Three months into the tour and it’s going smoothly. Well, in most departments. The tour itself is going great, the bands are working well together, the music is flowing effortlessly and the crowds are loving us. Danger and I are sneaking out whenever we get a chance. Every time Ryan gets a girl, I spend the night in Danger’s room and I’m finally able to sleep overnight with him and cuddle like I wanted. But we don’t get to do that too often because we don’t want to raise suspicions. We’re still trying to keep a low profile.

Dad definitely doesn’t know about us, and Annie you’d think should have figured it out, but she’s so caught up in her own world I’m pretty sure she has no idea. Really the only person who does is Ryan and I’m guessing Chad would have guessed because he’s completely ignoring me. He has been since that night he came to save me in the bar in Turkey. He hasn’t really talked to me since unless it’s in regards to band stuff, and even then it’s short, sharp and to the point conversations. He seems so distant and I miss my friend. I’m still reeling over that weird connection I felt with him in the green room in Turkey. I have no idea what I’m feeling, but I sometimes dream about it, mainly on the nights I sleep over with Danger. Which is weird, right?

I’m so sick of Chad’s avoidance that I’m going to try and put a stop to it tonight. I need my friend back! I walk toward the green room in Austin, Texas. I need to find Chad to check out why he’s been avoiding me. Upon entering the room I notice he’s alone, so I sit down next to him on the lounge suite. He’s playing with his phone, but he looks up, exhales, and then goes back to fiddling around with his phone.

“Chad, what have I done?” I ask and he looks up at me raising an eyebrow.

“Sorry?”

I slide in right next to him so our legs are touching. It doesn’t go unnoticed by me or him the instant feeling of warmth that radiates through us both at our touch.

“Well, over the last two months you’ve been avoiding me like I have the plague or something equally as nasty?”

He shrugs and returns to his phone, so I huff and pull his phone from hands and turn to face him fully. He looks at me and I see the hesitation in his eyes.

“Ella, it is what it is, okay? You have your new…friends now. Annie’s got her issues. Aston’s got Amber and Caleb’s preoccupied, everyone’s fine without me and I’ve got my phone. So if I can have it back, please?” he asks. I shake my head and throw it to the other side of the lounge behind me. He huffs loudly and moves to stand up to retrieve it, but I pull on his arm forcing him sit down.

He groans and glares at me. “Ella, just leave it,” he says and I shake my head.

“Chad, you’re my friend. Hell, really, you’re the only friend I have and right now you suck at it.”

“Maybe I don’t want to be your friend,” I think I hear him murmur.

“Huh?” I ask wanting him to repeat what he’s just said to make sure I’ve heard him correctly.

“Nothing.”

“No, you said you don’t want to be my friend? Why not? What did I do to upset you?” Tears prick at my eyes as I begin to feel distressed because the last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt Chad in any way.

“It’s not like that, Ella, just please leave it. You have Danger, he’s all the friend you need, right?” he says standing up to leave.

“So just because me and Danger have a thing… What? Does that mean I can’t have any guy friends, is that it?” I ask as he looks back over his shoulder his eyes are sad and he’s frowning.

“No Ella, it means the type of friendship I want, I can’t have. Danger’s made that perfectly clear,” he says picking up his phone to leave again.

“What do you mean Danger’s made it clear? Chad?” I call out, but he continues to walk from the room. I stand wondering what the hell Chad meant. So I go to find Danger.

Storming down the halls to the Recoil green room to find Danger, once there I barge in not knocking.

“What the hell did you say to Chad?” I yell looking right at Danger. Ryan, Matt, and Nate all stare at me raising their eyebrows.

“What?” Danger asks.

“Chad said that you made it perfectly clear to him that you’re all the guy friend I need. What the hell does that mean, Danger? Chad can’t be my friend because he’s a guy?” I yell and Ryan, Matt, and Nate all stand up and slowly leave the room.

“Fuck, he’s a little shit for repeating that to you,” he says rubbing the back of his neck.

