Braving Lily by Morgana Bevan

Author:Morgana Bevan [Bevan, Morgana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: C Bevan Publishing

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The way he acted made it clear: Ryan wanted to make sure the world received the update that he was taken and it wasn’t going to change. Every single love song written about me – there were at least three – and even the ones not about me, he sang staring pointedly at me, smirking the whole bloody time.

As I watched him absorbed in the music with that drunken grin on his face, my watchers faded into the background. There was something vulnerable in the shadows of his face that rooted me to the spot. I almost missed it with the flickering lights – it was there one moment and gone the next, whisked away with a blink. Instinct said he was worried I’d leave as much as I was wary of him hurting me.

Some warning about his confession would have been preferable, but at least he’d chosen a small gig to do it. Yay for small mercies. There were no more than fifty people in the room, and next time something like this happened, I’d be prepared. I’d know what to expect. Being a rock star’s girlfriend would get easier. It had to.

When the show ended, the guys started chatting to people as they filed out of the venue. Some bought merchandise, but most just stopped for a hug and a chat. I couldn’t help but frown as women held onto Ryan a little too long. Emily, on the other hand, seemed completely unaffected by it.

“Is that normal for a band?”

Emily shrugged. “It’s normal for them.”

Ryan’s gaze lingered on me. He leaned over and whispered something in Dan’s ear. Dan’s eyes flew to me and he nodded. What on earth is that about?

Abandoning the receiving line, Ryan came bounding over. Sweat coated his face and the electricity in his eyes drew a pleased grin from me.

“I need to wrap things up out here and get changed. Will you wait in the back room for me?” he asked.

“Don’t want me to see their adoration?” It was a joke, but Ryan assessed me for a little too long. “I clearly need to work on my comedic timing.”

“Sorry. I’d prepared myself for you to back away after the songs.”

“Because I stopped talking to you after the radio one?”

Ryan nodded, and the vulnerability I thought I’d imagined intensified. My hand fell to his arm, uncaring of the sweat. “I just didn’t know how to handle it, you writing about me.”

He searched my face. “And you do now?”

“Not really, but I guess we’ll have to figure that out together.” I’d deal with the lack of warning later.

The tension drained from his shoulders and the uncertainty cleared. Placing a hand on my lower back, he guided me towards a black security door at the back of the venue. Emily followed close behind.

The door opened into a back room filled with sofas, equipment cases and a table laid out with food and alcohol. A group of men in suits glanced at us when we entered but deemed us uninteresting once Ryan left.

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