Page 19 of Spark

My eyebrows ride up. “People think I’m the brother guy—not you or Kai?”

“Everyone thinks he’s you, KC.”

“Well, no, I’d say over half the internet thinks he’s you,” Laila interjects. “Second place is Kai. Savage is a distant third.”

“It’s so insulting,” Savage quips.

I don’t know whether to smile or scowl at the revelation that I’m the world’s front-runner, so I work hard to keep my face neutral.

“So, what’s the storyline? A romance between us?

” That’s what they required of Savage and Laila their first season.

In fact, that’s their origin story as a couple: the show required them to fake a passionate relationship as a prerequisite to them both getting signed for the judging gig.

So, it stands to reason the producers are reaching into their old bag of tricks.

Savage shrugs. “You’ll have to ask Eli for specifics. He said something about them wanting to make sure you and Ruby wouldn’t publicly deny her being Ruby Tuesday and you being the guy in the song. You know, leaving everything open to speculation, at least. But who knows.”

I shrug. “I’d be willing to do whatever it takes to get Ruby onto the show. I know for a fact this would be a dream come true for her. Life changing.” I pull my phone out of my pocket. “I’ll text Eli now and let him know?—”

“No, not yet,” Savage says. “There’s something else.” He looks at Laila and grimaces before returning to me. “Cooper. Eli said they’ve confirmed him as a guest mentor this season.”

“What the fuck? Seriously?” I look at Laila, frowning. “I thought you were the only judge without a guest mentor confirmed.”

“I was, which is why I asked for Ruby. They initially said no about her, by the way. They said she’s not a big enough name yet.

But then, Cooper’s song came out and took the internet by storm, and since they already had you, they decided to bump the guest mentor lined up for Jon and replace him with Cooper. ”

“Poor Ruby,” I murmur. “Talk about an impossible choice to make. Saying yes to her dream opportunity and working alongside Cooper or turning it down and getting the biggest case of FOMO ever.”

“I know,” Laila says. “It sucks.”

I rough a palm down my face. “So, are they gunning for a love triangle storyline here, then? Is that what’s really going on?”

“Eli seems to think so,” Savage says. “But for now, I guess they’re being pretty vague about their intentions. First things first, they want to know if you’ll play ball. If not, they’re not going to make an offer to Ruby.”

“Like I said, I’ll do whatever Ruby wants.

The question is whether Ruby will want to do the show with Cooper.

Honestly, I don’t know. The past few days have been pretty rough on her.

” I turn on my phone, and a bunch of texts and missed calls from Eli pop up.

“I’ll let Eli know I’m in Ruby’s corner, no matter what. ”

“He figured you’d say that,” Savage says as I tap out the message. “But he just needed to know for sure before he replied to the producers. Apparently, time is short for his response.”

As I’m still typing out a message to Eli, Laila says, “So, Kendrick. Have you talked to Ruby about Cooper’s song yet? ”

“Yeah. I was there when she heard it for the first time. She’s furious about it.”

“No, I mean, have you talked to her about the lyrics? Does she know if the guy in the song is you?”

My heart is thumping. “We haven’t talked about any of that stuff. Ruby was sobbing when she first heard it, and I haven’t wanted to upset her again or dignify Cooper’s lyrics by asking too many questions.”

“You haven’t asked her if you’re the ‘brother’ she wants to fuck?” Savage blurts, his face awash in disbelief.

“I can’t ask her that. If I did, she’d think I think those lyrics are about me.”

“Well, don’t you?” Savage asks. “I sure as hell do.”

My heart stops. He does? Does everyone in the band think that way, too? Does Titus?

“Who knows?” I babble, sweating bullets. “For all we know, they’re totally fabricated. Or maybe the guy in the song is a mash-up of you, me, and Kai. You know how songwriting is.”

“Maybe,” Savage concedes. “But it seems most likely they’re real and about you.”

“I’d say so,” Laila chimes in.

“Why do you both think that?”

They look at each other and shrug, like I’ve asked, “Why do you think the sky is blue?”

“Who else would they be about?” Laila asks. “I mean, if you want proof, I think Ruby being a ‘gem’ in the song is a nod you. You’re the one who always calls her that. A gem.”

“And I’m sure Cooper noticed,” Savage adds. “Both back when he opened for us and during his stint as tagalong boyfriend.”

Laila adds, “We think he’s giving you the middle finger by repeatedly calling her that in the song.”

“You think so? Seems to me, Ruby being a gem is low- hanging fruit in terms of a metaphor. It’s not like I’m some poetic genius for coming up with that.”

“But you’re the only one in the band who ever calls her that,” Savage shoots back. “The only one, KC.”

He’s not wrong about that. Suddenly, Ruby’s comment to Reed pops into my head: the one about Cooper’s song airing their “dirty laundry.” And my heart rate increases, yet again.

I shift my weight. “Even if Cooper’s lyrics are true from his perspective, they’d still only be his version of the truth. Not Ruby’s. I don’t want to ask her about what Cooper might have meant and make her think I’m anything less than completely in her corner.”

Savage scoffs. “You’ve got far more willpower in this situation than I ever could.”

“Yeah, well, willpower isn’t what you’re known for, brother.”

We all laugh. Savage is nothing if not impulsive.

