Rock All Night(128)

“He’ll get his later.”

“I’m sure he will.”

He and I just stood there awkwardly. No bad vibes or anything – just nothing to say.

“Well – I’ll be off, then,” he announced, then gestured with his eyes towards the joint dangling from his lips. “Unless you’d like a puff.”

“No, I’m good, thanks.”

“Alright, then.”

And he strode back into the crowd, plinking away at his guitar.

Riley was the last.

I didn’t even see her coming. Just felt the stinging slap on my ass.

“What up, BITCH!” she howled.

I flinched, then glared over at her. “Hi, traitor.”

“Awwww, don’t be that way, Bitch.”

“Could you not call me that? Thanks.”

“‘Could you not call me that ‘kay thanksssss,’” she mimicked me, making me sound like a Valley girl.

I turned up the cold factor on my stare.

“Awww, come on, Blondie. You know I’m just playin’ around. And I couldn’t pass up ‘99 Problems’ – it’s got, like, the best beats ever.”

I relented. “…I know. You did a great job.”

“Yup, it was… bitchin’,” she joked, then elbowed me lightly and wiggled her eyebrows.

I started to look a little irritated again –

“AW COME ON, Blondie, that was funny. Lighten up.”

I couldn’t help it. It was like staying angry at a five-year-old.

A really annoying, foul-mouthed, smelly five-year-old… but still.

“Okay, fine… it was funny.”

“You should do some shots with me. Wash your cares away with some Jack. Or – what was that shit you were drinking? Ama-somethin’? I’m sure I could get you a bottle – ”

“Nooooo. Thank you.”

“Awwww, come on.”

“Last time I drank with you, I felt like I wanted to die for two days straight.”

“Okay, fine – we’ll go five for one, how about that?”

“So I can just feel like dying half of a day? I’ll pass.”

“Ten for one – how about that? Ten for one. Final offer.”

I realized that, in her own way, Riley was trying to make it up to me. She was really going out of her way to be friendly… maybe even console me.

I smiled. “It’s the last night of the tour, Riley, and there is some fine ass out there, just waiting for you to tap it. Time’s a-wastin’.”

She grinned and took the rejection gracefully.

“Alright… but if you change your mind…” she said, her face suddenly serious.

“I’ll come find you.”

“Alright… talk to you later!” she yelled, and dove into a nearby group of supermodels.

I sat on the sidelines for another ten minutes, watching Derek ignore me. Then I got tired of it and decided I was done.

I walked out of the party room, down a long series of hallways, and emerged into the main casino. From there I got lost amongst the ding-ding-dinging slot machines, then finally found the elevator. I went up to Derek’s room on the 30th floor, took a quick shower, and got dressed for bed.

I didn’t have to wait long.





106




I was watching the lights of Las Vegas from the hotel suite’s gigantic glass windows, thinking how beautiful and uncomplicated it seemed out there, when I heard the door open.

His boots whispered over the carpet until he was right behind me. I felt his strong arms circle around my waist.

“You disappeared on me,” he murmured in my ear, then proceeded to kiss my neck.

I almost gave in. It felt so good to be held by him… to feel his lips on my skin…

But I didn’t.

I shrugged him off and moved closer to the window. “Don’t.”

There was a long pause behind me.

Then a sigh.

“Okay, I’m sorry. I was pissed off – ”

“So you decided to call me a bitch in front of 20,000 people?”

“The Garden only holds 16,000,” he said, trying for a lame joke.

When I didn’t respond, he groaned. “I was singing a song. Nobody knew I was talking about you – ”

“Ryan did. Killian did.”

“Yeah, so did Riley, and I noticed you palling around with her at the after-party.”


“I’m surprised you had enough time to notice, given how many actual bitches YOU were palling around with.”

I turned away from the window and looked at him. I could only see his silhouette; a nightlight in the bathroom was the only thing that outlined him against the darkness. But I could tell he was clenching his fists – that the muscles in his arms were taut – that he was trying to keep his anger from exploding.

And suddenly, I was just… so… tired.

Of fighting…

Of being jealous…

Of not being happy…

Of everything.

“Look… I don’t want to fight. Not now. I’m tired of fighting. Can we just… call it a day on this one and forget about it for a while?”