Chapter 14 – Riser
Chapter Fourteen
Riser
Lumen fits in just fine with the rest of us. She buries her misery like a champ, faking a lightness she doesn’t feel.
I once again curse my genetics for making me overly empathetic. There’s no way for me not to experience her pain right along with her.
We only have a few hours until we’re due inside the venue. It takes a while to do our hair, makeup, and get us into our wardrobe for the night.
I’m antsy enough that I do a line when Ten offers, but it doesn’t help. If anything, it amps up my instincts to an entirely different level. No matter how I try to spin the information in my head, I don’t have a way to fix it.
The shitty part is, I don’t think her ex is straight-up evil. I shamelessly listened to most of their conversation because I wanted to be around if she needed backup.
He’s an idiot, that’s for sure.
He fucked up.
I’m guessing he started to feel left out, watching his bandmates bagging groupies left and right. Only, he realized real quick that new and different doesn’t equal better.
Sadly, that was a lesson he had to learn for himself. No amount of hearing it from someone wiser than him would have helped.
At least, that’s the impression I got after talking to him once Lumen came onto the bus. He seemed really broken up about how everything went down, but I have no empathy for him.
He hurt her, and he knows as much.
He’s still in denial, thinking their relationship is salvageable if he puts in the work.
Hell, maybe it is.
It’s clear that she cares about him.
Only, she seemed resolute.
At this point, their trust is obliterated. Even if she took his dumb ass back, it would never be the same. He’s just too frantic to see that.
I didn’t get the vibe that he’s dangerous.
I’m still going to check in with Mal and Kincaid when they get in. Lumen needs a personal bodyguard, and not only to help with overzealous fans.
Theo grabbed her twice. From what I could see, it was more of a desperate attempt to continue the conversation rather than a violent grip, but any physical contact when she asked him not to touch her is unacceptable.
It’ll be better to have a neutral third party around to intervene.
That way, it doesn’t end up with one of us beating his face into the concrete the next time he doesn’t want to let her walk away.
Lumen hops off the couch, excusing herself to the bathroom.
I fall back into the cushion and bring my hand to run over my face. The door closes, and Parish leans forward, doing another line.
I’m glad I saw firsthand that Tangled Desires’ bus was just as much of a mess as ours. Even knowing she’s used to the rock-star lifestyle, it feels like we shouldn’t be exposing her to our ugliness.
“And I thought this tour was going to be boring when we got saddled with Randy.” Tennyson chuckles.
“Malcolm is already half in love. You’re looking at her like you’re having to bite your tongue to keep from begging her to let you solve all her problems.” He rubs his hands together like a cartoon villain. “This is great.”
Lumen pops out of the bathroom, but rather than coming into the living room, she disappears into the bedroom at the back of the bus.
“You’re dying to go check on her.” Parish laughs. “Go on. Comfort her without us cramping your style.”
I roll my eyes.
If I had to guess, Malcolm and Kincaid aren’t back yet because Kincaid finally snapped. He’s probably giving Mal a lecture about respecting the poor woman’s space while she comes to terms with things.
It’s only going to make him more obsessive, but just like there was no talking Kincaid out of confronting Mal, there will be no stopping Malcolm from doing his best to win Lumen over.
I ignore their laughter as I push out of my seat.
“I’m pretty sure he gets off on counseling people,” Tennyson says. “The rest of us watch porn to get our dicks hard. Then you have Riser, out here chasing down sad girls so he can fix their problems.”
“Dude,” Parish says, laughing. “Do you have to run to the bathroom to jack off every time—”
“Fuck you both,” I toss over my shoulder as I head down the hallway.
Lumen lies stretched across the bed on her stomach. She was doing something on her phone, but she drops it onto the mattress. “What’s up?”
I take a seat on the edge of the bed, wondering what I’m even doing here. I wanted to make sure she wasn’t having a breakdown completely alone, but she seems okay.
My nose twitches, breathing in her pears and roses scent.
