Behind the Mask: A Rockstar Romance(40)

The guy looks back at Nate. I realize I’m talking when I shouldn’t, but right now I don’t care.

“Yeah, didn’t Nate tell you?”

Nate looks at the guy, not wanting to look in my direction.

“No, he didn’t.”

The guy starts to look uncomfortable, so he leaves and I glare at Nate, wanting to slap him once again.

All that was just an act.

How many times does this boy have to hurt me before I take the hint?

“Blair, I can explain.”

I raise my hand, stopping him.

“I don’t want to hear it. I am too tired for this shit now. You did all that for the camera. You did all that stuff with me for your job. You could have told me, but you didn’t. A warning would have been nice.”

“I guess I wanted you to be in the moment. I didn’t think it would have escalated as much as it did, but what just happened, I don’t regret any of it.” He tries to come toward me, but I step away from him.

“Well, I do. I regret doing any of that with you. I let you do all that in front of our friends, your fans. A room full of strangers. I did it, yes, because I was in the moment. You did it because you were told to.” I shake my head.

“Blair—”

I interrupt him, “From now on, Nate, we are just working colleagues. I will play in front of the camera. I will act like I’m head over heels for you when anyone is around, but that’s all it will be. Acting.” I try and walk around him to get out, but he stops me.

“Blair, I didn’t mean to hurt you. We are friends, right?”

I look into his deep blue eyes.

“We were never friends, not really. You acted like I didn’t exist most of the time, until recently, yeah, you started seeing me as a girl you lusted after. I saw how you looked at me at times, like I was nothing. But when you were drunk you were always nice to me, especially when I sang to you as you slept.”

He looks at me confused.

“You sang to me as I slept?”

That’s all he got from that?

“Yeah, why?”

He starts to pace.

“Can you sing to me?”

I stare at him likes he’s crazy. I am trying to tell him something serious and he wants me to sing?

“What? No. I am leaving, you weirdo.” I grab hold of the handle and he turns me around so fast my head goes a little dizzy.

“I need you to sing to me. I need to see if you…” He shakes his head. “Just sing.”

I slap his hands off me. “I think you need some sleep.”

“How many years have you been singing to me? Answer that then you can go.”

I look into his eyes and he is really pleading with me.

“The last three years, if not longer. I used to hum to you when you had to stay at my old house because you were too drunk to go to yours and couldn’t sleep.”

His eyes go wide and he looks at me in a way I have never seen before.

“It’s you,” he whispers.

I don’t stay around to see what he means. I leave the room, running back to the dance floor, heading to Naomi, who is talking closely to Troy. She looks up at me, and she must see I’m upset as she stands.





“Are you okay?”

I shake my head, trying not to let the tears fall. “Not really. Can we go, please?” I beg.

“Of course.” She grabs hold of my hand.

“I’m coming too.” Troy comes to my other side and gives me a sideways hug. We leave the club in a cab, heading back to where the tour bus is. Once inside I hear Sam snoring in his bunk and notice Tegan isn’t home yet.

“What happened?” Naomi asks once we take a seat in the booth.

“Nate and I almost had sex,” I blurt out.

“Wait what?” Naomi asks in shock. “Where?”

“In an office.” I plump my head on the table before looking back up. I was going to have sex with Nate in an office.

How classy.

“Nate wouldn’t do that. He said he couldn’t do that as you are too good for him, for any of us.”

Naomi and I look at Troy surprised.

“Nate said Blair is too good for him?” Naomi asks him.

“Yeah. When you turned eighteen, Blair, guys started taking notice of you. But come on, you are gorgeous.” He waves his hand up and down my body. “Anyway, by this point, Nate always felt overprotective of you. Your Mom asked him to always look after you as she said you looked up to him.”

I smile, shaking my head. Mom knew how much I really liked Nate and told me that one day he will see how amazing I am.

“Nate acts like she’s not there most of the time,” Naomi adds.

“I can’t explain that.” Troy sits back.

“He was saying something about asking me to sing, asking how long have I sung to him, saying it’s me. Why ask that?”

Troy starts chuckling. “The guy is nuts. He says in his dreams his muse comes to him, singing to him, letting him know she’s there. Inspiring him. Why do you think he gets as drunk as he does? One point he got obsessed over it, wanting to drink just on the odd chance he would see her. But the bastard would never remember what his muse looked like.” He laughs some more.

“He said before I ran out ‘It’s you.’ You think he thinks I’m his so-called muse?”