Rock All Night (The Rock Star's Seduction #2) (36 page)

The last concert was just as good as the one the previous night. Maybe even better.

The only difference was in the energy.

It was edgier. Darker. Derek in particular was more aggressive, more combative. Bigger’s heavier, more metal-tinged songs turned downright brutal. Even the love songs had a bitterness to them.

It was all in reaction to me and our fight earlier.

I know, I know. You’re probably saying,
Way to make it all about you, Kaitlyn.
But I have some evidence to back it up.

Exhibit A: Derek didn’t sing “Girl, Please Stay” at all.

That was a mainstay of their shows, and a fan favorite. Especially a
female
fan favorite.

But apparently he told the others he wasn’t doing it tonight, because it disappeared from the set list.

And in light of our fight earlier, the fact that he didn’t sing it made me feel like shit.

Exhibit B: the covers they played. Each one seemed like a subtle jab, a passive-aggressive blow.

“No Apologies” by Nirvana.

“She Fuckin’ Hates Me” by Puddle of Mud.

“Give You Hell” by the All-American Rejects.

“One” by U2.

“Savior” by Rise Against. (You have to go listen to all the lyrics to get the message on that one, but at the time when Derek sang it, it felt about as subtle as a hammer to the head.)

Okay, admittedly, there were others that didn’t fit my theory. Like ‘Song 2’ by Blur (more commonly known by the chorus, ‘Woo Hoo!’). Or ‘Seven Nation Army’ by the White Stripes. Or ‘Revolution’ by the Beatles.

But there was one more cover that totally cements my case.

Exhibit C: “99 Problems” by Jay-Z.

It was the only rap song they had ever performed during their tour.

Hmmm.

It was also a last-minute addition to the set list. As in, off-the-cuff, no warning at all.

After they finished up one of their own songs, Derek suddenly started talking to the audience.

“This next one, we haven’t actually played live in years… not since we first started out together in Athens…”

The audience started howling.

Killian, Ryan, and Riley all frowned and looked at each other in confusion.

“But you know what?” Derek continued to the audience. “I wanna sing it… ‘cause I’m feelin’ it tonight.”

Then he turned around to the band and channeled Jesse Pinkman from ‘Breaking Bad’:

“‘99 Problems’ –
bitch
.”

He’d said it into the microphone, too, so the entire arena could hear him.

They went absolutely wild.

Then he hit the first line, which is just Jay-Z rapping – no instrumental backing.

The audience
lost their minds
.

Exhibit D: the rest of the band knew exactly what was going on.

Except for Mike the backup guitarist. He obviously hadn’t practiced this one, and was completely bewildered by the last-minute addition. But then again, good as he was, I didn’t count him as part of ‘the band.’

The
real
band – Killian, Ryan, and Riley – all instinctively looked over at me on the side of the stage as soon as Derek announced the song.

Killian seemed worried.

Ryan looked angry.

Riley just shrugged, and slammed into the drums as hard as she could, laying down a pounding beat behind Derek.

If you listen to the song, there’s not a whole lot besides the lyrics, the beats, and the percussion. There’s some heavy, angry guitar chords, and that’s about it.

I’m not saying it’s an easy song, or a simple song. I’m just saying you don’t need an orchestra backing you.

As long as Riley was onboard, Derek was 80% of the way home. And she was; she absolutely killed it, delivering the most awesome drum set of the night, complete with thumping bass, driving snares, crashing cymbals – and even a little cowbell.

As much as I was pissed at her for playing along, I had to admit, she was a genius.

Killian looked like a little boy caught in a fight between his parents. Derek turned around and gestured to him angrily, like
Play, motherfucker!

Killian looked at me.

I made a face and shrugged like,
It’s okay, he’s just being an ass-hat, go ahead.

Killian still looked conflicted.

Derek was getting angrier, and started stalking towards him as he rapped.

I gestured with my hand –
Go ahead.

Killian finally started a fourth of the way into the song.

The first few chords were tentative and weak – probably the worst thing I’d ever heard him play, including that weird, atonal stuff when he was stoned back in Joshua Tree. But as he watched me, and I didn’t seem to be annoyed with him, Killian finally lost the worried look on his face and started performing the song as it was meant to be played: angry, raunchy, and rough.

Ryan, on the other hand, pointedly took off his bass guitar and laid it down carefully on the stage – just like a piece of art.

Then he stood there and just stared angrily at Derek.

Derek swaggered over to him, gesticulating like your stereotypical pissed-off rapper. His body language matched the lyrics perfectly.

In reply, Ryan help up one fist and gave Derek the finger.

It did not go unnoticed by the audience.

They screamed in approval. The only thing they loved more than Derek was Derek getting his ass handed to him.

Derek flipped Ryan off in return, and the crowd shrieked some more.

Then Derek turned back to the audience and continued with the performance.

Ryan looked over at me with a disgusted expression on his face. Like,
What a dick.

I smiled tightly and mouthed,
Thank you.

He returned a grim smile and nodded.

In reality, the bass wasn’t that important to the song. I’m not even sure if Jay-Z’s recording uses a bass guitar. It certainly wasn’t missed much in the live performance that night in the MGM Grand.

