Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ryan
K nock. Knock. Knock.
Not sure if I imagined the knock on my door, I keep still, not ready to open my eyes yet.
We got to the hotel around 8am. I couldn’t fall asleep on the bus. My mind was racing about everything that happened with Knox. Exhausted, I crashed in my clothes on top of the duvet the moment my head hit the pillow.
Trevor caught up to me as I was checking in and begged me not to leave. He said Knox had filled him in on what happened and he assured me there was no reason to leave. He sounded so confident.
What I wouldn’t give for even an ounce of his confidence in the situation.
Knock. Knock. Knock .
Crap!
“Coming!”
Shooting out of bed, I don’t bother looking in a mirror.
I’m decent if all that’s required is being fully clothed.
I know without checking that my hair will look like a tangle of vipers, so I pull the band from my wrist and wrangle it into a bun on top of my head.
I don’t wear much make-up, but what I was wearing I washed off on the bus last night, so whoever is on the other side of this door is about to get a face full of reality.
It’s probably Trevor, being the decent guy he is, coming to tell me in person he was wrong and I do need to leave.
Knock—
“I’m here. Sorry. I’m here,” I yell, ripping the door open.
It isn’t Trevor.
It’s the most devastatingly beautiful man I’ve ever seen in the flesh.
Nearly choking on a gasp, I say nothing.
Neither does he. Instead, his eyes flit over my face, taking in every inch.
First, he examines my eyes, his gaze moving from one to the other.
Eventually, his focus glides down my nose to my lips.
He licks his own bottom lip before his eyes travel to my cheeks and then up to the mess on my head.
On instinct, my hands travel to my hair, giving my bun a little tug.
“Don’t. I like it.”
He what?
There’s no way.
Is he being an asshole?
“I know you’re mad at me, but you don’t have to be cruel.”
The corner of his mouth lifts. “Go to coffee with me?”
Thrown off, I ask, “Right now?”
“If it’s a good time?”
“Uh, sure. Do you mind if I brush my teeth and maybe change out of yesterday’s clothes?”
“Of course, no problem.” He takes two steps backward until his back meets the wall across from my door, never taking his eyes off me. As if last night never happened, he shoves his hands in the front pocket of his jeans, crossing his ankles. “I’ll wait out here. Take your time.”
Dumbfounded, I close the door.
Did someone drug me last night? Did I imagine the incident on the bus or am I imagining him waiting in the hallway?
Lifting to my toes, I check the peephole, and would you look at that? Knox McKinnon is in the hallway waiting for me.
Shit!
He’s waiting for me!
Scurrying to my luggage, I fumble through my cosmetic bag until I find my toothbrush and toothpaste.
Racing into the bathroom, I brush my teeth, but don’t bother with make-up or even attempt to do anything with my hair.
He’s likely about to threaten me with some sort of lawsuit.
No need to get gussied up for the occasion.
Besides, I’ve never been that girl. I’m certainly not going to change for a musician.
Wait? Are singers considered musicians?
Ryan, get your shit together! Focus! Find your clothes and get dressed!
I throw my suitcase on the bed and quickly discard yesterday’s clothes, replacing them with leggings, a Powell’s Books sweatshirt and Chucks. Grabbing shades, my room key, and my purse I take a cleansing breath and open the door, willingly walking into the firestorm I’m sure I’m about to face.
Pushing off the wall, he nods. “Ready?”
“Sure.”
We don’t speak while we wait for the elevator or on the way down to the lobby.
Slipping on sunglasses, a baseball cap, and the hood on his black hoodie, he prepares himself before walking out into the public eye.
Silence follows on our walk to the coffee shop a block away.
He doesn’t speak until the bell rings above the door of the cafe.
“I ordered ahead. Go grab that spot in the corner and I’ll get the drinks.” His hand gently grazes my lower back as he walks away. A thrill I shouldn’t feel zips directly up my spine.
Doing as instructed, I slide into the booth and within seconds, he’s setting our drinks on the table and taking the seat across from me, his back to the rest of the cafe. I don’t dare mention that I hate coffee. Now doesn’t seem like the time.
