“What are you doing?” She hissed.
“Since you seem so hell-bent on leaving any time I’m around, I decided to take matters into my own hands.” I turned on my side, blocking her in.
“I could get out if I wanted,” she whisper-yelled.
Bring my mouth to her ear, I whispered back. “You could, but you’d wake everyone up, and I know you don’t want to do that.”
“You’re an asshole.” She placed her hands on my chest and pushed. I was sure she meant to move me, but it did nothing but infuriate me further.
“I never said I wasn’t. Now tell me why you’re mad at me.” My lips brushed the shell of her ear as I tried to be quiet and not wake up the rest of the bus.
“Just let me go to sleep,” she huffed, trying to turn away from me, but I had her pinned up against the wall of the bus. Damn, maybe these tiny ass bunks were good for something.
“I’ll leave you alone if you tell me why you’re mad.” But would I really? Doubtful. I was never going to leave her alone until she relented herself to me, body, mind, and soul.
The only sound for several long moments was our breathing. I could wait all night if I had to. Just being this close to her soothed the savage beast inside of me that broke out once she ended us.
“Fine, but once I tell you, I want you out of my bunk.” Pulling away enough for our gazes to lock, she raised one lone eyebrow. “Deal?”
“Deal.” I’d say anything in that moment to get her to talk to me and to find out what the hell happened while she was away. Was she pregnant with my baby? My hand instinctively went to her stomach.
“Don’t touch me, either,” she growled like a tiny kitten.
Putting my hands at my sides, I waited. “Fine, just tell me what’s got you acting like this.”
“Do you know what I saw the one and only time I looked you guys up on social media?”
“Not really. You know I don’t go on there.” Social media was not my thing. It was all negative assholes who thought they could do better or women wanting to have our babies. The extremes were too much for me to handle.
“Well, I’ll tell you since you wanted to know so damn much. All I saw were picture after picture of women draping their bodies all over you. Which I get because you have to take pictures, but I saw the look on your face, and you were enjoying it a whole hell of a lot. So, there you go. You don’t need me; you’ve got a gaggle of women lined up at your door to service you. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to go to sleep.” Pen pushed on me again, and this time I let her.
Pen wasn’t mad. No, she was jealous, and jealousy was something I could work with. Now, I just had to figure out the best way to use that to my advantage.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
pen
From the corner of my eye, I saw Kenton nudge Cross as they played some video game. I was trying to read what Stella had sent to me of her book, but I was having a hard time concentrating. Ever since Walker joined me in my bunk last night, I couldn’t get him out of my head. “What’s got him in such a chipper mood?”
“Fuck if I know. He was one moody ass bitch while Pen was away, and now it’s like he’s walking on sunshine. I kind of want to stab him,” Cross answered.
I looked up from my Kindle and was met with their smiling faces. “No stabbing anyone. Even band members,” I said before I went back to my attempt at reading.
“Do you know why Walker’s in such a pleasant mood?” Kenton leaned forward, waiting for my reply.
“No, I idea. Maybe one of your groupies made his night. I don’t know. That’s not really part of my job.”
“I heard you two fighting last night,” Cross muttered.
“Good for you,” I rolled my eyes at him when what I really wanted to do was snap at him for listening. “If you heard, then you should know your guess is as good as mine on why he’s in such a good mood.”
Cross held his hands up and scooted back on his side of the bus. “I had my headphones in, so I couldn’t make out what you were saying. I only heard you two arguing.”
“If you’re so interested in why Walker’s acting the way he is, then why don’t you ask him?”
Kenton’s face scrunched up as he looked down the hall at the bunks. “It’s not his week to get the bedroom, is it?”
“No, fucker, it’s my turn. Don’t act like you didn’t know,” Cross hit some buttons on his controller and then growled. “You cheated.”
“How did I cheat?” Kenton threw out there.
Fighting over games was typical on the bus. It kind of made me wish I hadn’t got them a PlayStation to begin with. I guess it was better than them watching porn. Listening to a bunch of moans from the living area would have been pretty awkward. Why hadn’t I packed my noise-canceling headphones? Maybe I needed to order a new pair and have them delivered to a future venue. Then I wouldn’t have to listen to their chatter.
Cross set down his controller and moved into the kitchen. “Does anyone need a drink?”
“I’m good, thanks.”
“Hey, Walk,” Cross moved to stand beside Walker as he folded some clothes and put them into a bag.
“What’s up?” Walker asked without stopping what he was doing.
Cross bumped his shoulder into Walker’s and looked back over his shoulder. I looked down quickly, hoping he didn’t see me looking at them over my Kindle. “Do you have any more of whatever you’re on?”
“Fuck off,” Walker growled. “You know I don’t do drugs. I don’t even take ibuprofen, asshole.”
“Seriously though, what’s up with you? Why are you so happy?” Cross leaned back against the wall of other bunks.
Walker lifted one shoulder. “Why wouldn’t I be in a good mood? We’re living the dream.”
“That we are.” He paused for a long moment. “Does your mood have anything to do with Pen being back?”
I kept my focus on the same sentence I’d been reading for at least the last thirty minutes and pretended like I wasn’t listening to every word they spoke.
“Sure, I’m happy she’s back. Aren’t we all? But she’s not the reason why I’m in a good mood.”
“Well, are you going to share with the class why?” Kenton yelled from across from me.
“No real reason. Does there have to be a reason why I’m in a good mood?”
“Not all, but you’re not usually… chipper.”
“I have a good feeling about tonight’s show. Plus, we get to sleep in real beds tonight. Aren’t you happy to spend a night off the bus?”
“Fuck man, I can’t wait to take a long shower and not get bitched out about using all the hot water,” Kenton moaned as if imagining already being in the shower.
“Fuck a shower. I’m going to take a nice hot bubble bath. Preferably with at least a couple of women in it.” A wicked grin spread across Cross’s face.
“Yo, who said the tub was going to be big enough for one of us, let alone with multiple people?” Greer asked, annoyed. Or at least it sounded more annoyed than usual. It was difficult with him. I gave up on being friends with Greer.