Chapter Twenty-Eight

Cross

 

I rolled over on the bed on the bus and tried to pull Indie closer to me. Only Indie wasn’t there. I sprung up and looked around, but the entire room was empty. Where the hell could she be?

After swinging my legs off the bed, I grabbed my jeans from yesterday and pulled them on so I could go looking for her. There weren’t many places she could be on a tour bus. I stepped out of the bedroom, took four steps, and knocked on the bathroom door.

“She’s not in there,” Ransom called from up front. So I headed that way.

“Why do you know that?”

“Because I witnessed her walk of shame escape this morning. She left like an hour ago.”

“Why would she do that?” Not really asking him, more just thinking out loud.

“Maybe you’re not as good as you think, Sleeping Beauty.”

“Fuck you,” I muttered, but Ransom just laughed.

“I’m just messing with you. From the sounds of it, you’re just as good as you think you are.”

“Oh, man… Please don’t say that to her.”

“I wouldn’t.” He swung his legs over to sit up. “I know you too well.”

“And that means?”

“I know who the hookups are and who the hookups aren’t. I usually know before you do and I called you and Indie the day you tried to kick her out of the arena.”

Unfortunately, he was telling the truth. He did know when I really liked someone usually before I’d admitted it to myself.

“And this one’s a keeper?” he asked.

I nodded as I sat on a chair facing him. “If she’ll let me. I don’t know, but she’s got me. I’m like crazy about her.” I could barely believe it myself. I’d had girlfriends, thought I’d been in love before, but Indie was already so much more than any of them had been.

“She have special sex tricks or something?”

I lifted a middle finger his way. “It started before that.”

If I thought about it really hard, I could pinpoint the moment. I’d known she was different the day she’d outed me in the coffee shop. Once a girl found out I was part of Courting Chaos, they usually fell all over themselves to do anything and everything I could want. And I do mean anything. Indie didn’t give a fuck who I was. Benefit of growing up around this life, I supposed.

“Have you sent her a text?” Ransom asked.

I shook my head because I thought she was still here.

“Why the fuck not, asshole?”

“Good question.”

I pushed off the chair and went back to the bedroom for my phone. After bringing up her name, I paused. What was I supposed to say? There was a lot I wanted to say but wasn’t sure this was the time.

Missed you this morning, I typed out instead.

Then I sat there for who-knew-how-long waiting for an answer. When none came, I went and took a shower. I stood there and let the water rain down on me, but I couldn’t keep my thoughts off Indie. The way her hands had felt running over my skin, the way her body had felt under mine, and the little sounds that had come from her mouth when I’d done something she’d really liked. Noises I now knew Ransom had heard.

Next time, we go to her bus, where we can be alone.

Once out of the shower, I saw that Indie still hadn’t answered my text. So I sent another. Everything all right? Then I tossed my phone onto the bed. If I let myself, her not answering would drive me crazy. Yeah, I’d noticed she normally had it completely silenced but she still didn’t usually miss calls or texts. I needed something else to focus on.

Music. That had always been something I could get lost in. I didn’t feel like writing, so I went inside the arena, where my kit should have already been set up. A little bit of banging against the drums should ease some tension.

An hour later, my muscles were tired and I needed something to drink. I’d headed backstage, grabbed a water, and checked my phone again.

Nothing.

Damn it.

That was it. Time to go search for Indie and find out what the fuck was wrong.