Abby and the Cute One (Backstage Pass) (10 page)

More screaming ensued. Beau put his arm on his shoulder and Nathan said good bye to the girls, though he doubted they could hear him at this point. Jimmy was speechless as he took the phone back from Nathan along with the tickets.

Their group turned, hot dogs and salads in hand, surrounded by a swarm of security, but none of that mattered. Especially when the guards in front of him parted the crowd and Abby was one of the onlookers. Glassy eyes met his and she offered him a watery smile.

They made it back inside the Town Car without a hitch. The crowd cheered after them.

Nathan grinned at the guys. “Great hot dog.”

Beau just shook his head as he maneuvered through the thickening crowd. “Damn good hot dog.”

Will smiled. “The best.”

Daisy snickered and all the guys looked at her. Off in her own little world, she bent over her phone, her thumb swiping every so often.

Trevin laughed and nudged Daisy in the arm. “What are you looking at?”

She rolled her eyes “This stupid celeb gossip site has a poll up about Nathan and Abby. It’s so ridiculous. Nathan’s only known her for what? Three days. Apparently, there’s a love match, though.” She turned her phone toward Nathan. There was a picture of both Abby and himself with a heart-o-meter between them that was bursting at the seams.

Paling, Nathan snatched the phone from Daisy’s grasp and read the article. A reputable “source” told the writer there was definitely some tension going on between the youngest S2J member and the newest opening act. The article concluded with,
If Marissa Ives wants to keep her man to herself, she better keep one eye on Abby Curtis. She’s got boyfriend stealer written all over her.

Nathan didn’t know what to get upset over first—the fact that this idiot writer called Abby a boyfriend stealer, that he wasn’t actually anyone’s boyfriend, or that it was all kind of true.

He sat back against the leather seat, his insides tossing and turning as if he were in a row boat on the high seas. If LJ saw this…

Trevin, who’d taken Daisy’s phone back, laughed. “It’s insane how they’re always searching for a story. They even think it’s okay to make stuff up.”

If only this were another made up story, Nathan wouldn’t feel so queasy.

Chapter Fifteen

Abby

S
omeone must have shot pixie dust through Abby’s veins when she wasn’t watching, because she was on cloud nine, in heaven, and amped up all at the same time. Nathan Strong—the ultimate guy. Caring. Hot. Freaking adorable—wanted her. She never thought someone like him could care for her.

The only downside? It all didn’t matter.

On the car ride home, while David droned on about image and connections, all Abby could do was rewind the entire scene at the open-air market. She’d first noticed something was up when crowds started gathering around a hot dog stand. Then she’d seen Trevin and searched for Nathan, and sure enough, there he was, making one dad a shoo-in for Best Father of the Year.

She knew she shouldn’t be, but she couldn’t help herself. Against her better judgment, against the explicit instructions of LJ, she was falling for Nathan. When she thought about what could happen in a day or a week from now, she only saw it crumbling down around her. For whatever reason, that never mattered when he was right there in front of her. It was scary and incredibly stupid, but it was as if she’d risk it all for him. She wouldn’t, but Nathan was exactly the kind of guy you could risk it all for.

By the time David finally dropped her off, her heart was drumming in her ears to the tune of how great Nathan was. God, he was perfect. And his voice! She loved hearing his solo tenor without the production sounds around him. He had great tone. And he was generous and amazing.

Before she could stop herself, she went straight to the food tent to wait for Nathan. She really hadn’t been gone for all that long after he left the market. It was possible he was still around somewhere. With any luck, she wouldn’t find him and she’d be able to go concentrate on things that actually could happen—like her singing career.

Part of the crew still sat and ate at the long tables. She wandered around, pretending not to be doing anything particular. After surveying the crowd for the third time, she spotted him standing by the tour busses. He caught her eye and turned.

She followed.

When she got between the busses, Nathan leaned against one of the doors, waiting for her.

She smiled. “You went to the open-air market, too.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I wanted to eat lunch with you.”

Abby dug the toes of her sneakers into the dirt, realizing both of them knew they were playing with fire. “I wish we could’ve.”

Nathan raised an eyebrow. “Did you eat lunch while you were there?”

Abby nodded.

“Well, I did, too. So, we
did
eat lunch together at the open-air market. At least,” he shrugged, “we did as much as we’re allowed.”

Abby thought her heart would melt. With a quick peek around, he grabbed her hand, tugged, and ran past Kiss This and all the other busses named after S2J songs. They stopped out front of The One—Seconds to Juliet’s bus. Abby had already heard rumors that no one besides the band were allowed to go in, but Nathan pulled her up behind him without hesitation.