“Oh my God, so you did say something to Chad? What the hell did you tell him?”

“Sugar, it’s not as simple as that,” he says.

I scoff and place my hands on my hips. “For the last two months while Chad’s been ignoring me, I’ve been telling you how much it hurts me that Chad doesn’t talk to me. And all that time you knew exactly why he hasn’t spoken to me. It’s because you told him not to, you bastard. Why the fuck would you do that, Danger, huh?”

He exhales and places his hands on my shoulders trying to placate me. It doesn’t work.

“Ella, calm down. I simply told Chad to stay away from you because you belong to me,” he says.

I open my eyes wide and scoff. “Excuse me? We haven’t even discussed if we’re using the term ‘girlfriend and boyfriend’ regarding our relationship, and yet you have the misguided perception that I belong to you?” I yell and he shakes his head and tries to pull me to him. I flinch away and push at his chest. “You’re fucking crazy, and why should my friend stay away from me in the first place? Just because he’s a guy, is that it?” I yell and Danger’s face contorts and his body stiffens.

“No, Ella, because Chad’s in love with you, for fuck’s sake,” he yells, I scoff and laugh at him.

“You’re just being an idiot now,” I say and he throws his hands in the air.

“Right, so in Turkey when you two were dancing in the club and there was all that chemistry flying around the room, you’re telling me you didn’t feel it? Or couldn’t at least see it coming from him?” he asks standing right in front of me looking into my eyes. I have to look away from his intense stare because I don’t have an answer.

“No, there was nothing there, Danger. That was just to make you jealous and look at you harbouring all this jealousy since then, that I didn’t even know about. There’s nothing between me and Chad, there never has been.” I turn away from him because I can’t look at him right now.

“Oh right, so you’re telling me that if I weren’t here you wouldn’t go running to Chad then?”

I turn back and face him, glaring. “No Danger, it’s you I want not him. Why is this even a thing? I had no idea you had a problem with Chad, and now I find out you’re telling him to keep away from me? I don’t even know how that sits with me at the moment,” I say and he shakes his head.

“Ella, if you feel something for him, tell me.”

I open my eyes wide and groan out loud. “Oh…my…God. Have you not been listening to a word I’ve been saying? He’s a friend, Danger. You’re the one I go to every night, not him. I just can’t believe you went behind my back like this. I also can’t believe you think he’s in love with me. I don’t believe you’re on the right track there either. No wonder he’s avoiding me if you’re spinning this shit to him. He probably thinks I’m a complete idiot. Thanks for going behind my back, who knows what else you’re doing when I’m not around,” I yell as my heart speeds up and my palms sweat. I feel so angry I want to explode.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” he says as I turn and head for the door.

“I don’t know, got anything else you need to tell me?”

“No Ella, I’m not keeping anything from you,” he says.

“Good, keep it that way,” I say and walk out.

“Ella, don’t you walk out like this,” he calls out but doesn’t follow me. He knows I’m pissed and as my feet hit the floor, my heart thunders in my chest with the same ferocity as my mood. I need to get out of here. I’m so angry at Danger, but I’m equally as pissed at Chad for not telling me that Danger warned him off and he didn’t tell me. I can’t believe these men are talking about me and making decisions about my life without me.

Well, that’s not on. I need some air. It’s the middle of the day, so none of the minions should be here for tonight’s show, and I need to be outside. Get some normality back into my life, so I leave via the fire exit of the Moody Theatre and walk outside. I notice Mike the security guard follow me outside the venue and over to a park bench. I storm across with Mike in tow and sit down breathing out forcefully, letting out all my pent up rage. Mike stands next to me at the end of the bench and doesn’t say anything, but is merely there guarding me like he’s supposed to.

“Why are men so stupid?” I ask him and he looks at me and grins.

“Is this a trick question, Miss Ella?”

“No, I just want to know why men are such immature dumb jackasses?”

