Chapter 10 Aurora #2
“Then why is she hiding in your room while you bring her breakfast? Still doesn’t want to be spotted?”
Mabel scoffs. “No. It’s because she knows you’re pissed, and she doesn’t want to deal with your glares.”
“Excuse me. I won an Oscar. I can pretend to be civil.”
“Please. You might have won an Oscar for acting, but you can’t lie for shit.”
Sav smirks and gives Mabel a nonchalant shrug, but then her expression shifts to something kinder. When she speaks, her voice is soft, and her tone is genuine.
“I’m glad she showed up for you. I’ll be nice. I promise. Tell her to come eat breakfast with us.” Mabel squints to study Sav’s face, making Sav bark out a laugh. “I’m serious. Here, I’ll even invite her myself.”
As Sav takes out her phone to send a text, my heart starts to pound. When I look at Mabel, she’s staring at Sav, but I get the distinct feeling she’s also paying attention to me. I stand up straighter and clear my throat.
“Right, well, I’m going to head back to my room. I’ll see you all for the show.”
“Wait, Aurora,” Brynn calls from the couch. “Can you come here? I’m a little stuck.”
I look from Brynn to Mabel and back. God, I don’t want to be here when Kat Hughes struts in, all glitz and glam in her supermodel body, but helping Brynnlee is my literal job at the moment. She is why I’m here.
I’m taking a seat on the couch next to Brynn when there’s a knock on the door.
I keep my eyes pinned on the computer screen, but I still see Mabel open the door in my periphery.
I can still see the blurry, shadowy figure of Kat Hughes walk in, too.
It might all be in my head, but I swear the encroaching scent of musk and orange blossom taints the oxygen in the room. I clear my throat and stifle a cough.
I fidget once more with my dress. It takes effort to keep my shoulders back and my chin up when everything inside me is screaming to bolt. Greetings take place between Sav and Kat. I can’t make out the words. I can’t analyze the tone. My heart is too loud in my head.
Then the figures in my periphery grow closer, until I can feel them standing only feet from me.
“Aurora and Brynn, this is Kat. Kat, this is Sav and Levi’s daughter Brynnlee, and her tutor, Aurora.”
I glance up at them. Kat’s smiling, but it’s tight, as if she’s nervous.
Even with the unnatural expression, though, she’s beautiful.
Almost lethally so. Like a spy in a blockbuster movie.
Like a Bond girl. No doubt a face like hers could con someone out of nuclear codes or convince them to open a top secret safe.
Not a shiny hair out of place. Not a wrinkle or blemish to be seen on her golden skin.
She might actually be perfectly symmetrical.
It makes my skin prickle with jealousy. I think I hate her.
“Hey.” I raise my hand in an awkward wave, but I can’t bring myself to stand. Not yet. “Nice to meet you.”
“Hi,” Brynn says, and thankfully she stays seated too. “I’ve seen you on a billboard for a perfume.”
Kat laughs. “It’s nice to meet you both.”
Ugh. And her voice is smooth and sweet, like syrup. I frown before I can stop myself. I do hate her, and I never hate anyone.
“Are you Mabel’s girlfriend?”
Brynn’s forward question has Kat glancing nervously at Mabel, so I turn my attention to her as well. Mabel gives Brynn a small smile, and when she answers, her eyes collide with mine.
“Yes, Kat is my girlfriend.”
Her words aren’t surprising, but I still have to fight off a wince. Despite Mabel being the one to answer, Brynn’s attention stays on Kat.
“How long are you staying? We’re going to see koalas in Sydney. Will you be coming for that?”
Kat and Mabel answer at the same time.
“For the week.”
“Just for today.”
My eyes widen as Mabel whips her attention to Kat, forehead creased and jaw tight.
“Just today?”
Kat frowns. “I was going to tell you.”
“An hour ago, you were staying for the week.”
Kat looks quickly between me and Brynn before turning back to Mabel. “Let’s take breakfast back to your room.”
Mabel blinks, and I watch as her body seems to deflate with defeat.
“Fine.” She looks back to me and Brynn. “See you later.”
As they turn to leave, the door to the suite swings wide once more. My uncle walks through and the male members of Caveat Lover follow.
Uncle Wade told me they’d be on this tour, too.
They’ve taken over the music scene in recent years, but I’ve been a little out of touch with pop culture, so I researched them.
In this moment, I’m almost sorry I did. Nothing makes you feel small and unremarkable quite like being in the presence of global superstars.
The hotel suite seems to grow smaller as I watch them file in one by one.
Rocky Hallstrom, the lead guitarist, is first, followed closely by Becket Walker, the bassist, Ezra Hawke, the drummer, and Crue, the mysterious rhythm guitarist without a surname.
Well, I’m sure he has a surname. I just couldn’t find it.
