Redeeming You (Before You #2)(60)

Finally stepping over the threshold, she made her way to the bar, nodding toward the people she recognized. She ordered a glass of wine and then zigzagged between the people looking for Evelyn.

She felt hands wrap around her waist from behind her. Jolted, she spilled a little wine down the front of her shirt. “Cam,” she said smiling as she leaned into him briefly before turning to face him.

But it wasn’t Cam.

“Hi, Taylor.”

“Miles.” Ice crystals slithered through her veins. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to talk to you.”

The sound of his voice, once so familiar and dear to her, turned her stomach. She shook her head. “How did you get a backstage pass?”

He looked down for a moment and then gestured across the room where Evelyn was talking to a couple people Taylor didn’t recognize. “Evelyn.” Evelyn waved and winked as though she believed she had done Taylor a favor.

“Are you serious? I would have never given her two tickets if I had known one of them was for you,” Taylor yelled. She couldn’t believe that Evelyn would do this. She knew that she never wanted to see Miles again. She hadn’t said those exact words, but her actions were pretty f*cking obvious in her opinion.

“Don’t be mad at Evelyn. I asked her not to tell you.” He reached for her hand, but she stepped backwards. Sighing, he dropped his hand to his side. “I didn’t have any choice. You wouldn’t answer my calls or my texts.”

“With good reason.” Taylor folded her arms across her chest trying to create another physical barrier between her and Miles.

“I’ve had a lot of time to think about things and about us.” He pushed her hair behind her ear and she froze. “I never meant to hurt you. I wish I could take back what happened between Natalie and me, but I can’t. I know that, but maybe you could give me a second chance. Everything was good between us before her.”

“No,” Taylor said her eyes wide and disbelieving. She didn’t want to sit here and listen to this. “You’re wrong. Things weren’t good even before Natalie. Natalie was the final straw, but I should have left long before then.”

“We were good together and if you didn’t run off before we could talk, I know you’d feel the same way. You only remember the bad things and you’ve forgotten what made us so good together.” He searched her face looking for something, probably forgiveness, but he wouldn’t find it. She was done with him.

“Is this really why you came here? You want to get back to together?”

He reached for her hand again and she wanted to slap it away, but she felt too numb to process this whole encounter. It was surreal. She couldn’t believe Miles actually had the nerve to show up at her brother’s concert. “I’m so sorry, Taylor. I love you and I need you in my life. Nothing works when you’re not with me. We were both to blame for what happened.” He squeezed her limp hand. “Why don’t you come back to my place tonight so we can talk through things?”

“No,” she said, her mind racing.

“I can give you back that ring you love—the one with the big, rough cut, blue stone. Did you listen to my voicemail? I found it behind my nightstand.”

“You can mail it to me.” She really wanted that ring, but there was no way she’d step foot in Miles’ place.

Miles rolled his eyes. “I’ll give you the ring if you come back to my place so we can talk. It’s only fair.”

“I can’t do that. I’m seeing someone,” she pulled her hand out his hold.

Miles’ eyes narrowed in anger and condescension.

“Tay,” Cam’s warm arm slipped around her waist.

Taylor’s eyes swung to Cam and then back to Miles. She never dreamed Cam and Miles would be in the same room, much less that she would be in a position to introduce them. Now, as she looked between Cam and Miles, comparing them, she thought Miles looked flat and one dimensional next to Cam. Miles, with his dyed black hair, dark eyes and black clothes, paled in comparison to Cam with his perfectly sculpted cheekbones and startling blue eyes and easy smile. Cam’s larger than life charisma made Miles look immature and empty.

“Cam,” she said feeling the tension that had been building since she came face to face with Miles slip away. He pulled her closer to him and his grip tightened momentarily.

“Did you still want to meet up with your friends or are you ready to get out of here?”

“I still need to say hi to Evelyn.” She couldn’t even bring herself to look at Miles. She could feel his anger radiating in the air.

Miles held out his hand. “I’m Miles, Taylor’s—”

“I know who you are,” Cam said dismissively, not making any move to shake Miles’ hand.

Miles dropped his hand, hooking his thumbs into the belt loops at the front of his pants as a quiver of anger surged across his face. “You guys pulled off a pretty good show tonight considering all the gossip surrounding the band. I heard your days are numbered.”

“Mostly tabloid drama,” Cam said, not sounding the least bit remorseful about his behavior or concerned about the rumor.

“Hm. Interesting. Evelyn said the band hired Taylor to keep you in line after the YouTube incident.” Miles smirked, raising one eyebrow. Taylor used to like the way he could raise one eyebrow, now…not so much.