“Because men don’t have the same brain capacity like women do to think and react rationally to some situations, especially when it comes to matters of the heart.”

I throw my hands in the air and exhale. “Exactly! See, you get it, why don’t they?”

He chuckles. “Well, if you promise not to get me sacked…it might be because they’re rock stars. In my experience, rock stars are highly emotional people.”

“I know, right! God, I don’t get why he would think that Chad is in love with me, or why he should even care. We’re not even officially a couple, he’s made that perfectly clear himself. So what the actual fuck?” I say loudly and then groan in annoyance as Mike chuckles.

“Miss Ella, is there someone you’d like me to call for you, or somewhere you’d like me to take you. I don’t think we should stay out here for too long.”

I stand up, straighten out my dress and exhale. “No, thank you. I think I’m okay now. Thanks for letting me vent, and thank you for following me out that was kind of you. I would’ve hated for some of those nasty minions to have found me. I wasn’t thinking, I let me temper rule my mind,” I say as we make our way back to the Moody Theatre. Mike smiles as we walk inside and he takes his position back at the exit. I continue down the hall and accidentally bump into Chad so I quickly grab his arm. He looks at me with dull eyes and huffs.

“What Ella?” he asks and I furrow my brows.

“Don’t take that tone with me, Chad. I’m your friend, you’ve known me your whole life. You might have been asked to stay away from me by Danger, but I’m telling you now that isn’t going to happen and I had nothing to do with it. You’re part of my life and I love having you in it. The last couple of months without you has been weird and upsetting. Yeah, you’ve been around for the band, but you’ve always been there for me and lately you haven’t. I don’t know the reason and I don’t need to know the reason. But it stops now, do you hear me? No more bullshit cock size competitions between you and Danger. You’re both in my life, so work together or both get the hell out of it. Got it?” I say and Chad raises an eyebrow and smirks.

“Bossy Ella, I like this side of you. It’s actually a turn on,” he says.

“Eww Chad, stop!” I say, but secretly the thought of turning him on makes my insides quiver with excitement.

“Ella, like I always say, I’m here for you. Just keep your hound off me and we’ll be okay,” he says and I nod.

“Don’t worry, he’ll know his place, I assure you.” Anger surges through me when I think of Danger and the trouble he’s caused.

“Well, that’s good to know.” He leans in kissing my forehead. “I just want you to be happy, you know?” I’m a little taken aback, it’s such a sweet thing to say.

“Well, I want you to be happy too, Chad.”

“Just make sure that you are happy because seeing you happy is what makes me happy.”

I smile and nod linking my arm with his. “Okay deal. Wanna go play Xbox?”

I look at him and nod as we walk toward the green room.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that Danger warned me off. You seemed happy with him and I didn’t want to interfere with that,” he says.

I tense up thinking of how much Danger has betrayed my trust. “It’s okay. I can see how it put you in a tough spot. But please, don’t stop being my friend because of a stupid misunderstanding. I miss you too much to go that long again without you,” I say and he smiles and pulls me to his side.

“I missed you too, chimichurri,” he says.

I laugh hard. I’ve completely missed his condiment name calling over the last two months. We go to the green room and spend the rest of the afternoon together, just being friends and having fun. I’ve missed him so much. I don’t want to see Danger or have him anywhere near me at the moment, I’m too angry with him.

 

***

 

The hours fly by quickly, and it’s just about time for Recoil to head out onto the stage to perform. I figure I should probably rip this off like a Band-Aid. I’ve let it go on for long enough, so I begin the walk down and wait by the side of the stage to see Danger. He spots me, opening his eyes wide and grabs hold of my shoulders upon reaching me.

“Where have you been, I’ve been looking for you?” he asks sounding panicked.

“I was hanging out with Chad,” I say and he raises an eyebrow. “What! That’s okay, right? Seeing as he’s just my friend. We spoke about this Danger. I’m not telling you again—”

“Okay, I get it, I get it. He’s a friend. It’s just I know he has a hard on for you. Why can’t you see that?” Danger says and I roll my eyes.

