Who He Is Read online

  A few heavy grunts came from the front of the bus. Figuring it was Ben, I stepped out to check but was caught by surprise at the sight of Gage with at least four suitcases—one in each hand and one beneath the pit of each arm. “Do you need help?” I asked as he kicked the screen door to keep it open, dragging another case inside.

  He looked up at me, his hazel eyes narrowing and trying to figure out who the voice had come from. “Oh, Ellie.” He grinned. “It’d be nice if I could get your help.”

  I stepped forward, grabbed the two suitcases out of his hands, and placed them near the sofas. Gage stepped around me and dropped the bags with a heavy sigh. “Sorry. My dad packs more stuff than he needs.” I laughed

  He chuckled. “I can see that.” He took in the interior of the bus and his eyes widened. “Wow, never been on this bus before. Ben has it good—way better than us.”

  “Yeah.” I forced a smile before looking down, realizing how close we were. His firm arm was brushing against mine, so I took a step away. He looked at me, his gaze a bit confused, and then rocked on his heels.

  “So since you’re on this tour, it means I’m gonna be seeing more of you,” he said.

  I twisted my fingers in front of me, forcing a smile. I think it came off as uneasy. “I suppose.”

  His head tilted and a small smile graced his lips. “You don’t seem too happy about it. I bet it’s every girl’s dream to be next to the lead singer of FireNine.”

  He nudged me gently on the ribcage with his elbow and I laughed dryly, taking another step away from him. “I forgot how arrogant you are. I’m not every girl. I’m Eliza. I like your music… but that’s probably about it.”

  Gage’s features fell as he stared at me. Before he could make it too noticeable, he blinked quickly and flashed a smile, as if what I said meant nothing to him. “We’ll see about that, Ellie. Maybe I can get you to like more about me than just my music.”

  “Yeah, okay,” I scoffed. I was surprised I was so confident while talking to him. It felt good to pretend I didn’t have the biggest crush on him. I didn’t want him to know, with one simple touch, he could probably make me weak in the knees. Gage seemed to have that kind of power over girls. He was the lead singer of a popular band, for heaven’s sake. He was probably right about him being every girl’s dream because sometimes he appeared in mine.

  “Gage! We’re waiting on you!” someone shouted from the door. “Bring your ass on!”

  “Yeah, let’s get this show on the road!” I heard Ben yell, clapping his hands. “Terri, I want you to make sure everyone and everything is on board before we leave. You have five minutes.”

  After some quick yelling at a few others, Ben stepped onto the bus and looked directly at Gage. “Thanks for dropping my bags off. Things are always so hectic at the beginning of tours. New staff and they don’t know a damn thing.” He rolled his eyes, making his way toward his suitcases.

  Gage nodded at Ben and then looked at me. As he stepped past, he winked, but I looked away and aimed to keep my heart at a steady pace. I failed terribly but was glad no one could hear the clambering through my chest because of all the commotion going on from outside. “See you later, Ellie,” Gage said, his voice a bit silkier than usual.

  He took his last step off the bus and then hollered at someone, making my ears ring. I looked out of the thin window in front of me and watched as he bumped chests with Roy Sykes, the lead guitarist. Roy was way taller than the rest of the boys of the band and had shaggy hair that hung in his eyes. He had a lean stature and was covered in ink—way more ink than Gage.

  Roy was hot and definitely something to look at as well, but from what I’d heard about him, he was soft spoken. He was comfortable with his band (by the way he was jumping and bumping fists with Gage, I could tell), but when it came to outsiders, he hardly said a thing. I don’t think anyone had ever caught an interview with Roy Sykes. He was the mystery man of FireNine.

  Gage and Roy boarded their tour bus, which I noticed had FIRENINE printed in a fierce orange on top of the black chrome. Ben cleared his throat obnoxiously from behind me, snapping me out of my daze. I turned around and his arms were folded across his chest, his eyes glued on me.

  “What?” I asked, my cheeks sparking.

  “Ellie, huh? He’s given you a nickname… and you’re blushing? How adorable.”

  I smirked and rolled my eyes. “I don’t know why he calls me that.”

  He laughed. “You like it. Don’t act like you don’t.”

