Chapter Eighteen
DANGER
Dammit! Luminous completely stole the spotlight at the conference.
The reporters were hanging on to their every word.
All it’s done is dredge up the lingering feelings of Recoil playing second fiddle once again.
This is supposed to be our headline tour, yet somehow, we felt more like the supporting act at the press conference than the main attraction.
It infuriated me.
Made my blood boil.
If there’s one thing I don’t need to be reminded of, it’s how Recoil always played second fiddle to Ella’s band, Staked.
We were constantly in the shadow of Staked, never able to shine on our own.
Because of Ella’s father, Colt, Staked always had the upper hand, with everything bigger and better than us.
It made everything so fucking frustrating. She had everything handed to her—record deals, headline tours, albums—everything dished up like it was nothing. But Recoil, we had to fight and work our asses off just to be heard through the noise of everyone else.
It was hard, and at the time, I essentially gave up the fight for Recoil. Ella had it all, including me, so I gave up everything just to follow her, to be around her.
To be a part of her limelight.
But that mindset was stupid.
I should have never left the band.
I should never have left the States.
I should never have given up everything to propose and live with Ella.
That was my biggest mistake.
Being around Staked but not making my own music tore at the very fabric of my soul. Every. Damn. Day. Eating at me like a relentless beast, it slowly consumed my passion and identity, leaving me feeling lost.
But I did it for Ella.
Because I loved her and wanted to be with her more than I wanted the thrill of the music.
I was a fucking fool!
No, I was pussy-whipped.
And I will never allow that to happen again.
I let a woman and her band take over my life once before.
It’s not about to happen twice.
We’re packing up after the press conference, and I vow to reclaim control. The only problem is, Luminous walked straight out after the conference, leaving us to clean up—fucking typical.
With my mind racing a million miles an hour, I’m hanging with Matt, talking through random things, when Nate walks over. Rolling my eyes at his mere presence—the man is driving me crazy with his sly looks and annoying comments—I stand taller when he stops in front of me.
“Isn’t it uncanny?” he states, obviously trying to get a rise from me about something.
I want to ignore him, but he’s piqued my interest. “Okay, I’ll bite. What?”
“Effa. She’s a tiny little thing. Blonde hair, smoking body, beautiful face, innocent nature. I can’t help but think she’s sweet, like… sugar?” Nate smirks.
My body stiffens at the mention of Ella’s nickname, and it suddenly clicks that Effa is a lot like Ella. Even down to her name, Effa and Ella are not that different.
“Dammit, Nate, did you have to bring that up?” Matt shoots Nate a stern glare. “Seriously, man, we’re about to tour with Luminous. Try not to be a dick and make things difficult for the bands, okay?” Matt scolds, giving Nate’s arm a firm push.
Nate shrugs. “What? I’m just saying what everyone’s thinking, right?”
I scowl, my skin crawling at the thought.
“No, not right. I hadn’t thought of Effa that way.
But now, every time I see her, that’s all I will see…
Ella fucking Slade. Thanks to you. Way to go, Nate, you’re a real fucking piece of work, aren’t you?
” I jab and storm off past him, smacking my shoulder into his as I pass.
“Good! When you look at her and remember Ella, then look at Lunar and think about the outcome,” he calls out after me, his voice trailing off as I continue to walk away, seething with frustration.
Walking out of the press conference room, Lunar is talking to Effa in the hall, and it’s like my past and my present are colliding.
It’s unsettling, and my stomach flips on itself watching the innocence of Effa juxtaposed with the tough confidence of Lunar.
Knowing how different they are, yet how Lunar has changed my life so dramatically in the short time I’ve known her.
Shaking my head, I walk over to the two women who are laughing together and turn to look at me with great big smiles.
“Hey, big guy, we were just talking about how cool it would be for Recoil and Luminous to do a duet,” Lunar chimes happily, like the idea is her best yet.
I can’t help but scoff. “Haven’t even heard their sound. It probably won’t even mesh.”
“Oh… whatever!” Effa rolls her eyes. “Just listen to us, then make a call, gorilla man.”
I tilt my head. “Gorilla man? That the best you got? You saying I’m hairy? Have you seen my chest?”
She lets out a laugh. Lunar frowns, furrowing her brows slightly, and I exhale, returning to Effa. “Okay, fine. I’ll listen to your music. Drop a demo to my room, and I’ll think about it.”
Effa jumps up, clapping her hands, and squeals. “Thanks, this is gonna be amazing.”
