Page 4 of Covet (The Red #3)

Chapter Four

Noah

Listen to Feel it All

by Jordan Frye

I waited for Elle and tried to convince myself it was a regular hang out.

We were friends. We had a shared interest in music and I knew she was going through a rough time with Landon leaving. She was in love with Coop, and I was in love with Daisy. There was nothing wrong with the pitch I was about to make.

My brain rationalized but my heart called me a liar. Already, the thought of her spicy scent filling up the apartment — of her husky voice saying my name, singing my songs — made my body ache with need.It was getting worse.

I tightened my fists. My gaze settled on the oversize picture Daisy had just hung on the wall.

Gabby had snapped the photo at one of our late-night hangouts.

The two of us were laughing, drinks in hand, arms slung around each other.

If I was a stranger looking at us, I’d believe we fit.

There was a sense of comfort around Daisy I counted on to ease the rough edges.

She made me a better man, and over the year we’d been together, our relationship had grown faster than I expected.

Relationships weren’t easy for me. Besides most women not being interesting enough to turn my head, my crazy ass schedule killed any type of stability normal couples thrived on.

I worked nights, slept days, and was obsessed with music.

I had no time or motivation to cater to a needy female, especially since I was around strange women on a regular basis.

Daisy was different. She trusted me. She was supportive of my career, showed up at most events, and embraced all my friends as hers.

Even better? Her gentle heart was the missing element we all seemed to need.

I didn’t have the horror show of a past Adam did, but my parents never supported me chasing this type of lifestyle.

My older brother was an accountant, married, and with a kid on the way.

Jed lived five minutes away from my parents near Cooperstown and was the golden child.

I was more grateful than jealous—my brother got all the attention which allowed me to follow my own dreams. But everyone in my circle had tried to dissuade me from coming to New York to make a go out of this type of lifestyle, giving me innate doubt of my abilities.

Seeing Adam make it big gave me hope. Daisy’s soothing support gave me a solid foundation and allowed me to keep focus.

She was an innate nurturer, and would finally graduate in June with her nursing degree.

She worked damn hard at her internship, dealing with patient and doctor stress that she handled with a smile.

Her positivity balanced my creative chaos.

There was so much about Daisy to love. And I did.

In my own way. A healthy way.

Just not the way I loved Elle.

No lines had been crossed, and I intended to keep it that way.

After the blow-up with Landon and Adam, splintering our friend group, there was no way I’d repeat the process.

Daisy didn’t deserve such a betrayal. Besides, Elle loved Coop, which gave me the barrier I desperately needed to keep myself in check.

But if I told her about the call I just had with Adam’s manager, JJ?

Our relationship would change. Lines would get blurred.

Would I be the man I imagined and resist temptation to save everyone left?

If Elle said yes, I’d find out.

On cue, she knocked at the door.

I opened it and tried not to reveal my greedy stare.

Elle was stunning. Her long dark hair, wide coco-brown eyes, and glowing skin radiated a natural vibe that made a person need to stop and look.

Her lips were a natural deep shade of red with a perfect bow shape.

She gave off a presence that made her a perfect performer; a warm, sensual energy that crackled from her figure.

Those large, mysterious dark eyes sucked me in, making it hard to look away until you knew her secrets.

She practically begged to be corrupted, with her good-girl-next-door smile and hot lithe body.

Landon and Gabby were total smoke shows but it was more in-your-face. With Elle, the subtle pull made her the one who was remembered.

Hell, at least by me.

Of course, I knew she was already being fucked well by Coop.

He loved to talk about their venture into voyeurism and public sex.

Said Elle got off on the danger of it all.

Hearing about their sex life killed me but I just laughed and pretended to blow it off.

If I thought Coop was fulfilling all of her needs, it might be easier to accept them as a couple.

But each time I watched them together, I knew in my gut Coop wasn’t right for her.

He had no idea about her depths; her heart; her secrets.

He only wanted to fuck her and then go work out at the gym with Max.

