Truth

I smashed my lips together before answering. “Because you don’t need someone to ask you. You just need to know someone is there in case you ever want to tell.”

When someone was struggling with a burden, they didn’t need to talk about it. In fact, that was the complete opposite of what they needed. They already knew of their burden, and usually, they knew how to fix it—if possible. What they needed was comfort and love. They just needed to know someone was there to share the burden with them, if need be.

Reid traced my face with his gaze before bringing it back to my eyes. I swore Reid and I could have a full conversation with only our eyes—which was funny because we were both songwriters and used words in the most explicit ways. Yet, something about the pair of us, in a silent room, alone…it was almost like we could hear each other.

Reid opened his mouth to say something, but someone knocked on the door. My breath caught in my throat, and I panicked, not wanting anyone to see us lying together. I hurriedly swung my legs over the side of the bed, allowing them to dangle below. The door swung open within a few seconds, and Rod appeared.

His eyes shuffled between Reid and me a few times before he completely ignored the fact that I’d spent the night in here—if he even realized. I was fully dressed in last night’s outfit anyway. The second I sat on the bed with Reid, after I hugged him, we sat in silence. He truly just didn’t want to be alone, and I understood that, so I stayed. And then, I guess we both just nodded off at some point and apparently started to cuddle in the middle of the night.

“Okay, so we’re close to our departure spot. Have you figured out where you two are going to be working from here on out? I have to say, it really shouldn’t take too much longer, considering V is eating up those lyrics you wrote the other day, but you’ve gotta give them a little more before they throw you into the recording studio and Brooklyn goes on her way.”

I could feel Reid’s stare on the back of my head. Why did I have to lie and say Reid wrote those lyrics?

Reid’s voice sounded from behind me. “Yeah, we’re going to my house.” A five-star, top-of-the-line alarm that appeared in fancy museums blared in my head. His house?!

“Like in L.A.? I can get a jet ready,” Rod questioned, still standing in the doorway.

“No,” Reid answered. “My house in Bloomsdale.”

Rod stayed silent, and that was when I glanced over at him. He was standing in the doorway with his hands perched on his hips, staring at Reid with one eyebrow raised.

“Is this about what Darcy told you last night?”

Who is Darcy?

I could sense Reid’s tension from across the bed. It all but vibrated throughout the room. “No. I’m not an idiot, Rod. I’ve been living on the tour bus and in hotels for months. I just want to go home.”

Rod narrowed his eyes at Reid and then gave him a curt nod. He turned and looked over at me. “Is that okay with you? I’m sure Carissa assumed you two would have been done working by now, so going to Reid’s house isn’t in the contract.”

I smashed my lips together and nodded. “If that’s where he’s most comfortable, that’ll probably help with the songwriting. Will I stay in a hotel or—”

Reid snorted, so I stood up and turned around to stare at him lying so effortlessly on the bed—casual as ever. Attractive as ever.

“You’ll stay at my place,” he said, peering up at me.

I could feel the heat spreading around my body. Why am I acting like this? You’ve been on a tiny tour bus with him for the past few weeks. Staying in a house shouldn’t be a big deal.

I squeaked, “Okay.”

Reid shifted his attention to Rod as he gave the okay. I booked it out of Reid’s room, hot on Rod’s tail, too afraid that I’d actually turn into a ripened tomato from the blazing redness of my face. Not to mention, I needed to get away as fast as possible from Reid and his simmering stare.

Things between us were shifting into a new territory—at least on my end—and I needed to get myself together before I was fooled into thinking that Reid King actually cared about me, or that there was something more personal blooming between us. It felt like he had a certain pull with me, and I with him, like we were intertwined somehow. But I wasn’t going to be a stupid, foolish girl that let someone like Reid King crawl under her skin and nestle right into the spot that laid so helplessly inside her chest.

After taking a few deep breaths and getting my bearings, pushing Reid clear out of my head, I walked over to where my clothes were stored and started to pack up a few of my belongings. That was when Jackson slid into my peripheral vision.

“Yes?” I asked, glancing at him once.

He looked concerned, with his tawny eyebrows furrowed and a frown amongst his lips. His normal, friendly charisma that he carried around was gone.

My hand paused as I was shoving a couple of sweaters into my bag. “What’s wrong?”

Jackson shook his head before giving me a serious look. “Be careful, Brooklyn.”

I removed my hand from my sweater and placed my bag down. “Be careful with what?”

Jackson’s voice lowered. “With Reid. He needs someone like you. I just don’t know if you need someone like him.” The look on his face was something I’d never seen before. It was as if he wanted to tell me something but couldn’t decide if he should or not. He shook his head a few times before saying, “I just… I don’t know if he’ll ever truly let you in after what happened with Angelina.”

I was seconds from asking for more information. What I actually wanted was a five-page essay on Reid and Angelina, but out of nowhere, Reid’s door opened and he walked out. He looked at Jackson and me, confusion flickering along his features. Before anything juicy was shared, Jackson turned around and walked away, leaving me more jumbled than ever. Reid walked past me, his strong scent filling my senses. Before he got out of talking range, he asked, “What was that about?”