But its absence meant the world to me.

Apparently Derek had 99 problems, but thought ‘the bitch’ wasn’t one.

I decided on something by the end of the song:

She was most definitely about to become one.

That was the plan, anyway.

Didn’t quite work out the way I’d envisioned.

Instead, I seemed caught in a time warp and sent back to the first night I’d seen the band, when I was a wallflower at a dance with the most popular kids in town.

Derek more or less ignored me the entire time. He just hobnobbed with his celebrities, palled around with rock and rap royalty, and signed a lot of bare boobs.

Ryan came up to me almost immediately, though.

“You alright?” he asked, a concerned look on his face.

“Yeah. Thanks for what you did,” I said, truly grateful.

He shook his head and glared out at his best friend clowning amongst the beautiful people. “He can be the biggest fucking asshole in the world when he puts his mind to it.”

I reared back slightly in mock surprise. “WHOA – you used more profanity in that one sentence than in the last five weeks combined! You ARE angry!”

“Damn right I am.” Then he grinned. “Good thing my sisters weren’t around to hear that.”

“Or your mother. She might have washed your mouth out with soap.”

“No, my sisters are worse. Even if my mom weren’t here, my sisters would have totally ratted on me.”

I remembered the way Mara and Casey had tattled on Ryan four years ago, the night I ate dinner at his family’s house.

“That’s what little sisters are for. But I don’t think they would rat you out.”

“You don’t know my sisters.”

“No, but I know they wouldn’t want to endanger getting cut off from cool selfies with a rock star.”

He laughed. “That’s true. I guess I finally have a bargaining chip.”

“Seriously, though, Ryan… thank you,” I said, putting my hand on his arm.

He gave me a hug. A really,
really
good hug. “It was nothing. You should get out there, make him jealous. Turn the tables on him.”

“What, and make out with Riley?” I joked.

He gave an exaggerated look of alarm. “Don’t say that. It’s like saying ‘Voldemort’ in the Harry Potter books. Bad idea.”

“Okay, how about, ‘Make out with ‘She Who Must Not Be Named’?”

“I was talking more about just combining the words ‘make out’ with ‘Riley,’ not necessarily her name itself. She might hear you and decide you’re serious – without double- checking with you first.”

“Like a drive-by kissing?”

“Worse, probably. I would say more, but I’ve used up my allotment of crude language for the evening, so I’ll just leave it to your imagination.”

I laughed. “Okay – thanks for the warning.”

“Alright, then. I need to go talk to these radio guys over here – have fun. But not
too
much fun.”

I smiled. “Don’t worry, I don’t think that will be a problem.”

He smiled back, then strode off towards a bunch of businessmen in three-piece suits.

Talking to Ryan had made me feel so much better. In fact, talking to Ryan
always
made me feel better. Why couldn’t Derek be more like
him?

Killian was up next. He approached at an angle, his head down pitifully and his eyes lifted up towards me, acting exactly like a dog that expects to get beaten.

Even the plinking on his guitar strings sounded sad and hesitant.

“No hard feelings?” he asked.

“Killian, I
told
you to play it!” I said, laughing. “It’s fine.”

“So… no hard feelings, then?”

“No. No hard feelings.”

He immediately relaxed, and the guitar tune brightened considerably.

“Good. He was a bit of a tosser tonight, wasn’t he?”

“Uhhh… if by that you mean he was a dickhead, then yes, yes he was.”

“Well. It’s nice that you’re being such a sport about it.”

“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.

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?”

His body visibly relaxed in the darkness.

“Yeah… I’d like that,” he agreed.

“Okay. Good.”

He moved in for a kiss, circling his arms around me –

I held up my hand and pressed it against his chest.

Stop.

At the same time, I averted my face. “I don’t want to
sleep
with you. I just don’t want to
fight
anymore.”

His body went taut again. He let go of me and backed away.

“Why are you being like this?”

“Oh, I don’t know – maybe because you called me a bitch in front of 16,000 people?”

“I said I was sorry!”

“It wasn’t much of a fucking apology, Derek.”

“I thought we weren’t going to fight.”

“Well, we’re not going to have sex, either.”

I moved over to the side of the bed nearest the window and pulled back the covers.

He didn’t move from where he stood.

My temper got the best of me.

“Either let’s go to sleep, or go find one of your other 99 bitches you don’t have a problem with.”

My little dig didn’t make any sense.

I didn’t care.

I was exhausted, I was cranky… I just wanted all the bad stuff to
stop.

He didn’t say anything, and for a second I wondered if maybe he was going to storm out of the room.

I was actually afraid for about two seconds.

Then he finally went over to the opposite side of the bed, sat down, pulled off his boots, and tossed them in the corner. Then he pulled off his jeans and his t-shirt and slipped between the sheets.

Ordinarily I would have had a tough time ignoring that gorgeous body.

Not tonight. I just wanted to go to sleep and forget about all of this crap for a little while.

I got into bed and turned on my side, facing away from him.

We didn’t say anything else.

Ten minutes later, I heard long, slow breathing that told me he was asleep.

Unfortunately, it took me hours.

And the entire time I lay there, I looked out at the Vegas lights in the dark and silence, wishing that I could be happy again.