Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 61953 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 207(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61953 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 207(@300wpm)
I sometimes still couldn’t believe it was my brother up there. I definitely hated that it meant he was regularly recording in LA. Touring was even worse though. He’d spend the next six to eight months touring the world.
The only time I had plans to see him between now and the end of the tour was graduation. He’d promised that they’d scheduled a break at the start of the summer. So, he would be home to watch me walk.
Campbell punched West after his latest joke and then headed over to Blaire. West laughed and turned back to his siblings.
“So…so…” He waggled his eyebrows. “Whitt says you’re seeing someone.”
I shot Whitt a questioning look. “I am not.”
“You’ve already taken the LSAT. You applied to all the law schools in the country. You have straight As,” Whitt pointed out.
“And?”
“And Bailey says you’re always texting.”
“So? Isn’t every person my age texting all the time?”
“Who’s the guy, Harley?” West asked, throwing his arm over my shoulders. “Afraid to introduce him to your brothers?”
I pushed off of him. “Y’all are assholes. Get off me with that misogynistic bullshit.”
Whitt laughed. “That wasn’t a denial.”
“Already said I wasn’t seeing anyone. And anyway, if I were, I wouldn’t introduce him to you two idiots,” I said with a smile and a wink.
“Wait!” West said. “It’s not like we’d beat him up or anything.”
“Who are we beating up?” Jordan asked, appearing with Julian at his side.
“Good luck tonight, man,” Julian said with a smile, dressed as dapper as ever.
“Thanks,” West said.
“Harley is dating someone,” Whitt told Jordan.
Jordan turned to me in surprise. “This is the first I’ve heard of it.”
“Because I’m not seeing anyone,” I protested.
“Who is it?” Julian asked. He smacked his fist into his other hand. “We’ll make sure he treats you right.”
“Oh my God! Y’all are insufferable. I’m never ever telling you.”
“So, there is someone!” Whitt said triumphantly.
I glared at him, but it was good-natured. Because…there wasn’t anyone. There was someone I wanted to be seeing. But between school, law school applications, and the internship I’d taken for the year, I didn’t have time to date.
I was still texting Chase…occasionally. Not enough for Bailey to be a snitch. I was going to have to knock some sense into her for that comment. Just enough for her to catch me smiling to myself around the house.
Now, my brothers—all fucking four of them—were interrogating me. As if they had the right!
“I’m done with this conversation,” I said, backing up. “I hope they cut your keys solo.”
“Hey!” West said, putting his hand to his heart. “Savage.”
I laughed as a manager came around and ushered friends and family from backstage. I fell into step with my remaining brothers as we took a backstage exit that led to an elevator up to The Texas Tech Club, which was attached to our box. I still couldn’t believe that we had a box for this show. I felt so fancy.
I stepped off of the elevator with Jordan and Julian in front of me and Whitt at my back. Between the sea of tall, dark-haired Wrights, I caught a swath of blond hair.
My heart stopped. Chase was here.
Fuck.
I hadn’t known he was coming. He had to know I would be here. It was my brother after all. I hadn’t said anything about it to him, but we hadn’t spoken in a while. He’d been busy at work. I’d been getting in my final applications.
“What is Sinclair doing here?” Jordan grumbled under his breath.
Julian shrugged. “There’re a hundred thousand people here. Everyone who is everyone is here. Just leave it.”
“Whatever,” Jordan said. “At least he’s here with someone else.”
My brain fizzled at the words. I’d been so focused on Chase’s face that I hadn’t noticed he was standing next to a very pretty blonde woman. I’d never seen her before. She was probably about his age or a little younger. She had her hand on his arm. He was laughing at whatever she was saying. So carefree.
A green monster reared up in my body.
And I was no longer in control of what I was doing.
Jordan and Julian had headed toward the box, but I was moving forward, toward Chase. My feet carrying me in that direction before I could really comprehend what I was doing and who I was doing it in front of.
“Hey,” I said.
Chase turned toward me. His face went from laughter to surprise to pleased to confused. “Hey. I didn’t think I’d see you here.”
“No, obviously not.” My eyes shifted briefly to the woman at his side. I stuck my hand out. “Hi, I’m Harley Wright.”
“Hi!” she said cheerfully. “I’m Elsie Cruz.”
“Yes,” Chase said, as if catching up. “This is Kai’s wife.”
“Kai’s…wife,” I repeated.
Chase raised his eyebrows at me. As if to say, What do you think? He wasn’t here with some other woman. This was his friend’s wife. Not…competition. And God, I felt stupid, having thought it. He wasn’t even mine. And yet…