Once, I’d thought me and Coop would be closer since he was a creative like me and Adam. He loved his photography. But then I realized he used it for a different purpose. He saw pictures as a commodity, not a discovery. Elle used acting to hide because she wasn’t comfortable yet with who she was.

But I knew what she needed in order to find herself.

Music.

Elle’s heart was hidden in the songs she sang. The ones I’d specifically written for her. She pushed away her natural gift to focus on acting because it was safer. But her voice was meant for so much more.

It was time to push and make her listen.

“Extra ketchup and greasy food for the win,” she sang, walking in and dropping the bags on the coffee table.

I grinned and snatched some plates from the kitchen. “Thanks, I needed this. My schedule is so messed up. I had two gigs back-to-back and then I couldn’t sleep.”

Elle nodded. “I hear you. I worked some extra shifts at Red this week and had the same problem. I know it sounds weird but—” she trailed off. Those wide brown eyes filled with shadows.

“It’s not the same since we all stopped hanging out.”

Her gaze swung to mine. “Yeah,” she said softly. “I got used to blowing off steam with everyone after shifts. But we haven’t’ seen each other and it’s like my energy is?—”

“Stuck.”

She laughed and shook her head. The shiny strands of her hair floated over her shoulders. I fisted my hands so I didn’t do something stupid like reach out to touch her. “I swear, Noah, sometimes I think you’re in my head.”

I wanted to be in other places, like that plump, wet mouth. Or between her thighs, shoving myself deep into her clingy heat. But Daisy’s face flashed in my face, and I shoved the sick need down for a woman who’d never be mine.

God, I was as bad as Max. Maybe worse, because my cheating was emotional and hidden behind friendship. Could I do this? If I made Elle this offer, we’d be together constantly. I couldn’t betray Daisy and play these games with myself. It wasn’t fair to any of us.

I turned my back and grabbed the food out of the paper sack. “That’s what friends are for,” I said. “Speaking of which, have you spoken to Landon?”

She collapsed on the sofa and tucked one leg under her knee. “Yeah. She and Adam are doing great. Of course, Coop was steaming and we got into a fight about them again. Pass the fries?”

I squeezed on pools of ketchup and slid them to the middle. “Yeah, Max is still pissed and trashing Adam to anyone who’ll listen. I’m sure Coop feels torn.”

“He didn’t tell me about the video.” She nibbled on a fry, a tiny crease between her brows. “That’s messed up. He should’ve trusted me.”

“If Landon asked you to keep a secret, would you tell Coop?”

Her eyes widened. I had no trouble talking to Elle bluntly. It was part of what made us close; I spoke with her as a friend, not as a guy wanting to make her happy so he could fuck her. “I hate that question,” she muttered.

I laughed and took a bite of my burger. “Sorry.”

“I did know about Landon and Adam but when I found out, they’d already decided to tell everyone. Landon didn’t want me to have to keep her secret. She knew I couldn’t lie to Coop.”

It made sense. Elle was loyal, but had her limits. I was glad Landon didn’t drag her into lying to protect her secret.

Elle took a big sip of Diet Coke. “The video was different. You knew too, right?”

I winced at the memory of that night and how we all agreed to cover Max. “Yeah, I did. And no, I didn’t tell Daisy.”

“It’s so fucked up,” she said. “Men stick together over lies and then wonder why we give them a hard time about trust.”

“You’re right. But I’m sure girls do the same thing if they’re close. We were all tight. I didn’t like keeping his secret, but I also felt like it wasn’t my business. Landon and Max’s relationship was always rocky.”

Elle seemed to think about it as she ate more fries. “Can I ask you something else then? Something important?”

“Sure.”

Suddenly, those doe brown eyes trapped me in her gaze. I stilled, trying not to breathe as raw emotion hammered at me, and in that moment, I knew my answer was going to change everything between us.

Elle was going to demand the whole truth.

And I was going to give it to her.