Playing it Out, page 4
From the look on her face I was dead and buried ten times over.
After we had kissed outside I had seen the panicked look on Reece’s face. She’d looked ready to bolt and there was no way I could let that happen. I wanted to give a good performance and if Reece wasn't there to watch it, I knew I would be too distracted to deliver.
That would only give Kenzie more of a motive to put me in the ground.
"Reece, this is my little sister, Kenzie. Little One, this is Reece."
"It's nice to meet you and I'm saying that mostly because I heard you gave my brother hard time tonight. That doesn't happen very often.“ Without pausing, Kenzie turned from addressing Reece to me. "The guys are inside waiting for you to stop acting like a diva and do your job."
Scoffing, I resisted the urge to pinch her cheeks like I had when she was little. The last time I had done that she had nearly taken my hand off saying it "wasn't professional." Wyatt had suggested it was her time of the month but I didn't want to chance it again.
"They did not say that."
With a huff she spun on her heel muttering to herself. "They were thinking it.” My little sister managed the band while we were on the road which was not an easy job. While she was scheduling appearances, booking venues and keeping an eye on all of us, she was also earning her doctorate degree online. The girl liked to keep busy.
Following behind her we walked behind the stage area towards the green room where the guys were warming up and going over the set list even though we knew it backwards and forwards by now. My bandmates were spread throughout the room breaking off their conversation when we walked in.
"You haven't ditched him yet?” Wyatt complained loudly as he stood up from the couch. Reaching into his pocket he produced a fifty dollar bill and handed it over to Jace who accepted the it with a cocky smile.
Kenzie cleared her throat and looked at Jace expectantly. When no one spoke for a moment she began tapping her foot, her heeled boots clicking on the hardwood floor extending her hand forward. Jace pushed off the wall he had been leaning against and placed the fifty in her hand, brushing his long hair out of his eyes as he did.
Laughing a little, Kenzie pocketed the fifty and shrugged at Reece. "Jace texted me a picture of you. There was no doubt in my mind my brother would get you here, come hell or high water. At first it was because hey, you're hot, but then Lucas told me that you're a little scrappy."
I shook my head at my band brothers. "Gossipy bitches."
Someone called ten minutes until stage time.
Taking control of the situation, Kenzie shooed us all out of the room. "Go. Get out. Jace remember your extra sticks. Wyatt stop hitting your brother." When she saw I still hadn't moved she rolled her eyes and groaned dramatically. "Reece can hang out with me in the wings if you walk out that door right now. Reece nod once to let him know you're not going to flee the second his back is turned."
It was an odd feeling to want to laugh at something while strangling the person who said it but my sister brought that feeling out in me often. Reece grinned and nodded at me before helping my sister push me towards the door. Stopping just outside, I waited to see if the girls said anything about me, feeling as though I was in middle school again.
Kenzie must have sensed my presence because she poked her head into the hall, her eyes narrowing to slits when she saw me lingering outside the warm up room. "Declan, I swear to God,” she hollered swatting at me with the back of her hand.
I caught up to my bandmates quickly seeing that Lucas and Wyatt were jumping up and down like they did more often than not to get pumped up before a show. Jace was going through the process of cracking majority of the bones in his body.
“Not like you to bring a girl backstage,” Lucas commented as he saw me come around the corner. I shrugged my shoulders though I knew he was right. It was unlike me to have a woman in the wings of the stage. Especially one I had to compete with to get there. The way I was behaving with Reece was unlike how I’d ever acted with a woman before. I wasn't really sure what to make of it myself.
"Alright guys. They're ready for you. Have a good show,” one of the stagehands gestured for us to take the stage. I grabbed the microphone and looked to my left where I could usually see Kenzie. True to form, my sister was in her place. I felt a moment’s panic when I didn't see Reece only to relax when she came into view with a few water bottles in her hand. She said something and sat next to Kenzie, laughing at something my sister said before her gaze swept over me. I felt frozen to the spot, melting when she winked and started clapping with the rest of the crowd. The curtain started to open and the crowd’s roar filled me with even more adrenaline as Wyatt began to play the guitar riff signaling one of our more famous songs.
