Chapter 21
Twenty-One
HAZEL
Embarrassment swirls inside me as I climb onto the bus. Part of me wants to just hide in my bunk, but that would be cowardly. I have to apologize and thank everyone before I even think about hiding myself away.
Stone has been amazing. A rock for me, no pun intended, since I woke and all the memories came flooding back in. After an exhausting FaceTime call with Mom and Grams, I’m nearing my limit for human interaction.
Darren looks up at me from his usual perch at the dinette table. His expression is solely one of concern as he gives me an up and down appraisal. “How are you feeling?”
“Physically? I’m okay, just a little bit sore.”
“And other than physically?”
It’s an odd feeling to have his attention wholly on me. I’m so used to seeing him split it between whoever he’s speaking with and his phone. But he set his phone down as soon as he inquired about me.
“So embarrassed.” I feel my cheeks turn pink. “I’m sorry you had a mess to deal with because of me.”
“None of what happened last night is your fault. Some crowds are more violent than others. We could all tell from the beginning that was the case last night. Long before the incident with you occurred.”
“Thank you,” I say quietly. “But still. Knowing that Stone dropped down to help me when he could have re-injured himself makes me feel terrible.”
“He’s the healthiest I’ve ever seen him. Don’t worry too much about it.”
The sound of heavy footsteps coming up the steps draws both of our attention. I see Tobias first, and as soon as we lock eyes, his light up with relief. I barely have time to take a breath before I’m swept up into his arms and lifted off my feet.
“You’re okay,” he says as he rocks us back and forth. “Don’t ever do that again.”
Before I can reply he passes me to Xander.
“Yeah, no excuses from now on, you’re sitting pretty on the side of the stage.”
“I don’t want to be in the way.”
“You won’t be.” Stone pulls me from Xander and collapses to the couch with me in his lap. “Now be a good girl and tell us why you never want to watch from backstage.”
I run my hands over my face. “It’s embarrassing.”
“We won’t laugh,” Tobias says. “Fuck, you know I get the nervous shits if I eat before a show. You owe me an embarrassing piece of knowledge.”
I release an annoyed growl. “I cry. It lasts for twenty or thirty minutes every single time I’m at a concert of any kind.
I just get overwhelmed by feeling so proud of the performers.
Like I imagine how much work it is to get where you are and how incredible it is.
Then I just cry, and I can’t turn it off until it runs its course. ”
They all look at each other and fight smiles.
“Stop that.” My face heats, and I try to stand up off Stone’s lap.
His arms lock around me tighter than a seatbelt. “Sorry. It’s just that we always see people crying at concerts. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“I hate people seeing me cry. It’s why I always have my back to Dan.”
“Xander cries in movies,” Tobias says.
“ One movie, one time.” He throws an empty water bottle at Tobias. “And anyone with a soul would cry in that movie.”
“What movie?” I’m curious now.
“My Girl.”
“Oh that’s so valid.”
“See.” Xander stares down his bandmate while I feel Stone shaking with laughter beneath me. “You’re the problem, Tobias.”
Good-natured joking continues around me. Part of me is really starting to feel as if I belong with them. Any awkwardness that existed before is now gone.
Jade emerges from her bunk and takes a seat opposite of Darren. Stone finally releases me, and I sit down next to her. I haven’t opened my social media yet, and I need emotional support beside me.
“Ready?” she asks once I’m comfortable.
“No. Social media is overwhelming on a normal day. I don’t even want to know what it’ll be like on a day where I’m in the news for getting caught up in a mosh pit.”
Darren snorts. “That was tame compared to an actual mosh pit.”
“May I never be inside one in that case.”
“Damn right.” Stone bumps Darren over so he can join us. “You’re too precious for that.”
My chest tightens at the searing look in his eyes. He means every word of that proclamation. And he just said it out loud in front of everyone. I feel the blush creep over my cheeks, so I turn my attention to my phone as I open the first app.
I have hundreds of comments under my last post and as much as I’d like to pretend they’re all centered around my book, I know they aren’t.
BlueSundaeGirl: I’ve never been so jealous of another human being, write a tell all about the band
Stones_wifey: I don’t get the appeal of this heifer
I laugh at that. Being called a heifer is a new one, so points for creativity.
“Oh god.” Jades looks at the screen. “That one is absolutely feral. You’d be shocked at some of the things she sends to his DMs.”
