Catch My Breath (30 page)

Danny cringed. “Sorry for that, hon. We all get our share of hate too.” The bad came with the good. Sometimes Danny wondered how much bad stuff there could be before the good wasn’t worth it anymore.

“Our sales have gone way up, though. I guess this is doing what it was supposed to do.”

Chelsea leaned across the table and kissed Danny on the cheek. He tried not to flinch and hoped there weren’t any pictures of that kiss. He didn’t want Elliot to see it. Truthfully, he didn’t want it to have ever happened, even if it was no big deal. It would just feed the fire.

“I’ve gotten a lot of fans saying we’re cute together,” Danny told her with a smile. It was true. The girls who weren’t pissed that Danny wasn’t single or convinced that Chelsea was ruining things with him and Elliot liked them together. Two California kids on the rise. It was just one of those stories, he supposed. He didn’t know how anyone saw more than mild friendly affection between them. There was nothing there, and it was obvious. Danny took a long sip of his caramel latte.

“Am I really causing problems with the guys? Am I taking up too much of your time?” Danny wanted to tell her the truth, the whole truth. The relationship wasn’t just for publicity. He and Elliot weren’t just silly rumors. It was so much worse and more than that. But he wasn’t sure if he was even
allowed
to tell her. If he screwed up, then all the crap he’d been through for the past few months was completely pointless.

“Nah, that’s just a bunch of publicity and drama. They’ve gotta have a story to sell. Me and the guys are all fine.”

“Even Elliot?” Chelsea nibbled on her straw. “He used to be so sweet to me, but the other day when I saw him outside your guys’ place, he barely even waved.”

Danny sighed. How much truth could he tell? “El’s been having a really hard time with all of this. There’s not much privacy anymore, and all those rumors about him. None of it is true. He just doesn’t know who to trust anymore.”

“I get it.” Chelsea nodded. “I couldn’t believe all that stuff anyway. Elliot… he’s just so sweet. And to be honest, I have a hard time believing he’s into any girl let alone as many as the tabs say he’s into. I mean, I know it’s not my business, but I didn’t think he even swung that way.”

Danny nearly choked on his coffee. At least she got part of the story right. “Let’s just say he’s not really manwhoring his way around Los Angeles and leave it at that.”

“’Kay.” Chelsea smiled. “Poor baby,” she added with a tiny pout. “Give him a hug for me.”

A
LBUM
sales were good. Great even. Amazing. Nothing else was. Ever since their botched Valentine’s Day, when management had bullied him into going on a date with Chelsea instead of staying home with Elliot like they’d promised he could do, things had been weird with Elliot. They were quiet when they used to laugh and talk a mile a minute; they slept half the time instead of talking or kissing or making love. It still felt like the most natural thing in the world to be curled up with him on the couch or in bed. Those were Danny’s favorite moments, even if there weren’t many of them. Elliot had been coming home later and later, spending time with Chris and Reece, only smiling sadly when Danny asked him how his night was.

Danny hated to turn the computer on. Every time he did, it seemed like Elliot was there, out with another friend who Danny barely knew, laughing, having fun, or at least pretending to have fun, getting his picture taken all over town at parties and clubs he was far too young to get into.

He
wanted to be out with Elliot doing all those things. Danny felt like it was somehow his fault, even if one of them had to do it, one of them had to have a girlfriend. It was a contract. Going against it was more bad news than Elliot could handle. Danny knew that. He just wished he could make Elliot fully understand the snake pit they were in the middle of. Danny thought Elliot might be starting to get it.

D
ANNY
’
S
phone rang. He was surprised. It was late, and Elliot never called when he was out anymore. Sometimes he texted, when he was drunk and feeling sad. Danny’s heart crumpled a bit every time that happened, and it was happening more and more often. He reached for his phone. The name on the screen couldn’t have been more welcome.

“Katie!”

“Danny, what the hell are you doing?” she snapped.

“Wait… what?” Danny hadn’t heard from Katie in
months
. Not since they’d broken up. He was pretty sure he’d never hear from her again. Until his phone rang, and there she was. Of course, he hadn’t expected her to yell at him either, but still her voice was such a relief.

“You broke up with me for Elliot. You’re in love with
Elliot
. I know you. I can tell nothing’s changed. What are you doing?”

