Who He Is (FireNine, book 1) (5 page)

I was
truly disgusted by what I saw, but I shouldn’t have expected anything less from someone like him—someone who made girls feel like they had no value. I was more than certain that in the morning he would dismiss the girl he was dancing with and make her feel like shit. If I thought whatever was brewing between us in the VIP room was real, I had to slap myself, because it was just him running his game and trying to win me over. He was aiming to score my panties and I admit he was fairly close. Had Montana and Roy not come into the room, I would have most likely given in, virgin or not.

I couldn’t have been more relieved
we were interrupted.

Ben said we were supposed to be hitting the road in a few minutes
the next morning, but those minutes transitioned to an hour. During that time, I decided to get some sketching in. The sketching was different that day. It wasn’t the normal flower nearby or even a perfect drawing of my hand. It was a face… Gage’s face. I wasn’t sure why I drew him. Maybe it was because he haunted my dreams the night before. He kept popping up and I wanted so badly to wake up just to get rid of the thoughts of him.

After what I’d seen last night, I knew I had to stay away from Gage. It was going to be kind of hard to do since I was on the same tour as him and had to go backstage, but I could avoid it for a while. I didn’t have to attend every single show.

A knock came from my door and soon Ben stepped in. There was never a day he wasn’t dressed to impress—tan khakis and a button-up green shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows for a more casual look. His platinum hair was still parted in the middle but was wavier than the norm.

“Glad you’re up, button bottom
,” he sighed. There’s been a minor problem with one of the buses.”

“What happened?”

“Well… it’s the FireNine tour bus. Something’s wrong with the engine—it’s why we’re running late,” he said, checking his watch. “The boys will have to stay on our bus until Saturday afternoon, when the new FireNine bus arrives in Florida.”

My eyes stretched as I shook my head. “No—no, Ben, they
cannot
be on here with us.”

“It’s only temporary,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “I knew you’d react this way.”

“Of course I’m going to react like this. That’s a whole two days, Ben. I’m the only girl on this bus and those boys are—” I shook my head. There was no need to explain myself. The band was a load of animals. “I
can’t
be around them.”

“Why are you so upset? The boys told me they loved you last night.”

“I… just can’t be around them that long. I need my space.”

Ben frowned, looking
me over. I clutched my sketchbook, hoping he wouldn’t realize why I was getting so upset. I wanted to keep my distance from Grendel. I didn’t want him anywhere near me after what happened the night before. It was too close and God only knew what would happen while he was on the same bus with me.

“Eliza, don’t worry. I’ll be here, sweetie. I won’t let them get too crazy.” Someone called Ben’s name from the front door of the bus and he turned around. “We’ll talk later, Liza,” he yelled over his shoulder.

I stood hastily, dropping my sketchbook on the bed and rushing out to see what was going on. Through the window, I saw the hood of the FireNine tour bus open and a few men looking beneath it. Some were scratching their heads and some were bent over working on it.

The door of the FireNine bus was wide open and the first one to step out with two suitcases in hand was Montana, stretching while yawning. After him it was Deed and then came Roy. Gage came out last with two black suitcases in hand and Ben met up with them, flagging his arms and pointing at our bus.

My heart sank as Ben stepped aside, allowing them to make their way toward our bus. I could feel my cheeks draining of color and my fingers getting cold. Gage had on a pair of sunglasses and tight black jeans. He had bedhead, which looked unbelievably hot on him. How the hell was I supposed to wake up without getting turned on at first sight of him?

The boys got closer and I rushed for my room. I slammed the door behind me and sank onto my bed, listening hard as the boys’ heavy footsteps echoed and their weight caused the bus to shake.

“This shit is sweet!” Montana yelled after releasing a low whistle.

Footsteps went past my door and my heart thudded. “I know Ellie’s in one of these rooms,” Gage mumbled. I froze, listening as the boys
went back and forth past my door to most likely find a bunk or a room they could claim as their own for the next two days.

My doorknob jiggled and I leaped up.
Damn it! Why the hell didn’t I remember to lock it?
A few thoughts came to mind. One was to rush for the door and knock it closed with my shoulder while locking it. The other was to just let them walk in and then tell them to get the hell out. The last option would have most likely worked best.

The door creaked open and in came Gage. He still wore his aviator sunglasses and up close he looked even better. A smile hinted at his pink lips as he spotted me standing in front of the window. Slowly, he removed his sunglasses from his eyes, the hazel pools drinking me in even more. “Don’t you look lovely,” he said, smirking.

I frowned, reaching for my sketchbook to flip it over. I didn’t want him to see it was
his
face that had been running through my mind all night and day. I sat on the bed, crossed my legs, and then scribbled on a loose sheet of paper. “This room’s off limits, Gage.”

“I don’t know.” I looked up and he was still smiling. “I kind of like it in here. We might have to become roommates… Maybe share the bed?” His eyebrows wiggled.

“Not likely.”

“Let me guess.” He placed his suitcase down outside my room and folded his arms over his broad chest. The ink on his arms stretched as he took a step forward. I almost made out a female’s name near his elbow, but he turned slightly and I couldn’t see i
t as clearly. “You’re upset I left you alone last night.”

“I don’t really care,
” I lied, sitting up against the headboard. “I was kind of ready to go home anyway.”

