Chapter 29
29
KATRINA
I park in the circle drive outside Botsford Manor, pulling in behind Knox’s car. The others are already here, too; their vehicles lined up one-by-one ahead of me.
Yeah. This’ll be fine.
I unhook my seatbelt and check my reflection in the rearview mirror. I’ve showered, dressed, made myself presentable, but something about me still feels... different . I search my own eyes, waiting to see a shift, a crack in the familiar, but no. It’s still me. The same old Katrina.
Except I’m not.
They’ll see it. They’ll know.
Because I am different.
Logan, I love you.
That’s what I was going to say before Tesla and Goldie crashed in. The thought sends a warmth through me, alighting the same way it did this morning when I woke up wrapped in his arms.
I hold on to that feeling, steeling myself against the storm I’m walking into. No matter what happens, I can always find my way back to him.
I climb out of the car and head around the manor toward the guest house.
The doors are wide open when I arrive. Inside, bodies move—Knox and Bronson setting up our instruments, focused and efficient. Addison sits with her white electric guitar, headphones covering her ears as she tunes it with practiced precision. Jordan sits at a table to the side, talking into her phone, her clipboard flat on top.
She looks up when I step in.
Her expression does not inspire confidence.
Yeah.
I’m in trouble.
“Hey, Kat,” Bronson says, his voice cutting through the awkwardness.
Everyone pauses what they’re doing and looks at me.
I swallow hard. “Hey, guys.”
Jordan hangs up and rises from her chair. “Hey,” she says, too carefully, her smile more peace keeper today than usual. “How are you?”
Knox snorts.
Jordan shoots him a look, but he just turns away, grabbing a microphone cable off the couch nearby.
“I’m good,” I answer.
Jordan’s phone buzzes in her hand. She silences it quickly, setting it face down instead of answering.
“A lot of calls this morning?” I ask.
She lifts her golden travel mug—the one she only brings out on long tour days—and takes a sip. “More than usual, yeah.”
My stomach clenches. “I’m sorry, Jordan,” I say, shifting my stance. “But I can explain?—”
“You don’t have to explain anything, Kat,” Knox says, walking past, the microphone wire coiled tight in his grip. “How about we just do what we came here to do?” He smirks. “Unless, of course, you have something pressing to share? Maybe some conflict of interest we should know about before show night?”
No one disagrees.
“Okay, fine,” I say, gut twisting. “I hung out with The Electrics last night.”
“Hung out?” Knox asks.
“They invited me to the Halloween carnival. So, I went.”
“They just... asked you out of the blue?” Addison asks, lowering her headphones to her neck.
I hesitate. “No. We’ve hung out a few times now.”
“Cool. Glad that’s settled,” Knox says bluntly, nodding at Bronson. “Hand me that case, will you, Bron?”
Bronson nods and grabs the black microphone case by his feet, passing it over.
“Knox,” I say, pushing forward. “I know you’re kinda angry with me right now?—”
“I’m good, actually.”
“You’re good ?” I echo, wary.
He kneels, shrugging as he pops open the case, pulling out his mic from the black foam interior. “You made some new friends, Kat. Good for you. We have a show to prepare for.”
I sigh, glancing at the others. Of the three of them, only Jordan looks the least bit sympathetic—but that might just be exhaustion.
Bronson and Addison? They’re as cold as Knox.
And Jonah?
I don’t even want to think about how he’d look at me right now.
“They’re actually really nice,” I say. “Tesla and Goldie?—”
“Why are we still talking about this?” Knox stands suddenly. I flinch. “Set up your gear, Kat,” he says, bobbing his head toward my keyboard. “Come on, people. Let’s work.”
“Knox,” I try again. “I never meant to upset you.”
“Upset? Who’s upset? I’m not upset.”
Yeah. He’s upset.
I sigh. “I just want to say that?—”
“Fine. You wanna get into it? Let’s get into it.” Knox crosses his arms. “Let’s talk about how you’re a liar.”
“A liar?”
“You told me to my face that nothing was going on between you and Logan,” he says. “Now you’re sneaking around behind our backs? Getting chased around The Strip by paparazzi, hand-in-hand? Is that nothing, Kat?”
“Nothing was going on... then, ” I say. “But?—”
“Sure as shit is now, isn’t it?”
His scoff is sharp and dismissive as he turns away.
My chest tightens. “It’s complicated, okay?”
He turns back, eyes burning. “Are you sleeping with him?”
My mouth snaps shut.
“Knox,” Jordan warns.
But he doesn’t look away from me. “Not all that complicated after all,” he says, the hard lines of his face digging deeper.
I take a breath, but it barely steadies me. “Yes,” I say, voice shaking. “Logan and I have gotten close, but that doesn’t?—”
“How long?”
“How long?”
“How long have you been fucking him, Kat?”
“Come on, Knox,” Addison says, her expression finally softening. “Let’s just?—”
“No, I wanna know.” He squares up at me. “Is this a recent thing? Or were you sneaking around together on tour, too?”
“No,” I say. “Of course we weren’t.”
Knox laughs, humorless. “Makes perfect sense in hindsight.” His voice is tight, furious. “You were always defending them. Always telling us to see the good in them. Tell us, sister—while the rest of us were freaking out about the bug on our tour bus, were you laughing about it with Logan?”
“What?” My stomach drops. “ No. I wasn’t laughing about it with Logan.”
“For all we know, you were in on it the whole time. Probably even planted the thing yourself.”
“How could you even think ?—”
“ How long, Katrina?! ”
“None of your damn business, Knox!” The words rip out of me, tears burning my eyes. “You have no right to judge me.”
He snorts. “I don’t?”