“I haven’t said yes, Effa.”
“No… but you will.”
Scrunching my face, I huff. “And you think I’m cocky?”
“Touché! But seriously, think about it. A duet will only boost sales on the tour and get us both heard on the radio. It’s marketing 101, Danger.”
Lunar nods but says nothing.
Huffing, I fold my arms over my chest. “Can’t argue with that,” I remark, turning to Lunar. “All right, let’s head out. I gotta eat.” Taking Lunar’s hand in mine, needing to feel a bit of comfort, I lead her away from Effa.
“I’ll come by later with the demo,” Effa calls out to me excitedly.
“Sure,” I call back. Lunar giggles beside me, hurrying to keep pace. “What?” I ask.
She glances at me and grins. “You’re gonna cave, you know that, right?”
“No. I won’t,” I retort.
She laughs, cuddling into my side, giving me the comfort and support I’m craving, and we make our way to the hotel restaurant together.
***
Ryan has joined us, and we’re digging into our meals. I decide to fill Ryan in on what happened with Effa. “So, Effa approached me about doing a duet with the band,” I begin.
Ryan nods, taking a sip of his soda. “Well, honestly, Danger, that could be a smart move. Her voice is amazing, and if we get the two bands to collaborate, it could benefit us both.”
“Yeah, but I don’t even know what they sound like?” I add, voicing my concern.
“I do. When I went back to my room, I pulled up some of their songs. They’re pretty amazing, Danger, and to be honest, they are practically the pussy version of us. I think it’ll flow well, and we should do it.”
Gnawing down on my lip, I hesitate, then turn to Lunar. “What do you think?” I inquire.
“Well, the way I see it, there are two options. You could either blend two of your existing songs or collaborate with Effa to write a new one specifically for the two bands. I think option two would resonate better with the fans.”
With a nod, I smile. “Okay, I’ll listen to Effa’s demo.
Get a feel for their sound and talk to her about a new song.
” Despite every part of me wanting to avoid Effa.
The problem is, now that Nate has pointed it out, all I see when I look at Effa is a stark reminder of Ella and everything that went wrong in my life.
But I need to put those feelings aside for the band’s sake.
“Good idea, it’s the right call, Danger.” Ryan takes a massive bite out of his steak, and we go about finishing our dinner.
Heading back to the hotel room, Lunar’s hand fits perfectly in mine. The soft lighting casts a glow down the hall, illuminating the sporadically placed artwork and bringing a smile to my face. Approaching our door, I find myself in a relatively good mood.
Once the door clicks after placing my card on the reader, we walk through. Then Lunar places her bag on the counter, and I turn to pull her to me. She wraps her arms around my neck and presses her body against mine—my cock begins to strain behind my zipper in an instant.
“You’re so fucking beautiful.”
Lunar leans in, her lips pressing against mine, my hands sliding down to her ass, gripping tight onto her supple cheeks.
Her tongue collides with mine while my cock grows rock hard against her.
She whimpers into my mouth as I lead her back toward the bed, just as there’s a knock on the door.
I groan, pulling back. “I don’t care who you are, fuck off,” I grumble in annoyance, and Lunar giggles, releasing me.
“He’s joking!” she calls out, placing a tender kiss on my cheek.
Goddammit! I walk to the door, my feet heavy, while I rearrange my cock in my jeans. Letting out a heavy exhale, I turn back to Lunar. She smirks, gesturing for me to open the door. When I pull it open, I am surprised to find Effa standing in a giraffe onesie, with the biggest smile on her face.
What in the hell.
My brows knit together in confusion. This woman is seemingly unfazed that she’s wearing the world’s weirdest fucking outfit.
“Effa, you really are strange.” I take a step back, struggling to process what I’m seeing.
She beams brightly, her pearly white teeth almost dazzling me with their brilliance before she moves to enter. I stand to the side to let her pass.
“Thank you, that’s so nice of you to say,” she replies, like she really is happy for me to tell her she is strange. Then she walks past me into my room like she owns the place.
I turn, close the door, then my eyes widen as she walks away from me. Her onesie has a tail. Chuckling to myself as she strolls around and waves to Lunar, I rub the back of my neck, wondering what in the hell I’ve gotten myself into with this chick and her ridiculous band.
I step past her and settle on the bed to sit, keeping my distance from her because even though she looks ridiculous, she still reminds me of Ella, and any memories of her are still too raw for me.