Just as I knew that if Reece hadn't stayed I wouldn't have been able to concentrate, I knew that if I didn't kiss her again I would be thinking about doing so throughout the entire show. I heard the stadium cheer as I sprinted across the stage but remained focused on my task. When I reached Reece, I grabbed her face between my palms and tilted her chin bringing her mouth to mine. The kiss wasn't anything like how we had come at each other before in the parking lot, but for some reason this kiss felt just as potent.
Smiling at the stunned look on her face, I pressed my lips lightly to the tip of her nose before walking back onto the stage at the same time the band led the lyrics into the song. Flicking my tongue across my bottom lip, I almost groaned when I realized Reece had left a taste of herself on me during our kiss. As the first chorus began I glanced back at her in the wings grinning at me and felt sparks of electricity shoot through my body.
It was going to be a great show.
Chapter 4
Reece
When Lane said going to the concert was going to be a good start to my summer vacation she wasn't kidding. After Declan had left to take the stage, Kenzie showed me where we would be sitting while chatting aimlessly. She was constantly moving, typing something out on her phone or pushing her curly hair away from her face. I had learned that Kenzie was somewhat of a whiz kid with a photographic memory. She had just gotten her master's in psychology at twenty two.
Another thing that was clear was that the girl loved her brother. Declan had barely stepped out the door before Kenzie had turned to study me through cool grey eyes. Between what she’d heard about me from Declan’s bandmates and what she saw for herself, she apparently found me worthy to share embarrassing stories about her mega famous brother with. The affection for him was clear in her voice even as she laughed over something stupid he had done in the past.
Glancing around the corner from where I sat with Kenzie, I felt my eyes widen as I took in the packed auditorium. And to think when I had started teaching I had felt stage fright. That was nothing compared to the crowd Adrenaline was playing for. When we had been hanging out at the bar the guys had seemed so normal, I’d almost forgotten how influential their music was.
Their sound seemed effortless as they played through their set list. Declan and the guys would exchange friendly banter with one another between songs entertaining the crowd even more. I took out my phone and started sending videos to Lane who was immediately texting back with comments on how good the band sounded.
After their first couple of songs, I found myself explaining to Kenzie how her brother and I had met, including when I had grabbed the blonde groupie by her hair which Kenzie had already heard about from Lucas. For some reason Kenzie found that part particularly entertaining.
During the conversation I found myself torn between maintaining eye contact with
Declan’s sister and looking out at the man himself. I was mesmerized by the sound of his voice as he moved from one side of the stage to the other. The few times I had caught his attention he had winked at me causing my pulse to flutter like some woman in a Harlequin novel.
"Did you lose the competition on purpose?" Kenzie asked me after a moment, her voice laced with curiosity. I had never been a fan of lying so I decided to tell the truth.
"Yes, I did. My friend Lane has been following Adrenaline since we were teenagers. I knew she would kill me if I messed this up for her. One of her kids was sick back home so she couldn't come."
"Is that the only reason you lost?" Kenzie questioned as she glanced up from her phone.
"No." I found myself saying as I looked back at the blue eyed devil currently crooning on the stage. Declan’s face was shining with sweat as he smiled and reached out to grasp a fan’s hand. The girl looked like she was going to faint as she cradled her palm to her chest. "That's not the only reason I lost."
"I thought as much,” she gave a small shrug. "I like that you made him work for it though. Don't get me wrong, I love my brother but it gets old seeing people cater to him.”
Laughing I nodded, "I could see that. I don't have any siblings but my friend Lane and I grew up like sisters. Plus her husband Jon and my cousin Jared were always hanging around."
"I just had Declan. Well, Declan and then the Cooper’s."
"All that testosterone,” I faked a shiver making Kenzie laugh and nod in agreement.