Desperate to ignore the silence that followed him back to our booth, I take a sip, prepared to be disgusted, but as soon as it touches my lips, my eyes fly to his. This isn’t coffee. It’s a chai latte. How does he know I drink chai and not coffee?
If I weren’t so stubborn, I might say something, but he invited me here. If one of us is going to start a conversation, it’s not going to be me.
He’s not drinking his coffee. He’s back to examining my face. I don’t fidget or look away from his attention. Growing frustrated, I sit back in my seat, crossing my arms.
His chest rises and falls with a deep breath. “Thank you.”
I must still be half asleep, because I am certain I misunderstood him .
“Excuse me?”
“Thank you,” he says again as a small smile graces his face.
“For what?”
“For not making me feel like the monster I’ve felt like until that call last night. Knowing you overheard my most safely guarded secret nearly did me in.”
“Because you thought I would tell your secret to the world?”
“Yes, but no. That was in the back of my mind, but more than that, it was you knowing what a piece of shit I am. That you would know Mia thought I was such a disgrace, she never told me I was a father. You of all people thinking that of me was too much.”
“I’m not doing that kind of piece. I would never share any of it or let it affect my writing.”
“It’s not about the damn story. It’s about you.”
“Me?”
“Yes, it’s all been about you.”
“I’m so confused.”
“You, Ryan. You’re all I’ve thought about when I’m not thinking about Sawyer. The moment I met you, I knew I had to keep distance between us, so I don’t fuck your life up, too.”
Not sure what to say to his confession, I keep my mouth shut, feeling like I’m in the Twilight Zone.
“I know you’re here to do a job. And I’m sure this is all one-sided, but you deserve to know why I’ve been pushing you away.”
What the...
“Are you saying you were pulling my pigtails on the playground? ”
He manages another small smile in reply and my goodness are his smiles magnificent.
“I’ve been extremely rude to you,” I admit.
“Not only did I deserve it, but I loved every second.”
I must be hallucinating, because this is not the conversation I expected.
“Ry, you don’t care who I am.”
Shit. I like him calling me Ry way too much.
“You’ve met one rock god, you’ve met them all.” I wink.
“So you’ve said.” He smiles back.
“So... we’re friends then?”
He nods. “As long as you don’t stop telling me the truth.”
“I can do that.”
“Friends it is.” He reaches out to shake my hand. Of course, I take it. His huge hand engulfs mine, and my body immediately screams, sorry bitch, but friends ain’t gonna cut it.
Even if he hadn’t just confessed what I thought of him mattered, his eyes and the fact that he’s still holding my hand suggest he may also want to be more than friends.
The ping of my phone interrupts us. Rob’s name lights up the screen and Knox releases my hand.
I haven’t talked to this man in ages and suddenly he’s like a rash that won’t go away.
“You know Rob Braun?”
Before I answer, I clear my throat. “Yes.”
“How?”
“I’ve met many people in the music industry doing this for a living.”
“I get that. But why is he calling? You two working on something? ”
“Nope. We unfortunately know each other socially.”
He gets my meaning and looks disgusted. “So, you’re telling me you’re with a guy like that?”
“What? No! I haven’t seen him in months.”
“But you have seen him,” he says with air quotes.
“What does it matter?”
“Oh, it matters, darlin’. Any person who would want to be involved with the likes of that prick...” He runs his hands through his hair. “Of all the men in the world.”
“I’m so confused. Why is this so upsetting to you? He’s probably calling about a project. We aren’t together. I would never be with a man like him.”
“Listen, I need to go. Good talk, yeah?”
“Knox. I don’t understand. You’re leaving because I got a phone call?”
“Rob fucking Braun is a deal-breaker. Sorry, the man is pure poison.”
“But he has nothing to do with me,” I say, desperate to make him understand.
“Later.”
I’ve got whiplash from his mood swings. One minute he’s telling me he’s been pushing me away because he likes me, and the next he’s storming out of the cafe because Rob’s name appeared on my phone. I understand not liking Rob, few do, but his reaction seems dramatic.
But then, doesn’t everything with Knox McKinnon?
As per usual, I’ve moved one step forward with Knox, only to be drop-kicked ten steps back.