39. Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Scarlett
“You won’t regret it. Trust me.”
Why do those words seem so painfully familiar? Considering I ended up out here with Kian and his band mates because I asked my twin sister to do me a solid, it feels kind of ironic that he’s asking me to do something for him now.
I’m going to be speaking to Xane, anyway, and now that I know what happened to make him the band’s manager there’s nothing anyone could say to keep me from bringing it up.
It’s too shocking, and it’s hurt them too much.
Xane, and Riley, both, even if they’re handling the fall out in different ways.
I don’t doubt Kian’s story one little bit, but I won’t know the full picture until I speak to his band mates. The fact that Xane couldn’t talk about it to his pack is enough to make me wonder what piece they weren’t able to find.
There’s got to be something.
Packs are like families.
They don’t choose each other without a reason, and they don’t keep secrets from each other.
There’s so much hurt buried under this one event.
I have to help them resolve whatever’s still hidden.
I can’t let them stay this broken.
They’ve been the inspiration behind my music for as long as they’ve existed together.
It seemed so perfectly rock and roll when they created their own independent record label and maintained their success without the industry that made them the biggest band in the world.
They were independent and they were still huge.
That made me realize anything was possible.
These guys could do whatever they wanted.
That’s the dream.
And they made it look so perfectly easy.
But the instant Kian rolled out one of his usual promo answers to my question, I knew that perfection was all a fa?ade. And everything he said after that gave me more insight into what’s behind that false front.
The lead Alpha of Chaos Burning is in danger of destroying his own creation.
And, somehow, Kian thinks I can stop that from happening.
If I can, I will. That’s one thing I can say for sure.
It hurts my heart to think my favorite band might be in trouble, but it’s clear that Xane has been pushing the others a little too hard.
If he’s too stubborn to listen to them, then I’ll make him listen to me.
“Don’t you want to ask the real questions?” Kian asks me.
I look back at him. “The real questions?”
There can’t be more heavy stuff he needs to tell me, can there?
“You know, like what’s my favorite color?”
Oh, right. The fluffy questions for their interview.
I laugh. “Yeah, I guess I do have to ask the real questions.”
“So, ask,” he prompts.
I shake my head before I rest my bottle against my leg and write down the color question.
The answer is already burned into my brain from every other time I’ve heard him answer it, so it’s not gonna be a surprise. I guess I’ll have to act like its news to me.
“What’s your favorite color?” I ask, ready and waiting for his stock answer.
He smiles, as he raises his gaze to my eyes.
“Well, now, that’s a tricky question. It used to be red, but I think I’m gonna have to say blue.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Um, what?”
“You know, Sapphire. Blue.”
It takes a second for his explanation to sink in, and I have to admit, it doesn’t feel great.
Kian Orion is changing his favorite color for my twin sister?
No freaking way.
“Smooth,” I respond, the warmth going out of my smile.
“Well, I thought it was,” he says, frowning lightly. “But maybe my flirting skills are rusty.”
I’m too shocked to speak.
I’ve been so into him, and he’s been so into my sister.
Let’s face it, Scarlett Faris would never wear this dress, or this hairstyle, or this makeup …
I’m Sapphire right now, and he’s trying to get into her pants, not mine.
How could I not see that?
Oh my God!
This is what Sapphire was feeling all those years ago …
I’m so fucking stupid. How could I not understand how hurt she was?
This … This was a mistake.
And I’m stuck here.
Fuck.
“I … I should go talk to Xane.” I get up, knocking my beer over onto the grass and ignoring it.
I leave my heels and my purse behind, too, no longer caring about anything.
My vision blurs as I rush back toward the jet.
Please let it be ready to take off.
I need to fly away from here.