Page 141 of Hard Rock Tease

Kell grumbled as he sat back down.

“Actually, Kell, thereisone thing fans have come up with that you might like.” The other guys would be horrified to find out something like this, but I knew Kell would love it. “There’s a small but hardcore group of fans who like to imagine there’s an identical girl version of you, and the both of you are, as you say, sexing each other up.” After all, the only person who could manage a threesome with Kell and his ego was Kell himself.

“I’m doing my own female doppelgänger?” Kell looked thoughtful for a moment before a grin spread across his face. “All right!” He fist pumped in the air. “Twice the Kell for you all to love.”

“That’s weird, dude,” Morris snorted.

Ren was nodding his head, but he looked impressed at their fans’ imagination and ingenuity. Jayce still had my tablet and was reading intently.

“This is too freaking crazy…” he murmured.

“What was that?” Neil asked from behind the camera, trying to catch his quiet words.

Jayce thrust the tablet back at me and slouched down into his seat. “Nothing.”

I was worried for him. I’d seen a totally different side of Jayce. I knew how much effort he put into acting the rock star god. Deep inside though, he was different. More somber. More introverted.

Well, aside from the times he’d come onto me. He had seemed plenty extroverted then. The memory of his tongue in my mouth and his hands on my skin ignited an ache between my legs. Definitely not the best time to be thinking of kissing him.

Jayce had issues that he didn’t seem comfortable sharing with the rest of the band. These people were supposed to be his closest friends and he hadn’t confided in them. Did he have anyone he could lean on? Anyone he could look to for support?

Maybe I could have been that person if things hadn’t turned out the way they had with Neil.

***

WE REACHEDTHE next city ahead of time, and the guys were talking about taking a break before rehearsal. I waited until they filed out of the bus.

“Jayce, do you have a minute?”

It had been a bit awkward having to share the tour bus with Jayce after everything that had happened, but I’d managed to keep my spirits up by interacting with the rest of the band, Kell in particular. He was funny and energetic and always up to answer fan questions. I spent most of my time on the tour bus doing Q&A’s and getting the guys to take selfies for me to post. As long as I was doing my job, Jayce and I got along well.

It was only when we were alone that things were tense. I didn’t want that. I had to fix things between us.

Jayce stopped as soon as I called out to him, slowly turning around.

“Yeah?”

I hesitated and decided to power through it.

“I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

He frowned at me and turned on his heel. “I’m fine.”

“I don’t mean about us. I’m talking about your… panic attacks.” I said the last two words quietly.

He whipped his head up, looking around quickly, but there was no one there to overhear, just like I’d planned.

“I consider you a friend. I just want to make sure you’re all right. It must be hard doing shows every night.”

Jayce gave me a considering look before his shoulders slumped. He looked up at the ceiling and rubbed at his stubbled jaw. “I’m doing… okay.”

“You want to talk about it?” I sat down on one of the sofas, leaving room for him to join me. He paused, studying my face intently, but eventually he sat down gingerly next to me. We were both quiet for a moment before he spoke.

“They’re getting worse.” His voice was low, and he spoke from deep within his chest.

“How bad?”

“It’s taking longer and longer to snap out of it. Sometimes I’m worried I’ll pass out because I can’t breathe. I get dizzy. My vision goes blank.”