“Considering what I’ve gotten in my DMs, I probably wouldn’t be that shocked.”
Stone looks up from what he and Darren are doing with a sharp look in his eyes. “What have you gotten?”
“Sugar daddy offers to dick pics to solicitation.”
“Are you serious?” His eyes narrow.
“Yeah. It’s why I turned off DMs. The guy that sent his dick had one of my TV interviews on in the background.”
Honestly, the message was much worse than the photo, but at the look on Stone’s face, I decide not to share anything more. It’s difficult to tell whether he’s jealous or enraged, but regardless I’m not going to get into the nitty gritty details. I’m sure their imaginations can fill in the blanks.
It is nice to see how visceral a reaction that he had though because when I showed Greg he had no reaction. Just rolled his eyes and told me to block the guy. There was no feeling there. I didn’t need him to fly off the handle or anything but a little outrage on my behalf would have been welcomed.
Over the next few hours, Jade and I sink into a social media management plan for me. She sends me photos she’s taken, including the paper roses that I love getting at signings. I write out captions for them and then schedule the posts for future dates.
She shows me what Blue Sunday posts she’s planning on including me in.
They are mostly candid shots which will be included in behind the scenes posts.
There’s one shot in particular that I love.
It’s one she just took a little earlier of me on Stone’s lap while we’re all laughing.
It’s framed in a way that I can tell she took it from the bunks.
“I can send any of these to you, too.”
“Please do. I’m obsessed with that group photo.”
“Me, too.” She leans over. “It’s like I can see you two falling in love in through the lens.”
“What?” I laugh, incredulously. “We’re just having fun, it’s not serious.”
“If the love is right, falling should be fun.”
Her words send a shockwave through me. Being with Stone is fun. And easy. I never wonder whether he wants me around, if anything he’s constantly seeking me out. Not even for sex, just my company. I hadn’t realized it until now.
It’s a total juxtaposition from what I’m used to. I feel needy and clingy when I’m around Greg. The only times I feel wanted in any capacity by him are those when we’re in the physical act of sex. Even then the connection can be lackluster at times.
Stone’s gaze pulls my attention back to him like a magnet. I find him studying my expression as the realization sinks in. He doesn’t say anything, just quietly lets me sink into my thoughts. But it’s not the dismissive quiet I’m used to. It’s a protective silence, one where I feel comfortable.
I sit there overthinking the rest of the trip to Indianapolis.
“I think you should just bring your bag to my suite tonight,” Stone says from beside me on the elevator. “You know we’ll just end up in bed together anyways. You might as well have your things.”
“What about Sierra?”
“I’m sure she’ll enjoy having the room to herself.” He pulls a second key from the cardboard sleeve and hands it to me. “I have plenty of room, and I’ll make it worth your while.” His eyes twinkle with promise that heats my core.
“Starting now?” I lift an eyebrow.
“Hell yeah.” He grabs my suitcase when the doors open and rolls it down the hall to his suite.
As soon as he closes the door behind me, he flips the locks closed and abandons all our stuff.
His mouth is on mine as his body presses me against the nearest hard surface.
My fingers run through his hair pulling on soft strands until he groans into my mouth.
His hands slide around my hips to my ass, and then he’s lifting me.
“You have to stop picking me up,” I say against his lips.
“Never gonna fucking happen.”
He strides into the bedroom and lets me fall onto the bed. With a wicked smirk he reaches behind his head and pulls his shirt off. His erection strains against the denim of his pants leaving a perfect imprint. I look up at him through my lashes while I run my fingertip over the length.
His eyes drift closed as I slowly unbutton and then draw his zipper down.
I feel powerful as I watch his Adam’s apple bob when I slip my fingers between his hot skin and the cotton of his boxer briefs.
There’s an unfamiliar but not unwelcome feeling to watching how he responds to the slightest touch of my hand.
I push him back a step as I slide to my knees on the floor beside the bed.
My hands work his pants down far enough for his dick to spring free.
I’ve never been one to look at a cock and think that it’s perfect, but his is.
Perfectly long and thick with the slightest curve upwards.
A wide tip and pulsing veins running along each side.
I lick the bead of moisture from the tip as he threads a hand through my hair. He hisses through his teeth as I take him deep, running the flat of my tongue down the bottom of his cock. He hits the back of my throat and moans as I manage not to gag.