Fallen Angel (13 page)

Since this is my first taste of the VIP treatment, I waste no time in exploring the amenities. First things first, the bar. Not surprisingly, it’s loaded with all things completely liquor free. Not that I was searching for something with a heavier punch, but somehow it’s oddly disappointing to be reminded of how tame the Finding Nolan boys are these days. They certainly no longer live up to the reputation they had back when I was in high school.

“Toss me a water, would ya?” Angel’s standing on the other side of the counter while I’m still busy snooping around the coolers.

“Here.” I throw a cold bottle his way and grab a second one for myself. I’m getting the strange feeling he’s seeking me out on purpose. I just don’t know why. It couldn’t possibly be to discuss the thing we’re clearly not ever discussing ever again.

“So, how much do you know about Nina Nu?” He’s making small talk. It’s weird. Especially considering the million and one conversations we’ve had recently. God, why did I screw things up by sleeping with him? Everything was so easy before. Like, we just
worked
. Now, it’s all awkward and forced and I hate it.

“Nina Nu? Let’s see. I know she and I went to school together, only she was two years ahead of me. She graduated with a degree in Nuclear Engineering – her parents doing – and then abandoned science to fulfill her real dream of pursuing music. She hit a lot of the smaller places around campus the whole time she was a student there, but somehow I kept missing her.”

“Until tonight.” He’s smiling. God he’s gorgeous. So gorgeous he makes me forget simple things. Like swallowing. And now I have water dribbling down my chin to prove it.

“Shit.” I reach up and dry my mouth with my sleeve.
Super lady like, Addy.
What can I say? I’m freaking eleven again, drooling over a guy who feels so far away from me it’s like we’re standing in separate stadiums. Even if in reality we’re only a few feet apart. And he’s seen me naked.

Then, out of nowhere, he reaches up and brushes his thumb across the corner of my mouth. “You missed a spot.”

I freeze. Externally. On the inside I’m melting. Turning to total slush. I’m a mess. “Thanks.” Our eyes lock and I swear he’s looking at me like he’s searching for something. Like I’m holding onto some sort of secret he’s been trying to uncover. Before I can say anything else, or come up with a remotely smooth move, the cocktail waitress shows up to check in on us just as Rusty promised.

“Hey, boys.” She spots those of us with vaginas and greets us with considerably less enthusiasm. “And girls.”

“What’s up, Chels? Long time no see.” Angel turns away from me to greet her. His total demeanor changes and suddenly I totally get it.
This
is what he’s like when he’s interested in a girl. Whatever just happened between us, was nothing more than a sweet gesture toward a young, innocent, and clearly naïve as shit girl.
Fuck me.

“You’re telling me, Angel.” She snakes her free arm, the one not holding the tray, around his neck and purrs softly into his ear. Literally. I can hear it.

“Whoa, now. I thought you were a married woman these days.” He’s not really stopping her though. Maybe he doesn’t know how to. After years and years of having women throw themselves at him and always welcoming them with open arms, maybe saying no is such a foreign concept to him, he can’t convey it properly.

“I was married. For about two minutes. Then I caught the bastard cheating on me and divorced his ass.” Her fingers are trailing up and down the smooth skin on his neck. I think I might lunge across the bar and rip each one of her fake nails right out of their cuticles. “I’ve missed you, Angel. You going to stick around after the show? I get off at midnight. Maybe you could give me a ride home?”

“He can’t.” I blurt it out before I can stop myself. When both of their heads dart in my direction, I quickly explain, “He didn’t drive. We all came together in the limo.”

Now I think maybe Chelsea wants to rip out parts of
my
body. “Well, I’m sure you have room for one more, don’t you, baby?”

But Angel’s still staring at me. It’s like he doesn’t even notice her anymore. Not even when she slips her tongue over his earlobe to bring his focus back to her. “Actually, Chels, I don’t think tonight’s going to work out. I already have plans. With these guys.” He includes everyone, but he’s still looking directly at me. And it happens. Right then. A shift. He sees me. And I recognize the intensity in his eyes. I’ve seen him look at me like that before. Right before he kissed me. And suddenly I don’t feel like a stupid kid anymore.