It’s not burnt or tart. I’m still baffled that I can’t be sure whether she’s an omega or a beta. The fact she and Theo hadn’t bonded after a year of being together leads me to think that she must be a beta, but that doesn’t feel right.
“How ya doing?” I ask, lying down next to her. My head comes to rest on my palm as I study her face.
“I’m fine.” She shrugs. “I was trying to be proactive and see if I could rent a car from Columbia ahead of time, but apparently, since I’m not twenty-five, they might not rent to me, and if they do, there will likely be an extra fee.
I was going to check prices for flights, but I guess I could take a bus if there’s a bus station close to where you guys will be staying. ”
“How old are you?” I ask, wondering if I should feel like a creep. I assumed she was only a couple of years younger than me, but that was just a guess.
“I turned twenty-two in July,” she says, grinning. “Why? How old are you?”
“I’ll be twenty-seven soon. This month, actually.”
“An October birthday, huh? Are you a Libra or a Scorpio?” she asks.
“The second one, but that’s the extent of what I know about zodiac signs.”
“I’m a Cancer.” She laughs. “It seems to fit me pretty well from what I know about it, but it’s not like I’m an expert or anything.”
I’ll have to do an internet search later to see if it can give me any insight about her personality.
No, fuck.
That’s crossing a line.
It sounds like she’s planning to leave when we make it to Columbia. I was looking forward to having a night off before the three consecutive shows we have there.
That basically gives us twenty-four hours to convince her to hang out for a while longer.
Malcolm would be devastated if she left.
I’m being a good friend.
That’s all.
Jesus.
Those were some mental gymnastics.
“What’s wrong?” Lumen asks.
“Nothing,” I lie. “I just…”
“Have I overstayed my welcome?” she blurts out.
“God no,” I tell her truthfully. “You’ve been through a lot in the last couple days.” Sighing heavily, I just say it. “I went through something similar, and it destroyed me for a while. I just want you to know that I’m here if you need to talk.”
“Someone cheated on you?” she asks with her jaw hanging open.
“Shocking, I know.” An awkward laugh escapes my lips. “But yeah, my first girlfriend. We were together all throughout high school and into her first year in college. She came home to visit. I skipped a party because I had an audition the next day… She hooked up with one of my best friends.”
“Jesus, Riser. That’s brutal,” she says softly. “I’m so sorry.”
“It was an ugly time in my life,” I admit. “But I got the spot in Andrew’s band, which eventually led to Liminal.”
“I’m not sure my breakup will have such a stellar outcome on my future, but it’s nice to be reminded that this isn’t the end of the world.
” Little crinkles appear at the edges of her eyes as she reaches over, patting my forearm.
“It means a lot that you came to check on me. It’s strange, but it helps knowing that I’m not alone. ”
“You’re not.” My words come out weird and raspy, so I clear my throat.
I should tell her all about how I took Callie back. It was a onetime mistake, and she begged until I felt like a monster for not being able to forgive her.
After all, we’re all human.
We were young, and I didn’t want to lose her.
Only, I went to visit her at school a couple months later and learned it was far from a onetime indiscretion.
I’d stayed faithful the entire time she was gone, even after learning she fucked one of my best friends.
“You know you don’t have to leave when we get to Columbia, right?
” I blurt out the words before I can get nervous and stop myself.
“In case you didn’t know that, I’m saying it now.
I’m not sure what you have waiting for you in Florida, but you don’t have to leave.
If you want to, that’s one thing. You can also stick around until you have a clear plan for your next steps. ”
“I’m sure you’re all ready to have your hookup room back,” she says, laughing.
“Wasn’t it buried until Kincaid cleaned it out for you?” I remind her, quirking an eyebrow.
Randy slept in one of the bunks, and since the room wasn’t being used, it naturally became a dumping ground for all of our shit.
“I forgot about that, but yeah, I guess you’re right.” Her bluish-gray eyes sparkle, and my stomach flutters with a feeling I haven’t experienced in years. “Kincaid had to clear it out for me to use it.”