“Danger, Chad does not like me like that. Do you have to be so crude? We’ve grown up together, it would be weird. Plus, you’re my…whatever the hell we are. So he knows, even if he did have feelings that I’m out of bounds. You have nothing to worry about.”

He exhales and slumps his body. “I don’t like it,” he says and I shrug.

“Honestly, I don’t care. Chad is my friend, and if you can’t handle us being friends then I can’t handle being your…whatever I am.”

“Okay, I get it. I’ll back off, but if he touches you—”

“He won’t—”

“He better not.”

Leaning in toward Danger and grabbing his shirt collar, I pull him to me so our lips are barely touching. “He won’t, I’m yours,” I reiterate. He leans forward crashing his lips to mine and wrapping his body around me holding me tightly to him. After a day of fighting, I just want to go back to being with each other. I pull back and look into his blue eyes, they’re sparkling with intense lust.

“I’m still angry with you,” I say and he frowns.

“I know, I’m sorry. I know now I did the wrong thing. Telling Chad to back off was a dick move. But Ella, I want you to myself,” he says and I shake my head.

“Still doesn’t give you the right to tell my best friend to stop being my friend.”

“I know. I’m an ass and I’m really sorry. I know you’re good friends, I just hate that he’s known you that long. He has so many years on me.”

“Danger, I’m yours. Just yours.”

He smirks and rests his forehead against mine. “After your set, I want to take you somewhere in this building, I don’t care where, but I need to be inside of you, sugar,” he whispers in my ear. Then bites on my earlobe tugging firmly while groping my arse cheek. He leans in taking my lips forcefully and then finishes with a bite to my bottom lip. I giggle at his playful act of dominance. He lets me go and looks at me waiting for my approval. I nod, and he runs up onto the stage to his awaiting fans.

I wrap my arms around my body trying to stop myself from bursting out all over the place in excitement. I feel so alive around Danger. He has me combusting on the spot, and I’m not sure if the hairs standing up on my arms are from him being near or from the thought of what’s going to happen after I get off the stage tonight, but either way I’m excited. I turn and make my way back to the Staked green room to get ready noticing Chad standing back and watching me. He halfheartedly smiles, so I walk over to him.

“How much did you see?” I ask and he lets out a contained laugh.

“All of it,” he says sounding more deflated than I think he wanted to let on.

“Look, I know you’re worried about me, but I’m okay…really. As long as you two get along that’s all that matters to me,” I say and he exhales and swallows hard.

“Why do you have to have sex with him? He looks filthy,” he teases.

I laugh and slap his chest. “Why do you have to have sex with groupies? They look worse,” I say and he furrows his brows.

“I do not have sex with groupies!”

I raise my eyebrow and smirk. “Really?”

He looks away from me and shakes his head. “No, I call them admirers,” he explains and I laugh, but behind my laugh is a sudden wave of jealousy and it takes me by surprise. He looks at me and raises an eyebrow at my sudden change in demeanor.

“You okay?” he asks taking my hand in his. A shock wave flows through his hand and into mine, and suddenly I think what if the feelings I felt before were because Chad was here. Danger had gone, he’s on stage, so why did I have that feeling flow over me like I wanted to combust.

Could it be because Chad was near?

Holy Shit!

I take my hand from Chad and look into his eyes and then I see it, the flash of something more than friendship, the flash of allure and lust. I know that look because that’s what I see in Danger’s eyes.

“Shit!” I say out loud.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” he asks bringing his hand up to touch my forehead, but I flinch out of the way and take a step back.

“I have to go,” I say and start to walk away.

“Ella?” Chad calls out and begins to follow me.

“Chad, I need some space, okay?” I call back and turn around to face him and show him that I’m completely serious. He looks at me, stops in his tracks and watches as I turn around and walk toward our green room with a confused head and a sinking feeling in my gut.