Page 27 of Rescue

Chapter Six

Lennon

“So. This is Newcastle, huh?” Daisy asks, staring out the window at the steady drizzle of rain and fog.

“Isn’t it charming?” Levi asks, his voice flat as he reaches for his coffee cup.

“It actually has its high points,” I say. Before I can expound on what those points might be, my attention is distracted by the sight of Haylee crossing the hotel lobby into the small restaurant where we now sit. Her bassist, James, is with her, talking rapidly, gesturing with both hands. Haylee is wearing sunglasses despite the rain—and the fact that she’s inside. As James’s voice rises, she visibly winces. I grin to myself, knowing the signs of a monster hangover when I see one.

“Wow,” Levi says, and I tear my attention away from Haylee to look at him. His eyebrows are raised, a knowing look on his face. “The singer, huh?” he asks, his smirk widening. “Not a bad choice.”

“Shut up, Levi,” I mutter, reaching for my own coffee cup and trying to ignore the look my two oldest friends share across the table.

“I think she’s nice,” Daisy says, her eyes on the pair as they find a seat. She focuses on my face. “You guys have been spending a bit of time together.”

“Not really,” I say quickly. After that flight—God, that amazing flight—I had hoped we could explore our connection, spend some time together. But in the week and a half we’ve been on the road, Haylee has been distant. Friendly. Social with the band and the crew. But that fleeting connection we found—or, at least, I thought we found—flying across the ocean seemed to have been silenced. I don’t like how much that bothers me.

“You’ve been hanging out after every show,” Levi points out.

“Yeah, with the rest of the band and half the crew.”

“You had breakfast together in Manchester.”

I glare at him. “Are you keeping tabs on me, Levi?”

He rolls his eyes. “Yes, Len. I have absolutely nothing else to do besides babysit your lame ass.” He gestures at the thick folder in front of him, filled, I know, with details about our itinerary. Levi’s recent promotion from head roadie to tour manager has added to his workload considerably. The fact that he’s separated from Karen for the first time in weeks doesn’t seem to be helping his mood.

“Why don’t you talk to her?” Daisy asks, ignoring our sniping. “You guys seemed to hit it off so well on the plane.” She smiles. “I got up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and you were still up talking.”

If I close my eyes, I can see her face, the way it looked that night in the darkened cabin. We reclined our seats and turned our heads to face each other—and sat like that all night, talking about pretty much everything.

Well, not everything. I didn’t tell her about the accident. Or any of the other bullshit that currently has my brothers and Levi so worked up. And that was the problem, really. I sigh, running my hands through my hair. What in the hell do I have to offer a girl like Haylee?

Daisy frowns, as if she’s reading my thoughts. “You should talk to her. You’re a catch, Len.”

“You really think I’m in the best shape to be… I don’t know. Wooing someone?”

Levi snorts but covers his mouth when I glare at him. Unfortunately, he’s not the only one who heard me.

“Who are you wooing?” Paige squeals.

“Oh, dear God,” I mutter, closing my eyes. This was just what I needed.

“Shh,” Daisy tells her, shooting a glance over at Haylee’s table. Which is just fantastic, because Paige’s head turns to follow Daisy’s glance. “Oh my God,” she whispers, as excited as I’ve ever heard her. “You like Haylee!”

“Shut up, Paige,” I say as Daisy reaches over and grabs her friend’s arm, pulling her into a chair.

“She didn’t hear me,” Paige says easily. She can see Haylee’s table from her vantage point. “She’s just talking to James. I think she has a hangover.” She turns back to me, eyes flashing. I’m in so much trouble. “When did this happen?”

“Nothing happened, Paige. Daisy and Levi are just giving me a hard time.”

Paige is stroking her cheek, a thoughtful expression on her face. “You do stare at her a lot.”

“I do not!”

“And you guys talked, like, that entire flight.”

“I hate my life.” I reach for my mug. Of course, it’s empty. Perfect. A conversation with Paige about my love life and there isn’t even any coffee.