The bus oozed S2J. It was everything she imagined it would be. Leather, vintage instruments, video games.

He pulled her halfway through the aisle and then leaned her against a post between two sets of bunks. “No one uses the bus when we’re in a city for a couple days.”

His breath tickled her face. She held his gaze as his hand slid through her hair to cup the back of her head. Her heart slamming inside her chest, Abby took a huge breath. It was like waiting to open up presents on Christmas, or counting down to New Year’s. He was about to kiss her again and more than anything, she wanted him to.

“Can I—?”

Abby stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his first. He could kiss her here. There wasn’t anyone else around to see.

She’d fallen so far in the past couple days. She’d already thought he was cool before she met him from all the S2J interviews she’d watched. He’d been her inspiration. Seconds to Juliet’s rise to fame showed her young people could do something with their lives, too. Life didn’t just start at age twenty or thirty—there were amazing teens out there who fulfilled their dreams every day. He was living proof of that.

His hard work, drive, and compassion for those two little girls made him that much more perfect for her, even if a relationship was unrealistic.

Nathan pressed his body against hers. She bit back a moan and ran her hands through his hair. He pulled away, leaving her breathless, then yanked the front of her hat down.

“Hey,” she said, smacking him in the arm. “Not the hat.”

“It’s cute,” Nathan admitted.

Abby blushed before pulling him down to her again and pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

He nuzzled her cheek and kissed her ear. “I kind of like kissing you, Abby Curtis.”

She smiled. “I kind of like that you like kissing me, Nathan Strong.”

His breath breezed past her lips and before she could take another breath to steel herself, he covered her mouth again.

Abby had never kissed a guy like she’d kissed Nathan. She’d pecked a boy on the lips back home, even let them linger there for longer than necessary, but Nathan was different. Their lips had parted and they explored and tasted each other.

When it was hard to breathe, they stopped. With foreheads touching, they stared into each other’s eyes. The want between them and desire to make something of themselves were at odds.

The fact of the situation was, Abby and Nathan couldn’t mix the two.

Before it became too much, she shimmied away from him and walked toward the back. “So, this is your bus? It’s really nice.”

Nathan’s voice came out gravelly. “We like it. We have to spend a ton of time here, so it’s important to have a nice area to call our own that doesn’t change throughout the tour. Do you think you’re going to get your own bus? Cherry had one.”

Abby whirled, a finger curling around her hair. “I don’t know. Do you think I might?”

“I guess it’s up to your label.” He shrugged and gave her a small smile.

Abby could imagine it already: pink and purple seat cushions, a vanity, a big screen TV…

Nathan threaded his fingers in hers and pulled her to the seating area in the back. She stared at their hands and then at him, tightening her grip. Holding his hand like this felt like curling up on the couch back home with a warm hot chocolate.

When they would leave the bus, she’d want to hold his hand so bad, but wouldn’t be able to. She needed to soak this up while there were no prying eyes.

As they passed through the bunk area, Abby wondered which one was Nathan’s. It’d be fun to see where he spent most of his time when he was on tour. She’d thought about it a lot when she was back home, following Nathan’s tweets.

Nathan slowed by one of the bunks and tore a glossy paper away from the wall. “What the…?”

His fingers slipped from hers as he straightened the paper and brought it closer to his face to see in the dim light. Abby peered over his shoulder. It was a picture of the actress Nathan was “dating.”

His shoulders stiffened. “Ryder, you ass,” he muttered.

There was a big heart drawn over Marissa’s face with a fat Sharpie.
XOXO, M—
, it read. Nathan balled the picture up, which had obviously come from a magazine page, and threw it on the floor.

“Hey,” Abby said, lightly touching his shoulders. She didn’t know exactly what she was going to say, she just didn’t like to see him upset.

He took a step away. “I don’t know who to be more mad at, myself or him.”

“Who? Ryder?”

Nathan ignored her. “Sometimes I wonder how I put myself in this position. Fake dating a celebrity? It doesn’t sound anything like me. But then I remember what I’m doing it for…” He ran his hands through his hair. “I don’t know.”

Abby played with her lip, still unsure of what to say. She wished she could make it all better, but the task seemed impossible.

He finally looked up. “I’ve pulled you into this mess, too.”

“It’s not as if I didn’t come willingly,” she said. That much was truth. She had a sinking suspicion she’d take Nathan any way she could get him, even if she had to be the “other” woman in everyone else’s eyes. Which would never be fair to either of them.

“I gotta get back,” Nathan said abruptly. “I’ve got so much to do before tonight’s show.”