“All I’m saying,” Savage says, “is that it’s an objective fact Cooper’s song is about someone who’s like a brother to Ruby . And that someone, if you ask me?—”

“And most internet sleuths,” Laila interjects.

“Is you.”

I bite the inside of my cheek. Am I fervently hoping they’re right about this? Fuck yes. But I don’t want to admit that to anyone, not even Savage and Laila. Unfortunately, I know for a fact Ruby’s never felt that way about me, and I’m only willing to embarrass myself so much.

I take a deep breath and address Savage. “Hey, have you ever told Cooper what Kai told me about him and Ruby? You know, about Ruby supposedly being ‘desperately in love’ with Kai since the very beginning?”

“No.”

“Are you sure about that, Savage? Think. ”

“I’m positive I didn’t say a single word about that to Cooper or anyone else in the entire world.”

Laila raises her index finger. “You told me.”

“Except Laila.”

I roll my eyes. “Could you have said something to Cooper while you were shitfaced? We all know you’re the opposite of tight-lipped when you drink.”

“Why are you asking me this?”

“I’m just trying to get inside Cooper’s head. If you told him, maybe that would make it more likely Cooper’s lyrics are about Kai.”

Savage shakes his head. “They’re about you, KC. I’d bet anything.”

Laila nods her head in agreement and says, “The only question is whether those lyrics are the rantings of a jilted ex-boyfriend or factual.”

We all contemplate that for a moment. But before anyone speaks, my phone buzzes with a text.

“It’s Eli,” I report. “He says the producers have the information from me, and they’ll make their decision about Ruby by tomorrow morning. He says we shouldn’t tell Ruby about this yet, in case the offer doesn’t come in.”

We all agree to keep our mouths shut, and I let Eli know as much in a reply text.

That task completed, Savage claps his hand to my shoulder. “Okay, birthday boy. Let’s get you back out there for a game of Birthday Truth or Dare .”

He’s no sooner gotten the words out, however, than a new song begins blaring in the adjacent party: none other than Cooper’s viral, smash-hit single that’s been tearing up the charts and wreaking havoc with Ruby’s nervous system for the past three days.

“Who the fuck put this on?” I roar, marching toward the door of the bedroom. “Whoever did this is about to get a beatdown from me!”

“Turn that shit off!” I shout as I barrel toward Rex the Soundman.

All night long, our tour manager, Caden, has been manning the iPad that’s been cranking out party tunes.

But now, it’s Rex the Soundman who’s standing in Caden’s former spot with a smug expression on his face and his phone trained directly on Ruby on the dance floor.

Plainly, he’s hoping to capture her reaction in a video.

Will he post it? Send it to Cooper? Fuck.

I suddenly remember: Rex is close friends with Cooper, dating back to when his band opened for us.

As I cut through the party, on my way to beat the shit out of Rex—or at least, to scream in his face that he’s a massive asshole and this will be his last tour with us—Ruby races toward me, looking frantic.

I don’t blame her. This party was supposed to be a safe space for her after the past few days chewed her up and spit her out.

Doesn’t this motherfucker realize Ruby’s one-fifth of the reason for his paycheck?

Ruby is shouting something as she gets closer to me, something that’s getting swallowed by the loud music.

But I don’t need to hear her to understand her body language.

She wants me to make Rex stop playing this goddamned song—probably, to make him stop shooting his video, too—through any means necessary.

And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

Before I’ve reached Rex, Ruby cuts me off at the pass. And when she’s close enough for me to hear what she’s saying, it’s not what I’m expecting.

“Stop!” she screams. “KC, no! Your reaction is confirming the song is about me !”

Shit .

That didn’t occur to me before now. But I think she’s right: I’ve just handed Rex a viral video on a silver platter. Fuck.

“Kiss me!” Ruby screams above the music, right before she double-fists the front of my T-shirt and pulls my lips to hers.

When our lips collide, my drunken brain can’t make heads or tails of what’s happening for a second, but my body sure can.

Instinctually, I slide my arm around Ruby’s back, pull her closer, and kiss the hell out of her, like I’m a soldier returning home from war.

The result, at least for me, is fireworks.

As my tongue swirls with Ruby’s, my entire body explodes with elation, love, and lust. Euphoria that the kiss I’ve waited so long to experience is finally here—and it’s better than my wildest dreams. And best of all?

Ruby’s unmistakably returning my kiss, her body making it clear she’s every bit as?—

The song abruptly cuts off, right before it reaches its now-infamous line: “Why do you want to fuck your brother?” Apparently, someone got to the iPad and turned it off in the nick of time. And suddenly, it’s like a spell has been broken.

With our blaring soundtrack no longer goading us on, we’re suddenly surrounded by nothing but whoops and cheers, all of which are mingling with the loud thumping of my heartbeat in my ears.

Reality sets in again.

Abruptly, Ruby breaks free of my lips and lurches back, like she’s been zapped by an electric fence.

Flustered, I open my mouth to confess that kiss was better than my wildest fantasies about it—fantasies I’ve been having since age sixteen. But, thankfully, Ruby speaks first.

“That was perfect,” she whispers with a snicker. “Now, drag me out of here like you’re taking me somewhere to fuck me.” She grabs my hand and shouts, loud enough for everyone at the party to hear, including Rex, “Come on, baby! I can’t wait to give you your birthday present in private!”

[ Click here to hear “Hate Sex High” in full ]