  “It’s just a name, Ben. He’s a cool guy.”

  “Yeah, whatever, sweetie. I’ve heard it all.” He walked for the stairs and laughed as he stepped off the bus again. He yelled at a few of the crewmembers and told them to get everything in order, and I sighed, going for my room of the bus.

  I slumped on the edge of the bed and it sank beneath my weight. How the hell was I actually going to survive the tour without being around Gage so much? I didn’t know if I was going to be able to act like the careless chick—I mean, I didn’t care much, but for some reason I knew I would start soon.

  Gage was my high school crush. I’d fantasized about him since day one of seeing him. I always wondered what it would be like to date him… but then he got famous and that thought vanished. I knew it was never going to happen. I was sure he had his girls lined up and his picks ready. I didn’t want to be one of those girls who did stupid things for a boy’s attention, so I decided for the entire tour to just play it cool.

  I decided to act like Eliza Smith. It’s what I was best at anyway.

  The next morning I woke up gasping and drenched in sweat. I shoved my blankets away, pushing myself up to lean my back against the headboard. The nightmare I had wasn’t pleasant. All I could remember was a large, filthy hand gripping my neck, pinning me against the wall, and… someone cackling. A clatter from the kitchen startled me and I stepped out of bed, pushing the nightmare aside. I had to get over it. I had to be strong.

  As I entered the kitchen, Ben, wearing a sky-blue robe, was humming over the stove with a spatula in hand. His hair was most likely wet and ridiculously wavy from a shower. I then realized I was still sweating. Perhaps it wasn’t just my nightmare that left me that way.

  “Good morning,” I sighed.

  He turned around, facing me quickly. Laughing, he watched me run the back of my hand over my sticky forehead before scrambling his eggs again. “We’re in New Mexico, Liza,” he said, chuckling. “The air-conditioning unit isn’t running, but I’m having someone work on it as we speak.”

  “It’s so hot.” I reached for a loose sheet of paper on the counter and fanned myself, glad he thought I was flushed over the heat instead of my night terror.

  “Well, how about you take a cold shower and I’ll make you some eggs for breakfast? The boys have a show tonight, but we have to be there in two hours so they can practice and so the crew can make sure the setup is okay.”

  I nodded, turning around. “I’ll be ready in a few minutes.”

  After taking an extremely cool shower, blow-drying my hair, and then stuffing my face with cheesy eggs, Ben and I were stepping off the bus to make our way to a pearly white Lincoln Navigator parked at the curb.

  “That’s what we’re riding in?” I asked, stunned. I couldn’t pull my eyes from the truck. It was sparkling all over and with the sun hovering above it, providing the truck a personal twinkle, it was pretty much in the limelight.

  “Yes, Liza! Gotta make ourselves look just as extravagant.” He winked over his shoulder, and I couldn’t help but stare. I’d never been on a tour with Ben before so I didn’t know what it was like to have a chauffeur or to even be taken to a show. I did know I was going to be backstage, up close and personal with the band.

  Ben swung the door open and I climbed inside. He slid in after me, but a familiar voice called his name, causing my pulse to pick up. “Benny!” Gage yelled as Ben looked his way. Ben shut his door but rolled down his window with a heavy sigh.
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br />   “What is it, Gage?” Ben snapped impatiently. “We have to be there in thirty minutes and it’s a twenty-five minute drive.”

  “Whoa now.” Gage held up his hands innocently, smirking. “We’ll get there in time. They have to wait for us regardless, right?”

  Ben pressed his lips together, rolling his eyes at the statement.

  “I just wanted to say good morning to you and your beautiful daughter Ellie.”

  My eyes stretched, heat bombarding my stomach. Ben glanced over his shoulder at me and I forced a smile before looking away and placing my sunglasses on the bridge of my nose. “You can flirt later.” Ben rolled his eyes again. “Focus on the show tonight.”

  “Oh, we’ve got this shit in the bag!” Gage yelled, taking quick steps backward as I looked in his direction. Gage’s attire was simple again. Chuck Taylor shoes, a white T-shirt with his band’s name on it, and his hair? Still untamed and all over the place yet dangerously sexy.

