Chapter 5
Chapter Five
IRELAND
"We need to talk," I say, dropping heavily into a chair at the table the girls have secured in the swanky restaurant downstairs. Thankfully, none of the guys are present, and aside from an elderly couple on the far side, the place is otherwise deserted. We get to have this conversation in private.
"It's too early to talk," Brielle groans, reaching for her orange juice. It's not early at all. It's already after ten. "Can't we just eat in silence?"
"Late night?" Chastity snickers, adjusting the headband keeping her hair back. Like me, she's got wild red hair and freckles.
I love that I'm not the odd girl out for once. I got my dad's genes. Shelby got our mom's. Growing up, I was always the only freckled redhead in my class. I hated being the oddball.
Brielle pouts at her from across the table. And then she blushes. "Very late and very interesting."
Chastity holds her hand out for a high-five. Brielle smacks their palms together, earning laughter from the other girls at the table.
"I bet mine was more interesting," I mumble, trying to steer the conversation back on track before they start swapping stories about their sex lives. Some things I don't need to know. "Considering I freaking got married."
Everyone at the table goes silent. I'm surprised no one gets whiplash turning to look at me.
"Say that again," Shelby says.
"I'm pretty sure you heard her right," Dani whispers.
"Uh-huh." Resa nods, her brown eyes wide.
I pull my hand out of my pocket, flashing them my ring.
"Holy freaking shiitake," Brielle whisper-hisses, grabbing my arm before I can hide my hand under the table again…as if someone is going to repel down from the roof to snap photos of it.
"How the heck did you get married?" Chastity asks.
"It's a long story."
"We've got time," Shelby says, completely calm.
"I drank too much tequila and suggested it, so Crue woke up a judge and a jeweler and made it happen," I blurt and then grimace. Okay, so maybe the story isn't that long. Somehow, it sounds even worse condensed, though. Way too many bad decisions crammed way too close together.
"Of course he did," Dani says, trying—and failing—to keep a straight face. "He's kind of a bulldozer when he wants something, isn't he?"
"He's not that bad."
"Uh, really?" Brielle laughs, holding up my arm as if displaying the evidence. "He woke up a freaking judge, Ireland."
"And a jeweler," Resa chirps.
We fall silent as a waiter strolls over to take my order. I quickly look through the menu and pick out eggs and toast before handing it back to him.
"Was Crue drunk?" Chastity asks as soon as the waiter is out of earshot.
Crap. I knew someone was going to ask me that.
"No."
"Oh. My," Chastity whispers.
"I know! What am I going to do?" I groan, hiding my face in my hands.
"Enjoy it?"
I drop my hands to my lap, shocked at Shelby's suggestion.
Out of everyone at the table, she's the last one I expected to take this in stride.
Honestly, I kind of expected her to freak out a little bit.
She knows how much I've always loved Crue, but she's my big sister.
She's overprotective by default. Maybe the fact that she's falling in love in her so-not-fake relationship has mellowed her out.
Or maybe it's the other stuff that's mellowing her out. Whatever it is, I'll take it.
She gives me a tiny, encouraging smile. "I may have talked to him yesterday after you guys hung out," she says, not in the least ashamed or apologetic. "He had hearts in his eyes over you."
"Clearly," Brielle whispers. "He woke up a judge."
"And a jeweler," Resa, Dani, and Chastity say at the same time and then crack up.
I choose to ignore them, focusing on my sister. "You talked to him?"
"Talked. Threatened. Same difference." She shrugs, which makes me laugh.
Of course she threatened him. I can't believe he didn't mention it, though.
"My point is, he's crazy about you, so stop overthinking and let him be crazy about you."
"Yeah, but what if…?"
"What if what?"
"Nothing. Never mind." I shake my head, pasting a bright smile on my face. "I'm just not thinking clearly."
Shelby scrutinizes my expression, hers full of understanding as she reaches for my hand. "There isn't a single person in your life who has ever regretted knowing and loving you. He won't either."
"She's right," Dani says, empathy in her deep green eyes. "I haven't known you long, and I already love you."
"You're very loveable," Resa agrees.
"Falling for someone famous is terrifying," Dani continues, "but you owe it to yourself to give this a chance anyway, Ireland. You'll always regret it if you don't."
She's right. I know she is. But I'm not afraid of loving Crue.
I've done that from afar for most of my life.
It's the losing him part that scares me.
He's barely even mine, and I already know it'll break my heart if he changes his mind.
How much worse will it feel if he decides in a week or two weeks or two months from now that marrying me twelve hours after meeting me was a terrible idea?
People say it's better to have loved and lost, but I don’t think those people ever met Crue Blake. If they had, I don't think they'd be singing that same song.
"Give it a chance before you do anything rash," Brielle says and then giggles. "Well, before you do anything else rash."
"I'll think about it," I say.
"Don't think. Do!" Brielle cries, making me smile. "This is basically your dream come to life. Don't you dare get all crazy pants now. Grab that rockstar by the–"
Resa slaps her hand over Brielle's mouth, silencing her before she can finish whatever suggestion she was going to make. I kind of want to know now, though. I bet it was dirty.
"Okay! Okay!" I laugh. "I'll stop overthinking and freaking out and enjoy the ride. But if he breaks my heart, I'm never talking to any of you ever again."
At least Daisy and Luna aren't here yet, so I'll still be able to talk to them if this ends badly. Crap. I still have to fill them in on the details. They're going to lose their minds.
"You can't quit us. You love us," Chastity teases.
"You're right. I do love you." I pause. "If Crue asks, I'm still mad at him, though."
