Play (Stage Dive, #2)(8)

“Let me go,” I said through gritted teeth.

“You, Miss Rollins, are a doormat.”

“I am not a doormat,” I growled, everything in me rebelling at the idea. Either that or running in fear of it. I was so worked up it was hard to tell.

He rolled his eyes. “C’mon, you know you are. It’s right there on your face.”

I shook my head, beyond words.

“So, I’ve given this absolutely no thought and decided that you need boundaries, Anne. Boundaries. Are. Your. Friends.” Each word was punctuated with his finger tapping the tip of my nose. “Do you hear me? Is this getting through?”

Which is about when I snapped and started screaming. “You want boundaries? How about getting the hell out of my face! How’s that for a boundary, huh? None of this is any of your damn business, you obnoxious dickhead.”

He opened his mouth to reply but I charged on regardless.

“You don’t know a damn thing about me. And you think you can get in my face and tear my psyche apart for fun? No. Fuck you, buddy. Fuck you hard.”

Everything went quiet, even the music inside. The most horrible silence reigned supreme. People were watching us through the glass with curious faces. Lauren’s mouth was a perfect O.

“Shit,” I muttered.

“Anne?”

What had I done? Lauren had invited me to this nice party and I’d just gone psycho on one of the guests. It was time to wither and die, I could feel it. “Please let my hand go.”

“Anne, look at me.”

Never.

“C’mon, gimme your eyes.”

Slowly, wearily, I turned back to him. The slowest of smiles curled his perfect lips. “That was f*cking awesome. I’m so proud of you right now.”

“You’re insane.”

“Nooo.”

“Yes. You really are.”

“You’re just thinking that now. But give it some time. Think about what I said.”

I just shook my head in silence.

“It was great to meet you, Anne. We’ll talk again real soon,” he said, pressing a kiss to the back of my hand before releasing it. There was a light in his eyes, one I didn’t want to decipher. One I certainly didn’t trust. “I promise.”





CHAPTER THREE


I’d only just wandered back inside when David Ferris appeared at my elbow, probably to throw me out. Yelling at rock stars had to be severely frowned upon at such events.

“Hey.” David spoke to me but his gaze stayed on the other side of the room where Lauren and Ev were huddled together. A possible problem, since Lauren talked with her hands. Every few seconds Ev got whacked in the arm. She didn’t seem to mind, however.

“Hi.”

“Having fun?” he asked.

“Um, sure.”

He nodded, his demeanor as cool and detached as earlier.

“Great,” I whispered.

The two beers and bizarre confrontation had left me a little light-headed. Maybe drinking wasn’t such a good idea after all. Especially if I had to keep talking to important people and actually making sense as opposed to yelling abuse at them. Music was pumping once again, people mingling and chatting their hearts out. No one even really gave me a second glance. I could only hope that picking random strangers’ lives apart was Mal’s thing and they’d seen it all before. “You talked to him?” he asked.

“Him? Mal?”

“Yeah.”

“Ah, yes. I did.” I’d thought everyone had heard.

“Hmm.” Across the room, Ev burst out laughing. An answering smile tugged at his lips. “You argue about something?”

“No, nothing really,” I stumbled. “Just nothing.”

David turned to me and his forehead creased, the smile long gone. For a long time he just looked at me.

“Never mind.” He slinked away, leaving me boggled.

Was I not supposed to have talked to Mal? He’d talked to me first. I might have started the staring, but he’d definitely kicked off the conversation. And the yelling, for that matter. Not my fault I’d interacted with one of the most famous drummers on the planet. But a memory of Mal looking out over the city came back to me. The frown he’d had on his face before he’d gotten busy poking fun at me once more. The way he’d bounced between moods. And now with David checking up on him …

Curiouser and curiouser.

If cash and conquests were everything, then Mal had it covered. I’d seen a picture of his beautiful beach house down in L.A. Photos of him covered in scantily clad women were the norm. Money didn’t buy happiness. I knew that. Given my current situation, though, the knowledge wouldn’t quite stick. Plus the man had fame, worldwide adoration, and an awesome job involving lots of travel. How dare he not be deliriously, ridiculously happy! What was his problem?

Good question.

“That’s a big frown.” Lauren hooked her arm with mine, drawing me further into the party. “You okay?”

“Fine.”

“I heard you and Mal fighting.”

“I’m assuming pretty much everyone did.” I winced. “Sorry about that.”

She laughed. “Please, Mal lives to get a reaction.”

“He certainly got one from me.”