  With another exaggerated sigh, Ben rolled up his window and told the driver to go before we ended up late. He then looked at me and I smiled innocently, shaking my head. “He’s… funny.”

  “And a handful, yes,” Ben added.

  I waited for Ben to strike up a conversation about Gage calling me beautiful, but he didn’t. Instead, he pulled out his phone and called someone, asking them how the stage setup was going. He was ready to get to the arena and was too focused on work to be thinking about it. I doubt he put as much thought into it as I did, anyway. I don’t know why, but I couldn’t really stop myself from obsessing over his flirtatious tone. In my head, I’d always considered Gage Grendel the stunning one. The hot-ass guy with the sexy-ass body. There was no doubt he had everything a girl needed… except sympathy of the heart.

  The first show was amazing. Gage’s vocal chords were like no other. He had a distinct voice that would let you know it was him from a mile away. It was undeniably beautiful. The way his lips parted and barely touched the microphone. The way he sang softly when the bass would drop. I just wanted to get wrapped up in it—tangled between his words. If I were someone who went through with her own thoughts, I would’ve dragged him off stage just to be alone with him. He sang with such grace it almost seemed unreal. He smiled behind the mic so much—so playfully—I couldn’t help but smile with him. He was flirting with the crowd, blowing air kisses, grabbing hands of miscellaneous FireNine fangirls.

  As soon as the boys performed their last set, they pushed through the curtain to get backstage. Roy Sykes and Montana Delray stepped back first. Montana was the bassists and had blond hair that was cut and gelled into a spiky mohawk. His right eyebrow and the right corner of his bottom lip were pierced with studs, and from what I’d heard, he was the showboat of them all. He craved the attention, knowing he could never get more than Gage did. In my perspective, Gage was hotter, but Montana was extremely close.

  “We’ve got a live one back here already,” Montana said, his eyes hard on me as he placed his red bass guitar against a crate. “I call dibs.”

  He winked at me, but I swallowed hard, keeping my chin up. Ben told me not to look weak in front of the boys, and I was following through with his advice. I hadn’t been introduced to any of the boys except Gage. He repeated over and over how the boys loved to tease, and I had to suck it up and deal with it because they never held back.

  Montana stepped toward me, his light-blue eyes lax and observing me in my skinny jeans and white blouse Ben and I bought during our shopping spree for the tour. “Can I get a name?” he asked, pierced eyebrow lifting.

  “Eliza Smith.”

  “Eliza Smith,” he repeated, grinning as he rolled my name off his tongue. “I like that. Cute.”

  I sighed and took a step back. Montana’s eyes narrowed as he stared at me. “What brings you backstage? Which one of us were you hoping to run into?”

  Just as he asked, Gage came stumbling back with Dedrick Parsley, aka Deed P., the drummer, along with a whopping of screaming and shouting from the overly excited FireNine fans. As soon as Gage caught sight of Montana near me, his head slanted. “What’s up?” he asked, looking from me to Montana.

  “I called dibs,” Montana stated, smiling. “She’s cute.”

  “I’m not a pick for tonight, Montana,” I told him, lifting my hands and shrugging. “Sorry.”

  “You aren’t? What are you, then?”

  “I’m only back here because my dad is your manager.”

  Montana’s eyes stretched and Gage chuckled, clapping Montana’s shoulder. “Step off, Montana. Even if she were an after-party groupie, I’d be the one calling dibs. Not you.”

  “Oh, you think so?”

  “Know so, buddy.”

  Montana snorted a laugh and then took a step back. “Let’s hear it from Miss Eliza. If you were a groupie, who would you be waiting for right now?”

  I hesitated as all eyes turned on me. Even Roy and Deed looked at me, waiting for an answer. I had to remain confident. I wanted to keep the teasing atmosphere going so I said, “Roy Sykes. I find him handsome and unique among you all.”

  Gage’s eyes widened and Montana yelled, “Hilarious!” while chuckling.

  Roy stared at me, his dark eyes wider than I’d ever seen them beneath his shaggy hair, and then he turned around, clutching his guitar a little too tightly, causing his knuckles to pale. My smile fell rapidly as he hurried for his dressing room and slammed the door shut behind him.

