Double Time
Page 89
“I thought I might ask my girlfriend to dance, but after seeing the company she keeps, I’m not sure I’m famous enough.”
Reagan wrapped both arms around Trey and squeezed. He couldn’t reciprocate; his hands were full. “Dare told me what you did.”
He stiffened slightly. “What did I do?”
“You saved his life.”
“Oh that. I didn’t really have a say in the matter. I couldn’t even string an entire sentence together then. Trey, do you want to donate some bone marrow? Ba-ba da-da yeah-yeah. They assumed that meant yes.”
She snuggled her face into his neck. “I still think it’s heroic.”
“Did he tell you he almost died last year?” Dare asked, helping himself to one of the beers in Trey’s waistband.
Reagan drew away to look up at Trey. “No, he did not. What happened?”
Trey took her hand and directed it to the side of his head. She fingered the narrow scar that arched over his ear.
“Got hit in the head with a ball bat,” he said. “Some bleeding on the brain. A couple of grand mal seizures. No big deal.”
Dare chuckled. “He says that now.”
“I remember when that happened,” Reagan said. “It was all over the news. I didn’t realize it was so serious.” Her throat tightened as she looked up at him. She couldn’t imagine not having him in her life and wished she could have been there to help him through all the tough times in his past. Overcome with unexpected emotion, she hugged him tight. She didn’t even care that one of the drinks in his hand sloshed onto her back. “I’m finished partying like a rock star for tonight. Let’s go find Ethan and go up to the room. I want to be alone with you. Relatively speaking.”
“You just got here,” Steve complained. “Everyone wants to meet you.”
Reagan glanced around the room. All eyes were on her. If her relationship with Trey had been unknown before, it was definitely no secret now.
“One drink,” Trey said, handing her one of the glasses he’d carried from the bar. He handed the spare to his brother and kept one for himself. He turned to stand beside Reagan, wrapping his right arm around her waist as he sipped his drink. “Bring on the admirers.”
“More like spectators,” Reagan murmured.
Before anyone had the chance to approach, Ethan appeared next to Reagan. “There were no deliveries tonight,” he said.
“So how did they get in there?” she whispered harshly.
“Someone had to bring them personally.”
“They were inside my dressing room?”
“Apparently.”
“What are you two talking about?” Trey asked.
“You didn’t tell him?” Ethan asked.
“I didn’t want him to worry.”
“About what?” Trey asked.
“She got another of those threatening messages. On a card in some flowers. I’ve spent the last hour finding out about any deliveries that were made tonight, but there were no flowers delivered to her dressing room, so whoever it was must have access to the backstage area.”
“Reagan, why didn’t you tell me?” Trey asked.
“I didn’t want you to worry.”
“That’s kind of my job, babe.”
Ethan wrapped a comforting arm around her back and Reagan squirmed away from him. He scowled. “What’s your problem?”
“There are people everywhere,” she said.
“And?”
“They know I’m with Trey, so I can’t get personal with you here.”
“Why not?”
Trey laughed unexpectedly and poked Reagan in the ribs. She gave him her frostiest look. He threw a pointed look in the direction of one of the swarms of reporters who were looking their way. “Smile and laugh,” he said under his breath. “They can smell drama from a mile away.”
Reagan laughed. “You’re so hilarious, Trey,” she said loudly. “Well, I guess I should call it a night. I’m dead on my feet and I think I’ve had a little too much to drink.” Exactly half of a rum and coke.
“I’ll help you find your way,” Trey said. “Follow us,” he whispered to Ethan. “Like her bodyguard would.”
Dare, Steve, and Logan looked entirely perplexed as Trey wrapped an arm around Reagan’s back and helped her find the exit. A seething Ethan followed two paces behind—looking every inch the tough bodyguard. Once they were safely on the elevator, they dropped their facades.
“So now I can’t touch you in public?” Ethan shouted at Reagan.
Reagan winced at his tone. “No, Ethan. You can’t. They know I’m dating Trey and they wouldn’t understand this relationship. I’m not sure if I understand it.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about the message, Reagan?” Trey said. “If this guy—”
“Or girl,” Ethan interrupted.
“If this person is running around loose backstage, we need to have everyone we trust keep a look out for him.” He glanced at Ethan. “Or her,” he quickly amended.
“Whoever it is has to be associated with Sinners,” Ethan said.
Trey’s eyebrows drew together in an angry scowl. “Why do you say that? My crew wouldn’t threaten her.”
“Because it happened on both tours and the only commonality between the two is your band and your crew,” Ethan said.
The elevator door opened and the three of them fell into an uneasy silence as they passed the eighth floor security guards on their way to their room. As soon as they were safely inside, Ethan wrapped his arms around Reagan and yanked her against his body. “Is it okay if I touch you now? When it serves your purpose?”
Trey grabbed his arm. “Don’t talk to her like that.”
He shouldn’t talk to her harshly, but she understood why he was behaving this way. He was covering up his hurt. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, Ethan,” Reagan said. “Yes, in private we can be open about our relationship, but Trey and I are in the public eye and we can’t—”
“So because Trey is famous, he’s the one you’re willing to claim in public?” Ethan said.
“She didn’t say that,” Trey said.
“They saw me with him first, Ethan. That’s the only reason.”
Ethan shook his head in disbelief. Reagan touched the center of his chest and found his heart was thudding hard and fast. She wrapped both arms around him and held him until he relaxed and lifted his arms to hold her back. “I just couldn’t handle the added stress of the press finding out about the three of us, Ethan. I’m so sorry I’m not stronger for you. They’d ruin us all if they knew.”
