The club was already crammed, the who’s who of the label all here to celebrate the end of the tour and the beginning of another.
Letty had wrangled the four of us into matching black dress shirts and jeans, insisting that we put on a good show for the bigwigs. Alistair was already working the room, shaking hands and rubbing shoulders with the guys who signed off the checks.
There was a buzz in the air, the world tour the hot gossip on everyone’s lips.
“She’ll be here,” Eva said with more confidence than I felt.
Stalter had called ahead to say they were running on time, but she was already ten minutes late.
Fuck.
I needed a drink or something to take off the edge, but since I’d made some pretty hefty promises to stay clean, I chugged on my bottle of Perrier, hoping the ice-cold liquid would douse the nerves zipping through me.
“Guys, I want you to meet Franny Mineston.”
Alistair appeared with a beautiful woman in tow. She was older, her hair pulled off her face in a sleek bun, a dusting of makeup accentuating her natural beauty. Fuck me. If I wasn’t a reformed man, I wouldn’t have thought twice about offering to rock her world.
As it was though, I only had eyes for one woman tonight.
And she was late.
“Levi Hunter,” she drawled with a slight southern twang. “I’ve heard so much about you.” She leaned in, sliding her lips over my cheek.
Something snaked up my spine, a tingle of awareness. Slowly, I turned to find Phoebe standing there, watching me. Watching Franny linger too close, her hand still on my arm.
Hurt flashed in her big honey eyes and her step faltered. I yanked my arm away without apology and strode across the room. “You’re here,” I breathed.
“We need to talk,” she hissed, yanking me into the corner of the room. “You sent Stalter to kidnap me, that is unaccept—”
I pressed a finger to her lips, silencing her. “I missed you too, Bee.”
Her expression softened, but only for a second. Then fiery indignation blazed in her eyes.
“I know you have questions,” I said before she could get in another word. “I know you probably want to chew me out for the next twenty minutes. But I’m asking you… no, I’m begging you… to give me five minutes to show you why this is a good idea.”
“W- what? You’re not making any sense. You want me to ... what?” She gazed up at me with cloudy eyes.
“Five minutes.” I leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, catching myself at the last second.
Phoebe’s breath hitched and I smiled to myself. It was good to know that she was still affected by me, even if she did want to kick my ass.
“Okay then,” she mumbled, uncertainty thick in her voice.
I hated that I was the one who’d put it there. But I couldn’t take back what was done. I could only look forward.
Phoebe had taught me that.
“I think there are a couple of people who want to see you.” I pointed to Letty and Eva and they waved at Phoebe.
“Levi, what is happening right now? Why am I here?”
“Don’t you trust me, Bee?”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “I thought I did.”
Ouch.
That stung. But it was nothing I didn’t deserve. Before I could stop myself, I leaned in again and pressed my lips against her cheeks. I needed something, anything, to tide me over for the next few minutes.
This was my big moment.
Fuck, I wanted a drink. Instead, I settled for another sip of my water.
Phoebe eyed the bottle in my hand, and her brow quirked up.
I chuckled. “Sobriety never tasted better.” I winked and stalked away, heading for the stage. My palms were slick, and my heart was crashing wildly against my chest. I’d performed to crowds of fans, tens of thousands of fangirls all wanting a piece of me. I’d sung at small intimate events, caressing the audience with my voice, my lyrics. I’d done television and radio interviews, taken part in industry awards, but I’d never been more nervous than I was right now.
My bandmates met me at the side of the stage. Rafe pulled me in for a hug. “You’ve got this,” he whispered, holding on a little tighter. When he eased back to meet my eyes, what I saw there almost wrecked me. “Give us a second,” he said to Hudson and Damon.
“Show time, Hunter.” Hudson grinned.
“Come on, we’ll see you out there.” Damon gave me a small smile before climbing the stage.
“I just wanted you to know I love you, man,” Rafe said thickly. “Sometimes I think I should have done more. I should have set her straight—”
“No, Rafe. No.” I curved my hand around the back of my brother’s head and pressed my forehead to his. “What happened, it isn’t on you. Never think that.”
“I fucking hate her for what she did to you.” His chest heaved with the weight of his words. “I don’t think I’ve ever said that before. But it’s true. I only ever cared about what one person thought of me growing up, and that was you, bro.”
“It’s you and me,” I said over the lump in my throat. “Always.”
He swallowed thickly as I felt the tension between us melt away. “Always. Ready to go get your girl?”
“Hell yeah.” I smirked, and we walked out on stage together. Exactly the way it was supposed to be.
The heat of the lights blazed down on me, my skin sizzling with anticipation. But the second my eyes landed on her in the crowd, everything slowed down until I could breathe again.
Phoebe was here.
My honeybee.
My girl.
She stood wedged in between Letty and Eva, tears already glossing her eyes.
A bolt of nervous laughter shot through me as I perched on the stool and waited for Hudson’s opening beat. We hadn’t had much time to practice, but as the music washed over me, a deep sense of peace settled in my soul.
Oh, pretty angel, give me your eyes
Come back to me, I need you right here
Oh, pretty angel, show me your smile
Come to back me because I can’t be without you
You’re the light to my dark, the star in dark skies
You’re the voice that I hear, when things don’t go right
The angel on my shoulder, I can’t let you go...
Skin like silk, eyes like honey, this girl will rip out your heart before you can blink
But she can have it, take it all from me
She’s my hope and strength, the one that I want
My fire and my fight, the one that I love
She’s my savior, my life… she’s my honeybee
Oh, pretty angel, give me your smile
Stay with me always, I need you right here
Oh, pretty angel, show me those eyes
Don’t ever leave me, I can’t be without you
You’re the light to my dark, the star in dark skies
You’re the voice that I hear, when things don’t go right
The angel on my shoulder, I can’t let you go...
No, I won’t let you go