  “She’s funny as hell. I like her,” Montana said, still laughing. “Don’t mind Roy. It’s been a while since he’s had a girl. He’s the weird one, if you haven’t noticed already.”

  “Yeah.” I forced a laugh, but I couldn’t help but worry for Roy. I didn’t think I said anything bad.

  Montana turned around and trailed off to his dressing room. “Time to get ready for the real ladies, then!” he hollered right before slamming his door behind him.

  Deed and Gage were still standing in front of me, and as Deed realized how awkward it was becoming, he ran a hand through his cropped, gelled black hair and turned around, his drumsticks still in hand. Deed was more slender than the other boys. I was sure he had a nice body as well; he just seemed a bit more boyish than the others.

  “Yeah, so, I’m just gonna… go.” He hesitated, switching glances between me and Gage. He then hurried down the hall and his door clicked shut behind him. Gage watched him disappear before chuckling and looking at me again.

  “Did I say something wrong?” I asked.

  “Like Montana said, Roy’s the weird one. He doesn’t like to deal with compliments… or girls.” He laughed. “He likes to remain ghostly.”

  “Oh.” I figured that was kind of impossible since he was the lead guitarist and all, but whatever.

  “It’s funny, though, Ellie.” Gage sighed, taking a step toward me. “I thought you were going to pick me.” He reached up, placing a finger on my chin, and as his skin connected with mine, my breath hitched. A zap of lightning struck my core, causing me to practically melt. I’d never known what it would be like for him to touch me, for his liquid eyes to only be on mine. It was a feeling I wanted to hang on to forever. He was so close I could smell his cologne—spicy, yet pleasing to the senses. Gage then tapped my chin twice, his eyes hard on me. “But since you’re a bigger fan of Roy… well… all I can say is good luck with that.” He winked, pulling his warm, slightly calloused fingers away. The fire that had ignited within me died down with each step he took.

  His walk was dangerously sexy—his shoulders broad, hips swinging in a completely mannish way. He rounded a corner, disappearing out of sight, and I sighed, releasing the nervous air trapped in my lungs. He’d left me completely breathless with just the touch of his fingers. I didn’t know how the hell he did it, but I wasn’t going to deny the fact that I enjoyed it. I was just never going to let him know it. I didn’t want him to figure out how he could have any control over me just by being near me.

  “Liza!” Ben’s vo
ice called from behind me. I turned to find him marching toward me, a bright smile on his lips. “Don’t be upset with me,” he said, grinning as he stopped less than an inch from me, “but we’ve decided to rent a VIP room at a club for the boys. I have some business to handle while we’re in New Mexico so I won’t be there, but I thought it’d be fun for you to hang with them for a while.”

  “Um, no.” I shook my head, staring into Ben’s eyes that would have been identical to mine if they were blue instead of warm chocolate-brown. “That’s not happening. I think I’ll just stay on the bus.”

  “Um, no,” he mimicked, “you’re not. That’s not what you came on this tour for and it won’t be an option tonight. You came to live it up a little, am I correct? To have fun?”

  “Yeah, but you know I don’t do clubs, Ben.” Plus, knowing Gage was going to be there was bothering me already. I couldn’t be at a club while he was around. I didn’t want to find out what else he could do with those hands.

  “Well, tonight will be a first night for everything. I bought you a nice dress and it’s in my dressing room. I have the keys to the tour bus, and I ordered our driver to take you straight to the club no matter how much you beg him to take you to the bus. A pretty big tip came in handy.” Ben winked, but I gave him the evil eye.

  “You’re serious?”

  “As a heart attack, sweetie. Have some fun tonight.” He squeezed my shoulders, his eyes sympathetic. “You can legally drink now so I guess I can’t tell my baby girl to stay out of trouble anymore.” He pulled away, checking his watch before stepping backward and spinning around. “I have to get going, but you know where the truck is. Don’t get too crazy, and if you need anything, call me!” he called, winking over his shoulder.

  I watched Ben walk down the hall and slip out the exit door. I couldn’t believe him. He was forcing me to stay out. Clubbing and partying was never my thing. I just couldn’t get down with the drinking and the jumping around. Seeing it on TV had always given me a headache.