And then, when the door closes behind them, realization makes my skin itch. I’m officially in a room with half of The Hometown Heartless and almost all of Caveat Lover.
Brynn groans, then grumbles under her breath, “Caveat boys.”
As if summoned, Ezra Hawke turns toward us.
From what I’ve read, the media has dubbed him Caveat Lover’s prankster and playboy.
His eyes lock on Brynn, and a big, good-natured smile curves his lips.
He saunters over toward the couch, looking just like a big brother prepping to cause trouble.
Grief swells in my chest, but so does joy, and I can’t help but want to smile with him.
“Boss,” he croons. “What’s the word?”
“Ezra.” Brynn lets out a loud, exasperated sigh. “Vexatious. Adjective. Causing or tending to cause annoyance, frustration, or worry.”
Ezra laughs. “I know where you’re going with this one, kid. Nice try but—”
“I got it.” Crue steps up, dropping his arm over Ezra’s shoulder and winking at Brynn. “The little girl found the immature drummer to be extremely vexatious.”
Brynn rolls her eyes. “B plus, Crue.”
Crue’s jaw drops, and Ezra barks out a laugh.
“What do you mean B plus?” Crue says, whining in his English accent. “Don’t be cheeky, Brynnlee. I went to an all-boys prep school. I will fight for top marks.”
Brynn shrugs. “You called me little. I’m twelve.”
I let out a small laugh at her tone, but then immediately wish I hadn’t. The noise draws both pairs of eyes my way until the guys are peering down at me, and it takes everything I have not to get up and run. I’m so nervous that I almost forget that Kat and Mabel are looming beside me. Almost.
“The niece,” Ezra says, and his smile morphs into something a little less prankster and a lot more playboy. “You must be Aurora. Ham’s told us all about you.”
The guys are standing so close that craning my neck is almost painful, so I reluctantly leave my protective cocoon of couch pillows and stand. I wipe my hand on my dress before jutting it out between us.
“Hi. Yes. I’m Aurora.”
“Ezra Hawke.” He takes my hand in both of his and brings it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to my knuckles. “It’s a pleasure.”
Brynn makes a loud retching noise on the couch, breaking the tension, and I bite my cheek to keep from laughing again. Ezra sends her a side-eyed smirk, then drops my hand.
“I’m Crue.” The guitarist nods in my direction, but he doesn’t offer his hand, so I nod back. “And what Hawke means is that Ham’s warned us off you.”
I laugh awkwardly, fidgeting under their attention.
“Nice to meet you.”
My cheeks and neck grow warmer until thankfully Mabel interrupts.
“Boys, this is my girlfriend, Kat. Kat, this is Ezra and Crue of Caveat Lover.”
Both guys turn toward Mabel, and my shoulders fall with relief.
Now that their focus is no longer on me, I lower myself back onto the couch beside Brynn.
When I glance at her, she shakes her head and rolls her eyes, engaging me in a wordless conversation expressing her annoyance, and I grin.
Vexatious indeed. I might be uncomfortable, but at least it’s a bonding moment.
“Sorry, Rossi. We missed you there. You’re just so tiny,” Ezra teases.
Mabel narrows her eyes and smirks, but then Ezra’s mouth goes slack before turning up into another wide, toothy grin. He looks from Kat to Mabel and back.
“Kat Hughes? You’re Secret Girlfriend?”
Ezra elbows Crue as if he hasn’t been part of the conversation all along.
“Dude, look. Secret Girlfriend is Kat Hughes.” He puts out his hand, palm up. “I win, wanker.”
“Fuck,” Crue grumbles and pulls out his wallet.
“What did you fuckers bet on?” Mabel asks as Crue slaps a one-hundred-dollar bill in Ezra’s hand.
“I thought Secret Girlfriend would be more masc,” Crue admits on a sigh. “I just pictured you with a butch lesbian, Mabes.” He turns to Kat and gives her a chagrinned smile. “No offense, Kat Hughes. You make a smashing Secret Girlfriend as well.”
“None taken,” Kat says flatly, her tone suggesting she does in fact take offense, but neither of the guys seems to notice. Or care.
“Wait,” Crue says, head tilted in consideration. “Kat Hughes, I thought you were dating that Kaz fellow. With the blond hair and skinny jeans from that one show on the streaming platform.”
“Great description,” Ezra taunts.
Crue punches him in the shoulder without looking away from Kat.
Kat flicks her eyes from Crue to Mabel, her expression one of pure discomfort, so Mabel steps in front of her and gives Crue’s chest a little nudge.
“Okay, boys. Enough questions. Go eat food or something.”
“Actually,” Crue says, spinning away from Mabel, eyes returning to me. My spine goes ramrod straight. “Ez, I think you need to give me back that Benjamin.”
Then Ezra turns to look at me, smile slipping from his face. He tips his head to the ceiling and groans.
