone so she could get on with her job. Watching Abe.
The last thing she’d expected from the man was for him to actually cross the beach and start to flirt with her. Her. Boring Dylan. No-friends-on-the-planet Dylan.
She’d learned to hide her emotions over the years. Bullying, teasing, and name-calling no longer got under her skin. She had toughened up years ago and allowed nothing and no one to get through to her tender heart.
But damn if Abe Collins wasn’t testing her resolve.
Dylan kept her face neutral, her body still, even as the heat from the fire and the man’s presence beside her threatened to melt away the walls she’d spent years building.
His voice—low, smooth, sexy as hell, and filled with something raw—wrapped around her, sinking into the parts of her she’d locked away long ago.
She wouldn’t let him see it. Her nerves. Her doubts in herself. Wouldn’t let him see that every note of the song sent a shiver down her spine. That the lyrics, which had once felt like they belonged to another world, now felt so personal.
He probably didn’t even realize what he was doing to her.
The crowd around them had gone silent, completely mesmerized by the impromptu performance. People swayed, some singing along, some recording on their phones, but Dylan kept her focus on the fire, pretending like she wasn’t sitting hip-to-hip with the man she’d spent years listening to in private.
Then, just as suddenly as it started, the song ended.
Cheers erupted. A few people whistled. Someone even called out, “Play another one!”
Abe chuckled, shaking his head as he handed the borrowed guitar back to its owner. “I think that’s enough for tonight.”
The crowed groaned but then turned back to chatting and dancing as someone else started playing the guitar.
Abe turned back towards her, eyes searching hers, like he was waiting for a reaction.
She refused to give him one.
“Not bad,” she said, keeping her tone flat.
His lips twitched. “Not bad?”
She shrugged. “You’ve got a decent voice. A little rough around the edges.”
That made him laugh. A real, genuine laugh that sent another ripple of awareness through her.
“Well, I’ll take that as a compliment,” he said, still grinning.
She didn’t respond, just took a slow sip from her drink, pretending like his presence wasn’t unraveling her carefully constructed indifference.
Then, just as she was about to push off the log and make her escape, someone in the crowd shouted, “Dylan! That is you. Are you back in town for good?”
A dozen heads turned towards her.
Damn.
She’d managed to avoid that question all night, and now, thanks to Abe freaking Collins sitting beside her, she had an audience.
Dylan forced a smile, keeping her voice light. “Just visiting.”
The person, some guy she vaguely remembered from high school, nodded, but the way he was looking at her, and the way a few others whispered, told her the rumors would be swirling by morning.
She felt Abe watching her.
“So, you are not actually living here?” he asked, his voice quieter now.
“Didn’t say that,” she replied, standing and dusting the sand off her jeans.
He tilted his head, studying her like she was a puzzle he wanted to solve.
“Well,” she said, nodding towards the bonfire, “enjoy the rest of the party, superstar.”
Then she turned and walked away, refusing to look back.
Because if she did, she might just let him see the one thing she swore no one ever would. That he’d just shaken something loose inside her. And she had no idea how to put it back.
“That’s it?” Abe fell in step with her.
She stopped and turned back towards him, her eyebrows arched. “What were you expecting? A standing ovation?”
He chuckled, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Nah, just figured you’d at least pretend to be impressed.”
“I don’t pretend.” She tilted her head, studying him. “So what’s the deal? Do you always sing for free for your friends?”
He smirked. “Only when the mood strikes and he’s letting me stay at his place.”
She made a noncommittal sound and kept walking, the cool sand shifting beneath her bare feet. The party noise faded behind them as they moved closer to the water’s edge, the waves rolling in with a steady rhythm.
“So, what’s the deal with you?” he countered. “Do you always pretend not to care when a famous singer sits next to you?”
She didn’t miss a step. Thankfully. “Depends on the singer.”
His laugh was warm, easy. “Alright, I’ll bite. Who impresses you?”
She gave him a slow, considering glance before shrugging. “People who are real. People who don’t take themselves too seriously.”
“Sounds like a low bar.”
“You’d be surprised.”
Abe watched her for a moment, as if trying to decide if she was messing with him or being completely serious. Then he nodded towards the water. “Why’d you leave Pride?”
Her jaw tightened for half a second before she smoothed it out. “Because I wanted to.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one you’re getting.”
Abe hummed in response, clearly not satisfied but letting it slide.
“Your turn,” he said, kicking a small piece of driftwood. “Ask me something.”
Dylan thought for a moment, then went for something easy. “What brought you here? Really.”
He hesitated, just slightly, before answering, “I needed a break.”
“From?”
He gave her a look. “That’s two questions. My turn.”
She rolled her eyes but let him have it.
“What do you do?” he asked.
Her heartbeat kicked up, but she kept her expression smooth as she embellished the truth. “Odd jobs. Whatever pays the bills.”