Abby frowned, a kneejerk reaction she would’ve loved to hide. She could see the torn feelings on his face, half wanting to stay, half knowing there was no use if they did. “You have things to do, too,” he reminded her. “You have a show to develop.”

Abby threw her shoulders back, steeling herself. Nathan was right. She had things to do, too. She wasn’t just a fan pining away for Nathan on the sidelines.

She turned and headed for the stairs. Just as the tip of her toe hit the first stair, Nathan pulled her around and kissed her. His lips pushed and pulled and were everything she could want from a kiss.

Their gazes locked when he pulled away. Abby, disoriented from emotional whiplash, turned to leave and fell into Ryder.

Ryder’s eyebrows rose. Nathan pulled Abby back and stepped in front of her. “Abby wanted to see what a tour bus looked like in case she got her own.”

The always-cocky Ryder snickered and twisted his body, allowing just enough room for Nathan and Abby to get by. “It seems like that’s not all she wanted to see.”

Abby kept her mouth shut as she moved past him, and her cheeks flamed hotter than the taste of jalapeños.

Paranoia and anger swirled in her stomach, making her queasy.

She hoped Ryder wouldn’t make a big deal out of what he saw. Out of everyone, Ryder was the last S2J member she would’ve wanted to catch Nathan and her on the bus. He’d probably never let them live it down, which was the last thing they needed. And if LJ found out…

Nathan pulled her to a stop a few steps away from the bus. “Hey, you okay?”

She didn’t even try to hide her anxiety. “No! I’m freaking out. Ryder saw us. What if he says something? LJ…if he finds out, he’ll fire me and you’ll be in so much trouble. You’re supposed to be dating Marissa! I don’t know a lot about PR, but I do know a scandal would be terrible.”

Nathan’s jaw set. “I’ll talk to Ryder. He won’t say anything.”

Abby glanced back at the bus and then at Nathan again. “I need this…
we
need this.”

Nathan closed his eyes. When they opened, they were full of certainty again. “Trust me. I’ll talk to him. We just…can’t let that happen again.”

Abby bit her lip. “We kind of get carried away around each other, don’t we?”

“Carried away is an understatement.”

Nathan hesitated before pulling on her hand and leading her between The One and Kiss This busses. “I like you, Abby. I like you a lot. I don’t want to stop kissing you, in fact, I think I’ll go crazy if I can’t. But that’s just it.” He paused. “We can’t.”

Having the truth so plainly laid before her was like a swift kick to the stomach. She knew it was right, she knew it was coming, but that didn’t mean it hurt any less.

She swallowed the emotions welling up inside her. “Will Ryder—?”

“I’ll take care of Ryder. He has a bigger heart than you might think.”

“He won’t say anything?”

Nathan shook his head. “Promise. If he knows anything, he won’t say anything.”

Abby turned and walked away. For the first time since the auditions, she practiced the calming breathing technique her mom taught her. Only this time, she doubted it would help.

Chapter Sixteen

Nathan

A
s Abby headed to her next concert prep, Nathan waited behind so he could talk to Ryder on the bus. All the other guys had brought girls on the bus at one time or another, but this was different. Nathan and Abby both needed Ryder to keep his mouth shut about it for the sake of all their careers.

He took the bus steps two at a time and found Ryder on his bed with his guitar. The melody they’d worked on earlier filled the bus. “Hey,” Nathan said as he came up to him.

Ryder nodded, his fingers still working over the strings. He envied people like Ryder, like Abby, who could play the guitar. He knew enough to get by, but it wasn’t the same. One of these days, he’d have to take lessons.

“What you saw earlier…” Ryder snickered and Nathan steeled himself. “It was nothing.”

“Whatever you say, little bro,” Ryder said.

“I mean it. It was nothing.”

Ryder stopped playing. “Your business is your business. I’m not saying a word.”

Nathan couldn’t believe his ears. Was Ryder going to make this easy? He’d tried to be confident when he told Abby he’d take care of it, but the truth was, Ryder was so unpredictable.

“So, you won’t say anything?”

“Who’m I gonna tell?
Teen Vogue?
”

Nathan rolled his eyes. He knew none of the guys would ever do that to him, nor would he do that to them. That was an unspoken promise. “You know what I mean. It wasn’t a big deal. She just wanted to see the bus. That was all.”

Ryder continued plucking away at the strings. Nathan had no idea if Ryder even heard him. Nathan sighed and turned away.

About halfway off the bus, the music stopped again. “Just so you know, little bro, Beau saw you get on the bus. He’s the one who told me where I’d find you.”

Nathan’s heart sank.

Busted.