“Dude, why the fuck is your dick in my hip?” Loren shoved me off him before I could respond.
Slowly, my eyes opened, and I looked around.
Where the hell was I?
It wasn’t until my vision cleared that I recognized the bedroom and noticed the fact that my best friends and I were in it alone. I immediately climbed off, my motion startling Houston awake and annoying Loren, who sucked his teeth. Houston slowly rose to sit on the edge of the bed while Loren rolled over onto his stomach and fell back asleep.
After checking the bathroom for Braxton, I hurried to the front of the bus where I could have sworn I heard two voices speaking. I couldn’t think of any reason someone would bother us this early, but nevertheless, I smelled trouble.
When I made it to the front, that’s exactly what I found, but it was the last person I expected to see.
Braxton was sitting at the table with Oni fucking Sridhar.
“What the hell are you doing?” I immediately barked. She was a long way from Los Angeles, and her presence didn’t make any sense. Nor was it welcome. Braxton gave me a look that said she disapproved of my rudeness, and I found myself dialing it back.
Day one, and she already owned me.
Oni, however, castrated me with her gaze as she looked me over. Ever the professional, she wore a tailored, navy blue suit, nude heels on her feet, and dark hair falling in waves down her back. She was beautiful, but a viper, nonetheless. “Carl sent me to check on things.”
“I don’t remember that being a part of your job description.”
“It’s not.”
At the moment, I was regretting making Loren stick to our pact. I could really use a drink, and it was only seven in the morning.
“Now it’s my turn to ask the questions. I checked the bunks when I arrived and didn’t see anyone.” Her manicured finger waved back and forth between Braxton and me. “What’s going on here?”
“None of your business.”
I sat down at the table next to my girl, and because I felt like being a dick, I pulled her into my lap. Braxton didn’t fight me or pull away, but I could tell she was uncomfortable. There was nothing I was willing to do about that, though, since I refused to hide her in private. There was nothing we could do to prevent the backlash, but as soon as we found a suitable way to announce our relationship, I wouldn’t be denying her in public either.
Loren and Houston felt the same.
“I see,” Oni said in response to my claim. I noticed how her gaze immediately shifted to meet Braxton’s.
I didn’t get the chance to decipher that look because the bunk door had slid open, and Houston walked through. He noticed Oni immediately but didn’t react. As if she weren’t even there, he walked over to the table and took his time kissing Braxton good morning.
“Sridhar,” he finally acknowledged before moving over to the couch.
“Morrow,” she returned as the wheels in her mind turned.
I didn’t want to care what Oni was thinking, but I would if it in any way altered the decision Braxton had made last night. I knew not everyone would accept or understand the unconventional aspect of our relationship, but my ability to care only extended as far as how it would affect Braxton. The rest of the world could eat itself.
Sitting down, Houston grabbed the pad and pen he used to jot down lyrics from the ottoman we used as a table. He’d been writing last night while Braxton was in the shower and didn’t get to finish before we decided to corner her.
Thank God it worked. Braxton saying yes was the only reason I was in the mood to deal with Oni’s shit right now.
“So will you be joining us for the rest of the tour?” Braxton inquired with a deep frown on her face. I don’t think she was opposed to the possibility like I was—just confused.
I prayed Oni said no.
“Thankfully, no,” she said, answering my prayers. “I’m only here to see the show tonight, and then I’m on a red-eye back to Los Angeles.”
The troubled look didn’t leave Braxton’s eyes, and I cursed Calvin and Oni both for putting this shit on her shoulders when she was already dealing with enough. Mainly us. “Why would Carl choose me to replace Calvin if he didn’t think I could handle it?”
“He didn’t choose you,” Oni reminded her. “I did.”
For some reason, she gave me a pointed look at that last part. Was I supposed to be thanking her or something?
Yeah, without Oni, we would never have found Braxton, but it’s not like she knew what would happen. She didn’t know we’d fall for our rebel, and I doubt she’d have chosen Braxton if she had known. Oni had a lot of reasons to feel guilty, but she never showed it. Not even once. Why would she care to right her wrongs now?
I glanced over my shoulder at Houston, who was pretending he wasn’t listening to every word as he continued to scribble new lyrics. He’d tweak it again later once he was ready to establish a melody. I wondered if he’d let Braxton help since I knew he had her to thank for the inspiration. Yes, I’d sneaked a peek at some of the lyrics.
Braxton nodded, acknowledging Oni’s claim, but didn’t say more about it. She probably sensed, like I had, that it wasn’t actually meant for her. “Would you like some coffee?” she offered Sridhar.
Immediately, I tightened my hold on her hips. I didn’t want her getting up just yet.
“I’ll take tea if you have it.”
The bunk door slid open again just as Braxton was standing. I noticed how she moved a little gingerly and smirked. I’d never fucked anyone as hard as I had her last night and was already eager to do it again. I knew she’d let me despite the fight she put up.
Loren was awake, hair sticking up, and wearing a frown that cleared the moment he noticed Oni. Without a word or making a sound, he turned on his heel and disappeared again. It was probably for the best since Loren was cranky enough in the mornings without throwing someone he hated into the mix.
Braxton fixed Oni’s tea, and as she handed it to her along with the milk and sugar Oni had requested, a knock sounded on the door. Without looking up from his pad, Houston shouted for the person to enter, and the door slid open, revealing Xavier.
“You got to be fucking kidding me,” he snapped the moment he saw Oni.
“That’s funny,” she said without missing a beat. “I was going to say the same about your tie.”
“I’m not wearing one.”
She gave him that same deprecating look she gave me, except much slower—like she was taking her time. Xavier always wore his suits without a tie. He preferred to keep the top buttons of his shirt undone, showing off his chest and the dark skin underneath.
“My point exactly.”
I stood from the table and joined Houston on the couch. He had to be the one who’d called Xavier over here though I didn’t know why. Those two hated each other even more than we did. “You know they’re just going to argue all day and pretend we’re the reason for it, right?”
Houston looked up from the line he was writing down and over at me.
“Exactly.” After glancing at Braxton, whose brown eyes were darting between Xavier and Oni as they traded insults, he met my gaze again. “They can keep each other occupied. I’d much rather we handle that.”
Houston tipped his head toward Braxton, and I knew he was referring to the doubt in her eyes and the fact that she was back inside her head.
Content with his plan, I nodded as I sat back. All the while, I kept Braxton in my line of sight. Making sure she didn’t change her mind was at the top of my priorities. Not even our show tonight would keep me from her if she tried to run away from us again.
