Page 86 of Fireworks Flame

“It’s settled then.”

Elena laughs. “If you say so.”

“Am I missing something?” The sweet pull of my mojito eases my defensiveness. “You don’t think I can change?”

“It’s pretty obvious you already have,” she says, flipping onto her side to face me. “But I don’t think you can build a life solely around what you don’t want to do. You also have to decide what youdowant.”

“Done.” I set my drink on the little square table between us and follow her lead, turning on my side to face her. “I want to use my new ties with Bears in Captivity to connect with other bands. And I want to look for a place in Los Feliz so I can be near my friends again. Because, most importantly, I want to work things out with them. All of them, obviously, but especially Deiss.”

“He’s the one who brought you home from the airport?” At my nod, Elena licks her lips. “Yeah, I’d want to work things out with him, too. Mainly my thighs.”

I hold a hand up before she can elaborate. “You should probably know I’m in love with him.”

“You? And the smoldering guy with the sinful mouth?” Her eyes brighten with delight. “But he’s not your type at all. You don’t go for the bad boys.”

“Deiss isn’t bad. He’s wonderful.”

“Tell me how it happened,” she orders. “I want every detail from beginning to end.”

“We were together for a couple of weeks, but then I ruined everything.”

“I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think,” she says confidently. “We just need to make a plan for you to get him back. Something perfect. Something failproof.”

“I’m open to whatever suggestions you might have.”

She grins slyly. “First, I’ll need details.”

My stomach tightens. But if I want to be different, I have to change.

Plus, I do like the sound of a failproof plan.

“Fine.” Obediently, I start the story from the very beginning.

—

“I need you,” Phoebe whispers the moment I answer her call.

Elena flashes me an encouraging thumbs-up. We were in the middle of brainstorming plans—most of them too elaborate and outrageous to have any chance of success—when the trill of my phone interrupted us. Obviously, like me, Elena expected to hear something different.

“What?” I wave off Elena’s thumbs-up, my stomach tightening like a clamp. “Tell me what to do.”

“I’m at the harbor in Marina Del Rey. Please hurry, Liv.”

As she gives me the slip number, I jump from the lounger and run toward the server who’s given us our drinks, gesturing for the check. My heart races at the muted tone of her voice. Phoebe, who is always so much larger than life. It’s terrifying to hear her sound so small.

“Are you okay?” I squeeze my eyes shut as I wait for her answer, but I don’t get the reassurance I’m so desperate for.

“Just hurry,” she repeats before the phone goes dead.

“Charge everything to room 214,” I tell the server. “Do you need me to sign something?”

He shakes his head like he’s scared to answer wrong.

“Thank you,” I say, turning to run back to my chair.

It’s unnecessary, though, because Elena is already running toward me with all of our belongings wadded into her arms.

“What’s happening?” Her sunglasses have slid down her nose and are perched precariously on the tip.