We only get one shot in this life, make it count. -Elena

Bellamy

I woke up to being held firmly in Butch’s arms. I can’t even remember falling asleep, to be honest. We talked and talked for hours, ending up drinking most of what was in the mini bar.

I found out a little bit about Butch last night. His story is the complete opposite of mine. His Momma lives out in the boondocks of Tennessee, pretty close to the club, and he usually sees her once every week. He ended up telling me how pissed she was that he hadn’t been around the last few days, telling him that he wasn’t even going to get any Banana Pudding on his birthday – which just so happens to be his favorite dessert. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that Banana Pudding didn’t classify as a dessert. It was just neat getting to learn these things about him, the small things.

I had to slip out from under Butch’s arms, so I wouldn’t wake him. Slash was already outside of the room, standing against the door, or at his “post” like he preferred to call it. I knew that they were here on Elena’s orders to watch over me, given the risks associated with her lifestyle, which I guess is also theirs, but so far nothing out of the ordinary has happened. It just seems like a precaution that didn’t necessarily need to be taken.

“Sleeping Beauty still zonked out?” Slash asks me as I’m taking my first step out of the hotel room.

“Yep, and we should leave him that way. Let him get some sleep, just because I have to wake up at the wee hours in the morning, doesn’t mean he has to.”

Slasher laughs, “We’re both supposed to be watching you, missy. Not just taking shifts.”

“Butch does plenty of watching me, Slash, and we all know it,” I add, laughing with the last bit.

He busts out, keeling over into his laughter. Dang, I didn’t think it was that funny.

“He told me not to touch you.” I glance over to Slash, processing what he just said to me. “The bastard told me you were off limits. He hasn’t ever said that shit to me, Bells. If you ask me, he’s got it bad for you.”

What Slash just told me made me smile. It also was a confirmation of what I already felt between the two of us. I don’t know Butch enough to know exactly what I want from him, but what I do know is that when I’m with him, I’m happy. I don’t know if it’s his presence, his personality, or maybe just the way he makes my entire body shiver. It could be a combination of all of the above.

I glance at my phone, realizing that it’s going to be downpouring most of the day. While I ride on the tour bus with the guys, Slash and Butch ride their Harleys. “It’s going to rain…are you sure you don’t want to hitch a ride on the bus?”

Slash chuckles lightly, walking down the hallway with me. “Sweetheart, we live and breathe on the back of those bikes. We’re not the green witch from Wizard of Oz, we’re not gonna melt. We’ve ridden in hurricanes, babe.”

I look at him like he’s lost his freaking mind.

“I didn’t say I recommend it. I’m just sayin’ we’ve ridden in hurricanes and survived; a little bit of water isn’t gonna kill us.”

“Please tell me you have jackets or something,” I beg, already knowing the answer before it leaves his mouth.

“We’ve got our leather babe, and that’s all we need.”

I roll my eyes. Men are stubborn and bullheaded, and there is absolutely nothing that you can do about it. It’s almost like it’s burned into their DNA, completely unremovable. They should come with a warning label that reads ‘does not have common sense’. I freaking know one of those two is going to end up with a cold in just a few short days.

Slash walks me to the back door of the hotel, into the parking lot where the tour bus happens to be parked. I know Rocky and Syd stayed in the hotel last night, but I’m not sure about Jase and Miles. “You’re leaving in an hour, right?” he asks me, and I nod. “Alright. If you leave sooner, text me and we’ll be right behind you. Got it?”

“Aye, aye, Major Slashie.” I give him a salute and walk up to the bus. When I look back Slash is giving me the finger and sticking his tongue out like a five-year-old.

I laughed so hard boarding the bus, who would’ve known where I’d be right now. There was no preparing me for this, and I’m loving every minute of it.

***

“Alrighty folks, let’s get cracking about our schedule.” I look up from my cell to see Evie standing in the middle of the room, demanding all our attention. “Shit is getting real, okay? Like…super real. We’ve sold out every show.”

“Wait…what?” I say, smiling from ear to ear.

“You heard me right, Bells. We’re a full house, bitches!” Evie laughs, I clap excitedly for not only the guys but for Evie as well. She does so much work and barely gets enough credit for any of it. Even though she is a massive bitch sometimes.

“We’ll be in Baltimore in about…. about 5 hours, and we’ve got a show to prepare for. Right after the show, we’ll leave for Philadelphia and then we all get an entire week off. Who’s excited?”

All the guys plus I hoot and holler. Don’t get me wrong, I love being on tour, but I love having a break too.

“After our lovely week break, we’re back and closing out this tour strong with our last two stops in Camden and New York. Now, Bell, your interview with Summer is going to be while we’re in Camden. Okay?” Crapmundo, Batman. I already forgot about the interview Evie set up with Summer.

An interview where Summer can ask me anything, absolutely nothing is off limits and it’s going to be a live feed, so that’s just great. It’s not like I’m nervous about this interview at all.

“Sounds great,” I tell her, lying through my teeth. No matter what, I just have to go in and be myself. Summer is nothing but a bitch who profited from trying to take me down, and she didn’t even win ‘cause guess what, look who’s still shining bright, bitch! I’ll prepare myself as much as I can, but I don’t want to sound rehearsed or cold during my interview. That wouldn’t go over too well with the viewers I don’t think.

“Have you decided on the name for your cover yet?” Evie grumbles, taking a few steps in my direction and sinking in on the chair across from me.

“I think so…I’ve got a couple idea’s floating around in my head.”

“Finally. I need to know colors and all that too.”

“Pink, but a bold pink.”

“Got it.”

“And maybe flowers on vines, but a classy kind…. nothing that screams Barbie.”

“Got it…” Evie mutters, sounding more and more annoyed as I don’t tell her the name I’m going with.

“Relentless.”

There just happens to be this guy who thinks I’m pretty relentless, and until he said it…I didn’t really think I was.

I plan on everyone knowing the real me, and now they will.