"That's exactly right. They're my guys though, so I have to endure."
"This life must get pretty crazy at times,” I remarked as the crowd roared once again.
Kenzie looked at me, her grey eyes shining from the glow of the stage lights. "It can be. I think it makes us all a little lonely sometimes." The sadness in her voice made me want to ask more questions, but I also didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. There was something about Kenzie that brought out my protective instincts.
I gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "This may sound like complete bullshit to you,” I grabbed her phone from her hand and started to program my information into it, "but I’m going to give you my number. Feel free to delete it or use it. Personally, I think you should use it but that's just because I think we could be friends."
With a small smile Kenzie took her phone back. She glanced at it once before looking back at my face. "I'll keep that in mind. Now that we're taking a break it might be nice to have friends outside of my family.”
Thinking her words over I felt compelled to add, “Not that you have any reason to believe me but I’m not trying to use you to get to your brother.”
Kenzie met my gaze for a moment before she nodded. “I didn't get that kind of vibe from you. Not that it hasn't happened before. Not with just my brother, but the other guys too.”
“Well then fuck those people,” I grabbed a water bottle for myself and handed another one to Kenzie. With a laugh she clinked her bottle to mine and I noticed that she and her brother had the same chin dimple.
“I’ll second that.”
"Kenzie Kane!” A high pitched voice called catching our attention. A tall blonde woman came forward balancing on her six inch heels. I had to give the lady credit, those shoes were killer and she pulled them off well. I'd worn heels once and had almost broken my ankle.
That was that for me.
"Oh brother,” I heard Kenzie mutter under her breath. She shifted in her seat looking annoyed as the woman approached us.
"I thought that was you, sweetie. Did you gain a little weight?" The blonde asked in a loud voice. She gave Kenzie a sympathetic look even as her lip curled up. This lady may have good style but she was obviously a bitch.
Kenzie smiled sweetly and gave the woman her middle finger. "Fuck you too, Sydney."
"God, Kenzie you are so vulgar. It's no wonder the guys like hanging out with you. There is nothing feminine in you at all."
I knew Kenzie was more than capable of fighting her own battle. She had proven as much when she held her own with the guys as well as the security guard who had tried to kick me out when I had gone to look for the bathroom but I couldn't resist jumping in. Who was this lady to decide what was and wasn't feminine?
"You're a fucking bitch,” I said with a patronizing laugh.
Sydney jerked her gaze to me and sneered. "Who the hell are you?" She crossed her arms over her chest and cocked a hip waiting for my answer.
"I'm a friend of Kenzie’s,” I answered with a jerk of my chin. “Who the hell are you?"
"I'm Jason Craw's girl." She said it with an evil gleam in her eye, her gaze locked on Kenzie.
Where the other comment had rolled off Kenzie's back, the one about Jace being with this woman clearly hit it's mark as Kenzie stiffened in her seat. Something must be going on there, I thought as I threw a supportive arm around Kenzie’s shoulders.
"Congratulations to you and my condolences to him." I felt some of my anger fade when I felt Kenzie chuckle. The woman glared down her nose at me and opened her mouth as if to say something but I cut her off before she had the chance. "Feel free to fuck off and watch the show from anywhere else other than where you are right now." I made a shooing gesture with my hand.
Fuming, she stomped off and began tapping vigorously on her phone shooting daggers at me every few minutes. Shaking my head I glanced over at Kenzie who looked pale and drawn into herself. "I thought she was gonna be cool for a second. Her shoes were really great." The somber look left Kenzie's eyes as she let out a loud laugh.
Declan
The guys and I were wrapping up the encore and I was ready for the concert to be over. Periodically throughout the show I had glanced back at Reece to make sure she had stayed put. I half expected her to be gone every time I looked and grinned when I found her laughing with Kenzie. I had been a little worried about my sister and the shadows that had come into her eyes recently. It was good to see her laugh and there was the added bonus that Reece had caused it.
