Wild Collision (Us 4)

“Are you guys done recording for the day?” I ask, trying to be nice since Hollis and I have some sort of truce going on right now. Who knows how long it’ll last.

He nods. “Yeah, Midnight Eyes is pretty much wrapped up. Everything is going smoothly. There’s still some minor tweaking to be done on the producing end, and we might have to re-record some things, but for the most part, it’s done.”

“Cool,” I say, and realize once the word leaves my mouth how pathetic I sound. “Um …what can I get you guys?” I ask.

Hollis rattles off his order as well as two more for Fox and Cannon who didn’t come. Then I do Rush’s order and Kira wraps everything up, checking them out.

Rush heads out first followed by Hollis who stops with his hand on the door and looks back right at me.

“See you,” he says with a tiny little smile.

I’m baffled by it, by the shyness in it, almost like he’s not used to being genuine.

“Bye,” I say back and he ducks out the door, heading down the street to his hotel. I have no idea where they’re staying but it must be within walking distance to here and the studio. I saw no other cars parked in the lot yesterday, and I know my dad was providing them with vehicles. They wanted it to be a part of their contract to have transportation for themselves, and my dad being my dad bought them each a car. He’s a softy.

Kira turns to me. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

“Um…” I hesitate, confused. “Because it wasn’t important.”

“You didn’t think it was important to tell your best friend one of the hot guys in your dad’s new band likes you?”

I snort. “Hollis? He doesn’t like me—not like that. I definitely don’t like him either.”

She gives me a look. “Are you stupid? He has the hots for you.”

I give her an incredulous look. “Nope, he doesn’t, I promise you. He’s … he’s the kind of guy who prefers a different girl warming his bed every night and I’m not that girl.”

She rolls her eyes at me. “I’m right and I know I’m right.” She places her hands on her hips.

“Kira, even if you are, I’m not interested.”

“Mhmm,” she hums. “Keep telling yourself that.”

I balk. “I’m serious. He’s arrogant, cocky, an asshole—”

“A hot, arrogant, cocky, asshole,” she interrupts.

“You’re impossible,” I groan, throwing my arms in the air.

“Impossibly right.” She sticks her tongue out at me.

With a sigh, I shake my head as another customer comes in and we get back to work.

* * *

I lie in bed, my damp hair spread around me, staring at the ceiling.

For some reason I can’t get Kira’s words out of my head about Hollis liking me. It doesn’t seem plausible. He can’t possibly like me. A guy like him looks for easy, for girls who throw themselves at him, and I’m not one of those girls. There’s nothing wrong with being that way, but it’s not me.

It makes no sense for him to like me, and if she’s right and he does, my dad would kill him for it, I’m certain. He’s never taken kindly to anyone I’ve dated in the past—not that I want to date Hollis—and I know he’d hate it if one of the guys from The Wild dated me. He’s always warned me away from guys in bands—and when I asked him why, considering he’s a musician and the best dad ever, he said he hadn’t always been the greatest person, he’d done many things he was ashamed of, but meeting my mom and me changed things for him.

I doubt he’d think Hollis was capable of change, and frankly, I’d agree with him.

I don’t even know the guy; a few encounters doesn’t make us best friends. We don’t know each other’s favorite color or finish each other’s sentences. Even if we were friends—which is laughable—I can’t imagine us as a couple.

Mia, why are you even thinking about this? Guys like him ultimately don’t give girls like you the time of day. Besides, you don’t even like him.

I don’t like him.