There had been pictures of him and Chelsea at that party all over the Internet. There were pictures of him and Elliot too, posing with Webb and Reece and Tate. He had no idea how people couldn’t compare the two and see reality in an instant. As much as he tried to hide it, everything he felt for Elliot was in his face. So was Elliot’s animosity whenever he was near Chelsea. He smiled, but it wasn’t a real smile. And it was obvious he hadn’t wanted to put his arm around Chelsea and play nice. Elliot’s smiles and hugs with the rest of The Pixies had looked a hundred times more natural.

Danny sighed into the phone. He didn’t know how many more uncomfortable conversations he could stand. No. Not true. He’d stand as many of them as he had to if it meant keeping Elliot safe, not breaking their contract, keeping management off his ass. Even if it was with his ex.

“I’m really sorry, Katie. I don’t know what to say. I didn’t mean for Chelsea and I to happen.”

“Chelsea and you didn’t happen.” Katie’s voice dripped with anger. “I know this seems crazy, me calling you up after all this time to bitch at you, but you and Elliot? That was real love. It still is. I care about you, D. I want you to be happy.”

“I am happy.” Lie of the century. He was only happy when he was rehearsing with the guys or alone in his apartment with Elliot. Everything else was just a big show these days.

“You’re happy with
Elliot
.”

“I’m happy with
Chelsea
. Why can’t you be happy for me?” He hated saying it, but the truth had to be contained, even if Katie wasn’t believing a damn word he said. Danny was about to continue when his phone was ripped out of his hand.

“Danny’s gotta go, Katie. He’ll call you back.”

Elliot. Danny hadn’t heard him come in.

“How much of that did you hear?”

“Stop talking,” Elliot growled. “Enough. I don’t want to hear anymore.”

“El?”

Danny barely recognized the Elliot standing right there in their room. He knew sweet Elliot, shy Elliot, lately mopey and sad Elliot, but this? This he’d never seen. Elliot was
furious
. He tossed Danny down on their bed and crawled on top of him.

“You’re mine, got it? Go out and get pictures taken with her. Fine. But no more lying to friends.”

Danny wasn’t frightened. Not really. It was just Elliot. But his anger was pulsing out of him, making him shake. Still, Danny didn’t even think of moving. “El, I have to make it look real. Other than that, what’s the damn point?”

“You’re doing it because we signed a contract so you have to. Who gives a shit if you’re really convincing anyone?” Elliot snapped. He had a point. “No more.”

Elliot leaned over and attached his teeth to Danny’s neck. He sucked in hard, hard enough to make Danny gasp. Hard enough to leave a mark. He reached down and cupped Danny through his sweats.

“You know I’m yours,” Danny said on a hitched breath. “I have been since the day we met. The first damn day.”

Elliot didn’t answer. Instead, he shoved his hand down the front of Danny’s sweats and wrapped his big hand around Danny’s rapidly swelling cock. There was something hot about angry Elliot. Danny didn’t know what to think, but his body sure as hell knew how to react. Elliot sucked on his neck and pumped his hand up and down, squeezing roughly at the tip. It hurt a little, but it felt fucking amazing. Danny arched his hips off the bed.

“Babe?” Danny breathed.

Elliot lifted his mouth from Danny’s neck. “
Mine
. Take your sweats off.”

Danny stripped. Elliot did the same. They came together in the middle of the bed, a near violent press of flesh and limbs. Elliot pinned Danny’s hands to the pillow and glowered down at him. Danny usually ran the show when they were in bed, kissed and touched and played with Elliot until he was begging for more—at least he had until recently when they’d barely touched at all. Elliot wasn’t having it. He used a knee to spread Danny’s thighs open.

Oh….

Elliot reached toward the bedside table and grabbed one of the tubes of lube they’d stored there. He slicked his fingers up and pushed them inside Danny, deep and aggressive and possessive as hell.

“E-El?” Danny rolled his hips, trying to get Elliot deeper, wanting his kiss. It felt so damn good to have Elliot there, touching him, needing him. He’d missed it—even if it was rough and angry instead of tender and loving, nobody could get him as hot as Elliot.

“Just… shut up. Don’t talk. I’m gonna fuck you, okay?” Elliot’s voice cracked. The anger faded. He just looked sad.

“Yes, babe. Please.” Danny looped his arms around Elliot’s neck and his legs around lean hips. “I love you.”

