Dangerous Kiss (Dangerous Noise 1)

"I can buy you twenty minutes. If I don't hear from you by then, I'll decline."

"Thanks."

"Hmmm."

The phone clicks. I press the thing between my palms. A late night show means millions of people watching us perform. That's mainstream success. That's the kind of thing bands dream about.

I've been working for opportunities like this for the last three years.

Promised Violet I'd stick around. I want to, but I can't turn this down.

She'll understand.

I text Mal.

Ethan: I'm in.

It only takes a minute for him to reply.

Mal: Rehearsal starts at nine-thirty. Don't be late.

Chapter 34

Violet

Everything hurts.

Dammit, I can't remember the last time I was sick. Is getting caught in the rain really that bad? It's happened plenty of times, but only for the distance from the subway to school or the subway to my apartment. Yesterday was the first time I spent the entire day in the pouring rain.

I get myself into my pajamas, wrap a blanket around my shoulders, and put on a pot of tea. The sky is still white. It's still pouring outside.

It's an ugly day.

Then the door opens and Ethan steps inside and it's not ugly anymore. His blue eyes really brighten every room.

But there's something in his expression…

Something is wrong.

He pulls the cough medicine from the paper bag in his hands. "You want a full dose?"

"Please."

He says nothing as he pours orange liquid into the dosing container and hands it to me.

I swig the thing in one sip. Artificial orange flavor. It's not awful.

My apartment is small—all New York City apartments are small, even the ones this far out in Brooklyn—but somehow it feels like Ethan is far away.

I nod to the couch. "Got Netflix queued up to Battlestar Galactica but there are a whole bunch of monster movies we could watch instead."

He runs his hand through his hair.

"You're wet."

"It's raining."

"You're not taking off your shoes."