Page 27 of Heartbeat Girl
This is why you ran in the other direction, isn’t it, Jayne?
I pulled at our intertwined digits, still trying to free myself, and held them up for him to see. “This.”
He rubbed his thumb over mine softly while his eyes swept over me leisurely, freezing me in place. “You said you’re fragile. Although you claim I am too, I assure you I’m not. My presence should soothe you, make you feel safe. That’s why you should walk with me from now on.”
Safe?Safe?
Didn’t he understand? I could never experience that around him. Instead, I sensed I would combust, burn in his arms like he was the deliverer sent to take me to the pits of Hell. So, I ran and ran and ran. But now he was too much, too near,closerthan he’d ever been. I needed air, a moment to breathe without him.
I swayed slightly.Hot. So hot.These sensations frightened me. When I pulled from his hold this time, he let me go.
I ran a shaky hand across my lips, prayed for composure, and said, “No need. Rupert will be here Monday to keep us all safe.”
Liam tucked his hands into his jean pockets. His gaze dropped from my face to my chest. His expression tightened, like he was trying to keep his emotions bottled in. “So, you’ve said.” He sighed, looking away. “Relax, will you? I hate your fear.”
He walked away, leaving me to ponder those strange words. It wasn’t the first time he said odd things. He wasn’t the only one. Steve and Pete talked a lot about smells and sounds that most normal people would find strange.
How long had I considered themnot normal? Why did it stand out so much?
+++
“I bet it’s a pain working for a rock band,” said one of the backstage workers, who claimed his name was Brian.
I gave him a half-hearted smile and glanced elsewhere, hoping he’d understand I wasn’t in the mood for chitchat. He didn’t notice how uncomfortable I was, though. Most men missed the hint.Come on!Despite a lack of a response, he laughed and stared at the side of my face. Did I have a booger hanging from my nose? I wasn’t that interesting or pretty.
“You live in California? Ever think about moving?” He paused and studied me. “Am I bothering you?”
“Oh, damn. I forgot to send that email back to—" I unlocked my phone quickly and turned awayfrom him. “Sorry. Do you mind?”
“Nah. Go ahead. You’re still here for a few more hours. Probably staying in a hotel around here, right?”
I hightailed it out of there so fast I tripped over some cable. My hands shot forward on instinct, but I straightened in time and avoided twisting my ankle. Looking back at the hazardous mess of cords, I froze when I spotted Liam. His guitar looked a breath away from slipping through his fingers. He didn’t seem to care, too busy drilling Brian with a glare.Or planning his demise.Jesus, my pulse sped up. Brows furrowed and his eyes… Oh my God, they looked...
Black? So black that it was unnatural,unmistakable.
I leaned closer, as if that could help me see him better from the opposite side of the room. Rubbing my face, I squinted.I’m seeing things.Where were Liam’s beautiful blues? Something so vivid shouldn’t turn so black. Like blankets of darkness. No matter the distance, I couldn’t mistake such a detail.
As if Liam sensed me staring, he turned toward me.
I sucked in a breath, blinked, and shook my head. When I looked again, Steve slapped a white cloth over Liam’s head and waved at me. Liam knocked it off his face and scowled at Steve. I released the breath I’d been holding. Liam’s eyes were blue again. How?
I took a step toward them, but my knees buckled. Wobbling slightly, there was no way the band didn’t see that mishap. Why did I get so overwhelmed all the time? It reminded me of how flustered I stayed when I first started working with Ruth, being around so many celebrities. It took a while before I could act naturally around them, but I thought I had conquered that part of me. I still needed to work on telling people to leave me alone, though. But that wasn’t entirely true, was it? I had some backbone Monday night. I held my ground with the band. They abided my rules since then. Maybe that had more to do with me being more relaxed around the guys?
Just the idea of that being true gave me a sense of tranquility. Pushing my shoulders back, my steps quickened and became steadier as I walked. Hand on one hip, I stopped right in front of where Liam sat. “Do you have contacts in?”
Steve waved again. “Hello, Jayne.”
“Hi, Steve.” I crossed my arms and waited for Liam to speak.
Liam studied the floor. I had a strange feeling he didn’t want to glance up. “No, I don’t.”
“That’s weird. I could have sworn your eyes were completely black,” I hummed.
“Jayne, let me show you what you were doing.” Steve leaned forward and squinted his eyes so hard they appeared closed. I would have laughed at his exaggerated expression if he hadn’t been mimicking me. “You look like you were straining to shit. How well can you see from that far?” He gestured to the large open room we were in.
I bit my bottom lip. Hmm, I had been a good distance away… “That’s true but—”
Liam raised his head. “Should I wear black contacts?”