Redeeming You (Before You #2)(40)
The car stopped in front of a small pizza shop and Alec tossed the driver a couple twenties and a whispered a few words. “The driver’s going to run in and grab a couple slices. We’ll eat in the car.”
“Afraid of a bunch of fan girls lurking in the darkness?”
Alec laughed. “A little. They can be ferocious when they want something.”
“I think you’d be fine. You have a way of scaring away unwanted visitors.” Alec had a soft heart, but nobody knew that except her. He looked cold and dark, but it was just a mask.
Alec snorted and then turned to face her. “So…” Alec said.
“So?” she said back.
“I noticed Cam looking at you from the stage today.”
“Really? I didn’t notice.” She buried her hands in the folds of her skirt. She hoped the driver came back with their pizza within the next few minutes because she'd like to skip this conversation.
“Did something happen between you?”
She looked out the window, grateful for the darkness in the car because she couldn’t hide anything from him. He knew her too well for lies and half-truths. “What do you mean?”
“Tay,” Alec said and her nickname burned the jagged edges of her brushed heart. Apparently, Cam had stolen her nickname, in addition to a hundred other things because it only sounded right when it came out of his honey-laced lips. “You can tell me about it. I won’t be mad.”
She laughed, but it was harsh and short. “There’s nothing to tell.”
“Are you sure about that?”
No, but she’d never share what happened with Cam. As sick as it was, she still wanted to protect Cam because, deep down, she believed in him even though evidence to the contrary was blinking and shouting at her to take notice. She wouldn’t reveal anything because disclosing what happened between them might be the final straw for Chasing Ruin, and secondly, she didn’t want everyone to know the depths of her stupidity if Cam wasn’t being truthful. She needed a professional reference if she wanted to break into the PR side of the music business, and broadcasting to the world that she and Cam did…whatever, wouldn’t get her anything except a bad reputation. She sighed. “Alec, what are you really asking?”
Alec stretched out his legs in front of him, crossing them at his ankles. “I don’t know. I just got this vibe between the two of you and I wanted to make sure that you weren’t tempted to cross the line with Cam.”
The line had been crossed weeks ago, but Alec didn’t need to know that. “Thanks, but I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it for years, and while I’ve made some crappy decisions—”
“Miles,” Alec blurted out interrupting her.
Taylor rubbed her temples contemplating her ex-boyfriend in Seattle. “Yeah, Miles sucked, but I think I knew that even before I walked in on him and Natalie. Cheating wasn’t his only fault.”
“Miles was using you and Natalie was a crappy friend,” Alec added not trying to sugar coat his opinion. He never parsed words, but she liked that about him. She always knew where he stood and what he believed.
“No shit. That’s pretty obvious, but I didn’t love Miles, not even close, and Natalie…well, she served her purpose.”
Alec laughed and she couldn’t hold back a smile because his laugh rarely made an appearance, at least since they were kids. When they were young he laughed a lot. She missed it. “Oh, really? What purpose was that?”
Taylor raised one eyebrow. “She gave me a really good reason to dump Miles.”
Alec patted her leg and then squeezed it affectionately. “I can’t argue with that.”
“Good, I’m glad we agree. Now where’s that pizza?” she said leaning over him to look out the window. It was as good of a change of subject as any, particularly given how much Alec loved pizza.
Alec’s eyes narrowed briefly and he shifted his body toward her. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you never answered the question about Cam.”
Taylor held up her hand signaling him to stop talking. “Let’s shelf it for tonight. I’m hungry and tired and I have to sleep on that crappy bunk again for the next two nights.”
“Fine, but just so you know, a relationship with Cam won’t end well. He’s still hung up on Bre and you deserve more than a man pining over the past.”
“I got your message loud and clear and I appreciate your concern. Cam isn’t for me and I can’t compete with Bre. She’s her and I’m me and that says it all.” Apparently, her mom and Miles were right: she was unlovable.
Alec sat back against the leather seats. He was pissed, but she didn’t want to get into it with him tonight. She’d had enough of everything, especially talking about Cam. She felt guilty, regretful and stupid—not a healthy combination judging from the momentum of the knot building in her stomach.
“You’re amazing, Taylor. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.” He raked his hands through his dark spiked hair. “I don’t think she’s better than you,” he added softly.
“Well, you’d be in the minority.” Even as she said the words, she wanted to recall them. She didn’t have anything against Bre. She was nice, talented, beautiful and completely real, but that didn’t mean she liked that she still held a place in Cam’s heart. Not that it mattered. Apparently, a lot of women had a place in Cam’s life or at least it looked that way tonight. Taylor was just the one at the top of the list for the past few days, but she’d already been bumped based on what she’d seen after the show.