YOU KNOW THAT feeling you get when you know you’ve said too much of the heavy things that should really never be spoken out loud in the first place? I had that feeling, in my stomach the entire time we walked down to the beach. Will didn’t seem to mind my silence, but I minded. I minded that I’d basically exposed myself to him a very vulnerable way and he’d chosen silence. Again.

And the more I thought about it the more disappointed I became.

Until Demetri’s words hit me all over again like a sense of Déjà Vu when I saw his face near the bonfire.

“He doesn’t hate you. He hates himself.”

I stumbled into the sand, Will gripped my arm and kept me from planting my face in the dirt. “You okay?”

“I don’t hate you.” I said the same thing that the guys had said to me over and over again this past week. I looked up at Will and spoke slower, with more meaning. “I could never hate you, Will. Ever. No matter what’s been said, you aren’t easy to hate. You’re just easy to miss, which means it’s easy to be sad and turn that sadness into anger, especially when I blame myself.”

“There isn’t a chance in hell I’m ever letting you believe this was all on you, Ang. Not now, not ever, I’ve been thinking and—”

“You guys made it!” Zane yelled, “Come on!”

“Later,” he whispered, gripping my hand so tight I couldn’t let go even if I wanted to. He held it the entire way to the bonfire.

And before I even felt the flames.

I felt heat.

The Sutherland Sunset folks — a real phenomenon.

“I thought you weren’t going to come.” Fallon jumped over and gave Will a side hug and handed me a bag of mallows. “Hide these just in case we run out, I’m not going back to the store again because Zane has no self-control.”

I winked. “Got it.”

“What are you going to do, sit on them?” Will asked.

“Or…” I quickly dropped them to the sand and covered them up. “I’ll just bury them.”

“I always knew I liked you.” Fallon grinned and walked off to join Zane while I made sure my marshmallow nest was covered so the greedy little rock star wouldn’t find it and steal the goods.

“All right, calm down people.” Jay raised his hands high. “I know I promised we wouldn’t talk about work—”

Alec groaned, and Demetri gave him the middle finger.

The rest of the girls laughed while Linc made out with Dani in the corner. I quickly looked away.

“But…” Jay looked directly at Will. “I’d like to officially welcome Will Sutherland, teen pop star who set a million hearts a flutter.” Will groaned into his hands. “Back from the dead. Today is the first day in five years you don’t look like a stock broker or a Hollywood agent.”

“Here, here!” Everyone raised their drinks, a mix of soda, beer, and water was thrust into the air, mainly because most of the guys had stopped drinking heavily once they settled down. We’d all had our addictions and each stepping-stone led to another trap for us.

I knew it well.

Thus the water bottle currently in my hand.

Will looked like he was either ready to punch Jay or make a run for it, but then he laughed.

Loudly.

Beautifully.

Like he was finally free.

After years of being in prison.

I gawked.

And I’m sure the rest of the people present were thinking the same thing, at least the females. Damn the man was made well.

Tight muscles wrapped around his body, the body of a man, no more teen idol here folks, his square jaw, mussed hair, and soulful eyes were enough to make me feel the need to look away.

Directly at a very amused looking Nat who winked and elbowed Lyss. Great both girls looked ready to plan my wedding.

“Right, Ang?” Jay asked.

“Hmm? Yes, what?” Was I staring that long?

“He looks good, just like he used to.” Jay just had to bring the past up didn’t he?

“He’s always looked good,” I said in a very PC way.

“I disagree.” Zane tossed a marshmallow at me then eyed Will up and down. “When I first met you, you were the one almost naked, my friend.”

“Think you could manage to bury me in that sand with the marshmallows?” Will murmured under his breath in a teasing tone just out of earshot of everyone.

I popped a marshmallow into my mouth and sat, patting the place next to me, “I think you’re too big, too much physical labor on my part.”

“In my defense.” Will directed his attention to Zane. “It was the Stripped tour.”

“Oh I know what tour it was.” Zane grinned. “Because every day on stage you legitimately stripped until girls cried. I’ve never seen so many bras come off in my entire life.”

“Until he took the stage.” Demetri added.

Everyone laughed, but I was having trouble not remembering the first time I met Will, when my world had shifted and demanded it join his.

“Isn’t that the tour you guys met on?” Alec piped up.

“Yeah.” Will loaded up a stick with marshmallows and held it over the fire, “I was supposed to be in one of her latest movies, but sucked so bad they had to take out almost all of my cameos.”

“You do suck as an actor,” Demetri agreed. “Unless Jay gives you no lines and then suddenly, poof, you can act.”

“What can I say?” Jay shrugged, “I’m a good director, I know my actors.”

“Those were good days, right? Touring? No sleep? All nighters.”

Everyone started groaning and I actually joined in.

“Honestly, it was fun, still is.” Zane wrapped an arm round Fallon, “When you have someone to keep you focused on the important things, but guys, I say this with absolute conviction, I think I’m turning into Will.”

Will gave him the finger.

“What?” Zane flipped him off right back. “I’m getting too old for this shit, I just want a nice cup of hot chocolate, five mallows, some reality TV, and an early bedtime, what’s so wrong with that?”

“Have fun with this one, Fallon.” Demetri made a face. “Maybe force him outside later this week so he at least gets some fresh air.”

“Her air’s better.” Zane kissed her neck.

Demetri gagged while I giggled.

“My hip hurts,” Alec blurted. “Like at least twice a day. I keep ignoring it.”

Nat elbowed him in the ribs. “Maybe stop jumping off stages.”

“I did that once last year!”

“And now he has a hip injury.” Demetri laughed. “Well that’s depressing. We’re barely approaching our mid-twenties, the only old guy here is the one not complaining.”

“Can we not call me old?” Will raised his hand, “I have what? Six years on you guys? Seven?”

“Ten.” Fallon grinned.

“We won’t count her, ruins the average” Zane put her hands down and kissed her.

“Says the twenty-two-year-old.” Will pulled his marshmallow back and pressed it between the graham crackers, placed a half of a candy bar on it and then handed it to me. “There you go.”

“Did you just feed Angelica Greene chocolate?” Demetri said in a surprised voice. “I tried it once, almost lost a testicle in the process. Fascinating, she lets you feed her…” He winked to show he was joking.

I took it, shoved half of it in my mouth, and then flipped him off with marshmallow sticking to half of my chin.

Demetri clapped his hands “See? Everyone happier when they… eat.”

“Food.” Zane coughed.

Will shifted next to me, then handed me another marshmallow and another. All in all over the course of an hour I’d eaten three and was ready to fall asleep on his shoulder.

Most of the girls looked sleepy and even the guys looked done, and it was only ten, but most of us had been up as early as 3 a.m. on set, so it was to be expected.

I yawned behind my hand then just gave up and laid my head in Will’s lap, I didn’t realize he was playing with my hair until he suddenly stopped.

“Let’s get home,” he said.

I nodded as he helped me to my feet.

“Make sure you feed her,” Zane said in a mocking tone. “Just in case she didn’t eat enough food…”

I could have sworn Will said something like, “If only she’d let me,” but I was too tired to care.