“Are you freaking kidding me?” Chelsea’s not taking the news well. At all. But her little shriek draws Ava’s attention and she’s the ultimate cock block, so it’s game over now no matter where she was planning on putting her tongue next.

“Hey there, Chels. You plan on giving everyone this kind of one on one attention tonight? Because it might make some people a little uncomfortable.” She keeps a completely straight expression. Then, out of nowhere, Francis jumps on the bandwagon.

“Not me though. If you want to come over here and give me a little of that tongue and ear lobe action I’d be down for that.”

Pissed, Chelsea lets go of Angel and stomps off in a huff. I’m pretty sure we won’t be seeing her again tonight.

“That was fun.” Francis grins, skipping over to the bar and leaning so far over the counter her arms are dangling in the ice bin on the other side. “What? No Red Bulls?”

“Yeah. That’s what you need. An energy drink.” Ava comes up beside her and points over at the cooler behind me. “Can you grab us a couple of waters, please?”

I nod and drop down to a squat instantly. “Fizz?”

“You know it.” Ava doesn’t drink plain water. Has to have bubbles in it. She’s high maintenance like that.

I’m barely back up again, handing over the bottles, when Royce whistles loudly, getting everyone’s attention. “Show’s starting.” He gestures over the railing in front of him and down toward the stage and we all start moving in the same general direction.

Unfortunately, I’m last and wind up standing behind a wall of solid men, unable to see the stage. Ava has, of course, finagled her way in front of Blaise, resting comfortably against his chest while I notice Francis having landed a good spot at the end of the loft near the stairs where Derek is graciously standing at an angle to give her a good view of the stage.

I’m about to poke Hudson in the side to get his attention and ask him to let me squeeze in when I feel a hand take hold of mine.

“Over here, Bam Bam. You’ll have the best view from where I’m standing.”

***

W
hat in the heellllll am I doing? First I’m turning down a sure thing with Chelsea and now I’m standing here getting inappropriately close to Ava’s little sister...and this time, I’m doing it in front of everyone. I must be losing my damn mind.

And I must be getting stupider by the minute because I just caught myself leaning in to smell her hair. Shit. But Goddamn, it smells good.

I’m definitely feeling way too confident about standing behind her and thinking I’m out of sight when she turns back out of the blue to say something and catches me still grinning like a moron with my head tipped down way too close to hers.

“Um...” She’s looking at me like she knows what I was doing and debating whether or not to call me out on it. “Thanks for letting me squeeze in here. This really is the best spot.” Guess she’s going to let this one slide.

“I told you. Meanwhile, I should be thanking you for filling us in on Nina Nu. That girl can play a piano like I’ve never seen before.”

She nods with a genuine enthusiasm you only see in people who truly get it. The people who consume music like their lives depend on it. “And that voice. Holy shit. Listen to her. She’s not just singing that song, she’s feeling it. Every last word.”

“Yeah, well I can definitely see why she walked away from being a scientist. There’s no doubt about what this girl was created for. For real. We should have brought Brett with us tonight.”  

Her attention is back on Nina Nu, but she keeps talking, “Think I should try and get her demo? Maybe if I brought it into the studio, Brett would listen to it.”

I don’t have to see her face to know how hungry she is for this. Addison Jennison wants to make music. Or, rather, she wants to help others make music. Truth is though, Brett’s got a mind of his own when it comes to sound, and I should tell her that. If it were anyone else I would. But it’s not and for some reason I can’t stand the idea of being the one to break Bam Bam’s heart tonight.

“Yeah. You should go for it. I mean, you never know unless you try, right?”

Except the things
I’m
thinking about trying. I know for damn sure how they’ll turn out if I even attempt to give them a shot. Which is why I won’t. I can’t. But fuck it all, I want to.

In spite of my body sending my brain very distinct signals about what it wants –
needs
- my brain somehow finds a way to override them all, and we make it out of the club and back into the limo without any accidental roaming around her body from my hands...or mouth.

It’s late by the time we all head back to Ava and Blaise’s to make the first drop off, but Bam Bam is still buzzing, going on non-stop about Nina Nu to Francis who seems equally excited over having made this musical discovery tonight.

