Brian groans from his place in his bunk and I watch as he throws his legs over the side. He jumps down wearing nothing but his boxers. When he sees us, he pauses, his eyes roaming over the scene in front of him before they shift back to me. He looks completely hungover, and it surprises me, because he usually doesn’t get trashed.
“It was a bit crazy last night,” he admits.
“I see that,” I mutter.
Honestly, I wasn’t here so I don’t care that women were brought back here and they partied. It really doesn’t make a difference to me if I’m not here, it’s when I’m here and trying to work, trying to keep from drinking, from falling down a deep fucking hole of regret that I mind.
“Wake the fuck up,” I shout.
All five sleeping people moan. The women roll around and I gather their clothes, throwing them at their bodies.
“You have ten seconds to get the fuck off the bus, ladies,” I say.
“Such a goddamn southern gentleman,” Austin huffs, his eyes still closed.
I smirk. “You know me better than that.”
He sits up, his cock on display, not giving a fuck about it either. “I thought that I did. Then you get sober and get yourself hitched to some little hometown thing. While I’ll admit she’s hot, I can’t see you settling down, Beaumont.”
“Then you don’t know me as well as you thought,” I snap.
He chuckles, leaning back against the couch cushion as the women hurriedly tug on their clothes and one by one run out of the bus.
“Why do you want to settle down so badly? Is it for you or because you think it’s time? Do you love her?”
He fires off his questions as if he thinks that I have to justify shit to him. I don’t. Shaking my head, I lift my hand and run my fingers through my hair.
“You don’t fucking get it, Austin, and you probably never will. My life here, this is all an act. The real me is the man from Gallup, Texas. The best friend, the brother, the man who wants a family. I’m this man too, but this drugs, sex, rock-and-roll version of me, it’s not who I am at the core, just like it’s not who you are, either. It’s who I’ve become, it’s not me and I don’t fucking like it.”
“Why are you here then?”
I shrug. “Beats the fucking hell out of me. I’d rather be in Gallup on my ranch writing songs.” My gaze drifts to Daniel and I watch him flinch at my words and my glare. “You can either grow with me or go elsewhere. That goes for you too, Daniel. I’m fucking done with this shit. This isn’t just my career, this is my life and I’m making some healthy changes, with or without y’all.”
“She’s got your balls in a vise,” Daniel snorts.
My nostrils flare, anger fills me and he holds up his hands with a laugh, obviously realizing he’s gone too far.
“Leave it alone. She ain’t a bad girl,” Austin mutters as he grabs his boxers from the floor. “Love you, Beau, love being in a band with you, but I ain’t ready to settle down quite yet. I’m going to dip after this tour is done. Made my decision last night.”
I nod once, suddenly feeling sad. Everything must change, I understand that, I just wish that it didn’t have to change this group. We play well together, we’ve risen from the bottom together. I know that we’ll keep rising too, just wish we didn’t have to go our separate ways.
“You ever want back, just ask,” I offer.
He lifts his chin, knowing my offer is shit. In a couple of years, he’ll be off doing something else, in a different band and rocking out the way he wants to. I won’t be anything other than that guy he used to be friends with, that dude he used to play and party with. And in all honesty, that is who he’ll be to me as well.
“Are you done being pussies?” Daniel asks as he stands to his feet. “Let’s get some breakfast before the bus takes off. I’m hungover as fuck.”
Just like that, the drama is over. I’m still pissed at Daniel, still angry that he was such a fucking dick to Hutton. Although he isn’t acting like he has anything up his sleeve with Andi, I have a feeling that he does. He wouldn’t be so adamant if he didn’t.
He’s going to be fucking disappointed when he realizes that even without Hutton, I don’t want Andi. She has her own set of issues to deal with, ones that she avoids at all costs. That’s not the woman that I want to share my life with, the woman that I want to have children with. She’s also not the woman that I love, as long as I’ve known her, I’ve only ever felt lust for her—nothing else.
Hutton is the woman for me. She’s mine and she is the only person that I can see sharing my life with.
Chapter Thirty-One
HUTTON
Laurie drops me off at my house with a smile and a wave. We’re both exhausted and jetlagged. I wave to her as she pulls away from my driveway before I bend down and tug my handle up on my luggage. I drag my bag behind me as I make my way toward my front steps.
I don’t see it at first, then I freeze when I do. My eyes widen at the sight in front of me. It’s a blown-up photo of me and Beaumont. It’s the grainy picture of us on the balcony just a few days ago. Except where my body is, someone has taken red paint and written, whore.
Reaching for the poster-sized picture, I pull it away from the door, only to discover that there is another behind it. This one is crystal clear, it’s an image of me riding Beaumont in the back of the limo tinted SUV. Across my breasts in red the word slut is written.
Shoving my key in the door, I gather both posters and lug my suitcase behind me. Slamming the door closed, I lock it tightly and lean against it, closing my eyes with a trembling sigh.
Opening my eyes, I look around my living room trying to decide if someone has come into my house, they got as close as my front door, I know that much. Everything looks exactly the way I left it and I exhale.
My phone rings in my back pocket. Dropping the posters, I reach for my device and quickly answer it, assuming that it’s Beaumont to make sure that I made it home okay.
“Did you like the photos?” the feminine voice purrs.
“Who is this?” I snap, my nerves completely gone.
The voice laughs, it’s melodic, almost pretty if I wasn’t scared within an inch of my life. She hums then makes a clucking noise with her tongue.
“Just know that I’m keeping an eye on you. I don’t understand why he wants you. You’re nothing like his other women. Everything about you is completely opposite of every woman he’s ever desired, including me.”
“Maybe that’s what he likes?”
There’s a moment of silence, then I hear her grunt. “Maybe. Doubtful, but maybe. Just watch yourself, Hutton Baker. I would hate for you to get caught up in anything that you can’t handle.”
The line goes quiet and I glance down, seeing that whoever it is has ended the call. I try looking at the last incoming call, hoping that for some reason the caller ID will help me in some way. It doesn’t. It just reads Unknown Caller. Closing my eyes, I sink down to my ass, my back still against the door and I pinch my lips closed.
What feels like seconds later or it could be hours, I’m not sure, my cell rings again. This time, I look at the screen and see that it’s Beaumont calling me. I debate not answering him, I don’t want to tell him any of this, there’s nothing that he can do for me from where he is.