“No. You don’t.” I scan their silent faces. “None of you do. How many of our rules did you all break this summer? Because I seem to recall everyone spending the tour pissing all over them! But now that it’s perfect little Katrina’s turn, it’s suddenly a problem? I call bullshit.”
“You think we care about some stupid rules?” Knox asks, incredulous.
“You clearly don’t. You’re the reason we have rules in the first place!”
“I’m no saint, sure. But you’re different. You’re supposed to be?—”
“What?” My voice pitches higher. “Who am I supposed to be for you, Knox? Your innocent baby sister? Never does anything wrong? Always does what she’s told while you go off and fuck up whatever you want? Did you really expect me to be that way forever?”
Knox’s nostrils flare. “You can be whoever the hell you want to be, Katrina!” He throws his arms wide in frustration. “Pork every guy on The fucking Strip for all I care! But not him. Not him.” His jaw flexes. “You crossed the line.”
“Okay,” Jordan says sharply, stepping between us, her hands raised. “We’re getting a bit heated here, so let’s all just take a breath for a second.” She turns to me, her voice softer. “Katrina, all of us are just worried about you, all right? We just want to make sure you’re okay.”
“Oh, that’s nice,” I say, the fire in my chest still raging. “You’re all just worried about me. You care so much. Since fucking when?”
Addison steps forward, her expression gentle. “What are you talking about, honey?”
“Don’t play dumb, Addy.” I shake my head, my pulse thudding in my ears. “All you seem to care about lately is Harvey. Or Harmony,” I add, glaring at Knox. At Bronson and Jordan, too. “It feels like I don’t even exist. Like I could disappear tomorrow and no one would notice.”
“That’s not true,” Addison says.
“Isn’t it?” I swallow the lump in my throat. “It’s not like anything I do matters when I am here. You guys never listen to my opinions. You blow off my ideas. I play the piano, and I keep my mouth shut. That’s my job in this band, isn’t it? No wonder you keep me shoved in the back.”
Silence. They exchange glances, their eyes full of questions, something unspoken passing between them.
“Katrina,” Jordan says, her voice low. “Did Logan tell you that?”
“No,” I say, then… “Maybe. What difference does it make? It’s true, isn’t it?”
More silence.
“What were you wearing?” Addison asks suddenly.
I blink. “What?”
“Last night,” she says. “What was that you were wearing?”
“It was a corset,” I say with a shrug.
“Since when do you wear corsets?”
“It was a gift from Tesla. We dressed up! It was a Halloween carnival! What does that have to do with anything?”
“Kat.” Jordan exhales. “Honey, think.”
“Think about what?”
“They’re befriending you,” she says carefully. “They’re filling your head with toxic nonsense. They’re giving you gifts.”
“So?”
“So...” Knox says, eyes cast downward. “It sounds like The Electrics are up to the same old tricks.”
I glance around, but no one contradicts him. They’re all looking at me the same way—like they’ve already decided. Like they know something I don’t.
“What are you talking about?” I ask.
“They’re love-bombing you, sweetie,” Addison says.
I laugh. “No, they’re not.”
“Yes, they are,” Knox says flatly.
“And why would they do that?”
“Jesus Christ.” Knox exhales sharply through his nose. “Kat, look around. To drive us apart. Why the fuck else?”
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “No. They aren’t like that!”
He scoffs.
“From where I’m standing, the only one trying to drive anyone apart is you, Knox.” My voice shakes with frustration. “Logan told me how you threatened him on the elevator.”
“You did what?” Jordan snaps, turning on him.
Knox shrugs. “Yeah. I talked some shit. Told him to stay away from you. But I guess that didn’t take, so he and I are due for another conversation.”
“I don’t need you to tell men to stay away from me,” I say. “Stop trying to control me. I can take care of myself.”
“Yeah, you’ve really inspired a lot of confidence with that lately, sister.”
“Okay!” Jordan raises her hands. “Everybody just calm down.”
“We are calm!” Knox and I bark at the same time.
“Then shut up, because it’s my turn to talk,” she says, rubbing her temples before looking at me. “Katrina. We love you. Okay? No one in this world cares more about you than the people in this room. More than anything, we want to keep you safe. And I think we can all agree that things got a little messed up this summer. Our priorities shifted, but that doesn’t mean we don’t value you or your ideas or your opinions. Now, if you truly think The Electrics aren’t... what we think they are—” Knox sucks in a breath to argue, but Jordan cuts him off with a glare. “Then we’ll listen to you. But…” She exhales, shaking her head. “This doesn’t look good right now, honey.”
My head pounds. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to swallow the tears burning the back of my throat. “You don’t know them,” I whisper.
“And you do?” Knox challenges.
I look at him, my vision blurred. “Yes.”
“Well, here’s what I know,” he says, voice cold. “I know all it takes to turn a smart girl stupid is a sly wink and a cool jacket. Never thought you’d be dumb enough to fall for it, too.”
“Jesus, Knox,” Addison snaps.
“What? We’re all thinking it.”
“No, we’re not,” Bronson says.
“Think whatever you want.” I wipe a tear from my cheek, my whole body trembling. “I’m out of here.”
I walk toward the open doors.
“Where are you going? To Logan’s?” Knox snorts. “You gonna be his new Shock Girl?”
I stop. My hands curl into fists. Slowly, I turn my head to glare at him over my shoulder.
“I’d rather be his girl than your sister.”
Knox doesn’t flinch. But his eyes flicker, and I know the hit landed.
I face forward again, determined to get the hell out of here?—
But I stop short.
Someone is standing in the doorway, blocking my way out.
I look up into a pair of familiar brown eyes, and my breath catches.
Jonah.
“Hey, guys,” he says, scanning the room of silent, shocked faces. “What’d I miss?”