"Thank you guys for an amazing show! Goodnight!" I called out already walking off the stage. I felt the guys behind me as we all headed for where Kenzie and Reece were sitting with plenty of water bottles ready. My sister was always prepared.
"So?" I prompted Reece after taking a huge gulp of water, nearly draining the entire bottle. I felt her eyes on me throughout the show and had to stop myself from ending the concert early. The guy’s had known I was distracted. More than once throughout the night I’d caught Lucas’ glare, the one that said I needed to get my shit together before he stepped in to help me.
Reece smirked at me and I gave into the urge to tuck her hair behind her ear. My fingers lingered on her soft skin before I let my hand fall to my side.
"You gave a good show,” she answered shortly. I pouted my lips making her laugh as Kenzie swatted my arm. "Alright you big baby. It was an awesome show. You guys sounded amazing. I’m sure you’ve heard it a thousand times"
“And yet it never gets old,” I said confidently as we grinned at each other.
"Baby!" A female voice screeched shattering the moment. I turned in time to see Sydney launch herself at Jace. He barely had time to catch her before she had started to suck on his neck, wrapping her long legs around his waist.
I looked away disgusted with my friend for letting that one stick around. Jace never kept a single girl but he'd been with Sydney on and off for over a year. The guys and I couldn't stand her and Kenzie practically had steam coming out of her ears anytime they were in the same room.
"I'm hungry,” Lucas grumbled moving towards Kenzie. He slung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her away from the make out session taking place. Wyatt moved to Kenzie's other side saying something softly in her ear that made her start to laugh.
Ignoring Jace and Sydney I picked up Reece's hand and started playing with her fingers. "Want to get out of here?" I asked, smiling when she quickly nodded. We made our way to the parking lot where our tour bus was parked along with Lane’s minivan. “So you enjoyed the show?" She had already told me she did but like a greedy little boy I wanted to bask in her praise. Tucking her hands in her pockets she spun towards me with a groan.
“Yes! You rocked as rock stars are prone to do.”
I heard my sister laugh and glared at her as she crossed the parking lot with Lucas and Wyatt as they headed towards the bus.
“Twenty two years old and still a pain in my ass,” I shook my head though there wasn't any heat behind my words.
“You’re her hero. It’s obvious from the way she talks about you.”
I smiled watching Kenzie shove Wyatt so she could beat him in their race onto the bus. Normally I didn't like my sister hanging around guys. I knew it was just me being overprotective, but Kenzie was book smart, not street smart. It was my job to protect her and I knew that my band brothers felt the same.
“She’s mine right back.”
“That’s a nice thing to say,” Reece hesitated as we approached her car. She began jingling her keys nervously in her hand. “So.”
I stuck my hands into my pockets and rocked back on my heels watching her beautiful face. Her thick brown hair had a slight frizz to it from the humidity in the air. Those sharp whiskey eyes looked wide and unsure as they locked on mine.
She began to laugh nervously when the silence stretched out. “This is the first time tonight I can't think of what to say to you.”
“Why do you think that is?” I asked.
She relaxed her body against the hood of the car, giving herself a small boost so that she was sitting on the hood with her back against the windshield. I moved around the front to sit on her other side, adjusting myself so that our arms were touching.
“Maybe I’m a little intimidated,” she ventured.
I turned my head waiting until she looked at me and our eyes met. I narrowed mine and made my face take on a firm expression. “Bullshit.”
She giggled and I felt my chest swell with pride that I had caused that. Reece seemed to put her whole self into everything she did, which was a rare quality to come across.
“Not intimidated, you're right," she corrected. "I guess I’m a little sad. I enjoyed spending time with you.” The surprised way she said it almost made me laugh.
“You’re making it sound like we're never going to see each other again.”
“You think we will?” When she bit her bottom lip, I couldn't stop my thumb from moving and pulling it from between her teeth. Barely having to move my head I began to kiss her, my lips moving from one end of her mouth to the other. I gently pressed my tongue against her lips, silently begging her to let me in so I could taste her again.