“What?” I ask, brows furrowed as Crue snatches the money from Ezra’s fingers. “What did I do?”
Ezra sighs. “You’ve got Ham’s genes.”
I have no idea what that means, and my face must show it because Crue clarifies for me.
“Ham’s hot. Must run in the family.”
Before I have a chance to respond, Ezra drops onto the couch beside me, arm stretching across the back. He smells fresh and clean, like laundry detergent, and I’m dwarfed by the sheer size of his frame. I’m not short, but I didn’t realize Ezra Hawke was so broad until just now.
“Scoot, Boss,” Crue says, and it’s all the warning he gives Brynn before he’s plopping down on the other side of me.
“You’re going to scare off my tutor,” Brynn says, giving Crue’s shoulder a shove. “She’s not used to your brand of stupidity.”
“Then we must expose ourselves to her.”
I choke on a laugh as Crue’s eyes widen the moment he realizes what he said.
“Apologies. That came out wrong.”
“Good God, Crue,” Mabel says on a groan, and Ezra snorts, but I keep my attention on the guitarist.
“It’s fine,” I say, my tone belying the humor I feel. “I know what you meant.”
“Don’t tell them that. They’ll never shut up now.”
Ezra leans over me to grin at Brynn. “Don’t act like you don’t love us, Boss.”
“I find you loathsome.”
I bark out another laugh, and the guys glance at me again. Then they look at each other as if sharing thoughts.
“What?”
“Even your laugh is hot,” Ezra says.
I laugh again before I can stop myself, my hand shooting up to cover my mouth.
“You two are dangerous for my ego,” I mumble between my fingers.
Ezra drapes his arm over my shoulders. “Or maybe we’re just what you—”
“Hands off, Hawke.”
My uncle’s stern eyes are set on Ezra.
“I’m just saying hello, Ham. Introducing myself.”
Uncle Wade arches a bored brow. He sees right through Ezra, and Ezra knows it.
He sighs dramatically and reluctantly slides his arm off my shoulders like a scolded child.
It’s beyond amusing to watch my uncle wield this authority over people who, just moments ago, felt larger than life.
I’m smiling so big my cheeks hurt, the discomfort from earlier rapidly dissipating until. ..
“I don’t think her husband would approve.”
My eyes widen at my uncle’s words, spoken so plainly, yet the result feels like a slice on my skin. Like a betrayal, despite their truth. Uncle Wade’s brows furrow slightly, and I work quickly to wipe my expression away. It doesn’t matter, though. He saw.
“Husband,” Mabel says. I whip my head toward her and find her staring at me. Face blank. Voice even. I can’t tell what she’s thinking. “You’re married.”
I nod once, and she drops her eyes to my hand.
“Where’s your ring?”
“Oh.” I fold my hands in my lap so I don’t shove them under my thighs. “It hurts.” I wince and add quickly, “I mean, it’s uncomfortable because it’s too small, and my fingers have swelled with the travel, so it hurts a little. I need to get it resized.”
Slowly, Mabel drags her eyes back up to mine, and our gazes lock.
She doesn’t say anything else, but I can’t look away.
Not even when I know we’ve held the stare too long.
Not even when I know the others have noticed.
I feel the energy in the air shift into something tense and strange, but I still can’t look away.
Not until my uncle clears his throat, effectively yanking my attention to him.
He’s got two little lines between his eyes, and his jaw ticks as he studies me.
Whatever he’s thinking, it needs to stop.
I shoot to my feet, plaster on a fake smile, and avoid eye contact with everyone.
“Sorry. I’m sorry. Anyway. I had some stuff I wanted to do. To get done. So, um, I’ll...I’ll see you all...Um. Bye.”
I walk past Ezra and Crue and Brynn. Past Mabel and Kat. I keep my eyes on the ground in front of me. I’m steps from freedom when my uncle wraps his hand around my bicep, halting me in my tracks. Reluctantly, I look up into his face.
“Yes?”
His hazel eyes bounce between mine, and I plead silently with him.
Don’t ask me anything. Don’t say anything. Please, please, please. Just let me leave.
Finally, he jerks out a small nod, and relief surges through me.
“Jones will be accompanying—”
“Oh, that’s okay. I don’t need—”
He arches that eyebrow again, and I shut my mouth. There’s no way he’ll let me out of the hotel without a security detail, anyway, and I don’t want to waste time arguing with him. I just need to get out of this suite.
“He’ll meet you at your room in an hour.”
“Okay.”
He releases my arm and steps back, opening my path to the door.
“Have fun today, Aurora. You’re young and fearless. Act it.”
He smiles. It’s small, but it’s real, and it pulls a matching smile to my own face.
“Thanks, Uncle Wade,” I say quietly, and then I speedwalk out of the suite.