"Wait. Why are you mad at Crue? You skipped that part," Resa says, sipping her water.
"Uh, because he married me while I was drunk last night." My sister's gaze drifts to something over my shoulder as I talk, her lips twitching into a full-blown grin. "What kind of lunatic marries someone after twelve hours?"
"The one standing behind you," Shelby says.
"Ah, crap," I groan, spinning around in my seat to see Crue exactly where my sister said he was...standing behind my chair, looking like the world’s hottest grump.
"Wife," he growls, leaning down to kiss me. He doesn't even try to hide what he's doing. He just freaking kisses me right there in the middle of the restaurant. "I told you already, I'm not crazy. I'm crazy about you."
"Stop kissing me," I whisper-hiss. "It's illegal."
The girls hear me and laugh.
"Is it?" His lips quirk into a grin. "That's news to me."
"I mean, it's a bad idea. Anyone could see."
"You ashamed of me, sweet girl?" he asks, stroking my cheek.
"What? No. Why would you think that? You're basically the hottest man alive."
"Hotter than Henry Cavill?"
"Well, I mean..."
He growls, and I laugh.
"I'm just kidding. Henry definitely has you beat, Crue."
"Fucking Henry Cavill," he mutters, scowling, which is somehow adorable and sexy at the same time. He's been one of People's Sexiest Men. Surely he isn't really jealous of Henry Cavill? But when he presses his lips to my ear, I quickly realize that I might just be wrong about that.
"We'll see how well you remember Cavill's name when you're screaming mine, éire," he growls, his voice pitched so only I hear him. And then he places a sweet kiss beside my ear and pulls back.
"I'm not ashamed of you," I say quietly. "I just don't want you to be gossip again."
"It's all good, baby. I was teasing."
"Are you joining us?" Shelby asks him.
"Nah. I'm heading to the arena. I've got some stuff I want to work on before sound check. Need my guitar." He tips my chin up. "Come find me when you're done here. I'll give you the grand tour."
"Oh, of the buses?" I ask, excited.
"You want to see the buses, baby?"
Resa and Dani groan as if they're tired of the buses. I guess they probably are after having spent so much time on them lately, but they're still new and exciting to me.
"Yes! I've never seen a tour bus before." I practically dance in my seat at the prospect. "Oh, can I take pictures for my blog?"
"Sure. But nothing with the license plates or anything that would make it easy for anyone to figure out what bus is ours," he says. "I don't want you on a bus if a bunch of screaming fans descend. It's not safe."
"You want me on the bus with you?"
"You're wearing my ring, éire. You'll be sleeping where I sleep while we're on tour," he says, pinning me with one of those bossy I'm-in-charge looks.
"We'll see," I say, just to mess with him.
He growls playfully and then presses his lips to my forehead. "Yeah, we will. When you're in my bed where you belong. Come find me after breakfast."
"Maybe."
He narrows his eyes at me and then shakes his head, smiling. "Ladies, enjoy breakfast."
"Bye, Crue," Shelby says.
"Bye!" Resa waves.
Chastity and Dani both wave to him as well.
"Good job on the jeweler!" Brielle calls after him.
He turns his head toward us, winking.
Our entire table devolves into a fit of laughter.
* * *
"You lost?"
"Um, maybe?" I frown up at the massive bodyguard stationed outside of the bus Shelby pointed me toward when we got to the arena a few minutes ago. "I'm looking for Crue. Shelby told me he was on this bus."
"You're Ireland?"
"That's me."
He jerks his chin in a nod and then grins. "I'm Havoc, his bodyguard. He's on the bus."
"Havoc?" I gape at him. "No offense, but you're a giant. You could probably squash people with your bare hands. Havoc is probably overkill."
He laughs loudly. "The name is Ambrose Havoc."
"Oh, okay then. I guess Havoc it is," I say, making him laugh again. "Got it."
"You're funny."
"Thanks." I scrunch up my nose at him. "I think."
"Go on in. He's waiting for you."
I bounce up the steps, not sure if I'm more excited about seeing him or the bus. The bus. Just kidding. Definitely him. It's only been an hour, and I already miss him. I'm such a mess for this man; it's ridiculous. It's all his fault, too.
I hear his voice and what sounds like a guitar before I pull the door open, and remember he said he wanted to come and work on something. I open the door carefully, not wanting to disturb him.
As soon as I step inside, the mournful notes of his song wash over me. I stop in my tracks, listening to his powerful voice.
"I don't want to sleep, don't even want to dream.
Every time I close my eyes, I see you walking out the door.
I thought I was strong. Convinced myself I could handle letting you leave.
It was just a lie I told to keep myself breathing.
But baby, I'm not breathing. I'm not breathing. Until you come back to me."
He trails off, setting the guitar aside to jot something in a notebook.
I don't want to interrupt, but my heart is in my throat, and I think I have to say something. I think…holy crap. I think he's writing about me and our conversation this morning. Is that what inspired this song? The thought of me leaving?
"Crue," I whisper, taking a step toward him.
He lifts his head from his notebook, his hazel eyes meeting mine.
"I…"
"There you are." A big grin overtakes his expression. He drops his pen, rising to his feet, his song forgotten as he strides toward me. In three steps, I'm in his arms, and his lips are slanting down over mine.
Everything I was going to say, the questions I meant to ask, get swept away in the maelstrom as he slides his hand into my hair and kisses the breath from my lungs.
I forget about his song. I forget everything but the taste of him on my lips, the feel of his hard body pressed to mine, and the unshakable certainty that I'm falling in love with this man, not fan to idol but woman to man.