He pulled Elliot down for a kiss. Their kiss was desperate and deep. Danny felt wet tears on his face. He pretended he didn’t. “I miss you so damn much,” Elliot breathed into Danny’s ear. “Why can’t I ever stay angry?”

“It’ll be over soon. I swear I’m gonna talk to them, okay?”

“Shhh.”

Elliot slicked himself up and pushed in slowly—it had been a while after all—until he was all the way in. Danny could barely breathe. He didn’t want to breathe, just wanted to feel. He moaned and slid his hands down Elliot’s back to grab at him. Elliot ground into Danny slow, rolling his hips. Danny had forgotten how good it felt, so full and stretched and close.

“Deeper,” Danny murmured. “I want to feel it for days.”

“So when you’re with her all you can think of is me.” Elliot slammed his hips, pushing deep.

Danny cried out. “Fuck. Always do anyway. Love you.”

“Say it.”

“I love you,” Danny repeated.

“No. Say you’re mine.” Elliot pushed deep again. Then he grabbed Danny’s hands from where they’d rested on his shoulders and pinned them back to the bed.

“I’m yours, El.
Always
.”

Elliot’s cock dragged hard over Danny’s prostate. Danny shuddered. Elliot’s big, intense brown eyes stared down at him, still wet with tears. Danny wanted to kiss him, taste him, feel him, and wrap Elliot in his body and make sure he knew Danny would never let go. Elliot pounded into him, so hard it should’ve hurt, but Danny relished it, wanted more. They panted and grappled at each other with sweat-slick palms.

His body tightened with impending release. Danny didn’t want it to be over.

“I’m yours too, D. Always. Fuck, I love you.”

All it took were the words and Danny lost it. He came hard, spilling onto his belly and Elliot’s, adding to the slickness. Elliot pumped into him one, two, three more times and groaned against Danny’s neck before he bit down hard.

It took them a long time to come down from the high. They lay silent, still shivery and sweaty in their bed.

“I want you to tell Katie,” Elliot finally whispered. He pulled away from Danny and flopped down onto his back. Danny wanted to reach over and touch him, regain contact, but he wasn’t sure if Elliot wanted it. “I don’t care if you and Chelsea are all over the Internet, but I want people who know us to hear the truth.”

Danny nodded. Then he gave in to his instinct and wrapped himself around Elliot. “Okay. She didn’t believe me anyway. I can’t lie to her.”

“Call her.” Elliot reached out and grabbed the phone he’d yanked from Danny’s hand earlier.

Danny pulled up Katie’s number with shaking hands. “Katie?” he asked softly when she answered.

“Yes?” Katie sounded wary.

“Listen, you’re right. You always could read me. El and I are still together. I didn’t want to lie to you it’s… just. It’s a long story. I have to make it look like I’m with Chelsea, and our publicist is spreading all those stories so it seems like Elliot sleeps with every girl in town. None of it’s true.” Danny didn’t know why it was so hard to say it, but after he was done he felt better. He really did. The lying had become so second nature, but the truth felt right coming out of his mouth.

“Lemme talk to him,” Katie said. “I want to talk to Elliot.”

“R-really?” Katie had never met Elliot. Danny didn’t know what to think. But he didn’t try to deny that Elliot was with him. There was no point.

“Yes. Give him the phone.”

Danny handed over the phone to a surprised-looking Elliot. “She wants to talk to you.”

Elliot listened quietly for a few moments. “Of course,” he said quietly. “I’ll take care of him. I love him.… We won’t…. I promise…. It’s good to finally talk to you too.”

When he hung up, Elliot looked exhausted. “She’s nice,” he said quietly. “I can see why you were with her for so long.”

“Yeah. She’s my oldest friend.” Danny rested his head against Elliot’s chest. “I’m glad she knows the truth, El. I didn’t know what to do.”

“Me too, and I know.” Elliot kissed the top of his head. Danny wondered when he’d become the unsure one, when Elliot had gotten so strong.

“I don’t like how used to lying I’ve gotten. I’m tired of doing it.”

“We’ll figure something out, D. Promise. Just go to sleep.”

“You’re staying in here?” Danny asked. He hated how needy he sounded, but he didn’t want to fall asleep alone.

“Of course.”

Elliot wrapped Danny up in his long, lanky arms and for the first time in weeks Danny felt good.

Chapter 16