Meanwhile, I’m sitting back, enjoying the hum of her voice in my ear and the sight of her smile out of the corner of my eye when suddenly, both disappear in an instant, causing me to sit up straight in my seat and take notice of what’s going on.

“What in the hell is he doing here?” Her voice sounds shrill and unnatural and my first thought is of Moe and how I’m going to kick his ass. Again. Only when I look out the window, it’s not Moe standing in front of Ava and Blaise’s driveway. It’s some white dude with glasses and a goatee that looks like he was eating brownies straight from the pan and the shit stuck to his chin in uneven clumps.

“Tell me that’s not the asshole.” I’ve seen that look on Ava’s face before. Most recently when Sammy accused her of sleeping with Derek. She’s about to start punching people. My guess, the guy outside her gate.

“What asshole?” I’m not picky though, if he’s the type of asshole who’s hurt Bam Bam in some way, I’m going to be hauling ass to beat Ava to the punch. Pun intended.

“Hayden.” Bam Bam turns her head away from me, like she doesn’t want me to see her face. “My ex.” She sighs. “And, let’s just say, it ended badly.”

I’m about to ask her how badly, when Ava leans across all of us to talk to Wyatt, our driver.

“Ignore him. Run him over if you have to. Just get us inside and keep him out.”

Wyatt laughs, but does as he’s told. He’s not new to Ava.

I don’t know the story with this Hayden guy, but given Ava’s reaction and the way Bam Bam is refusing to look me in the eye, I don’t even care to find out. As soon as she’s inside, I’m planning on having a little man to man chat with him. I don’t have a fucking clue what I’ll say yet, but it will definitely include key points like, ‘stay the hell away from her’ and ‘you hurt her and I’ll fucking break you’. And it’s legit. I’m allowed to say those things. Even if I’m not allowed to feel what I’m feeling while I say them.

The door opens and Bam Bam catches everyone off guard when she practically climbs over Derek to get out of the limo first. I should have known. Of course she intends to handle this douchebag herself.

We’re all hustling to get out after her, and by the time my feet hit the pavement, she’s already back down at the gate, punching in the code to open it.

“I don’t think you really understand what that gate is for,” Ava yells after her. Then she looks at the rest of us and starts gesturing for us to hurry up. “What are you assholes waiting for? Get down there! And make it good. The only time I ever want that prick coming back here, is in a fucking nightmare complete with cold sweats and screaming.”

I don’t respond to that, except to speed up.

I get down to the end of the driveway first and I land right in the middle of Bam Bam having a heated conversation with her ex.

“You went to see my mother? Fan-fucking-tastic! You had no right to do that, Hayden. Any more than she had the right to give you Ava’s address.” Her face is flushed red and her chest is breaking out in a rash she’s so upset.

“I was worried about you. And your mother understood that!” He tries to take a step toward her, but catches sight of me and the guys coming up to them and stops.

“Ha!” She laughs derisively. “Now’s a funny time to start worrying about me.”

He hangs his head, but even I can tell the shit’s not sincere. “I fucked up Addy-bug. I know that. But seeing you in that video...watching you get hit in the face, it just made everything so clear.”

“Addy-bug? Are you for fucking real? You’re gonna come up in here and try to use a lame ass nickname like that?” I think I’m probably mostly pissed off he has any nickname for her at all. But Addy-bug? That shit doesn’t even suit her.

Bam Bam looks back at me, surprised. Then she sees everyone else and her eyes widen in a way that makes me think she’s both sincerely touched and slightly mortified. 

“This is none of your business,” the asshole ex sneers at me, as if that would sway me to give them some sort of privacy.

“Bam Bam
is
my business.” Yeah, that’s right. I used her nickname. Then I remember I’m not the only one here. “She’s all of our business.”

“I really think you should leave, Hayden.” Her tone is calmer than it was, but I can tell from the look in her eyes, he’s really getting to her. Whatever he did when they were together, it was bad, and it’s still eating away at her.

With my focus steady on Bam Bam, Royce steps up to take over. “She’s right, dude. It’s time to go.”

The asshole glares at Royce then turns back toward Bam Bam. “I made a mistake. A big fucking mistake. Don’t you think I’ve regretted letting you go every day since you’ve been gone? Don’t you think I know you’re the best thing to ever happen to me?”