“If I stayed in the VIP room with you, would you have stayed a little longer?”

I frowned. “Gage, please get out. I’m kind of busy.”

I didn’t dare look up from my sketchbook after looking down. I didn’t want to look into his eyes because looking into them was setting myself up.

“Ellie,” Gage murmured, taking another step forward. He sat on the edge of my bed and placed his hand on top of mine, stroking the flesh around my knuckles. “Are you mad?”

“No.”

“Why aren’t you looking at me?”

“You’re not really much to look at.” That was a huge lie. Gage was all that and a bag of chips… however that saying went. His beauty stunned me sometimes. I could never figure out how someone could be so flawless and gorgeous yet so cocky and rude.

Gage laughed, and I looked up. He was closer than I expected. It would only take a few inches for our lips to touch so I leaned back. He slid in closer, gripped my hand, and a nervous spell took over me. I stared into his eyes framed with thick eyelashes. His lips were so full, the barely-there stubble surrounding them giving even more definition.

“Gage!” someone yelled.

Deed came rushing around the corner and stepped into my room. “Montana and Roy stole the extra bedrooms. Looks like we’re bunking it in the hall.” Deed looked at me and his head tilted. “Good morning, Eliza.”

“Morning, Deed,” I murmured. I still couldn’t believe myself for dancing with him at the club. With Deed P.
and
Gage Grendel. It could have been any girl’s dream. Unfortunately, it wasn’t mine.

“Bunk it is,” Gage sighed. “Unless Ellie here gets lonely and needs someone to cuddle with.”

I pulled my hand away from his, shaking my head. “I’ll be fine.”

Gage and Deed laughed and then Gage stood from the bed. Deed walked out of the room, but Gage stayed in front of me, his sunglasses dangling between his fingers. “I like you, Ellie. You send me a vibe that’s both good and bad.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“The good I saw last night when you were dancing all over me and right after, allowing me to touch you.” He bent down, getting on eyelevel with me, his palms on his knees. Blood rushed to my pale chee
ks, but I remained bold, keeping my gaze connected with his. His cologne smelled stale, like an overnight mist, but it was still strong. We were so close that his nose was almost touching mine. “The bad… Well, I just feel like you don’t like me very much. I’ve been trying to be as friendly as possible… with some minor flirting. Flirting doesn’t hurt.”

“We can be friends,” I said.

“That’s all?”

“That’s all.”

His lips pressed together to smile and then he stood up straight. “All right, Ellie. Friends it is, then.” Gage turned for the door and the heaviness between us evaporated, allowing me to breathe again. “Just know, Eliza, that if you’d like to add something a little extra to this little friendship, I’d be more than willing. It won’t be a problem.” He winked, then disappeared around the corner. I hopped from the bed in a snap to shut the door. I had to control my nerves, but he was getting under my skin. Damn him and his beauty.

I knew the next two days were most likely going to be hell for me.

It wasn’t so bad after a while since none of the guys bothered me again—although they were kind of loud. I’d sketched all day until my stomach started growling, begging me to feed it. I couldn’t believe my circumstances. I was starving myself just so I wouldn’t have to face the band. I knew there was going to come a time when I had to go out, so I figured it was best to get it over with. I had to woman up. Being the only girl on the bus meant I had to start acting like I had some sort of confidence and self-control. My self-esteem wasn’t too high, but I knew how to handle myself to make it seem like it.

With a sigh, I gripped the doorknob as the boys yelled over whatever videogame they were playing. “All right, Eliza. Get a grip,” I muttered to myself.

I felt kind of stupid for changing into yoga pants and a tank top. Ben bought the comfortable outfit for me a while back, and I actually loved it. Plus, it made me look somewhat decent without seeming like I was trying too hard to look nice in front of them. My hair was up in a sloppy bun and I had bedroom shoes on my feet. I wasn’t trying too hard… at least I hoped not.

After I pulled open the door, I carried myself down the hallway. Beer and alcohol floated in the atmosphere, along with the stench of must and something else foul. I couldn’t figure out what the extra odor was—that is until I rounded the corner and saw Montana with joint papers in his hand and grassy-looking stuff on the table in front of him. It got stronger as I got closer.

“What the hell is that?” I asked, frowning.

“Something to make me feel good,” Montana said without looking at me.
“Wanna join?” I shook my head as he licked one of his joint papers and then sprinkled the grassy stuff onto it. And I knew exactly what it was as he rolled it. It had so many names, and my mom smoked it constantly, so how could I not know?

Mary Jane

Weed.

Green.

Bud.

Marijuana.

Ben stepped from behind me and I scowled at him as he walked into the kitchen.

“Is this really what they do?” I hissed at him.

“Mainly Montana.” Ben sighed. “Can’t stop them. They’re grown men, Liza. I already feel terrible about their bus since I was supposed to be the one to make sure everything was in order.”

I ignored him and went for one of the cabinets to pull out a box of cereal. I leaned into the fridge and grabbed the milk, but then a throat cleared behind me, causing me to spin around quickly. I was expecting Ben, but he was walking down the hallway toward his bedroom again. Instead, as I turned, I met Gage’s hazel eyes, taking in the smirk on his lips. A beer bottle
was in his right hand and he’d changed into cleaner clothes—a white T-shirt and black sweat pants, to be exact.