Reagan wrapped both arms around Trey and squeezed. He couldn’t reciprocate; his hands were full. “Dare told me what you did.”
He stiffened slightly. “What did I do?”
“You saved his life.”
“Oh that. I didn’t really have a say in the matter. I couldn’t even string an entire sentence together then. Trey, do you want to donate some bone marrow? Ba-ba da-da yeah-yeah. They assumed that meant yes.”
She snuggled her face into his neck. “I still think it’s heroic.”
“Did he tell you he almost died last year?” Dare asked, helping himself to one of the beers in Trey’s waistband.
Reagan drew away to look up at Trey. “No, he did not. What happened?”
Trey took her hand and directed it to the side of his head. She fingered the narrow scar that arched over his ear.
“Got hit in the head with a ball bat,” he said. “Some bleeding on the brain. A couple of grand mal seizures. No big deal.”
Dare chuckled. “He says that now.”
“I remember when that happened,” Reagan said. “It was all over the news. I didn’t realize it was so serious.” Her throat tightened as she looked up at him. She couldn’t imagine not having him in her life and wished she could have been there to help him through all the tough times in his past. Overcome with unexpected emotion, she hugged him tight. She didn’t even care that one of the drinks in his hand sloshed onto her back. “I’m finished partying like a rock star for tonight. Let’s go find Ethan and go up to the room. I want to be alone with you. Relatively speaking.”
“You just got here,” Steve complained. “Everyone wants to meet you.”
Reagan glanced around the room. All eyes were on her. If her relationship with Trey had been unknown before, it was definitely no secret now.
“One drink,” Trey said, handing her one of the glasses he’d carried from the bar. He handed the spare to his brother and kept one for himself. He turned to stand beside Reagan, wrapping his right arm around her waist as he sipped his drink. “Bring on the admirers.”
“More like spectators,” Reagan murmured.
Before anyone had the chance to approach, Ethan appeared next to Reagan. “There were no deliveries tonight,” he said.
“So how did they get in there?” she whispered harshly.
“Someone had to bring them personally.”
“They were inside my dressing room?”
“Apparently.”
“What are you two talking about?” Trey asked.
“You didn’t tell him?” Ethan asked.
“I didn’t want him to worry.”
“About what?” Trey asked.
“She got another of those threatening messages. On a card in some flowers. I’ve spent the last hour finding out about any deliveries that were made tonight, but there were no flowers delivered to her dressing room, so whoever it was must have access to the backstage area.”
“Reagan, why didn’t you tell me?” Trey asked.
“I didn’t want you to worry.”
“That’s kind of my job, babe.”
Ethan wrapped a comforting arm around her back and Reagan squirmed away from him. He scowled. “What’s your problem?”
“There are people everywhere,” she said.
“And?”
“They know I’m with Trey, so I can’t get personal with you here.”
“Why not?”
Trey laughed unexpectedly and poked Reagan in the ribs. She gave him her frostiest look. He threw a pointed look in the direction of one of the swarms of reporters who were looking their way. “Smile and laugh,” he said under his breath. “They can smell drama from a mile away.”
Reagan laughed. “You’re so hilarious, Trey,” she said loudly. “Well, I guess I should call it a night. I’m dead on my feet and I think I’ve had a little too much to drink.” Exactly half of a rum and coke.
“I’ll help you find your way,” Trey said. “Follow us,” he whispered to Ethan. “Like her bodyguard would.”
Dare, Steve, and Logan looked entirely perplexed as Trey wrapped an arm around Reagan’s back and helped her find the exit. A seething Ethan followed two paces behind—looking every inch the tough bodyguard. Once they were safely on the elevator, they dropped their facades.
“So now I can’t touch you in public?” Ethan shouted at Reagan.
Reagan winced at his tone. “No, Ethan. You can’t. They know I’m dating Trey and they wouldn’t understand this relationship. I’m not sure if I understand it.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about the message, Reagan?” Trey said. “If this guy—”
“Or girl,” Ethan interrupted.
“If this person is running around loose backstage, we need to have everyone we trust keep a look out for him.” He glanced at Ethan. “Or her,” he quickly amended.
“Whoever it is has to be associated with Sinners,” Ethan said.
Trey’s eyebrows drew together in an angry scowl. “Why do you say that? My crew wouldn’t threaten her.”
“Because it happened on both tours and the only commonality between the two is your band and your crew,” Ethan said.
The elevator door opened and the three of them fell into an uneasy silence as they passed the eighth floor security guards on their way to their room. As soon as they were safely inside, Ethan wrapped his arms around Reagan and yanked her against his body. “Is it okay if I touch you now? When it serves your purpose?”
Trey grabbed his arm. “Don’t talk to her like that.”
He shouldn’t talk to her harshly, but she understood why he was behaving this way. He was covering up his hurt. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, Ethan,” Reagan said. “Yes, in private we can be open about our relationship, but Trey and I are in the public eye and we can’t—”
“So because Trey is famous, he’s the one you’re willing to claim in public?” Ethan said.
“She didn’t say that,” Trey said.
“They saw me with him first, Ethan. That’s the only reason.”
Ethan shook his head in disbelief. Reagan touched the center of his chest and found his heart was thudding hard and fast. She wrapped both arms around him and held him until he relaxed and lifted his arms to hold her back. “I just couldn’t handle the added stress of the press finding out about the three of us, Ethan. I’m so sorry I’m not stronger for you. They’d ruin us all if they knew.”
