Chapter 11

Stevie McGabe

I slowly sink back into my seat as I watch my boyfriend share a grin with the pretty lead singer of Meliora. ~What is he doing up there?~ I have no idea he can play guitar, but as the opening riff rings out, I feel my jaw drop.

After they play two songs so seamlessly, anyone would be excused for thinking Darryl has always been a member of the band. Then the singer grabs her mic, walks over to Darryl, and wraps her arm around his waist, making my jealousy spike.

“Now, I know some of you are wondering who this hunk of a man is and why he’s out here playing with us tonight…well, he is a ~very~ good friend of mine, and he is kind enough to stand in tonight when Axl is unable to play. Now, can I hear your gratitude for him helping us out, so we didn’t have to miss playing for y’all tonight!” The crowd screams and whistles and claps. A spotlight hits him, lighting Darryl up as he embarrassedly ducks his head. I gasp, scooting to the edge of my chair.

His right eye is bruised, the swelling visible even from this distance, a butterfly plaster covering a split in his eyebrow, another split in the center of his lip. He is definitely in a fight of some description. ~I really hope he isn’t slipping back into old ways again.~

After having sat through the rest of the set, having to watch some scantily clad, dark seductress flirt with my boyfriend…let’s just say I am worked up and flustered, and not in the way I am hoping to be tonight.

Clutching onto my friends’ hands, the three of us follow one of the security guards down by the edge of the stage to the backstage area. I am stupidly nervous—for seeing Darryl in the flesh after being apart for a while, and for seeing him after we do ~that~ on the phone, and more than that…for finding out what exactly is going on with that girl.

The surly security guard stops and points to an open door. “They’re all in there.”

I smile my thanks, stepping closer to the opening but pause when I hear Darryl’s deep rumble followed by an accompanying female giggle. Cameron slides his hand into mine and gives it a reassuring squeeze. Rhea pushes past me and strides into the room.

“My sweet Pappas!” Smit stands up with his arms open, but she breezes past him without even a glance his way and takes a seat in between Darryl and the cute singer he’s been talking to.

“Nelson.”

“Pappas,” he smirks. “Pleasure as always.” His green eyes find me, and I feel that same tingle I always do when his lips turn up into a genuine smile. “Stevie!”

As I’m wrapped up in his strong arms, I can’t help but notice the appraising look of the girl still sitting, squashed up against the arm of the sofa by Rhea.

***

“And this…this is where I sleep.” Darryl is excitedly showing me around the backstage area and the tour bus. I remember how excited he was after the first time he was on tour with Abi’s band, how he wanted to show me photos of everything and tell me how everything worked together as one smooth machine.

A husky female voice pipes up from behind us. “Like much sleeping actually takes place!”

“Fuck off, Darls,” Darryl rolls on the shelf-like bunk bed and props his head up on his hand, giving me a cheeky wink that makes me smile despite myself. With his free hand, he pats the mattress beside him. “Hop on in.”

I tentatively crawl up next to him, only relaxing when his arms pull me in close, and I feel his lips on mine. There’s a rattling noise, and the bunk becomes a little darker as he closes the curtain, cutting us off from the rest of the bus.

Our kiss deepens, and his fingers run through my hair, pulling at the roots slightly and making me moan into his mouth. I feel the edges of his lips turn up against mine, and then his hand slides down over the curve of my ass, gripping onto my thigh and hoisting it up so he can grind his hardness over my throbbing center.

“Stop, stop,” I pant, pulling away from him. He frowns a little.

“What’s wrong? I thought you missed me?”

“I do! You know I do…but I’m worried about you.” I gently stroke my fingers over the bruising on his face. “Tell me what’s been going on.”

Darryl huffs out an annoyed sigh, rolling onto his back. I immediately miss the warmth of his touch. “That dick of a guitarist in Meliora has it in for me since day one…he fucking deserves what he got.”

I suck in a shocked breath, pushing myself up into a seated position. “You are the reason behind why they needed a stand-in tonight?”

“Yeah.” He joins me, sitting up, our backs resting against the wall, our shoulders brushing every time either of us takes a breath. “Why are you making such an issue out of this?”

I purse my lips, not wanting to admit that I suspect he might have done it to spend more time with the rock goddess whose sweet laugh I can hear from downstairs because I know that sounds like a clingy girlfriend kind of response. “I’m not…I just…I want you to know you can always talk to me about anything that’s bothering you, you know?”

His jaw ticks as he clenches his teeth. “You think I’m gonna fall off the fuckin’ wagon as soon as I’m away from home? You’re just like my folks…they’re just ~waiting~ for me to fuck up again.” I blink back sudden tears, and his expression softens slightly. “Look, we’ve just got tonight together, and then it’s gonna be another month or more before we see each other again, so I just wanted to make the most of being together without dragging the mood down with whatever I’ve been up to.”

I swallow the lump in my throat at what those words could imply. “I’m not some groupie that will just fuck you on your tour bus because you’re in a band.”

His scowl returns, reminding me of when he first moved to the house next door. “Do you not fucking trust me or something?”

“I don’t…I don’t know…” The threatening tears spill at last, as I whisper, “It’s so much harder than I ever thought it would be.”

I don’t know whether to take his silence for agreement or not, but either way, he makes no move to comfort me. I hurry to compose myself, muttering a low goodbye as I slip off his bunk bed and hurry to collect my friends.

The girl—Dalia—gives me a knowing look, and I feel a lurch in my stomach at the thought of her sneaking into Darryl’s bunk after they’ve spent the night getting sweaty and worked up on stage. Cameron is in heaven, collecting autographs from the rest of her band, including a beat-up-looking lead guitarist, and Rhea is boredly looking at her phone while Smit excitedly talks her ear off. As soon as my foot hits the bottom step, her eyes are on me, full of concern.

“Do I need to connect my foot with his ass?” I shake my head, a sad smile managing to raise my lips a little. At least she is still my ride-or-die. “Well, let’s go home then. We can bury ourselves in a pile of ice cream and shitty movies.”