Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 121916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
“Now that you’re supposedly my beloved girlfriend,” I say, “I couldn’t date anyone in LA, even if I wanted to.” Which I don’t. On the contrary, after The Kiss That Changed Everything, I can no longer deny Ruby’s the only person I want to kiss on Planet Earth.
“Okay, I’ll stay,” Ruby says. “Thank you. But after the press conference, if my place isn’t ready, I’ll get a hotel or stay with Savage and Laila.”
“Don’t do that. I’d be insulted.”
Ruby blushes. “Hopefully, it won’t take that long, and it’ll be a moot point.”
“I’ve got fingers crossed for you.” I nudge her. “So, are you going to text Reed and tell him about the show?”
“I’m sure he already knows. Nothing this big happens to one of his artists without him knowing about it.”
“No, I mean, are you going to text him to admit Cooper’s song has turned out to be a blessing in disguise, like he said?”
Ruby scoffs. “I think I’ll wait to see how the show pans out first.” She pops out of her seat. “I’m going to tell my brother the good news and thank Laila and Savage. You want to come?”
“No, I think I’ll chill for a bit. Maybe chat with Kai. Would you be cool with me telling him the good news and declaring an end to the Cold War?” Ever since the emergency band meeting the other day, I’ve been giving Kai the cold shoulder, in solidarity with Ruby. But I feel like the time has finally come to bury the hatchet.
“Sure. I’m so happy right now, I can’t muster the energy to hold a single grudge. Not even against stupid Kai.” With a cute little squeal, Ruby musses my hair and bounds off to her brother a few rows back.
I wait a few minutes to peek behind me again, and when I do, Ruby has finished talking with her brother, and she’s now at the back of the plane, chatting enthusiastically with Savage and Laila. With the coast clear, I unbuckle my seatbelt, slide into the aisle, and head not to Kai, but two rows back to Titus.
“Hey, man. Can I sit for a second?” I take the seat next to him. “So, about last night. I want to talk to you about that.”
“It didn’t go down nearly as platonically as you two said? I figured as much.”
“No, no. I swear nothing happened. I’d never make a move on anyone who’s shitfaced, Titus.”
“But if Ruby had been sober, that would have been a different story?”
Shit. Is that what I just admitted? “No. That’s not what I meant.”
Titus grins. “It’s okay, Kendrick. Like I said, I just didn’t want you two getting together for the first time drunk. Other than that, you can do your thing, if that’s what you want to do.” His next words, he murmurs under his breath. “And it seems to me you do . . .”
My eyebrows ride up. My brain feels like it’s scrambling. I think that means Titus is giving me his blessing to date his sister? It’s a moot point, anyway, since Ruby’s not interested in me like that. But still, I can’t deny it’s pretty cool to find out Titus would be cool with it. Especially because, during our emergency band meeting the other day, he didn’t have quite the same reaction to Kai making a move on his sister.
“That’s . . . Wow,” I stammer. I pause, gathering my courage, and finally ask the thing I’m dying to know. “Has Ruby ever expressed interest in me to you? As more than a friend? Or was your comment about me making a move only . . . hypothetical?”
Titus grins. “It was hypothetical. Sorry to disappoint you, man.” Well, that’s pretty damned clear: Titus knows I’m into his sister. And not only as friends. How long has he known that?
My head is spinning. In a short space of time, I’ve let the cat out of the bag with Savage and Laila, and now it kind of feels like I’ve done the same thing with Titus. And you know what? The sky isn’t falling. The band isn’t crumbling. In fact, it feels like all three are totally rooting us on.
My heart thumping, I peek toward Savage and Laila at the back of the plane and discover my best friend is now sitting alone, and Ruby and Laila are nowhere to be seen. Probably chatting with our tour manager, Caden, in the next compartment.
It’s the perfect opportunity for me to pick Savage’s brain in private, so I beeline over to him. When Ruby stays at my place this coming week, it’ll be the perfect opportunity to make her see me in a new light—as more than a friend. But how? Normally, I’m pretty good with women. No, I’m awesome, actually. But when it comes to Ruby, I don’t trust myself to get it right without some help. I’m too close to the situation. Too invested.