His gaze sharpened. “That’s vague.”
“So was your answer.”
He laughed again, shaking his head. “Alright, alright. Your turn.”
She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, watching the way the firelight in the distance cast shadows across his face. She knew she couldn’t go in for the killer questions, so she tossed a light one to throw him off. “What’s the best part of being famous?”
Abe thought about it, his expression shifting into something more thoughtful. “The music. Writing it. Playing it. The rest is just noise.”
She was surprised but nodded, as if filing that answer away.
“My turn,” he said, cutting his gaze towards her. “What’s the worst part of coming back here?”
She stiffened, her feet pausing in the sand, and held in the answer that first came to mind. The people. Then, just as quickly, she smoothed it away. “Didn’t say there was a worst part.”
He didn’t believe her. She could tell instantly. But he didn’t push.
Instead, he let the moment settle between them, the sounds of the waves filling the silence.
Finally, she exhaled and took a step closer to the water. “Alright, one more question.”
He arched a brow. “Make it a good one.”
She turned to him, her dark eyes unreadable. “Why do you really have that look in your eyes? The look people have when they think no one is watching. The one that says you’re running from something.”
She knew that she had shaken him when he didn’t answer right away.
“Like I said, I needed a break,” he finally answered with a shrug. When she narrowed her eyes at him, he chuckled again. “How about I tell you the real reason I needed a break when you tell me the real reason you don’t seem to enjoy being back home.”
She nodded once and then took a deep breath as the water washed over her toes.
“How did you meet Max?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder as she heard the laughter behind them.
Abe’s smile was quick and genuine. “We met on the set of Never Enough . I was brought in to help with the music score.”
“The song you just played was the opening, right?” she asked.
He looked surprised and smiled. “You have heard of me then.”
She dropped her guard and chuckled, “Who hasn’t? I just didn’t want to give you a big head.”
He shifted and nudged her shoulder. “You’re a hard nut to crack.”
“Thanks,” she said with a chuckle.
“Now that you know what I do for a living…”
She shook her head. “I’ve already told you.”
His eyes narrowed. “Okay, then at least give me this one. What’s the worst part about coming home?”
She sighed and glanced over her shoulder.
“The people.” His eyebrows arched in question.
“Not that they’re bad. It’s just… they know me.
” She turned and wrapped her arms around herself.
“Each and every person here knows everything there is to know about me. The good, the bad. Some of them have known me since birth.” She sighed.
“They saw me when I was…”—she glanced over at him—“not my best.”
He nodded in understanding. “You’re a private person. I get that. Believe it or not, I am as well.”
She tilted her head and ran her eyes over him. “Must be hard when everyone in the world knows you.”
“They think they know me,” he corrected, his eyes moving to the dark waters.
Dylan watched him as he stared out at the water, his profile shadowed against the moonlight. There was something about the way he said it, the quiet weight behind his words, that made her chest tighten just a little.
She could relate.
People in this town thought they knew her, too.
She looked away, back towards the distant glow of the bonfire. Laughter echoed down the beach, voices blending together in a familiar hum. The past tugged at her like a rip current, trying to drag her under, but she planted her feet.
She wasn’t that shy scared little girl anymore.
Was Abe a different person than the one who had been behind the wheel when Kara had died?
After all, this is what she was here for, right?
“So, do you ever get tired of it?” she asked finally, her voice softer than before.
His eyes flicked back to her. “Tired of what?”
“Being ‘Abe Collins’ all the time.”
A slow, crooked smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “More than you’d think.”
Dylan let that settle between them, the rhythmic crash of the waves filling the silence.
After a moment, she nudged his arm with her elbow. “You know, for a big-time celebrity, you’re not so bad.”
His laughter was quiet but genuine. “And for someone who’s been watching me, hiding that you know who I am, you’re not very subtle.”
Her breath caught, but she recovered quickly, rolling her eyes. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Uh-huh.” He smirked and he shifted closer to her, causing her stomach to dip at the way the word rolled off his tongue, but she forced herself to hold his gaze.
“I think you think too highly of yourself.”
“Really?” He tilted his head, studying her. “Then why are you still here, Dylan?” He motioned to the party. “You could have left if you weren’t having a good time.”
For a moment, she considered telling him. Laying it all out, just to see his reaction.
But she didn’t.
Instead, she gave him a smirk of her own. “That’s another question. And I think we’re out of time.”
He let out an exaggerated sigh. “Shame. I was just starting to get somewhere with you.”
She turned and started walking back towards the bonfire, tossing a look over her shoulder. “Maybe next time, rock star.”
Abe grinned and followed her, something unreadable flickering in his gaze.
Dylan didn’t look back again. Didn’t trust that she wouldn’t melt completely.
For the first time in a long time, she felt something stir in her chest. And she had no idea what to do about it.