The irrational urge to kiss her washes over me from nowhere. It’s not easy to fight the pull, but I’m sure that would send her running off the bus.
Her scent is sneaky rather than cloying or overbearing.
I love it.
I want more time to get to know Lumen.
Jesus.
I’m just as bad off as Malcolm.
If she leaves, I’m going to spend weeks wondering if she’s okay. I guess that means we need to figure out how to convince her to stay a while longer.
We won’t be in our masks tonight, so it takes longer for hair and makeup to get us ready to step out onto the stage.
It sucks because I’m antsy and ready to get back to Lumen.
Malcolm invited her to come with us over to the wardrobe setup, but she said she’d chill and wait for us in the greenroom, which makes sense.
The wardrobe area connects to our greenroom as well as Tangled Desires’.
Although they’re out on stage at the moment, I’m guessing she doesn’t want to take any chances.
It helps that Benji is with her.
He might be annoyed by her very existence, but he won’t take it out on her.
He knows better.
All managers are replaceable, and he makes a killing off us. If nothing else, I trust his love of money to ensure he’ll treat her well.
The makeup lady loves to give me dark eyeliner, but luckily, she rarely tries to put me in foundation.
I hate that shit.
It never fails to make me break out.
She went to town on Mal tonight, though. He’s not just sporting dark liner, she blacked out his eyes from his eyebrows to his under eye. It gives a skeletal effect, and dark veins spill down his cheeks.
It’s actually sick as fuck.
Kincaid has guyliner, thick mascara, and what I think qualifies as black eye shadow. Together, they make his teal blue eyes pop even more than normal. Before I met him, I had no idea eyes could actually come in that color. I thought the only way to achieve them was by using contacts.
Parish and Tennyson are equally decked out, but they’re already dressed, lingering around near the door while talking among themselves.
Wardrobe got us into our outfits quickly tonight.
I’m mostly set, but I laugh as Malcolm struggles with the zipper on his leather pants.
“I swear to God,” he grumbles. “One of these days, I’m going to have a pubic hair disaster and fuck my junk up.”
“I’ve been telling you for the longest time,” Kincaid says, lacing his combat boots. “Get smart and buzz that shit.”
“It’ll also make your dick look bigger, and God knows you need it,” Tennyson chimes in.
“Fuck off,” Malcolm says incredulously. “Do I need to whip it out so we can have a measuring contest?”
I snort.
It was a battle to get myself into my skinny jeans, but I kept my boxer briefs on. Luckily, they never try to stick me in leather. I also don’t have to slide across the stage on my knees like Mal does, so that’s probably why I’m given a reprieve.
I have some sensory issues that make leather, microfiber, and velvet a fucking nightmare that I want no part of, but my preferences are listed in my wardrobe notes.
Unlike the rest of the guys, I’m in a long-sleeve T-shirt, like always. They know better than to try to put me in T-shirts or tanks.
I finish strapping myself into the cuffs the wardrobe lady hands me, but I’m still focused on getting over to the greenroom.
Kincaid pulls his phone from his pocket, checking the screen. “Shit. We gotta go. Kasey is here.”
I exhale heavily, nodding.
That’s a good thing.
Now I’ll be able to focus when I’m on stage.
My plan to concentrate during the show has gone to shit. I’ve got a solid view of the backstage area, since the drummer is always at the back of the stage. I’m sure the fact we aren’t in masks helps, since my view isn’t obstructed, but I’ve never felt such an obsession to check what’s happening.
Is Lumen safe?
Is Theo bothering her?
Did he take what I said to heart? He should understand that pushing won’t help anything, but I remember how many times Callie called and texted after I found out she fucked Ben.
Kasey is good at her job.
I’m sure Lumen is fine.
I still peek over, checking on her an unreal amount of times.
I’ve played these songs so many times that I could do this shit in my sleep, and yet, I step up my stick tricks when I know Lumen is watching.
She’s so goddamn pretty.
And sad.
She’s doing her best to hide it, but it’s evident.
My God, how I ache to take her pain away. Too bad I don’t have the first clue how to help her feel better.